Cymbeline (4/10): One of the weakest adaptations of a Shakespeare play.

“On her left breast, a mole cinque-spotted, like the crimson drops I' the bottom of a cowslip.”

It’s been over 14 years since Director Michael Almereyda and Ethan Hawke collaborated together in the modern day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classical play, Hamlet. The film was warmly received by critics despite not being the first time that a Shakespeare play was adapted to modern times without changing the original dialogue (Baz Luhrmann did the same with Romeo + Juliet in 1996). Once again Almereyda decides to leave the dialogue untouched and change the setting to modern times for the adaptation of Cymbeline. The King (Ed Harris) of a biker gangster group known as Britain is upset that his daughter, Imogen (Dakota Johnson) has fallen in love with his protege, Posthumous (Penn Badgley), who she secretly married. The two have sworn eternal love to each other, but the King’s second wife, the Queen (Milla Jovovich), has other plans for Imogen. She wants her to marry his son, Cloten (Anton Yeltsin) so they banish Posthumous from their group. Meanwhile the bikers have decided to stop paying tribute to the Roman Police Department and a war is about to breakout between the two groups. Posthumous has fled to his friend’s house where he ends up meeting Iachimo (Ethan Hawke) and tells him all about his lover’s chastity. Iachimo makes a bet with him claiming that he can seduce her and prove that she’s not as pure as he believes her to be. He meets Imogen and is unsuccessful in his approach, but Iachimo fools Posthumous into thinking he did sleep with his lover and that is where the plot begins to take several unexpected twists.

If the short synopsis of this film felt a bit convoluted, it’s because the film actually has a lot going on in the opening minutes where it’s trying to introduce the main characters in a very rushed way. The dialogue doesn’t help either if you’re not familiar with Shakespeare’s play because the delivery is extremely fast and new characters keep on coming from all over the place. It’s strange that I’m complaining about how fast everything comes at you, because the pacing does get quite tedious and I was thankful the film only runs a bit past the 95 minute mark. But that doesn’t mean that the adaptation isn’t a mess because it’s all over the place. One of the reasons why this adaptation didn’t work for me is that the tragicomedy plays out as pure tragedy here and the comedy element is missing from the film. There was no time to get to know any of the characters or their true intentions and it seemed the entire purpose of this film was being able to adapt the play in a modern setting without touching the dialogue. Something that Whedon accomplished much better in Much Ado About Nothing because he focused on the comedy more than on the action. It’s funny that I say this because I wasn’t even a fan of Whedon’s adaptation although I recognized its artistic value, but here there’s nothing that worked for me.

Shakespeare’s plays might be timeless, but that doesn’t mean that all of them can be adapted to film. Cymbeline seems to be one of those plays that don’t translate well to the big screen due to the convoluted plot. The performances in this film aren’t bad, and I like most of the actors here, but the problem for me was that the adaptation didn’t work at all. Not even John Leguizamo can redeem the film despite how well he’s played Shakespearean characters in the past (Romeo + Juliet). Ed Harris and Ethan Hawke are both extremely talented actors, but there was nothing they could do to engage me with the film.  I love Shakespeare’s plays and despite never having read this one, I still could see some of his trademarks in the characters and writing, but unfortunately I didn’t care for them in this adaptation.  

Only Lovers Left Alive (9/10): A fresh spin on the vampire genre

“I just feel like all the sand is at the bottom of the hour glass or something.”

