Faults (7/10): Hypnotic film about mind control and free will

“Fault is a fracture. It’s a place where pressure builds until it releases.”

 

Leland Orser and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star together in this unique dramatic thriller written and directed by Winstead’s husband, Riley Stearns. Faults is his feature debut and after this, there is no doubt he’s going to be getting more offers because it is a very inventive drama that feels like no other movie because it changes and morphs as the story progresses. It is hard to classify this film because it doesn’t feel like any other movie I’ve seen. Orser plays Ansel Roth, an expert on mind control, but it is clear that his glory days are long behind him. When we are introduced to him he’s trying to reuse a coupon for his meal at the hotel where he’s giving a speech on his new book about free will. There are very few people who have signed up for his seminar and he’s evidently in deep financial trouble. An opportunity for redemption shows up when a couple (played by Chris Ellis and Beth Grant) ask Ansel to help them with their daughter. They say she has changed dramatically after finding a mysterious cult and that they are afraid of losing her. Ansel tells them that he can help but that it is going to cost them. He plans on deprogramming her by kidnapping her and having a five day session with her at an undisclosed location. The girl’s name is Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and she claims to be at the happiest point in her life so apparently it won’t be an easy job for Ansel who is going through his personal lowest. What follows is a fascinating psychological control study with touches of dark humor and several twists along the way. The less you know about the film going into it the better off you are. 

The production team behind Faults is the same one that brought us last year’s The Guest and the reinvented slasher horror film You’re Next so I was already excited about this film. They present unique projects that at times blend familiar genres or include some sort of surprise element along the way. Faults is a low budget indie film but it never ceases to amaze with a production design that sets the film somewhere around the early 80’s although there is no mention of when the story actually takes place. The film is perfectly executed, it has an interesting premise, and the screenplay is beautifully written by Riley Stearns as it transforms along the way. It’s not one of those films that tries to fool the audience and then presents a twist that no matter how many times you go back and rewatch it it simply doesn’t make any sense. Faults isn’t trying to fool us, instead it is simply telling a story that unfolds in unexpected ways as we reach the climactic finale.  

Perhaps what stands out the most in Faults are the two leading performances. Leland Orser delivers the best role of his career and it is great to finally see him in a starring role. His character isn’t someone we should really sympathize with considering he’s simply miserable from the moment we are introduced to him. He’s such a loser but somehow Orser manages to engage us and we want him to have his shot at redemption. We believe he actually knows his stuff on mind control and free will but life has given him an unexpected blow that he seems to be able to recover from. On the other hand Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Claire is enigmatic and we never know what she is really thinking. Winstead delivers one of the best performances of her career as well and the two turn Faults into a highly engaging and hypnotic film well worth your time.

Kill the Messenger (7/10): A story worth hearing about.

“Some stories are just too true to tell.”

Ten years after their initial collaboration together in 12 and Holding, director Michael Cuesta and Jeremy Renner team up for this political thriller based on the true events surrounding the life of journalist Gary Webb and the investigation that led him to uncover  a conspiracy between the CIA and some Nicaraguan drug dealers with the specific purpose of arming the Contra rebels fighting the war against drugs in that country. It’s a shame the film didn’t do well at the box office because Jeremy Renner gives his best performance since The Hurt Locker. He does a convincing job portraying this journalist who during the first half of the film is doing some great investigative journalistic work and in the later half is trying to protect his family and convince people that he is telling a true story when he becomes the target of a smear campaign. 

Many people have claimed that the theme of the film is outdated considering the events took place during the early 90’s, but I have to disagree. With everything that has happened in the last couple of years with the Snowden whistleblowing incident I think we can learn a few things about government conspiracies and journalistic unbiased reporting. Having watched the Academy Award winning documentary CitizenFour recently, I have to admit the way he came out in public with the information was rather brilliant. There was no way he could leak this story to a journalist in the USA because what happened to Gary Webb would probably happen to him. It seems that the American government has a history of washing away their guilt by pointing the finger at someone else and smearing their image. That is what happened with Webb when all of a sudden the focus stopped being the story he reported and everything started centering on who he was and his past. That is why in the documentary Snowden is always concerned with getting the story out in the public first before coming out because he knew that as soon as his name was out there, the story would shift its focus on him. It is something that continues to repeat itself in history so forgive me if my faith in good journalistic reporting is a bit shaky. They simply shift the attention of the story and instead of digging into it and uncovering conspiracies they end up smearing the name of the person who is trying to expose the crimes of our country because it is much easier and convenient to do so.

