I hate New Year’s resolutions.
I never make them because I know I will just end up not following through with them. I believe most people find themselves in a simalair situation.
However, my wife, Sarah, made a New Year’s resolution for me. She calls it dieting and I call it giving up all of my favorite foods and drinks while wasting away to nothingness.
Then I visited my parents house and saw pictures of myself from two years ago when I had a decent looking figure. I was no Brad Pitt, but I could hold my own in a “he’s-not-so-bad” contest.
I still wasn’t keen on the idea of making a New Year’s resolution having to do with weight because it is often the most common resolution and the most failed.
Then Sarah proposed a wager. She proposed we both go on a diet and whoever has lost the most weight by May wins the others spending money.
Bringing money into the equation changed things for me. I thought of all the DVD’s and Blu-ray’s I could buy with this extra spending money.
I also know my wife is already skinny and if she loses much more weight she will float away on a strong gust of wind. I on the other hand, could easily lose 20 pounds resulting in someone asking me if I have had a haircut.
Therefore, in the spirit of winning money, not a resolution, I have dedicated to lose more weight than Sarah.
I have already begun the journey and it is not simple. I have had to give up some of my favorite things, including Cokes. I could drink seven Cokes in one day without batting an eye, and now I must limit myself to one Diet Coke everyday. It is hard, but I will have to learn to like drinking water.
I never drank water before because I figured my body is made up of somewhere around 75% of water. It doesn’t need anymore. It wants flavor.
I must also hold back on my favorite dish, Tyson’s buffalo style chicken tenders (even writing this is wreaking havoc on my mind and body).
The journey will be long and hard, but the end result will be worth it. I don’t know if she doesn’t believe I can do it or if it just an elaborate trick to have me fit into my back-in-my-college-day-jeans, but either way, I am going to be spending her money come May.
I ask for the prayers and support of the community as I take on the task of trouncing my wife in this competition. I will keep you up to date with weigh ins and picture progress.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Christmas Memories
As with most people, this time of year comes with a flood of memories for me.
One of the best things about the holidays is sitting around with family and sharing memories of Christmas past. With my family, the sharing usually consists of embarrassing or funny stories.
For instance, there was the year it was my turn to hang the angel on the Christmas tree.
Every year we have an angel on top of our family tree instead of the traditional star.
There are pictures of my little sister on my dad’s back stretching to reach the top of the tree to place the angel in its rightful place.
There is no picture with me stretching to place the angel on the tree. This is because when it was my year, I felt the necessity to keep the angel with me at all times.
This meant, I walked around with the angel, ate with the angel and, you guessed it, went to the bathroom with the angel.
My memory is fuzzy how it happened but somehow, an attempt to escape from me or a desire to go for a swim caused the angel to leap from my hands and land in the toilet bowl.
There was no angel on the Christmas tree that year and for several years my father was my surrogate angel placer. I don’t remember how old I was when it happened, but I know I couldn’t have been older than 17.
There was also the year the coveted toy for my little sister was the board game “Don’t Wake Daddy.”
She would tear open each present hoping to see those words on every box.
Finally, when the magical moment happened where she opened the box to reveal the game she began jumping up and down yelling “Don’t wake Daddy! Don’t wake —.”
The pause was the moment she became so overwhelmed with joy she released the contents of her stomach all over her game and the presents surrounding it.
This led to my brother and I to almost lose the content of our stomachs from laughing so hard — we were good brothers, I know.
One particular Christmas memory is something my parents and siblings love to remind me of whenever we are opening gifts.
I was a persistent child and when I heard the word “no” I took it to mean, “ask me again in five minutes.” During one Christmas, my parents had placed a few Christmas presents under the tree on Christmas Eve before Santa could visit that evening.
I begged and begged my parents to allow us to open just one gift on Christmas Eve. Sticklers for tradition, my parents refused.
However, I had the special ability of endurance, which they did not possess.
I asked several times throughout the night and finally wore them down to allow one gift on Christmas Eve. I was thrilled and ran to grab the first present I could with my name on it.
Because I was the annoying one, I was told I could open mine third. I impatiently waited for my brother and sister to open their gifts.
I don’t remember what they got, but I remember them liking it.
After a lecture on how I shouldn’t get a turn because I had pestered my parents so much, I tore into my gift.
Inside, I found a package of undershirts — which had been wrapped as a Christmas gift by mistake.
My family rolled on the floor with laughter. The one thing I had begged and begged for all day had been a package of undershirts.
To this day, every Christmas I can find a set of undershirts underneath the Christmas tree with my name on them. We were allowed to open one gift every Christmas Eve after that year, but my mother picked out which ones we could open and mine usually ended up being socks or undershirts. One year she went all out and got me a package of batteries.
