My Review: Third Person (4/10)

"Watch me."

I know that Paul Haggis is a director that not many people like, but I had enjoyed all of his previous films, and especially was a fan of his most recent one, The Next Three Days. So perhaps my expectations were much higher than the average audience member since I am a defender of his work both as a director and a writer. I know that a lot of people were mixed on the Academy Award winning Crash which surprised everyone when it took the award over Brokeback Mountain, and despite agreeing with most critics that it wasn't one of the best films of the year I still enjoyed it and thought it was a strong directorial debut. He followed his debut with In the Valley of Elah, another engaging film with a powerful performance from Tommy Lee Jones (one that was overlooked considering he was also outstanding that year in No Country for Old Men). So before Third Person everything that Haggis was a part of really caught my attention. As a writer he is credited for the screenplay of such successful films as Casino Royale, Million Dollar Baby, and Letters from Iwo Jima. So when I look back at his filmography I kind of don't understand the hate he receives because there are far more worse directors out there. So I am still going to defend Haggis despite the fact that he has made what is in my opinion his first bad film. His first mistake for this project was trying to repeat the success of Crash by telling a multi strand storyline where characters backgrounds seem to overlap each other. The premise is pretty interesting and gripping at first considering the talented cast involved, but the revelation near the end of the film kind of ruins the entire experience as you can't help but feel Haggis was selling out at the end. The film has several silly revelations that don't seem to work, but what truly hurts this film is the fact that you have a lead character who is basically spelling out the revelations for the audience in case they have missed them. There was no need for this and it only makes you feel as if Haggis doesn't have faith in you to understand what he is trying to say through the themes of the film. He should give the audience more credit and let the story reveal itself without using a character to spell out everything for us. Third Person had a strong start but simply failed to connect the characters in a better way and keep the audience engaged with the premise. Third Person is the first film from Haggis that simply didn't work for me.

What Third Person does have going for it is the strong cast involved. It was a breath of fresh air to see Liam Neeson back in a dramatic role after having seen him in so many action films as of recent (although I do enjoy him as an action star as well). He plays an award winning writer who is working on his next novel and in a way he resembles Haggis himself. He has left his wife (played by Kim Basinger) and is having an affair with a much younger woman named Anna (Olivia Wilde). Olivia Wilde gives a solid performance and despite being a flawed character you believe why these two are together. There are several revelations along the way that don't work too well, but the actors give it their best. The other story involves a character played by Adrien Brody who falls for a mysterious woman in a restaurant in Paris. This story was perhaps the weakest in the film although the audience is always second guessing the intentions of these characters. The third story involves a separated couple played by James Franco and Mila Kunis. Kunis is not allowed to see her son and is trying to find a legal way to get visitation rights, while Franco plays a successful painter who doesn't know how to connect with his child. Kunis gives a strong dramatic performance and she stood out for me. Despite the different story lines there is something they share in common which is revealed over time. These characters are all flawed and are hiding some sort of secret, but in a way they are searching for redemption through each new relationship. The final revelation near the end was the main reason why I was disappointed by the film, and I believe the film's strength relies heavily on the audience's reaction to this reveal. It didn't work for me and that is why my recommendation would be not to "watch me."

My Review: Deadfall (4/10)

"What would home look like? I don't know. A farmhouse in the valley, I guess, like the one we grew up in, Liza and I."

Academy Award winning director for his foreign film The Counterfeiters, Stefan Ruzowitzky, now brings us an American crime thriller dealing with dysfunctional families. It seems to be an odd choice for a director who had so much success back in Austria considering this is an average B-film that doesn't introduce anything new or unique to the genre. Deadfall never manages to deliver the thrills that it promises either and has a rather unsatisfying ending. At times it felt like a film that was trying to be something else, but it never quite figured out what it wanted to be and ended up only scratching the surface of the dysfunctional family drama it was so desperately tying to explore. Perhaps it suffered from trying to add several subplots and intertwine them together towards the climactic end, but ultimately Deadfall felt like your average crime thriller with a strong ensemble cast, but a poor and unimaginative script. Deadfall never quite delivers the thrills and the characters are underdeveloped turning this film into a messy ordeal. As much as I wanted to enjoy this, I couldn't find anything redeeming about it, and not even the beautiful Olivia Wilde shines here. It's a dull film that tries to be more important than it really is with way too many subplots and overlapping themes that are barely explored.

