“I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
My favorite Rob Reiner film has always been When Harry Met Sally, a romantic comedy that I never expected to enjoy as much as I did. It’s the best Woody Allen film not directed by Woody Allen. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s quirky chemistry in this movie is probably one of the best I’ve seen in any film. Reiner is a director that is hard to categorize since he has worked with different genres: thriller with Misery, fantasy/adventure with The Princess Bride, coming of age with Stand by Me, mockumentary with This is Spinal Tap, drama with A Few Good Men, and comedy with The Bucket List. He’s made his share of bad films (his latest films are probably his weakest), but he seems to have excelled in every genre without establishing a common trademark. You could watch When Harry Met Sally back to back with Misery and you’d never guess it was directed by the same person. The secret to his success with this rom-com is that the relationship feels true to life as he first introduces these flawed characters that don’t seem to care too much for each other, but over the years they begin bonding and establishing a strong friendship. These characters are so relatable and we can see ourselves or our friends in the film. It reminds us of that friend of the opposite sex we had and how easy it was to blur the line between friendship and love. It makes us think of that universal question: Can a man and a woman be best friends without falling in love with each other? A lot of credit must be given to Nora Ephron’s Oscar nominated screenplay because the dialogue and debates between the main characters are authentic and sharp at the same time. There are so many memorable scenes, including the fake orgasm which turned Meg Ryan into such a star, but the final tear jerking scene is my favorite because Billy Crystal delivered his lines in such a perfect way. Even the scenes where old couples are being interviewed in documentary style works perfectly and serves a purpose other than simply serving as transitions taking place in the story. The honesty that comes through in each conversation between Harry and Sally and the incredible chemistry between them is what makes this one of my go to films when it comes to recommending a romantic movie. Did I mention that the film takes place in New York of all places?
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
I know, I picked the most quotable line of this epic fairy tale (sorry for being such a cliche), but it was honestly the scene I enjoyed the most in this movie. Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride is one of his most revered films and it has become a cult favorite over time. I didn’t fall in love with it however, but I can understand the appeal this romantic fantasy has on so many people considering it has it all: a tale of true love, adventures involving pirates, sword-fights, fantasy creatures, and a princess who is forced to marry against her will. The premise is no different from that of your typical damsel in distress fairy tale, but the way the film seems to be mocking and honoring those familiar elements at the same time are what makes it stand out. It has a unique innocent quality to it while remaining funny, charming, and sweet. Perhaps I would’ve benefited from watching this at a younger age, but having waited so long to experience it for the first time was a bit of an underwhelming experience. I wasn’t swept away by its magical and fantastic elements and the love story didn’t stand out from other romantic tales. There are several fun scenes and unexpected character interactions, but during most of the film I felt a bit bored. The satire works in parts and so does the fantasy, but it just felt too familiar to win me over entirely.
The screenplay was adapted by William Goldman from his own novel of the same name. Although for this film he uses a grandfather (Peter Falk) to narrate the story as he is telling it to his sick grandson (Fred Savage). At first the grandson isn’t too keen about having his grandpa read him a story, especially because it starts off with kissing, but once the adventure begins he’s hooked. There are occasional interruptions that bring us back to the kid’s room, but most of the film takes place in this fantasy land where we are introduced to a very beautiful woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright) who falls in love with her farm boy, Westley (Cary Elwes). The two have found true love, but having no money to marry he embarks on a trip and promises to return to her. Buttercup is shattered when she hears that Westley was killed by a fearful pirate named Roberts. With nothing more to look forward to, eventually she gets engaged with Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) of Florin who promises to turn her into a princess. On the eve of her wedding, Buttercup is kidnapped by a man named Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) and his two hired henchmen, Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) a skilled swordsman who has promised to avenge his father’s death, and the strong but gentle giant Fezzik (Andre the Giant) who really doesn’t know no better. While holding Buttercup ransom and fleeing from the site, they discover that they are being followed by a mysterious man in a black mask. He catches up with them soon and the adventure begins as these men face off with one another and new revelations are made.