I love my family.
I love talking about Christmas memories because no matter what is happening in your life, you can remember the happy times you spent with your family.
While my little sister may not be making the best decisions with her life and infuriating me as a big brother, she is still my little sister. She is still the little girl throwing up all over her present because she is so overcome with excitement because of a board game.
Thank God for Christmas memories. I hope all of you make great ones with your family every year. Merry Christmas.
One of the best things about the holidays is sitting around with family and sharing memories of Christmas past. With my family, the sharing usually consists of embarrassing or funny stories.
For instance, there was the year it was my turn to hang the angel on the Christmas tree.
Every year we have an angel on top of our family tree instead of the traditional star.
There are pictures of my little sister on my dad’s back stretching to reach the top of the tree to place the angel in its rightful place.
There is no picture with me stretching to place the angel on the tree. This is because when it was my year, I felt the necessity to keep the angel with me at all times.
This meant, I walked around with the angel, ate with the angel and, you guessed it, went to the bathroom with the angel.
My memory is fuzzy how it happened but somehow, an attempt to escape from me or a desire to go for a swim caused the angel to leap from my hands and land in the toilet bowl.
There was no angel on the Christmas tree that year and for several years my father was my surrogate angel placer. I don’t remember how old I was when it happened, but I know I couldn’t have been older than 17.
There was also the year the coveted toy for my little sister was the board game “Don’t Wake Daddy.”
She would tear open each present hoping to see those words on every box.
Finally, when the magical moment happened where she opened the box to reveal the game she began jumping up and down yelling “Don’t wake Daddy! Don’t wake —.”
The pause was the moment she became so overwhelmed with joy she released the contents of her stomach all over her game and the presents surrounding it.
This led to my brother and I to almost lose the content of our stomachs from laughing so hard — we were good brothers, I know.
One particular Christmas memory is something my parents and siblings love to remind me of whenever we are opening gifts.
I was a persistent child and when I heard the word “no” I took it to mean, “ask me again in five minutes.” During one Christmas, my parents had placed a few Christmas presents under the tree on Christmas Eve before Santa could visit that evening.
I begged and begged my parents to allow us to open just one gift on Christmas Eve. Sticklers for tradition, my parents refused.
However, I had the special ability of endurance, which they did not possess.
I asked several times throughout the night and finally wore them down to allow one gift on Christmas Eve. I was thrilled and ran to grab the first present I could with my name on it.
Because I was the annoying one, I was told I could open mine third. I impatiently waited for my brother and sister to open their gifts.
I don’t remember what they got, but I remember them liking it.
After a lecture on how I shouldn’t get a turn because I had pestered my parents so much, I tore into my gift.
Inside, I found a package of undershirts — which had been wrapped as a Christmas gift by mistake.
My family rolled on the floor with laughter. The one thing I had begged and begged for all day had been a package of undershirts.
To this day, every Christmas I can find a set of undershirts underneath the Christmas tree with my name on them. We were allowed to open one gift every Christmas Eve after that year, but my mother picked out which ones we could open and mine usually ended up being socks or undershirts. One year she went all out and got me a package of batteries.
I love my family.
I love talking about Christmas memories because no matter what is happening in your life, you can remember the happy times you spent with your family.
While my little sister may not be making the best decisions with her life and infuriating me as a big brother, she is still my little sister. She is still the little girl throwing up all over her present because she is so overcome with excitement because of a board game.
Thank God for Christmas memories. I hope all of you make great ones with your family every year. Merry Christmas.
Doubt Movie Review
Many plays may find it hard to cross over to film because a stage production thrives off its characters more than visuals, which audiences can find “boring.”
“Doubt” a pulitzer-award winning production, does not have this problem.
The film’s incredible ensemble cast of Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman make the film an edge-of-your-seat thriller without firing a single gun or involving themselves with any sort of government espionage.
A charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Hoffman), is trying to upend a Catholic schools’ strict customs in 1964, which have long been guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Streep), the iron-gloved principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline.
The school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller, but when Sister James (Adams), a wide-eyed nun, shares with Aloysius her suspicion Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Miller, Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to remove Flynn from the school and the priesthood.
As a play adapted for the screen, most of the film takes place on a small number of sets, including a classroom and Aloysius’ office. The film relys entirely on the cast’s ability to draw the audience into the conflict, making them doubt what is truth and what is gossip.
It goes without saying Streep, Adams and Hoffman are gifted actors. Adams an Acadamey-Award nominee, Streep a two-time winner and Hoffman a Best Actor winner are all on their A-game for the film and will all likely see another nomination come from the film.
Streep immediately commands respect from the audience when she first appears on screen as the evil Aloyisius.