The screenplay was written by Zach Dean centering on two siblings, Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde), who are heading towards the Canadian border after having pulled of a casino heist. We never see the actual heist take place since the film opens with them already in route to the border when all of a sudden in the midst of a blizzard their vehicle crashes into a deer. Addison is forced to kill the patrolman and decides to split up with Liza and meet up later as the police will be after him. On another note, we are introduced to a former boxer named Jay (Charlie Hunnam) who is being released from prison. The first thing Jay does is call his mother June (Sissy Spacek) who lives in a farmhouse near the spot where Addison and Liza crashed. She invites Jay over for Thanksgiving dinner despite the fact that he's been estranged with his father Chet (Kris Kristofferson). Along the way, Jay finds Liza nearly freezing to death near the highway and he decides to give her a lift. Addison on the other hand is being hunted by Sheriff Becker (Treat Williams) and his men who are closing in on the trail of blood he's left behind. Becker's daughter, Hannah (Kate Mara), whose also an officer is ordered to stay in the station and out of trouble. As the characters are all introduced it becomes inevitable to realize that they are all going to intersect somewhere along the way.

Despite the talented ensemble cast, the script is so poorly written that there is not much they can do to prevent their characters from becoming cardboard cutouts. Even the always reliable and legendary actors such as Kris Kristofferson and Sissy Spacek can't do anything to save this film. Hunnam and Wilde have a very poorly developed romantic subplot that felt extremely rushed. Bana didn't really look too menacing as the villain and at times his character felt cartoonish. The dysfunctional family elements that this film tries to explore never really gets anywhere and they all seem too cliche. The male characters are seen as tough while the females are forgiving and patient. The western showdown near the end wasn't engaging either and everything about this film felt ordinary despite the different themes they were trying to blend together. It never digs under the surface of those elements it's trying to introduce and that's why the film feels so dull and empty. Deadfall is not the important and smart thriller it's trying to be.

My Review: Dorian Gray (5/10)

"I am what you made me! I lived the life that you preached... but never dared practice. I am everything, that you were too afraid to be."

Dorian Gray is the third film Oliver Parker has directed based on the work of one of the greatest Irish writers of all time, Oscar Wilde. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is Wilde's only written novel and perhaps one of his most famous works which was censored at the time due to the source material. It has become a masterpiece for Wilde's sharp critique towards the aestheticism of Victorian society. This double life that Wilde's novel captured perfectly didn't really resonate with me in the film. I found it un-engaging and dull with characters that weren't developed really well. Dorian is completely hedonistic and there was nothing about him that made me believe that the people would be so sympathetic towards him. This double life he lived wasn't explored as well in the movie because everyone saw him as he really was, young and beautiful but completely hedonistic. Lord Henry Wooton's influence on him is the main theme in this film as he is the one that introduces Dorian to this lifestyle which he immediately embraces. Despite its good production, I felt the film wasted its potential and lost its appeal quickly. 

The screenplay was loosely adapted by Toby Finlay. The film begins with the arrival of the young Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) to Victorian London. He has inherited a huge estate from his abusive grandfather. Dorian is a nice and naive young man who is quickly swept away with the charismatic Lord Henry Wooton (Colin Firth). Lord Henry also feels attracted to Dorian and reminds him to take advantage of his beauty and youth because it won't last forever. He introduces Dorian to the several pleasures the city has to offer. Lord Henry is married to Lady Victoria (Emilia Fox), but he isn't faithful to her. Lord Henry's artist friend, Basil (Ben Chaplin) also feels admiration for Dorian who hires him to paint a special portrait of him that will capture his youthfulness and beauty. When Basil finished his painting, everyone is entranced by it and it becomes one of the painter's best work. Dorian adores it so much that he makes a pledge saying that he will give his soul to maintain that youthfulness forever. As he becomes more and more obsessed with the painting he begins living a life of debauchery and hedonism. Nothing affects him, as the painting absorbs all his scars and unveils what his soul truly looks like. Dorian hides the painting and lets everyone see him as this beautiful and youthful young man.