Jim Jarmusch brings a fresh spin to the very familiar vampire tale and delivers a solid and unique film that is unlike any other from the genre. Only Lovers Left Alive will stand alone considering it lacks the horror and action elements that the classic vampire films always introduce, and it also avoids the romantic cliches as well. It is an existential vampire film where you have two very distinct characters. On the one hand there is Tom Hiddleston’s character who has been around for centuries and is living in Detroit along with his growing music collection. He has grown weary with the way humans (or as he calls them: zombies) are living and has this nostalgic sense of the past, which explains why he collects several instruments from the early 1900’s. He seems to be depressed and simply disillusioned towards the modern world. On the other hand, his wife played by Tilda Swinton is living in Tangier, and she continues to enjoy the basic things in life. She loves to read and seems to have adapted well to the new world. When she realizes that her husband is getting depressed she decides to travel to Detroit to see if she can cheer him up. Most of the film focuses on Hiddleston’s existential crisis and serves as an excuse for Jarmusch to talk about art and culture. Many people might find this pretentious, but it works because you are reminded that these characters have been living for centuries and have actually met some of these artists and scientists they are referring to. The way in which Jarmusch builds these characters is also fascinating. The idea of the vampires having this sort of rockstar look to them is great and the way they seem to get high when they drink blood was also a very clever touch. There is no action here because these vampires aren’t feeding off people, they simply have their resources for buying blood. 

It’s the small moments that work extremely well in the film and the performances are fantastic. Hiddleston and Swinton are perfectly cast for their roles and both share an incredible chemistry on screen. They’ve been together for centuries so there is no tension in the relationship and they read each other perfectly. However when Swinton’s smaller sister (Played by Mia Wasikowska) shows up things begin to get interesting. Wasikowska is also great in this film and she does a convincing job playing this immature and pain in the neck little sister. There are also some strong supporting performances from John Hurt and Anton Yelchin. The cast is excellent in the film and with the strong script they all shine in this unique indie movie. I went into it knowing almost nothing about the film and I think it is the best way to approach it because the world created by Jarmusch is quite interesting. I had heard a lot about the director, but this was the first time I actually saw a film of his and I’m surprised I enjoyed it so much because I don’t consider myself a fan of the genre and I do tend to find existential films pretentious at times, but here it works. It is very elegant, cool, and stylish.

My Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (9/10)

¨You think your world is safe? It is an illusion. A comforting lie to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned to have my vengeance.¨

First off I have to say that I loved J.J. Abrams´ reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009 and I was highly anticipating this sequel. I had my reservations of whether or not Abrams was going to be able to maintain the same level of success he achieved with the prequel since the originality and freshness of the characters was going to be gone. It is much easier to reboot a known franchise and make it fresh with the introduction of new characters and letting us know how everything began (sort of like what Batman Begins did), but it is much more difficult to make a worthy sequel to such a beloved prequel. Somehow I think Abrams managed to pull it off once again by introducing a great villain and maintaining the freshness of the original film with some great chemistry between Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto along with the rest of the crew. At many points during the movie it even felt like a buddy comedy instead of a blockbuster sci-fi action film, but then Abrams managed to mix it all together quite nicely. It may be much lighter than The Dark Knight, but I felt he did something similar to what Christopher Nolan did with his trilogy by giving us a great villain and giving the movie several layers. This sequel may even be better than the prequel although many people may disagree with me. At least I think Abrams was able to maintain the same level of entertainment once again. This is a very fun and engaging movie with some great characters and spectacular visuals. This is the best film I´ve seen this year and by far the most entertaining one. I was never a big fan of the Star Trek TV series or the original movies, but I was completely hooked with the reboot and Abrams once again teams up with screenwriters: Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci to give us a gripping script with some great twists that Trekkies will probably enjoy. I don´t want to give away any spoilers, but if you´ve seen the film you know what I´m talking about. Star Trek into Darkness is the most fun I´ve had in theaters this year.