Adams immediately gives the audience a feeling of trust and warmth and Hoffman immediately gives off an air of doubt and suspicion as to his true nature.
The climactic scene in the film involves Streep and Hoffman engaged in a battle of the wills in her office. Both strong characters and strong actors, the scene grabs the audience by the collar and yanks them toward the screen, anxiously awaiting to see which side will give in to the other.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has its work cut out for it in the awards season facing these acting giants and the script, could rob “Button” of the Best Adapted Screenplay award.
Another awards contender is Viola Davis as Miller’s mother. Davis only shares 12 minutes of screen time, but her powerful performance puts her in the running for the award season as well.
I don’t see her beating Adams, however, who is pitch-perfect in her niche role as a naive sweetheart who wants only to believe in the good in people. Most of the film is just wanting to hug her, but at moments it seems more appropriate to shake her for being so naive.
There are many films which have great acting, but an average plot, which makes the experience less enjoyable for the audience. “Doubt” is both intriguing and exciting and the acting propels it to being one of the greatest films this year.
Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams
Rated PG-13 for thematic material and language.
Rating: Three and one half stars
“Doubt” a pulitzer-award winning production, does not have this problem.
The film’s incredible ensemble cast of Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman make the film an edge-of-your-seat thriller without firing a single gun or involving themselves with any sort of government espionage.
A charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Hoffman), is trying to upend a Catholic schools’ strict customs in 1964, which have long been guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Streep), the iron-gloved principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline.
The school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller, but when Sister James (Adams), a wide-eyed nun, shares with Aloysius her suspicion Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Miller, Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to remove Flynn from the school and the priesthood.
As a play adapted for the screen, most of the film takes place on a small number of sets, including a classroom and Aloysius’ office. The film relys entirely on the cast’s ability to draw the audience into the conflict, making them doubt what is truth and what is gossip.
It goes without saying Streep, Adams and Hoffman are gifted actors. Adams an Acadamey-Award nominee, Streep a two-time winner and Hoffman a Best Actor winner are all on their A-game for the film and will all likely see another nomination come from the film.
Streep immediately commands respect from the audience when she first appears on screen as the evil Aloyisius.
Adams immediately gives the audience a feeling of trust and warmth and Hoffman immediately gives off an air of doubt and suspicion as to his true nature.
The climactic scene in the film involves Streep and Hoffman engaged in a battle of the wills in her office. Both strong characters and strong actors, the scene grabs the audience by the collar and yanks them toward the screen, anxiously awaiting to see which side will give in to the other.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has its work cut out for it in the awards season facing these acting giants and the script, could rob “Button” of the Best Adapted Screenplay award.
Another awards contender is Viola Davis as Miller’s mother. Davis only shares 12 minutes of screen time, but her powerful performance puts her in the running for the award season as well.
I don’t see her beating Adams, however, who is pitch-perfect in her niche role as a naive sweetheart who wants only to believe in the good in people. Most of the film is just wanting to hug her, but at moments it seems more appropriate to shake her for being so naive.
There are many films which have great acting, but an average plot, which makes the experience less enjoyable for the audience. “Doubt” is both intriguing and exciting and the acting propels it to being one of the greatest films this year.
Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams
Rated PG-13 for thematic material and language.
Rating: Three and one half stars
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ghost Town
Ricky Gervais knows what makes people laugh and he is very particular about what roles he takes. This means if Gervais takes a role, you know he is going to shine, and shine he does in "Ghost Town."
Gervais plays annoyed-with-the-world dentist Bernard Pincus who would rather sit at home drinking laxative than spend one minute with the people in his office or on his street or in his building. After a standard medical procedure, Pincus begins to see people dressed strangely [or in some cases not dressed at all] following him everywhere he goes. He returns to the hospital where his procedure took place only to find he had died on the operating table for a little less then seven minutes.
Pincus quickly discovers the people he sees are ghosts and they all want something from him. As someone annoyed with the living, the apparitions quickly find there is not a worse person in the world to ask a favor from. One particular ghost, Frank Herlihy [Greg Kinnear] is particularly pesky and wants Pincus to help him break off his widow's upcoming nuptials to a "real scum bag."
After seeing Herlihy's widow, Gwen [Tea Leoni], Pincus decides he will break off the marriage by seducing the woman.
The movie is Gervais' first leading role in a film and he is fantastic. He is not playing someone who is likable, in fact he is playing someone normal people would hate because he is a jerk who doesn't care about anyone. He is also awkward to boot so you are wondering why such a character would be someone the audience roots for at any time in the movie.
Then something magical happens.