The film works best during the first hour when the actual conspiracy is being investigated by Renner’s character. The journalistic investigation was thrilling and gripping as Webb began following each lead and ultimately unraveling a dangerous conspiracy. During this first hour there are a number of strong performances as we get cameos from Andy Garcia and Michael Sheen. Mary Elizabeth Winstead also delivers a solid performance as Webb’s editor while Oliver Platt convincingly portrays Webb’s boss. In the second hour the film does lose some of its grip when it begins to shift the focus of the journalistic story to the smearing campaign and some family issues that ensue. Rosemarie Witt however delivers a strong performance as Webb’s wife. Despite some issues with the pacing during the second half of the film, the brilliant cast makes up for it and keeps un engaged. Kill the Messenger is a solid entry into the investigative journalism genre. I’m glad the story got told, but it’s unfortunate that not many people went to see it.   

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My Review: The Spectacular Now (8/10)

"You'll always be my favorite ex-boyfriend."

Director James Ponsoldt (Smashed) really set the bar high for this film giving it such a pretentious title, but in all honesty the movie accomplishes exactly that: It is spectacular. This has been a great year for coming of age movies and it is easily becoming one of my favorite genres. I thought I had had enough with MUD, The Way Way Back, and Kings of Summer, but The Spectacular Now managed to bring something new and unique to the equation. This is one of those High School films that feels authentic with three dimensional characters and a solid screenplay. The writers for 500 Days of Summer (another film I enjoyed), Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, did an incredible job adapting Tim Tharp's novel and their screenplay benefits from great performances from Woodley and Teller. Actually the entire cast is impressive in this film and it is really hard to think of another Hollywood film that has created such natural and authentic High School characters. At first glance you might think this is just another cliched romantic teen comedy where the popular kid from school falls for the nerdy and sweet girl, but this film does it in such a unique and mature way that it only uses this known premise to explore other important themes. The Spectacular Now is a balanced film that blends romantic and comic touches with some serious and dramatic moments. It reminds us all that it was not always easy to be a teen considering how specific moments touched and shaped us during our transition to adulthood.

Sutter (Miles Teller) is a charming and popular High School senior who everyone seems to like. There is no party if he isn't around. He is happy with his life and embraces the now. When his girlfriend, Cassidy (Brie Larson), dumps him he decides to do what he does best which is to party. The next morning Aimee (Shailene Woodley) finds hims passed out in her lawn and wakes him. Of course she recognizes him from school and introduces herself. She is nothing like him, she is sweet and shy, and has never had a boyfriend. Sutter has no idea where he has parked his car so he asks Aimee if he can ride with her while she does her mother's paper route. Despite their differences the two connect and begin to bond. Sutter is still very much in love with Cassidy, but at the same time he believes he can help Aimee become more confident. He may be a popular kid, but he realizes that he isn't going anywhere with his life and that is the main reason why Cassidy dumped him. Aimee on the other hand is either blinded by her love for him or actually does see some good in him. They're both at a turning point in their lives and despite their differences both of them think they can have a positive effect on the other.

Despite the familiar premise this film has a lot of depth and goes places others in the same genre never do. It also does it in such a way that it never feels heavy handed or manipulative. Yes there may be some rushed moments, but the story is so well crafted that it has an authentic and raw vibe to it. Woodley and Teller are so natural that you forget they are acting. The film just strikes all the right notes making it impossible to be emotionally detached to it. You really care for these characters and fear they will hurt one another. It is just such an honest depiction of teenage life where not only friends influence their lives, but the entire surroundings (parents, teachers, employers) shape them. The center of the film really is Sutter as his world (the spectacular now) begins to shake and alcohol doesn't seem like the easiest way out anymore. It may not be until halfway through the film that you realize that the main theme isn't the relationship between him and Aimee, but the way they each have to deal with the transitions and changes in their lives. Two scenes stood out for me, the first being Sutter's encounter with his father and the second near the end where he embraces his mother. The supporting performances in this film were also very rich. Kudos to Brie Larsen, Kyle Chandler (Sutter's father), and Jennifer Jason Leigh (his mother). They were all simply spectacular. This is a film that stays with you because it never feels false and remains fresh. 

My Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (9/10)

¨Every Pilgrim reaches the end of its journey…some sooner than others.¨

I can guarantee you one thing about Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: It is like no other film you have seen in 2010. You might love it or hate it, but it definitely won`t be for its lack of originality. What some viewers may find off-putting are the eye-candy arcade style visuals, which I really enjoyed and found original. I completely loved this movie and was rooting for Scott Pilgrim all the way. This film is as close as anyone will get at adapting a graphic novel. Some scenes felt as if I were passing the pages of the comic book itself since it was full of texts throughout the action sequences (Zombieland tried this successfully last year as well). British director, Edgar Wright (of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame), successfully adapted the screenplay along with Michael Bacall, in order to bring Brian Lee O`Malley`s graphic novel to the big screen. The visuals, the action sequences, and the soundtrack are all highly entertaining, but what I really enjoyed the most in this film were the characters. The film moves at a really fast pace and it is surprising how much stuff they get into this movie in only two hours. It brought me so many different sensations at the same time: I felt like I was playing an arcade game, watching a live concert, and reading a graphic novel all at once. There are so many talented actors as well, but I will get into that in the next paragraph. All I can say is that director Edgar Wright keeps on demonstrating that he can make highly entertaining and fun films one after another, and isn`t afraid of taking risks. He always goes all in and pushes the boundaries of filmmaking.

For those of you who aren`t familiar with the graphic novel I will introduce you briefly to the plot and characters. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a twenty-two year old who is in between jobs at the moment, living with his gay roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin), and currently dating a seventeen year old named Knives (Ellen Wong). She is slowly becoming obsessed with him, but he seems to be enjoying her company as they hang out mostly in the arcades. Scott is also the bass player for a small band called Sex Bob-Omb along with Kim (Alison Pill), Stephen (Mark Webber), and Young Neil (Johnny Simmons). Scott is still trying to get over the girl that broke his heart, Envy Adams (Brie Larson), who has now become a famous pop star. It has been a year since he was dumped, but now things begin to be looking all right for Scott and his relationship with Knives. That is until Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) shows up and Scott falls head over heels for her. Ramona is the girl of his dreams and it is love at first sight for Scott Pilgrim. She doesn`t seem to be interested in him at first, but Scott manages to get a date with her and she gives him a chance. The only problem is that Ramona comes with some heavy baggage and in order to date her he will have to defeat her seven evil ex lovers: Matthew (Satya Bhabha), Lucas (Chris Evans), Roxy (Mae Whitman), Todd (Brandon Routh), the Katayanagi twins (Shota Saito and Keita Saitou), and Gideon (Jason Schwartzman). To make matters worse he also has to face Knives and let her know that he is in love with someone else.

The cast is absolutely amazing. Michael Cera is great in the lead role and he plays his usual self although this time around he can fight really well. He has to face two ex superheroes: Superman (Brandon Routh) and the Human Torch (Chris Evans), who actually have pretty funny and entertaining scenes. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is gorgeous in this movie and it’s also love at first sight with her. Jason Schwartzman is always entertaining too watch as well. However the person who really steals every scene he`s in actually is Kieran Culkin who gives a terrific and funny performance as Wallace. I really fell in love with these characters and with the movie as well. The dialogue is very witty and funny, the visuals are stunning and really fast paced, the soundtrack is incredible, and I really loved the video game effects introduced in the movie. The story also served as a metaphor for love. Just like Scott we too have to face the evil exes of the person we love if we want to win their heart. If we can`t manage to make them forget about their past they will never want to move on with you. I thought it was an interesting metaphor anyways. It’s not a film you can take seriously, but it is one of the reasons why we love to go to the movies: Its pure fun and entertaining.

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