My Review: Million Dollar Arm (6/10)

"We might have to tweak that a little."

It had been a while since Disney had produced a sports movie but if you sat for the opening 10 minutes of Million Dollar Arm you could tell that the formula hasn't changed much for the genre over time. Everything about this film is predictable as it follows pretty much every cliché possible. Director, Craig Gillespie doesn't bother to change the successful formula  here so you see pretty much everything coming, but somehow Million Dollar Arm is still an enjoyable film that manages to pull at your heartstrings thanks to a solid cast. Gillespie's Lars and the Real Girl is perhaps still my favorite film of his and I wish he would have played a bit with the genre conventions like he did with the horror genre in Fright Night. I expected a lot more from the screenplay considering Thomas McCarthy's past works were superb (I am a huge fan of his previous screenplays for Win Win and The Visitor). Perhaps he didn't have the same creative liberties considering this was a Disney production and they are known for controlling various aspects of the process. The film was based on true events so the audience was already expecting an inspirational tale and it accomplishes it. There are several funny scenes that elevate the film and the scenes in Mumbai stand out as the movie shows the difference between both cultures. The portrayal of Indians is stereotypical but the humor works nonetheless and it's the highlight of the film. So despite being painfully predictable at times and a bit overlong, the scenes in India and the comedic performances were enough to turn this into an enjoyable experience. I may be a bit biased considering I love sports although I'm not a huge baseball fan, but it is nowhere near being this year's Moneyball. Disney's Remember the Titans continues to be their best sports drama. 

A lot of the success of the film relies on how much you like Jon Hamm, and I thought he gave a solid performance considering his character isn't entirely likable. He is very flawed as this sports agent who seems to be interested in looking out for his agency. Hamm pulls it off and I ended up routing for him. Hamm may not be the most engaging presence of the film, but he leaves that to the supporting cast who all give delightful performances. The Indians, Suraj Sharma (Pi from Life of Pi) and Madhur Mittal (Slumdog Millionaire), play the future baseball prospects who are recruited from the reality TV show that Hamm's character created in India. They are the people who we are routing for as an audience and they achieve the purpose. They bring the emotional aspect of the film. For the comedy, Gillespie recruited Alan Arkin and Bill Paxton who are always a sure bet. Without being exceptional they still managed to be funny. The funniest scenes however come from newcomer, Pitobash Tripathy, who was a fresh addition to an otherwise predictable film. Lake Bell is the only female character present in the film and she delivers a solid performance as well. Her chemistry with Jon Hamm also lifted this film from being a mediocre movie.

My Review: Grudge Match (4/10)

"You are planning on embarrassing yourself, Kid. A great performer knows when to leave the stage."

It's ironic that the characters Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone play in this film resemble pretty much their current careers. Both had a great run in the 80's, but they have made some poor career choices over the past decade (with the exception of De Niro's supporting roles in David O. Russell's movies), and this was another painful choice they made. I feel sorry for young audiences that never got to experience these two great actors in the peek of their careers, Robert De Niro's work with Scorsese being the true definition of greatness. It's rather unfortunate that their most iconic characters, Stallone as Rocky and De Niro as La Motta, are the actual ones that are being made fun of here. If made with grace I wouldn't have a problem with it, but there is no substance to this film and everything felt pointless. They banked the entire success of the film on marketing it solely on these legendary characters, but they didn't give it any substance. Grudge Match is lazy film making at its fullest and the talented cast is completely misused.

The premise of this film is pretty simple as it follows the general conventions of most sport comedies. A huge boxing rivalry took place during the 80's involving two fighters that hated each other. The first time these two men were in the ring together the victory went to Billy "The Kid" (Robert De Niro) after a long hard battle, but the rematch was easily won by Razor Sharp (Sylvester Stallone). The fans along with The Kid demanded one final fight, but Razor decided to quit boxing after his girlfriend Sally (Kim Basinger) had an affair with Billy that left her pregnant. Now 30 years later after a youtube video of a grudge between the two retired boxers goes viral, a promoter named Dante Slate (Kevin Hart) convinces the two to give the fans what they want. Razor finally accepts because he needs the money to help his trainer, Lightning (Alan Arkin), who in exchange also promises to train him for the fight. The Kid on the other hand decides to train with his son, B.J. (Jon Bernthal), who he just met. Sally also shows up asking Razor to forgive her for what she did. The stage is finally set for the grand finale between these two aging boxers.

There were very few genuinely funny moments in Grudge Match, but I wouldn't blame the performances. I still consider De Niro and Stallone to be great actors, it's just the material they choose to work with what I have a problem with. Director, Peter Segal, who is known mostly for his collaborations with Adam Sandler, doesn't seem to add anything to this film other than trying to capitalize on the two iconic films I've mentioned. The buildup for the final fight doesn't work either and the dull jokes don't help the pacing of the film either. Arkin and Hart have some funny lines, but they are just too spread out and way to few for such an overlong film. The film targets a senior audience, but I don't think they will be too pleased to see their beloved iconic films treated like this in such a poorly written screenplay.