While it is cliche to watch a scrooge type character shed his armor and fall in love, "Town" delivers this formula to perfection. I found myself buckled over with laughter throughout most of the film, but I also occasionally found a lump in my throat in several surprisingly poignant moments. Gervais is one of the main reasons the transition from hate to love works so well. He does a fantastic job of being mean to people, but he also does a fantastic job of convincing the audience he is a nice guy and just "misunderstood."
Kinnear also shows he can hold his own with a comedy powerhouse like Gervais. While at first you may think Kinnear's character is the sympathetic one of the bunch, but quickly discover not only is this not the case, he is actually probably the least likable. And he still makes the audience laugh and not hate him like they should.
Leoni does fine in her role, neither shining nor stinking, but her character is just kind of there to fill a void. You don't really care what happens to her because you like her, but more because you like Pincus and want him to be happy. I have never really seen much in the ways of talent from Leoni, she pretty much always plays the same role. She does fine with the role, but she isn't ever memorable. Luckily, Kristen Wiig, who plays Pincus' surgeon makes the audience laugh enough for herself and Leoni. While she is only a small role, Wiig absolutely steals the show from everyone but Gervais.
Billy Campbell also has some scene stealing moments as Leoni's "scum bag" boyfriend who turns out to be a peace-loving human rights activist. I'm not sure if it was Campbell himself or Gervais' interactions with him that were entertaining, but either way, I enjoyed it.
I am a big fan of films which reel you in under the pretext of comedy, then immediately tug at your heartstrings and make a movie something profound. If the audience allows themselves to be immersed in the film, they can learn valuable life lessons and be better people for doing so. The great thing about the film is even if you are just going to laugh you will enjoy the movie. You will probably still be touched, but you will laugh out loud, guaranteed. If you are going for a romance, there is one buried in the plot, which is probably more realistic than any movie with Diane Lane and Richard Gere.
Ghost Town
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni
Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content and thematic elements
Rating: 3 stars
Gervais plays annoyed-with-the-world dentist Bernard Pincus who would rather sit at home drinking laxative than spend one minute with the people in his office or on his street or in his building. After a standard medical procedure, Pincus begins to see people dressed strangely [or in some cases not dressed at all] following him everywhere he goes. He returns to the hospital where his procedure took place only to find he had died on the operating table for a little less then seven minutes.
Pincus quickly discovers the people he sees are ghosts and they all want something from him. As someone annoyed with the living, the apparitions quickly find there is not a worse person in the world to ask a favor from. One particular ghost, Frank Herlihy [Greg Kinnear] is particularly pesky and wants Pincus to help him break off his widow's upcoming nuptials to a "real scum bag."
After seeing Herlihy's widow, Gwen [Tea Leoni], Pincus decides he will break off the marriage by seducing the woman.
The movie is Gervais' first leading role in a film and he is fantastic. He is not playing someone who is likable, in fact he is playing someone normal people would hate because he is a jerk who doesn't care about anyone. He is also awkward to boot so you are wondering why such a character would be someone the audience roots for at any time in the movie.
Then something magical happens.
While it is cliche to watch a scrooge type character shed his armor and fall in love, "Town" delivers this formula to perfection. I found myself buckled over with laughter throughout most of the film, but I also occasionally found a lump in my throat in several surprisingly poignant moments. Gervais is one of the main reasons the transition from hate to love works so well. He does a fantastic job of being mean to people, but he also does a fantastic job of convincing the audience he is a nice guy and just "misunderstood."
Kinnear also shows he can hold his own with a comedy powerhouse like Gervais. While at first you may think Kinnear's character is the sympathetic one of the bunch, but quickly discover not only is this not the case, he is actually probably the least likable. And he still makes the audience laugh and not hate him like they should.
Leoni does fine in her role, neither shining nor stinking, but her character is just kind of there to fill a void. You don't really care what happens to her because you like her, but more because you like Pincus and want him to be happy. I have never really seen much in the ways of talent from Leoni, she pretty much always plays the same role. She does fine with the role, but she isn't ever memorable. Luckily, Kristen Wiig, who plays Pincus' surgeon makes the audience laugh enough for herself and Leoni. While she is only a small role, Wiig absolutely steals the show from everyone but Gervais.
Billy Campbell also has some scene stealing moments as Leoni's "scum bag" boyfriend who turns out to be a peace-loving human rights activist. I'm not sure if it was Campbell himself or Gervais' interactions with him that were entertaining, but either way, I enjoyed it.
I am a big fan of films which reel you in under the pretext of comedy, then immediately tug at your heartstrings and make a movie something profound. If the audience allows themselves to be immersed in the film, they can learn valuable life lessons and be better people for doing so. The great thing about the film is even if you are just going to laugh you will enjoy the movie. You will probably still be touched, but you will laugh out loud, guaranteed. If you are going for a romance, there is one buried in the plot, which is probably more realistic than any movie with Diane Lane and Richard Gere.