The movie takes place one year after the events of the prequel as we follow the crew from the USS Enterprise and their Captain, Kirk (Chris Pine), as they encounter new missions into foreign galaxies. In their latest mission they are trying to save a civilization from a volcano eruption without them knowing of their presence. Kirk and his First Commander, Spock (Zachary Quinto), manage to save the planet, but Kirk does so by breaking some rules. This doesn’t go well with Spock who despite being saved doesn’t agree with breaking protocol. When they arrive back to Earth, Spock informs their bosses and Kirk is discharged from the fleet. While this is taking place a former member of Starfleet, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), bombs an installation in London and later attacks a high ranking officers meeting at the Starfleet headquarters before managing to escape. Pike (Bruce Greenwood) is killed during this incident and Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) reinstates Kirk as Captain of the Enterprise in order for him to hunt down the terrorist. And so the new mission begins with Kirk and Spock back together again with the rest of their crew: Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Bones (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Sulu (John Cho), and Chekov (Anton Yelchin), all looking for revenge.

The relationship between Quinto and Pine´s character was probably the highlight in the prequel, and here once again we get to see how their relation has developed over time. The scenes they share together are really entertaining, but the supporting cast is exceptional once again with Simon Pegg and Karl Urban giving the funniest performances and lightening up the mood. Cumberbatch makes for one of the best villains I´ve seen this year and his performance is incredible. The twist with his character is really clever and it made me want to go back and watch the original films. The film is so good because it focuses on the characters and their relationships more than on the action and visuals, which are incredible nonetheless. I really look forward to what JJ Abrams and his crew are going to bring to the table in the Star Wars franchise because what they have done here was spectacular by combing comedy and sci-fi action. I am a huge fan of pretty much everything Abrams has done, ranging from what he did with the Lost series to his latest film prior to this one: Super 8. It will be very hard for another summer blockbuster movie to top this one this year. It has really raised the standard and the bar for the upcoming movies. Please go watch this film, you won´t regret it.

  

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My Review: Like Crazy (9/10)

¨I don't feel like I'm part of your life. I feel like I'm on vacation.¨

We all know that long distance relationships can be heartbreaking and difficult to bear, but at the same time when both parties reunite they make the best of the time they have with each other. That is sort of the premise behind this small romantic (or should I say anti-romantic?) indie film, Like Crazy. Director, Drake Doremus, has made one of the best romantic dramas I`ve seen in quite some time (perhaps since 2009`s 500 Days of Summer). I was really submersed into the story and found the love story to be authentic and real. The chemistry between Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin was incredible and the tension of them being separated was what made this movie work so well for me. The love story never felt forced and the dialogue felt so real, there wasn`t one cheesy moment in the entire film. This film might be a little slow and boring for some people, it is not your typical romantic chick flick. The pacing o the film is slow at times, but it really worked for me as I was interested in what was going to happen to these two characters. The script, written by Doremus himself and Ben York Jones, felt very authentic although they say most of the dialogues between Yelchin and Jones were improvised. I really enjoyed this movie and felt the love and heartaches these characters were dealing with; a very authentic and believable love story.

Jacob`s (Anton Yelchin) life changes forever when in his last year of college he meets Anna (Felicity Jones), a British student who has come to Los Angeles to study. Both fall in love immediately and the chemistry they share is unbelievable. When the year is about to end Jacob worries about their relationship since Anna has to return to England. She decides to stay during the summer despite her student visa expiring and after having gone to London for a week for a wedding she returns to the States only to find out that the Customs officer won`t allow her to enter for violating her previous student visa. Anna returns to London and is unable to fix her situation. She dreams of becoming a writer and lands a job as an assistant for a magazine editor in London, while Jacob works as a furniture designer in LA on his own. Both find the distance to be unbearable and despite Jacob`s visits to London it just doesn`t seem to work out for them. They enjoy their time together, but when it`s time to say their goodbyes everything goes sour. Eventually Jacob begins a relationship with Sam (Jennifer Lawrence), while Anna meets Simon (Charlie Bewley) in London. They both have trouble adapting to their new partners and don`t feel the same chemistry that they felt with each other. They don`t feel complete without each other and try to find the way to be together despite the distances.

Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones are really superb in this movie. Yelchin has proved he can be a good actor and we`ve seen him before in many different films, but Jones came as a surprise to me. I had never seen her before and she was just amazing in this movie. She really does give a great performance and she is the heart and soul of Like Crazy. She is truly someone to keep an eye on in the future. Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress, but she really doesn’t get too much screen time in this film and her character isn`t really developed, but it was a nice addition to the story and it is always good to see her on film. The movie actually centers entirely on Yelchin and Jones so the rest of the secondary characters are practically nonexistent. Everything revolves around the two main characters, just like when two people are in love and all they can think about is each other; the rest of the world is practically nonexistent. The ending was abrupt, but I think it played out perfectly and I really fell in love with this story. One of the best romantic (anti-romantic) films I`ve seen in quite some time.

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My Review: Fright Night (6/10)

¨Hey, guy. You've been watching me. I've been watching you.¨

Fright Night is a remake of the 1985 cult classic film of the same name which was written and directed by Tom Holland (known for several 80`s and 90`s horror flicks including Child`s Play and the TV series Tales from the Crypt). Some people don`t like the fact that these classic movies are being remade, but if done well it can work because a new generation that would`ve probably never seen the original can now be familiar with it. Director Craig Gillespie does a great job at adapting the story and bringing it to the big screen once again. He makes a few touches here and there, but the main idea is still there and there is even a cameo from Chris Sarandon (the actor that played the vampire in the first movie). Some of the most memorable lines from the original movie are also included here. Gillespie takes an entirely different approach than he did with his first film, Lars and the Real Girl, but he makes a decent horror/comedy film which stays true to the original so I think fans of that movie won`t be disappointed with this. Fright Night is much better than most horror films we`ve seen lately, although there isn`t as much scares as there are funny moments. The film is lifted by some strong performances from Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Anton Yelchin, and Imogen Poots. The other positive thing about Fright Night is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer, Marti Noxon, was involved in the adaptation of the screenplay which is pretty slick and funny.

Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is probably having the best year of his life. He seems to have been accepted with the cool group of his High School and is dating one of the hottest girls in school, Amy (Imogen Poots). Charley is having a great time with his new friends and tries to ignore his old geek buddy Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) as much as he can, but Ed is worried about some mysterious disappearances in the Las Vegas neighborhood and tells Charley that his new neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Ed has been spying on Jerry and has discovered his secret, but Charley doesn`t believe him at first until he sees things on his own. Charley warns his mother, Jane (Toni Collette), not to trust Jerry and under any circumstance invite him into the house, but Jane thinks he is just being a jealous son and ignores him at first. Jerry realizes that Charley is on to him and threatens him and his girlfriend. Charley decides it`s time to face Jerry and end his 400 year life. In order to do so he enlists the help of Peter Vincent (David Tennant), a Vegas performer who claims to be a Vampire slayer, but of course this is all just a gimmick. Vincent believes Charley is crazy at first, but he soon will find out the truth about Jerry, and discover some things about his own past.

Beside the fact that Colin Farrell delivers a perfect performance as Jerry the vampire, the other thing that Fright Night has going for it is that it has a clever and funny script. There are few scares; the movie knows it works best as a comedy in the same way that Zombieland had success making fun of its zombies. This time the jokes are about vampires and of course all the legends about the crucifixes, the stakes to the heart, and the need to ask for permission to enter a house aren`t ignored here. This last element taken from the very successful vampire Swedish film Let the Right One In (which in my humble opinion is the best vampire film ever). It also manages to make fun of Twilight whenever given the chance claiming that vampires aren`t sentimental and even makes references to that movie. Colin Farrell is the star of the film, but the rest of the actors also did a great job. Anton Yelchin is a good actor and he nails his role with his charming innocence. Toni Collette looks great playing her mother, and Imogen Poots is much more than the typical dumb blonde. Christopher Mintz-Plasse and David Tennant are responsible for most of the laughs of the film and the funny moments. The movie is well made, it`s clever, entertaining, I just wish it would`ve been scarier. The effects are pretty well done and there`s also plenty of blood for gore fans. Despite everything the movie has going for it, I don`t think I would`ve enjoyed it as much if it weren’t for Colin Farrell. He lifts this movie and makes it worth seeing. Fright Night isn`t a great movie, but it`s worth a watch.