Ben Barnes gives a decent performance but his character did lack more depth. It was very difficult to engage with him as he becomes completely obsessed with maintaining his youthful appearance. I couldn't see that spark that I needed to see from him to believe that all the Victorian society would become so obsessed with him. Colin Firth is a great actor and he played a key role in this film as he is the main influence for Dorian's narcissistic obsession. However I never felt this guy could have such an important influence in Dorian's life, he was lacking that magnetism. The addition of Rebecca Hall's character in the second half of the film didn't help either. I couldn't help but feel this film was missing something and it fails to draw the audience in. Dorian Gray is just too explicit in its portrayal of debauchery and nothing is left for the viewer to imagine.   

My Review: Drinking Buddies (6/10)

"That's the problem with heartbreak, to you it's like an atomic bomb and to the world it's just really cliche, because in the end we all have the same experience."

Drinking Buddies is mumblecore director Joe Swanberg's latest film which benefits from an impressive cast and an interesting premise that examines young adult relationships in a fresh way. Many people have called it the When Harry Met Sally of this generation considering it brings up the question whether or not men and women can become best friends without falling in love. This film never raises the question through dialogue, but we see it through the actors actions and emotional responses. One of the things I liked about this film is that things go unsaid like in real life relationships and it's up to the audience to judge the characters without ever being forced or pushed to feel a certain way about them. It is one of those rare romantic comedies we can relate to. The main problem I had with this film however has to do with the fact that the first 30 minutes of the movie felt like the characters were being forced towards a predictable direction and setting everything up, but then all of a sudden it shifts and becomes something completely unexpected. I wasn't a huge fan of that misdirection, but thankfully the last hour is really entertaining and sincere, making Drinking Buddies a film worth watching. 

Kate (Olivia Wilde) works at a local Chicago brewery and despite being the only female she gets along really well with her male co-workers, especially with Luke (Jake Johnson) with whom she goofs around often. Kate is currently in a relationship with a music producer named Chris (Ron Livingston), while Luke is in the midst of marriage talks with his girlfriend of six years, Jill (Anna Kendrick). The two couples decide to spend a weekend together in the woods where we see (or at least think we do) which couples actually belong with each other and which don't. Spending their free time drinking a lot doesn't make their decisions any easier either.

The film was also edited pretty well by Joe Swanberg who also was credited for writing the screenplay despite the fact that all the dialogue in this film was completely improvised and the actors were only given a vague outline of the plot. The chemistry between Jake Johnson and Olivia Wilde was great and they both deliver some of their best performances here. Wilde really surprised me here considering I didn't think she had this in her, she was outstanding. Anna Kendricks is a great actress but I wasn't impressed very much with her role here, perhaps because I've seen her in stronger roles before. Despite its flaws this was an entertaining film that felt at times like a good hang-out movie. Swanberg was great at capturing some of the small moments really well and building the sexual tension between the two friends. In the end the audience can decide whether these characters were really perfect for each other or not, but the incident near the end where Luke cuts his hand with a nail allowed me to make up my mind pretty easily.

My Review: Her (8/10)

"She's not just a computer."