My Review: Sunshine Cleaning (7/10)

"We come into people's lives when they have experienced something profound - and sad. And they've lost somebody, you know? And um, the circumstances, they're always different. But that's the same. And we help. In some small way we, um, we help."

Directed by Christine Jeffs (Sylvia) and written by Megan Holley, Sunshine Cleaning is one of those small indie films with big performances and a feel good story that allows the audience to connect with its characters. It's hard to resist despite its cliches and flaws, given it has very strong lead performances from Amy Adams and Emily Blunt and very well written female characters that are rare to find making it hard not to sympathize with them. This is a solid indie that manages to balance really well the dark humor with the drama. Many people might have issues with the forced ending, but the emotional detail that Blunt and Adams give to their characters makes this a film worth watching. A lot of credit must be given to screenwriter Holley for creating such strong and believable female characters in a lead role which are really rare to find nowadays. The performance from the cast only enhances this aspect of the film making single parenting look as hard as it really is. The film wouldn't have worked if it weren't for the performances and the balance in shifts of tones between humor and drama which Jeffs found. 

Rose (Amy Adams), a single mother to her seven year old son Oscar (Jason Spevack), is a responsible and hard working parent who is making a living as a house cleaner while she is trying to find time to finish her studies to become a real estate agent. Her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt), is a free spirited woman who finds it difficult to hold on to any job as she continues to live with her father Joe (Alan Arkin). Norah and Rose haven't had a normal childhood since their mother committed suicide when they were still very young. Being the older sister, Rose had to grow up as the responsible child. She was successful in High School but her glory days seem to be behind her as she now has to settle to having an affair with her teenage sweetheart Mac (Steve Zahn) who is now a married cop. When her young son is expelled from yet another school, Rose tries to come up with more money to put him into a private school. Mac tells her how the people who clean up after crime scenes make a lot of money, so she decides to start her own business with her sister and thus begin cleaning up after messy and bloody crime scenes. The cleaning business will also lead Rose and Norah to clean up some of the emotional distress from their past as they begin to recall them through familiar situations.

Sunshine Cleaning might be considered as simply another feel good indie film that tries to manipulate the audience through a roller-coaster of emotions while seeming to tie everything up perfectly and neatly at the end. This forced ending might be a let down, but I found it to work thanks to the amount of time invested in the lives of these unique characters. Adams and Blunt both are superb here as they deliver strong performances and add a lot of emotional depth to their characters. Clifton Collins Jr also gives a memorable performance as a possible future love interest for Rose, but the story really focuses on her as she struggles to manage the different challenges life throws at her. She is a reminder to all of us that life is worth living despite the struggles that we may be forced to go through, and that perhaps those small simple moments are the ones that make our lives a better place. Rose continues to stay positive despite the obstacles she faces and realizes that life is worth living despite it all. The monologue she delivers near the end of the film summarizes what this film was all about. Kudos to the director and screenwriters for presenting us with two strong female characters and allowing them to be the heart and soul of the film.

My Review: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (4/10)

¨Prepare to get your brain raped.¨

Director Don Scardino got to work with Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, and Steve Buscemi in his latest comedy. He also signed James Gandolfini and Alan Arkin for secondary roles. It doesn’t get any better than that comedy wise, but somehow the film failed to deliver big laughs and it settled for a formulaic genre instead. It has to be more difficult to do a bad movie than a good one considering the great cast Scardino had to work with, but the direction and the script failed completely so the film managed to do the impossible: turn funny actors into mediocre ones. This year has been pretty bad for comedies so far, and I had expectations for this film but it completely derails from the very beginning considering how unlikeable Steve Carell´s character is. This movie can be used in film classes everywhere to show the students how they can make a bad film with great actors. Jim Carrey is the only actor that really stands out in this film and it made you wish the film centered on his character which was a clever satiric portrayal of street magician Criss Angel. Other than that, the film lacks laughs and heart, and by the time the credits begin to role you are happy it got over with. The four writers involved in the screenplay couldn’t come up with a decent story and the jokes fell flat. It is a shame, because they had a stellar cast to work with and didn’t take advantage of them. Even the beautiful Olivia Wilde was underused and her character had nothing to offer.

Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and his best friend, Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have been doing magic tricks together since they were kids. A wealthy Las Vegas Casino owner, Doug Munny (James Gandolfini), falls in love with their show and offers them a huge contract to perform at his casino. As the years go by, Burt and Anton become famous, but somehow fame and wealth have taken a toll on their friendship. Burt doesn’t care anymore about magic, and all he seems to be thinking of is getting the show over with and getting one of the girls from the audience to his bed. The only thing that has grown over time has been his personal ego. In the meantime, a street magician named Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) has begun to take the world by storm with his dangerous and bloody tricks. People have grown tired of Burt and Anton´s show which has remained the same for years, and Doug decides to end their contract with him. Burt and Anton each go their separate ways, and their fame soon fades away. Bankrupt, Burt decides to live at a retirement home, where he meets former magician Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin), who was his childhood idol. Rance reminds Burt about the joy of being a magician and all of a sudden his life begins to turn around. With the help of his former assistant, Jane (Olivia Wilde), Burt decides to try to return to his former glory, but is it too late now that the world has its eyes on Steve Gray?