Ghost Town
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni
Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content and thematic elements
Rating: 3 stars
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Iron Man on DVD
The movie which began a golden summer movie season is now on DVD.
I have to admit that I am a comic book fan so I had a special excitement and skepticism about "Iron Man." However, after I walked out of the theatre not only were my expectations met and exceeded when it came to the adaptation of the comic, it was also an all-around great movie.
Robert Downey Jr. was back for his first leading role in several years and he knocked it out of the park. He took the role of Tony Stark, billionaire weapons designer, womanizer and alcoholic turned superhero and makes the audience fall in love with him.
Stark starts off as a pompous millionaire who is just fine with the nickname “Merchant of Death,” who gets captured by terrorists who are armed to the teeth with his weapons. After escaping, he discovers his weapons have been given to terrorists by some of his company colleagues and changes his goal in life to protect those who have been hurt by his weapons.
Downey is actually able to make an action movie more about the character than the action in the film. Yes there are amazing action sequences chock-full of CGI, but you almost want them to be over so you can get back to more of Downey’s antics.
His supporting cast of Jeff Bridges, who plays “Obadiah Stane,” the friend turned enemy, does an excellent job of not stealing the scenes he is in, but making his presence loom over the other characters in a subtle kind of terror.
Terrence Howard, who some might say is too good of an actor to be in a summer blockbuster, also does an excellent job of playing his character with just the right amount of playful humor without becoming just comedic relief.
Gwyneth Paltrow also uses her Academy Award winning skills to make a background character someone the audience roots for and cares about. She has just the right amount of sass, cuteness and humor to make her the perfect match for Downey’s character. The chemistry works perfectly and the audience can feel it.
While the biggest complaint I heard about the film was the slow pace in some scenes, I felt the movie has a nice flow to it. There are slower, character-building scenes but those are necessary in any film looking to become a franchise. In an origin movie, you have to have a good amount of plot so the audience cares about what happens to the protagonist —otherwise, you end of not caring if the characters win or lose.
Director Jon Favreau, who past directing credits include “Zathura: A Space Adventure” and “Elf,” knows how to engage audiences and how important characters are in any movie, even a summer blockbuster. However, he also shows he knows how to do action with CGI-packed scenes of fighter jets, tanks and explosions without overdoing it to the point of it becoming boring and taking away from the rest of the film.
This movie is for everyone and is the perfect way to kick off the summer movie season. You don’t have to be a fan of comics to enjoy this film. (However, if you are a fan of the comics, you should make sure to stay for the scene after the credits roll.)
The new DVD includes behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentary from Favreau and most of the cast. The special edition comes with several hours of special features which only a true fan could probably enjoy, but as a true fan, I will be purchasing this edition and watching all of the extras.
Iron Man
Rating: Three and a half stars
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow
I have to admit that I am a comic book fan so I had a special excitement and skepticism about "Iron Man." However, after I walked out of the theatre not only were my expectations met and exceeded when it came to the adaptation of the comic, it was also an all-around great movie.
Robert Downey Jr. was back for his first leading role in several years and he knocked it out of the park. He took the role of Tony Stark, billionaire weapons designer, womanizer and alcoholic turned superhero and makes the audience fall in love with him.
Stark starts off as a pompous millionaire who is just fine with the nickname “Merchant of Death,” who gets captured by terrorists who are armed to the teeth with his weapons. After escaping, he discovers his weapons have been given to terrorists by some of his company colleagues and changes his goal in life to protect those who have been hurt by his weapons.
Downey is actually able to make an action movie more about the character than the action in the film. Yes there are amazing action sequences chock-full of CGI, but you almost want them to be over so you can get back to more of Downey’s antics.
His supporting cast of Jeff Bridges, who plays “Obadiah Stane,” the friend turned enemy, does an excellent job of not stealing the scenes he is in, but making his presence loom over the other characters in a subtle kind of terror.
Terrence Howard, who some might say is too good of an actor to be in a summer blockbuster, also does an excellent job of playing his character with just the right amount of playful humor without becoming just comedic relief.
Gwyneth Paltrow also uses her Academy Award winning skills to make a background character someone the audience roots for and cares about. She has just the right amount of sass, cuteness and humor to make her the perfect match for Downey’s character. The chemistry works perfectly and the audience can feel it.
While the biggest complaint I heard about the film was the slow pace in some scenes, I felt the movie has a nice flow to it. There are slower, character-building scenes but those are necessary in any film looking to become a franchise. In an origin movie, you have to have a good amount of plot so the audience cares about what happens to the protagonist —otherwise, you end of not caring if the characters win or lose.