Her is a beautiful and melancholic film written and directed by Spike Jonze which benefits from a wonderful and sweet performance from Joaquin Phoenix (who goes through a 180 degree transformation from his disturbed and troubling character in The Master to this sympathetic one) and one of the best voice performances I've seen on screen from Scarlett Johansson. I wonder if this film would've worked without her considering that Samantha Morton was originally the voice of Samantha, and only during the editing process did Jonze feel something was missing and decided to recast Johansson. In a film like Her where the need for connection is vital, Jonze found it between Phoenix and Johansson creating a believable and unique love story. It is a touching film that the audience can identify with because it deals with universal themes such as trying to move on from past relationships that we thought would last forever and the void that's left from it. Phoenix captures that melancholy perfectly through his facial expressions contrasted with those flashback scenes where he seemed blissfuly in love. This need for connection is perfectly represented in this film, which also manages to introduce a social commentary as to where we seem to be heading with all the technological advances. The sci-fi elements work really well because we definitely seem to be heading towards this futuristic world and Jonze blends those elements with this beautiful and sad love story. Her is philosophical at times and despite turning into a pretty much standard love story halfway through the film it still manages to be a great meditation on our need as humans for establishing connections (and they no longer need to be human connections). Her is a genuinely nostalgic romantic film that manages to touch its audience and speak to the heart.

The story centers on Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) a letter writer who's been separated from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) for an year, but still hasn't found the strength to sign the divorce papers. He is very good at his job as he excels at expressing feelings through letters, but he's not doing so well at managing his own feelings around others. He is rather lonely and spends most of his time playing video games when he's not at work. He does have a very close friendship with his neighbors, Amy (Amy Adams) and Charles (Matt Letscher), especially with Amy as they both seem to share a sort of brother sisterly kind of love. His life turns around when he purchases a new artificially intelligent operating system, OS1, and immediately connects with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the voice behind the system. As they continue to spend more time together they begin falling in love with each other which excites Theodore because he's starting to feel alive again, but at the same time fills him with doubts and fears as he's conflicted about having a relationship with an operating system. Samantha also begins to grow intellectually as she experiences new things and is capable of having human emotions. Their unconventional love is what's explored in this film as the two connect and bond with each other.

Jonze has crafted a very unique and original story which I found to be a great psychological study on human relations. I wish I would've connected more with this film as I've found it to be on most of my friends top 10 lists for best films of the year, and despite liking this film quite a bit it still didn't manage to make my list. The premise is very interesting and Jonze directs this film masterfully, but I couldn't help and feel that halfway through the film it does become a rather conventional love story (at times it felt like a normal long distance relationship) with some familiar trials that couples go through. I actually never felt a true connection in their relationship until a key moment near the end of the film and that is where I really bought their love story. The elements I connected the most with where the nostalgic feelings of lost love as we got to see some interesting flashbacks between Theodore and Catherine. I also loved the score of this film, the music was lovely and touching. I also enjoyed the social commentary quite a bit which never felt forced. The scene where Theodore is worried about how he will be perceived by his friends for having a relationship like this and how relieved he is when Amy approves is proof that we not only seek connections in life, but we also search for social approval. It's a clever and melancholic film and one that we can all come out of experiencing something completely different (and that is a good thing).

My Review: Rush (8/10)

"The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel. It's a wonderful way to live. It's the only way to drive."

Ron Howard is back on full gear after a couple of setbacks with The Dilemma and Angels and Demons. Rush is one of his best movies and he really does the title justice because you actually feel the rush of Formula 1 driving in this film. This is a great sports biopic that follows a lot of the well known sports cliches, but it works nonetheless thanks to a superb story and some great characters. The difference with the sports formula here is that there is no clear villain as both characters are strong rivals who despite their differences are still likable and sympathetic. They are very different in their approach to racing, but the film doesn't seem to take sides or try to tell us which driver we have to cheer for. Howard's film is intense and exhilarating, one you will enjoy even if you're not a Formula 1 fan. If you have never heard of the real life rivalry during the 70's between drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt then you are in for a thrilling ride here because the story is really gripping and powerful. If you are familiar with the story it is still enjoyable because the racing scenes are gripping with some insane camera angles and some great editing while the two lead performances are strong. This is the second time that Academy Award nominated screenwriter, Peter Morgan, collaborates with Ron Howard after Frost/Nixon, and once again they succeed in delivering a powerful biopic. This isn't Morgan's first screenplay related to sports either as he also wrote the script for The Damned United, one of my favorite sport movies of all time. These two should continue to work together because Rush is exciting and thrilling regardless wether or not you like Formula 1 racing. 