I sort of felt the same way about this film like the way Burt and Anton´s characters felt about Steve Gray in that they said that what he was doing wasn’t really magic. They were just some distasteful tricks he was pulling off. In the same way this comedy can´t actually be called a film, it is just a bunch of distasteful and unfunny scenes one after another. Carell´s character is so egocentric and unlikeable that it doesn’t make much sense really why his assistant still stuck around him. By the time he turns his life around it is just a little too late for the audience to relate and like his character. I really didn’t care much for what happened to him. The film could have focused more on Carrey´s character who in my opinion does one of his funniest roles in a long time. The best thing about this film is his character and the few scenes he is in. It wouldn’t be a bad idea if the producers decide to make a spin off and make a film about him, although this film did so badly at the box office that they probably won´t want to take the risk. There is no magic whatsoever in this film, and I recommend you stay away from it.  

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My Review: Argo (9/10)

¨If I'm going to make a fake movie, it's going to be a fake hit. ¨

This is Ben Affleck`s third film as a director and he`s made yet another brilliant film. Not everyone may agree that he`s a good actor, but I think we can all agree that he`s one of the top directors of this century. His first film Gone Baby Gone was a huge success, and he followed that with an even greater hit: The Town. Both these films were set in Boston (Affleck`s home town), but now Ben went out of his comfort zone and directed a film set in Iran in the late 70`s. The general look of the film felt so real and authentic; it was as if Affleck transported us into the past and we were really there. The film has an authentic 70`s vibe that reminds us of other great films from that period. I had my doubts about Argo considering the subject matter. I didn’t think it would keep my attention for long, but I was wrong because Affleck was able to create so much tension and suspense that I was at the edge of my seat during most of the film. He also mixed that tension with some humor and movie industry satire. Arkin played a movie producer and Goodman an Oscar winning makeup artist; the scenes between both these actors were hilarious and they were on top of their game. Those scenes were probably among my favorite of the movie, I don’t know if I would`ve enjoyed the movie as much as I did if it weren’t for those two supporting actors. I still think Gone Baby Gone and The Town were both better films than Argo, but this will surely have more success with the Academy voters. Argo will be nominated for Best Picture and could be one of the favorites to win the Oscar.

The film is based on true events that occurred during 1979 while tension arose between the United States and Iran when Iranian revolutionaries invaded the American embassy in Iran and took several American hostages. Six American employees managed to secretly escape during the turmoil and found refugee in the residence of the Canadian Ambassador. The CIA then plans a secret mission to try to take them out of the country before the Iranians realize that six of the employees from the Embassy are missing. Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a CIA exfiltration expert, comes up with a risky plan to bring them back home safely. He creates a fake Canadian film project and travels to Iran with the excuse that he is looking for locations to shoot his sci-fi film titled Argo claiming that Iran is the perfect spot. In order to make his plan believable the CIA begins to collaborate with some trusted Hollywood people: Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), a film producer, and John Chambers (John Goodman), a make-up artist. Together they prepare to produce the best fake movie Hollywood has ever made and has everyone in the industry fall for the lie. Meanwhile at the residence of Canadian Ambassador, Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), tension is beginning to rise as the revolutionaries are beginning to suspect that there might be some Americans hiding there. These Americans are Bob (Tate Donovan), Cora (Clea DuVall), Joe (Scoot McNairy), Lee (Rory Cochrane), Mark (Christopher Denham), and Kathy (Kerry Bishe). Tony Mendez provides them with Canadian passports and a fake identity and has them each passing for crew members of the film he`s producing. Bryan Cranston plays Affleck`s supervisor in the CIA who gives him the green light for the highly risky mission.

Saying that Argo is based on a true story doesn’t mean that everything that happened in this film was real. Of course you have several things that were made up in order to build up the tension. This isn’t a documentary and if you want to read about the real story there is plenty of information about what happened in Iran. The film is based on the article written by Joshua Bearman and the screenplay adapted by Chris Terrio. People familiar with the story already know the outcome, but Affleck is able to maintain the suspense and tension nonetheless. His real success here was the way in which he was able to recreate several scenes in such a believable fashion. The amount of attention he put into small technical details can be seen during the end credits where we have pictures of the real events along with the scenes from the film. Affleck also took a huge risk by mixing movie industry satire with suspense and tension, but it paid off really well and was the highlight of the film in my opinion. Argo is a truly satisfying film and without a doubt one of the best films of the year thanks to the technical aspects of the film, a strong performance from the cast, and the thrilling storytelling all supported by the great direction of Ben Affleck.  

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