Allowing for the story to take place through this narrative style was one of the better decisions because it gave the film its unique dreamy style and it wasn’t necessary to deliver realistic visuals. It was all part of the fantasy, although I would’ve preferred less interruptions, but I guess they had to give Fred Savage and Peter Falk some more lines. The relationship between Elwes and Wright was believable, but it didn’t stand out because it was too familiar. However, they were both the perfect casting choice for these roles. It was Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya who stole the movie for me. I absolutely loved his character and the sword fighting scene was the highlight of the movie for me. It included a brilliant homage to Douglas Fairbanks (which I’m sure gave someone the idea that Elwes would be the perfect choice to spoof his Robin Hood character in a later movie). Montoya was probably the inspiration for Antonio Banderas as well when he was cast to play the Zorro. This character has become an icon and he was the saving grace of the film for me. The rest of the characters were OK, but he stood out. The exception and I think I’m in the minority here was Vizzini. I found Wallace Shawn’s portrayal of him rather irritating and I couldn’t stand him. There is also a hilarious scene with Billy Crystal playing a miracle doctor, who you’d only recognize due to his voice because he is heavily covered in make up to look like an old man. The Princess Bride had its strong moments, but somehow I never managed to fall in love with the fantasy and wouldn’t consider it one of Reiner’s best films. It does prove however what a versatile director he is because the film is very different from his other works. I’m still a bit shocked that the film is so widely loved, but I can’t argue it isn’t a good movie.
“It happens sometimes. Friends come in and out of our lives, like busboys in a restaurant.”
Stand By Me is Rob Reiner’s love letter to friendship and nostalgic memories. It’s ironic that Reiner’s film looks at the past with such high regards because we can do the same with his filmography. His best films were all made in the 80’s (and we can squeeze Misery and A Few Good Men into that list as well although they came out in 1990 and 1992 respectively), and despite not having directed many great films over the past few decades we can still look back at his early films and appreciate his classics. Stand By Me reminds us all of our early childhood and the friendships we made. It doesn’t matter what decade we grew up in, we all cherish special memories of adventures we shared with our friends and how they helped shape us. That is what is so universal and appealing about Reiner’s film; even though we may never have grown up in a small town or had similar outdoor adventures it still recalls us back to a time where we were discovering new things about the world and standing up for our friends when they were in trouble or running with them when we got caught playing in our neighbor’s yards. Stand By Me focuses on these memories and it’s not just about the adventure in itself but the bond these friends shared together. It’s probably the go to movie when we are comparing or referencing other coming of age films, and in my opinion one of the best ever made considering how much I appreciate the genre. I’m sure the film itself was a life changing experience for many who grew up watching it and dreaming of having similar adventures with their friends.
Based on Stephen King’s short story, “The Body,” the screenplay for the film was adapted by Raynold Gideon and Bruce Evans. It takes place in 1959 and centers on four 12 year old friends from Castelrock, Oregon who overhear a conversation about the location of the body of a dead boy who had been missing for several days. The news about the disappearance of this boy had spread all over town, so these kids decide to embark on an adventure through the woods and bring back the missing body so they can be received as heroes. Since the journey would take more than a full day, they plan to tell their parents that they are staying at each other’s home. Gordie (Will Wheaton) had recently lost his older brother (played by John Cusack in the flashback scenes) a few months prior to this in a car accident so he knew his mourning parents wouldn’t even mind him being gone for a few days. His best friend, Chris (River Phoenix), came from a troublesome family and despite knowing he’d get into trouble if they’d discover his lie he didn’t think it would be any different if he stayed with his drunk father. Teddy (Corey Feldman) still has the scars from the abuse he suffered from his mentally unstable father, and currently lives with his mother. Vern (Jerry O’Connell), the clown of the group who isn’t taken very seriously is the one who came up with the idea of looking for the body, but he also is the first to back down when it comes to it. The four finally decide to go ahead with their plan and begin their adventure, which will eventually shape who they are. The story is narrated by the grown up version of Gordie (played by Richard Dreyfuss) somewhere around 1985.
The strong performances in this film are one of the reasons why it continues to work today. River Phoenix was such a natural and is so charismatic that he steals every scene he’s in. The chemistry he shares with Wheaton’s character is strong and it reminds us all of that best friend we had in our childhood. Corey Feldman must have had the best agent because he starred in some of the best films that were released in the 80’s (Gremlins, The Goonies, The Burbs, and The Lost Boys). Jerry O’Connell is probably the one that has undergone the greatest physical transformation, but he was perfect for the role of Vern and he reminded us of that friend who always seemed to be the butt of every joke. These four young actors carry the film and despite not having the most exciting of adventures, the way the story is told is what makes it such a fascinating one. There are small moments like the one where they gather around the camp fire to listen to Gordie’s story, or when they are crossing the pond and discover its full of leeches, that stand out. The film is told through Gordie’s recollection of these events and each scene feels like an authentic memory someone would have of such a life changing experience. The 50’s soundtrack also plays a key role in the film since it adds to the overall sense of nostalgia. Reiner’s film reminds me how much I actually have enjoyed Stephen King’s non-horror stories (this along with Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile are my favorite film adaptations of his work). Since its 1986 release, all the coming of age films that have followed it seem to heavily borrow from it. Stand By Me is the measuring stick for films in this genre.