Ron Howard takes us back to the 70's to relive the classic rivalry between two successful Formula 1 drivers: James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). Hunt is a British playboy who is passionate about driving and will do what it takes to win each race without considering the risks, while Lauda is a meticulous, extremely disciplined and calculating cold blooded Austrian driver. Despite their opposite personalities, they both have one thing in common: winning. Their rivalry began during the early 70's when they were both facing each other in lower divisions, and it escalated when they both reached Formula 1. The climatic moment takes place during the 1976 championship where a series of spectacular events unfold including a near fatal accident by Lauda and a nail biting season finish. The risks were high in this high speed sport where the safety conditions we have today didn't exist then. The film however doesn't just focus on their rivalry on the tracks, it also follows their personal lives off the track giving the characters more depth. We get a glimpse into Hunt's reckless marriage with Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde), and Lauda's relationship with Marlene (Alexandra Maria Lara). The rivalry between these two men may just be the extra push they need to become better drivers, but it can also lead to taking more risks in a deadly sport. 

Rush was a pleasant surprise because it wasn't just another sport movie about two bitter rivals; it actually was a film about two rivals who brought the best out of each other and that is what made this biopic so much more interesting. It's that fierce competition between two talented drivers in a fast paced film that leaves you with a sense of rush and raises your pulse. Howard also does a great job at recreating the 70's and delivering some exciting racing scenes. Hemsworth proves he is more than muscles and Bruhl is just as exciting on screen. I wasn't surprised by Bruhl's performance because he had one small scene in Inglourious Basterds that really blew me away, but I really hadn't discovered this side of Chris Hemsworth who proved he has a career after Thor. Rush is such a dynamic and fun viewing experience, one you won't want to miss. The difference between these two lead characters and the way they play off each other is what ultimately drives this film to succeed. I can't think of any other racing movie that worked better than Rush, and I still haven't mentioned how exciting that final race scene played out in the rain with the slow-motion camera. It was breathtaking, give Rush a chance.

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: Cowboys & Aliens (6/10)

¨Whether you end up in Heaven or Hell isn't God's plan, it's your own. You just have to remember what it is.¨

In Cowboys & Aliens Jon Favreau meshes two genres that I never thought I would see in a same movie: a Western and Sci-fi film involving an alien invasion. The idea is pretty original considering we`ve seen several alien invasion films like Men in Black and Independence Day, but they all take place in big modern day cities. Cowboys & Aliens on the other hand takes place in a small Arizona town during 1873 where local cowboys have to unite with bandits and Indians in order to fight against these aliens.  The idea which was based on an independent comic book was great, but the film itself is mediocre. One of the main problems in my opinion is that there were too many people involved in the adaptation of the screenplay. It`s never a good sign when you have more than five people writing the story. Jon Favreau proved in Iron Man that he can direct great films, but this time he was missing an actor like Robert Downey Jr. who can deliver great action scenes along with some comic relief. Downey Jr. was actually Favreau`s first choice to play the lead role, but due to scheduling conflicts he had to go with Daniel Craig. Craig is a great action star (he was great in Casino Royale), but he doesn`t have the charisma that Downey Jr. has and it could`ve came handy in this role. Cowboys & Aliens had plenty of well staged action scenes, but the comedy was missing. I think some humor could have worked better to let the audience know that this movie should be taken lightly considering the title and the plot. I still enjoyed the movie, but I`ve seen a lot better westerns and sci-fi flicks on their own.

Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up near a small town in Arizona with no memory as to what has happened to him or who he is. He has a strange bracelet in his arm and a cut near his abdomen. Once he arrives in the small town he has a dispute with a young kid named Percy (Paul Dano) who thinks he can do what he wants because his father is a rich and important cattle man: Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Woodrow used to be a Colonel during the Civil War, but now he runs the town known as Absolution. The local Sheriff (Keith Carradine) discovers that Jake is a wanted man and locks him in prison, but Woodrow wants his head because apparently Jake has stolen gold from him. Jake has no memory of this, but a young local woman named Ella (Olivia Wilde) seems to know more about him. It`s during this dispute between the Colonel and the Sheriff that the aliens attack the small town and abduct about half of the population, including Woodraw`s son. The few cowboys that remain decide it`s best to settle their differences and unite in order to try to find the aliens. Jake discovers that his bracelet works as a powerful weapon against the aliens and he can be their only hope. As the search begins, Jake begins remembering things about his past and piecing things together with the help of Ella.

Daniel Craig is a great actor, but I don’t think this was the right role for him. Harrison Ford has been playing similar roles as a grumpy old man and I really think he can do a lot better. Olivia Wilde is beautiful, but she doesn`t have much to work with in the role she was given. She pretty much stares at Jake all the time, and we get to see her pretty eyes a lot, but that`s about it. Sam Rockwell is very talented and he does what he can with the small role he was given, but I insist a much more comedic approach should have been taken with this film. More comedy, less action. The special effects were good, the action scenes also pretty entertaining and the aliens looked cool, but that is about it. I really like the cast, but they were just given poor material to work with. I still had a decent time with the film, but I was expecting a little more from Favreau and the boys. Cowboys & Aliens is fun, but I`ve enjoyed regular Westerns or Sci-Fi films a lot better. For example I would much rather prefer seeing True Grit, a straight up Western, than this film. What I mean to say is that there are a lot better looking Westerns and Sci-Fi films on their own, and this film would have been a lot better if the meshed genres were better. I still recommend this movie, just don`t go into it with great expectations.

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My Review: In Time (7/10)

¨For a few immortals to live, many people must die. ¨

In Time is the latest Andrew Niccol sci-fi futuristic flick where people are genetically developed to grow until they`re 25. People don`t age more than that, but the downside is that they are only guaranteed one more year of life. Once they turn 25 a clock starts ticking on their arm with a glowing neon light counting down the days. Time has also become the new currency as people work and are paid with time, and they also buy products with their time (bus ticket fares cost two dollars for example). The premise is a very interesting one as we see rich people living practically immortal lives as they continue to buy and buy more time. They don`t age so  they can be over a hundred years old and still look like a 25 year old. In one scene we are introduced to one of the character`s family and we see his mother, wife, and daughter all lined up looking like they were all recent college graduate friends. On the other hand it has become increasingly difficult for the poor to live past 26 since the cost of life exceeds their earnings so the people in the ghettos don’t have much life expectancy. That is precisely how the rich want things to balance out because according to them ¨for a few immortals to live, many people must die.¨ Niccol, who also directed the 1997 sci-fi film Gattaca (a much stronger film than this one) and wrote the screenplay for the critically acclaimed The Truman Show, perhaps has made one of his weakest films, but it never fails to entertain nevertheless with its engaging premise. Yes, there are many plot holes and if you dig in too deep some things might not make sense, but nonetheless I had a great time playing along with the premise and receiving the clear social message Niccol`s was trying to lay out.  

Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) has been 25 for three years now managing to survive in the ghetto at a day to day basis along with his mother Rachel (played by the hot Olivia Wilde) who should be fifty, but looks like his girlfriend. Will`s life changes when he runs into Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer), a very wealthy man who apparently has arrived in the wrong neighborhood. Will saves Henry from a group of time thieves led by Fortis (Alex Pettyfer), but he didn`t really want to be saved. Henry tells Will that he is tired of living and that men were never meant to be immortal; his body might be 25 but his mind is old and weary. He gives away his time to Will (over a century) and commits suicide, not before telling Will to use his time wisely. Once Henry is found dead, the police (known as timekeepers) begin to investigate the alleged murder and Will becomes their prime suspect. Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy) begins to pursue Will who has now traveled to the best neighborhood (called time zones), New Greenwich. Will doesn`t understand how the time keepers are so interested in investigating a suicide when there are hundreds of deaths everyday in the ghetto that they simply decide to ignore. That is when Will discovers that there is something wrong with the system and it`s time to balance things out. He meets a millionaire banker named Phillip Weis (Vincent Kartheiser) and ends up kidnapping his daughter, Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), in order to escape from the timekeepers.

From this point on the sci-fi flick begins to take a classic Robin Hood-ish turn as Will begins to steal time from the rich and give it to the poor. The action becomes non-stop, although predictable, but it doesn`t mean it becomes less interesting. I really was entertained with this movie and really enjoyed the premise although I recognize its many flaws and see why many people didn`t like it. The futuristic look of the film is also worth a watch considering that Roger Deakins (the best in his field) was in charge of the cinematography and it`s very stylish. The lead performances from Timberlake and Seyfried weren`t among my favorite; I think the best performance comes from Cillian Murphy who is great in his relentless pursuit of the fugitives. He is not the typical villain we see in most action films. The rest of the cast really doesn`t get enough time to show off their talents as they get little screen time. Once the premise is set the movie loses some of its groove, but I was still entertained and had a decent time. This might rank among Niccol`s worst projects, but it still is a fine good movie; although probably not worth watching again.

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My Review: The Next Three Days (9/10)

¨We spend a lot of time trying to organize the world. We build clocks and try to predict the weather. But what part of our life is truly under our control? ¨

Let me start out by saying that I absolutely loved this movie. It was one of the best films I`ve seen this year. This thriller had me at the edge of my seat for the entire second half of the movie. It was really intense and it had everything I look for in a thriller: it was suspenseful; it had good performances, interesting characters, and a smart script. Some critics argued that the length and pace of the film was to slow, but I thought The Next Three Days had a perfect pacing, steadily building the tension from the beginning to the highly climatic ending. Paul Haggis won two Oscars for his screenplays in Crash and Million Dollar Baby. He also adapted the screenplay for this film and directed it as well. He has written several other memorable screenplays like Casino Royale and In the Valley of Elah. I really enjoy his films and thought he should have received a lot more credit for this suspenseful thriller. He has proven to be a brilliant director and screenwriter. This film is actually a remake of a 2008 French film: Pour Elle (Anything for Her) which was directed by Fred Cavayé and stared Diane Kruger (Inglorious Basterds). I haven’t seen that movie so I don`t know how faithful this adaptation was, but I can say that this American version is really satisfying. I was a big fan of the TV series Prisonbreak (mainly the first season), and this movie reminded me a lot of that series.

John (Russell Crowe) and Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) live an apparently happy married life along with their three year old son Luke in Pittsburgh. One morning the police storm in their house accusing Lara of murder. She had had a heavy argument with her boss the previous night and her body was found lifeless in the parking lot. Lara was seen leaving the scene of the crime by another co-worker and her fingerprints were all over the fire extinguisher, the murder weapon. They also found the victim`s blood on her coat so all the evidence was against Lara. The movie jumps three years forward as John is working really hard with his lawyer to file for an appeal. John is convinced that her wife is innocent and is willing to fight for her freedom. He visits Lara at the Allegheny County jail regularly along with Luke (now played by Ty Simpkins) who doesn`t speak to his mom. John keeps his wife updated with the case and she tells him that someone else was at the crime scene that night. She bumped into her in the garage and heard a button pop, but the police never found any evidence of it. All hope seemed to be lost, the appeal was rejected and Lara would have to spend 20 more years in prison. Lara doesn`t want to spend the rest of her life in prison without being able to speak to her son so she tries to kill herself. John is not willing to leave her wife in prison for a crime he is convinced she didn`t commit so he tries to figure out a plan to help her escape and so the action begins.