Director Jon Favreau, who past directing credits include “Zathura: A Space Adventure” and “Elf,” knows how to engage audiences and how important characters are in any movie, even a summer blockbuster. However, he also shows he knows how to do action with CGI-packed scenes of fighter jets, tanks and explosions without overdoing it to the point of it becoming boring and taking away from the rest of the film.
This movie is for everyone and is the perfect way to kick off the summer movie season. You don’t have to be a fan of comics to enjoy this film. (However, if you are a fan of the comics, you should make sure to stay for the scene after the credits roll.)
The new DVD includes behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentary from Favreau and most of the cast. The special edition comes with several hours of special features which only a true fan could probably enjoy, but as a true fan, I will be purchasing this edition and watching all of the extras.
Iron Man
Rating: Three and a half stars
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow
Eagle Eye Review
There aren't many actors who make me want to see a film just because they are in them, but Shia LaBeouf has already become one of my favorites.
LaBeouf is a good actor and he picks good movies to be a part of, with a few exceptions of course ["Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."] LaBeouf's newest cinematic accomplishment is "Eagle Eye" a cyber-thriller that will make you never want to use technology again.
LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw, a slacker who plays by his own rules who can never seem to get out of the shadow of his more successful, all-around better twin brother. Shaw has nothing going for him in life and works at a "Copy Cabana" as a "copy associate."
His life quickly changes, however, when he comes home to find his apartment full of guns and bomb-making material. After a strange woman calls him and informs him he is about to be arrested, Shaw is then broken out of captivity by the same woman and teamed up with Rachel Holloman [Michelle Monaghan] whose son is being threatened by the same woman.
Shaw and Holloman are forced to obey the woman's every command or else they and their families will die. The duo find themselves in the midst of high-speed car chases and shootouts with the FBI while following the orders of the woman who can see them wherever they are and can control all things technological.
Billy Bob Thorton, Rosario Dawson and Michael Chiklis make up a strong supporting cast which keeps the film on its feet as opposed to falling flat during the scenes that don't involve the main characters. Normally, it is hard for the audience to enjoy scenes without the main characters or big action sequences, but this group of veteran actors know how to hold their own and involve the audience with every aspect of the story.
The film has a somewhat drawn-out running time of 2 hours, which is normally a bad idea for a thriller. The audience will get so jacked up on action sequences they tire out when it is time for scenes surrounding plot without gunshots or car chases. However, "Eagle Eye" keeps a steady fast-paced atmosphere the entire film. I normally will look to see what time it is if a movie is running too long, but I never had this problem while watching "Eye."
While the film is a thriller and has a fast pace, it is also a thinking movie which engages the audience. This turns off some moviegoers who just want to see action and don't want to have to engage their powers of reasoning or thought during a film. "Eye" doesn't lose itself or the audience in the plot, which can be jumbled at times, and does a great job of explaining itself in the end to allow an enjoyable experience for all.
It can be considered bad when a movie has to explain itself, but for a thriller it is almost necessary. People aren't going to see "Eagle Eye" to think about the world at large and its problems, they are going to be entertained. The movie doesn't have a heavy-handed political agenda, but does a good job to slip just enough in there without grabbing you by the shirt collar and screaming it at you.
The action sequences in the film are phenomenal and even someone who knows nothing about movie-making can rest assured that a lot of money went into the production of the movie. The "all seeing" antagonist made me want to throw away my cell phone after the film. A sure-fire sign of a good film is something which makes you talk after the movie and a good thriller makes you talk and paranoid at the same time. The filmmakers show the audience everything we trust in today's world could turn on us and we would have nowhere to go. It also shows moviegoers a sharp stick is always better than a computer when it comes to weapons manufacturing [Have the Terminator movies taught us nothing?]
LaBeouf is great in all of his roles, but he has a knack for the thriller. His facial expressions and acting skills make him believable as a regular guy thrust into a bad situation. It makes him easier to identify with and root for throughout the film. Monaghan is unimpressive as she has been in her other films ["Made of Honor", "Mission Impossible III], but holds her own. You like LaBeouf enough to like Monaghan because he is with her and you feel obligated.
It is a good film and a great thriller. In a time of mediocre films just before a slew of Oscar-worthy movies, "Eagle Eye" is a great reason to go to the theaters during the month of September.
Eagle Eye
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan and Billy Bob Thorton
Rated PG-13 for violence and language
Rating: 3 stars
LaBeouf is a good actor and he picks good movies to be a part of, with a few exceptions of course ["Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."] LaBeouf's newest cinematic accomplishment is "Eagle Eye" a cyber-thriller that will make you never want to use technology again.
LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw, a slacker who plays by his own rules who can never seem to get out of the shadow of his more successful, all-around better twin brother. Shaw has nothing going for him in life and works at a "Copy Cabana" as a "copy associate."
His life quickly changes, however, when he comes home to find his apartment full of guns and bomb-making material. After a strange woman calls him and informs him he is about to be arrested, Shaw is then broken out of captivity by the same woman and teamed up with Rachel Holloman [Michelle Monaghan] whose son is being threatened by the same woman.
Shaw and Holloman are forced to obey the woman's every command or else they and their families will die. The duo find themselves in the midst of high-speed car chases and shootouts with the FBI while following the orders of the woman who can see them wherever they are and can control all things technological.
Billy Bob Thorton, Rosario Dawson and Michael Chiklis make up a strong supporting cast which keeps the film on its feet as opposed to falling flat during the scenes that don't involve the main characters. Normally, it is hard for the audience to enjoy scenes without the main characters or big action sequences, but this group of veteran actors know how to hold their own and involve the audience with every aspect of the story.
The film has a somewhat drawn-out running time of 2 hours, which is normally a bad idea for a thriller. The audience will get so jacked up on action sequences they tire out when it is time for scenes surrounding plot without gunshots or car chases. However, "Eagle Eye" keeps a steady fast-paced atmosphere the entire film. I normally will look to see what time it is if a movie is running too long, but I never had this problem while watching "Eye."
While the film is a thriller and has a fast pace, it is also a thinking movie which engages the audience. This turns off some moviegoers who just want to see action and don't want to have to engage their powers of reasoning or thought during a film. "Eye" doesn't lose itself or the audience in the plot, which can be jumbled at times, and does a great job of explaining itself in the end to allow an enjoyable experience for all.
It can be considered bad when a movie has to explain itself, but for a thriller it is almost necessary. People aren't going to see "Eagle Eye" to think about the world at large and its problems, they are going to be entertained. The movie doesn't have a heavy-handed political agenda, but does a good job to slip just enough in there without grabbing you by the shirt collar and screaming it at you.
The action sequences in the film are phenomenal and even someone who knows nothing about movie-making can rest assured that a lot of money went into the production of the movie. The "all seeing" antagonist made me want to throw away my cell phone after the film. A sure-fire sign of a good film is something which makes you talk after the movie and a good thriller makes you talk and paranoid at the same time. The filmmakers show the audience everything we trust in today's world could turn on us and we would have nowhere to go. It also shows moviegoers a sharp stick is always better than a computer when it comes to weapons manufacturing [Have the Terminator movies taught us nothing?]
LaBeouf is great in all of his roles, but he has a knack for the thriller. His facial expressions and acting skills make him believable as a regular guy thrust into a bad situation. It makes him easier to identify with and root for throughout the film. Monaghan is unimpressive as she has been in her other films ["Made of Honor", "Mission Impossible III], but holds her own. You like LaBeouf enough to like Monaghan because he is with her and you feel obligated.
It is a good film and a great thriller. In a time of mediocre films just before a slew of Oscar-worthy movies, "Eagle Eye" is a great reason to go to the theaters during the month of September.
Eagle Eye
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan and Billy Bob Thorton
Rated PG-13 for violence and language
Rating: 3 stars
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Lakeview Terrace Review
Samuel L. Jackson loves to make movies, and he makes a lot of them. Jackson sometimes lucks out and and takes a good movie like "Lakeview Terrace," his most recent onscreen venture.
In "Terrace," Jackson plays Abel Turner, a single father who is trying to raise his children to be good people while serving the city of Los Angeles as a police officer. However, Turner's world and conservative views are turned upside-down when an interracial couple moves in next door.
Chris Mattson [Patrick Wilson] and his wife Lisa [Kerry Washington] purchase the home next to Jackson and he is none to pleased about what he sees. The couple quickly find themselves to be the victims of what starts as harmless pranks and snide comments from Jackson informing them they are not wanted in his neighborhood. The couple and Jackson find their worlds colliding and soon find it quite literally burning around them.
A symbolic background plot of the film is a raging fires reminiscent of the fires of San Diego in late 2007. As the film begins, the fires are far away, but are still noticeable. However, as tensions rise between the neighbors the fires draw nearer to their homes ending in a fiery climax both literally and figuratively.
The film takes an interesting turn which has not presented itself in many films leading to this point. It is a touchy subject, but the filmmakers charge right into it and shove it in the audiences face. The idea of an interracial couple is not an uncommon idea in today's world, but Jackson's character makes it clear his world is not the same. Throughout the film, Jackson makes racist remarks to Wilson's character and does everything in his power to make his life a living hell. The film tests the audience's ideas about race and challenges moviegoers to take a long, hard look at themselves in the process.