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My Review: The Beaver (8/10)

¨This is what I believe right now: there is someone who is with you, someone who is willing to pick you up, dust you off, kiss you, forgive you, carry you, love you. So while everything may not be okay, one thing I know is true, you do not have to be alone.¨

This is Jodie Foster`s first directorial film in the last 15 years and what a risky project she decided to undertake. First of all the subject matter: a depressed man living with a puppet in his hand isn’t exactly attractive for audiences; it`s a hard sell. And the second major risk she took was trusting Mel Gibson as the lead role after all the scandals that he has undergone in the last couple of years. He is not a likeable actor anymore and most people boycotted the film due to this. It doesn’t matter what opinion you may have towards Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster made the right decision by relying on her good friend Mel and he truly carries this movie. Gibson`s performance is easily the best one I`ve seen from any actor all year long. I doubt he will be recognized by the Academy due to all the negative press, but if there is any justice left in the world he should receive several nominations for his performance. He singlehandedly carries this film and brings a lot more depth to the dark subject matter the film addresses. He transmits so much depth to his character and you can clearly identify both his personalities: the depressed one and the one who is trying to recover while assuming the identity of the beaver hand-puppet. These split personalities are clearly manifested in the film and what could have been a total disaster actually works to perfection in The Beaver thanks to Gibson. Kudos to Foster for maintaining her faith in this great actor, despite all the differences we might have with him in his personal life.

Walter Black (Mel Gibson) was once a very successful businessman as he inherited a toy company from his father, he was also a very loving family man, he lived a happy life with his beautiful wife, Meredith (Jodie Foster), and his two sons: Porter (Anton Yelchin), and Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart). Everything seemed perfect, until Walter fell into a deep depression. All of a sudden he stopped caring about his work or his family and all he wanted to do was sleep. His un-involvement affected the company which is now nearing bankruptcy, and it also has affected his family: his wife working overtime to try to suppress the hurt of a missing husband, his youngest son becoming alienated from the rest of the boys at school, and his older son fearing he might one day become like his father and suffer from depression. Meredith decides it`s time to let Walter go before he infests his family even more. Walter heads to a hotel where he considers taking his own life, but something saves him: a beaver hand-puppet. Walter begins assuming a new personality as he talks as the beaver with an English accent and tells him he will begin a new treatment. Through the beaver Walter discovers that he can interact with his co-workers and friends, thus developing his own means of therapy. There is also an interesting side story involving Porter`s relationship with the school Valedictorian Cheerleader, Norah (Jennifer Lawrence). Norah asks Porter to write her graduation speech for her since he makes money off writing papers for his fellow classmates. Porter is good at assuming other identities just like his father has done with the Beaver. He fears these similarities he shares with Walter.

The Beaver addresses the issue of depression pretty well and takes it very serious. One might assume that an adult communicating through a hand-puppet would make for a comedy, but this is a serious dramatic movie and Mel Gibson delivers through a great performance. The rest of the cast is overshadowed by him, but I still was quite interested in the relationship between Yelchin and Lawrence`s characters. This side story worked really well for me, and it also allowed us to see how similar Porter really is to his father. Jodie Foster doesn’t deliver a great performance, but that is because her character isn’t really central to the movie. She did do a great job with the direction however and really makes this movie work. She took a huge risk, but she really made The Beaver work. It is a good movie and I absolutely recommend it despite the dark subject matter. It was a pleasure to watch Gibson`s performance and this reason alone is more than enough to watch The Beaver. I think that if we were talking about an unknown Gibson, critics would be praising his performance. Sometimes it is necessary to remain unbiased as a critic and judge the performance on its own. This is a really good movie and one that should be seen.

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