Liam Neeson has a small role in this film as Damon Pennington, an ex-con who wrote a book on how to escape from jail. John meets with him and asks for advice on how he can free his wife. It`s a small role but it is key because it sets the mood and suspense for the next hour. The beautiful Olivia Wilde also has a small role as the single mother of Nicole, one of Luke`s playground friends. It`s not a really important role, but it helps establish John`s character in the film as a loving father and caring husband. He will do whatever it takes to free her wife and he doesn`t even doubt her one bit. Russell Crowe is a great actor and he is brilliant in this film. He expresses so much without having to speak. The scene where he has to tell his wife that the appeal was rejected is heartbreaking. He doesn`t have to say anything to her, she already see`s it in his eyes. So does the rest of the family. As the movie carries on, the suspense begins to build more and more up to a very satisfying finale. The Next Three Days is one of the best thrillers I have seen in a while and the length of the film didn`t bother me one bit because the movie was really intense. Paul Haggis should get more recognition for this movie than he has received because it was truly satisfying.

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My Review: Tron Legacy (5/10)

¨I was paged last night; came from your dad's office at the arcade. That number's been disconnected for twenty years! ¨

The hype for Tron: Legacy has finally come to an end after several months of being bombarded with the cool trailers and all I can say is that I was a bit disappointed with this film. The first 40 minutes were great, the visuals, the light cycle races, and the disc gladiator games were breathtaking, but after the novelty of being introduced into the digital world the movie began to drag due to a weak script and plot. The movie runs a little over two hours and after the first 40 minutes it begins to go downhill until it reaches a pretty anticlimactic ending because we never really got to care too much for the characters or the story because the focus seemed to always be on the visuals which got old after a while. Tron made for a very exciting trailer and perhaps could have been one of the greatest music video videos thanks to some cool soundtracks from Daft Punk, but as a movie the pieces didn`t seem to fit together. The first forty minutes are really worth your time however and many might enjoy this film, but I was just a little disappointed because I had some high expectations for Tron: Legacy which marked the directorial debut for Joseph Kosinski. The weakest link for Tron has to be the screenplay written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (both happened to collaborate together as producers and writers for Lost).

Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner are back playing their duo roles from 1982`s original Tron. Bridges is Kevin Flynn, the CEO of Encom and a virtual world designer who is trying to create a better world. He has found a way into a digital universe and in his intention of creating a perfect world which he calls The Grid he also creates an alter self known as Cleo (played by Bridges as well) that will help him program The Grid while he is back with his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) in the real world. Boxleitner is back as Alan Bradley, Flynn`s main security chief in both worlds (in The Grid he is Tron). One night Kevin is telling Sam about how he is going to change the world, but after leaving for his office he is never seen again, until about 27 years later when Sam manages to find a way to get in The Grid and discovers that Cleo has betrayed his father and left him trapped inside the digital world. In The Grid Sam will have to search for his father and find a way to get him back to the real world. Here we meet some interesting characters such as Quorra (Olivia Wilde), Gem (Beau Garrett), Jarvis (James Frain), and Castor (Michael Sheen).

Tron: Legacy could have been much better considering that the producers had 28 years to come up with a decent script for the sequel of the original cult movie. The visuals were great, but they got tiresome after the novelty of the digital world wore off. The performances were ok, Jeff Bridges will probably not be remembered for his role in this movie as much as he is being considered for his work in True Grit (he also comes fresh from an Oscar win for his performance in Crazy Heart). Garrett Hedlund gave a good performance as the lead role and proved he can be a star player as well. Olivia Wilde was also good as a supporting character, but who really stole his scenes was Michael Sheen as Castor. His performance was a little out there, but he made it work because he is just such a talented actor. Overall I wouldn’t recommend this movie unless you are a fan of the first film or are really into the visual and special effects. The story falls short for me and the visuals alone weren`t enough to save this movie.

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