Despite having a heavy-handed political undertone, the film is actually a decent thriller to boot. When the couple realize Jackson's "pranks" are becoming more dangerous and intrusive, they also realize there is nothing that can be done. Lisa's father in the film [Ron Glass] tells the couple there is nothing to be done because "There is the issue of color, and that color happens to be blue."
Because Jackson is a police officer, he comes across as even more terrifying. Not only are the filmmakers showing the audience the one group they can trust can be untrustworthy, they can also make sure you are never safe. At one point Washington threatens to call the police to which Jackson hands her his phone and says, "Go ahead, I will tell you who is on duty."
I have always known Jackson had great "crazy eyes" and he uses them to perfection in this film. His chilling performance is even more scary when he isn't using the "crazy eyes," but a sly smile informing everyone he has nothing to fear.
Wilson and Washington are both great actors, but they don't hold a candle to Jackson in this film. He knows being a tough guy can be intimidating, but being a tough guy who is slick and has nothing to lose is terrifying and he plays the part to perfection. The idea of living next door to his character is enough to make me want to move now, even though I don't even live in the same state.
On the down side, there are moments where his acting is somewhat over-the-top, but this is expected from Jackson. This would have been fine if it hadn't changed some of the more poignant moments in the movie into a scene which is almost comedic.
I knew this film was either going to be great or terrible with little to no in-between area. But, I was wrong. In the end, the film is good, but had the potential to be great. There are a few obvious tweaks the filmmakers could have made to ensure a great film, but as it is, the film just lands in the arena of a good time instead of as a great movie.
Lakeview Terrace
Rated PG-13 for language, violence some sexual content and intense thematic material
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington
Rating: Three stars
In "Terrace," Jackson plays Abel Turner, a single father who is trying to raise his children to be good people while serving the city of Los Angeles as a police officer. However, Turner's world and conservative views are turned upside-down when an interracial couple moves in next door.
Chris Mattson [Patrick Wilson] and his wife Lisa [Kerry Washington] purchase the home next to Jackson and he is none to pleased about what he sees. The couple quickly find themselves to be the victims of what starts as harmless pranks and snide comments from Jackson informing them they are not wanted in his neighborhood. The couple and Jackson find their worlds colliding and soon find it quite literally burning around them.
A symbolic background plot of the film is a raging fires reminiscent of the fires of San Diego in late 2007. As the film begins, the fires are far away, but are still noticeable. However, as tensions rise between the neighbors the fires draw nearer to their homes ending in a fiery climax both literally and figuratively.
The film takes an interesting turn which has not presented itself in many films leading to this point. It is a touchy subject, but the filmmakers charge right into it and shove it in the audiences face. The idea of an interracial couple is not an uncommon idea in today's world, but Jackson's character makes it clear his world is not the same. Throughout the film, Jackson makes racist remarks to Wilson's character and does everything in his power to make his life a living hell. The film tests the audience's ideas about race and challenges moviegoers to take a long, hard look at themselves in the process.
Despite having a heavy-handed political undertone, the film is actually a decent thriller to boot. When the couple realize Jackson's "pranks" are becoming more dangerous and intrusive, they also realize there is nothing that can be done. Lisa's father in the film [Ron Glass] tells the couple there is nothing to be done because "There is the issue of color, and that color happens to be blue."
Because Jackson is a police officer, he comes across as even more terrifying. Not only are the filmmakers showing the audience the one group they can trust can be untrustworthy, they can also make sure you are never safe. At one point Washington threatens to call the police to which Jackson hands her his phone and says, "Go ahead, I will tell you who is on duty."
I have always known Jackson had great "crazy eyes" and he uses them to perfection in this film. His chilling performance is even more scary when he isn't using the "crazy eyes," but a sly smile informing everyone he has nothing to fear.
Wilson and Washington are both great actors, but they don't hold a candle to Jackson in this film. He knows being a tough guy can be intimidating, but being a tough guy who is slick and has nothing to lose is terrifying and he plays the part to perfection. The idea of living next door to his character is enough to make me want to move now, even though I don't even live in the same state.
On the down side, there are moments where his acting is somewhat over-the-top, but this is expected from Jackson. This would have been fine if it hadn't changed some of the more poignant moments in the movie into a scene which is almost comedic.
I knew this film was either going to be great or terrible with little to no in-between area. But, I was wrong. In the end, the film is good, but had the potential to be great. There are a few obvious tweaks the filmmakers could have made to ensure a great film, but as it is, the film just lands in the arena of a good time instead of as a great movie.
Lakeview Terrace
Rated PG-13 for language, violence some sexual content and intense thematic material
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington
Rating: Three stars
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