“You have a beautiful voice, particularly when you make it all the way through a song.”
Rob Reiner has directed some fantastic films over the years, but he has also delivered some terrible ones as well, and “And So It Goes” might just be his worst yet. Reiner is still a director I admire for his fantastic work in When Harry Met Sally, one of my favorite romantic comedies, and Misery an engaging thriller starring a phenomenal Kathy Bates. His most beloved films however are The Princess Bride, Stand By Me, and This is Spinal Tap. His filmography proves that he has directed a wide variety of genres successfully. Unfortunately it has been almost two decades since he has directed a decent film and he has lost a lot of his credibility. It’s as if he really doesn’t care anymore about directing creatively unique films and only goes for generic commercial films. Over the past few decades he’s directed Alex & Emma, Rumor Has It, Flipped, and the Magic of Belle Isle. The Bucket List was the last from him that I actually enjoyed, but I’m on the minority with that one, so you’d have to go all the way back to the 90’s to recall his latest success. Considering how much I enjoyed his earlier films, I still have hope he will give us another masterpiece.
For the time being, Rob Reiner seems to be enjoying his retirement by making generic films aimed towards specific target audiences. In his latest film, And So it Goes, he targets the senior adults, which is somewhat an ignored target. I found it to be a very bland and generic film, but most senior adults in my family enjoyed it so I guess he accomplished his goal. It is basically a chick flick for senior adults because it follows the same predictable premise. I found the story rather dull and formulaic. Michael Douglas plays his usual grouchy self. He’s a widower and self centered realtor who doesn’t care about what others think about him. All he wants is to sell his last house and retire to a quiet place. His life changes however when his estranged son leaves his daughter in his care while he serves his prison sentence. Diane Keaton place the loving and sweet neighbor who helps take care of the granddaughter. She also plays her usual lovable self smiling and crying a lot on screen. I love Diane Keaton and she was my favorite thing about this film. Without doing anything unique the chemistry between the two lead roles is what works best in a very predictable and silly script. Mark Andrus’s screenplay is probably my least favorite thing about And So it Goes. The way the story is told never makes much sense as to how these two characters would fall for one another. The film doesn’t really go anywhere and the sentimentality is forced upon the audience in a cheap way. Reiner even has a small role in this film making the film look more awkward than it already was. Sterling Jerins plays the beautiful young girl that is left in Micheal Douglas’s care, and despite being very cute she doesn’t really act too well. The narrative felt offbeat at times as well, and despite some few funny scenes and a strong chemistry from the lead roles, the pacing was a bit tedious.
"My name is Jordan Belfort. The year I turned 26, I made 49 million dollars, which really pissed me off because it was three shy of a million a week."
How do you begin to write a review about a film that has so much things to comment on? The Wolf of Wall Street is an overblown energetic and hilarious film about these egocentric, greedy, immoral stockbrokers that we are supposed to hate, but ultimately end up rooting for because we have spent so much time laughing with them. These guys make Gordon Gekko from Wall Street look like a saint. Martin Scorsese is a genius; he can basically direct any movie he wants to and make it appealing. This is his follow up to Hugo (which was a brilliant family film) and he takes a 180 degree turn here with The Wolf of Wall Street and makes a comedy about these egocentric rich characters who have no moral boundaries, who spend their time getting high, objectifying women, and which should have been rated NC-17 because their excesses are constantly repeated over and over again on screen. Many people criticize the fact that it's so long and overblown, but I think that's exactly the point Scorsese is trying to get across by repeating their excesses and debauchery. If there is one word I'd have to use to describe this film it'd be energetic. The film is so energetic and you get it through each one of the brilliant performances in the movie. This is a filthy dark comedy, but one that will stick with you and have you question yourself for having rooted for these characters. I understand the comparisons with Scorsese's Goodfellas in that the characters wrongful behavior is what we become attracted to and makes the film so edgy. I'm not supposed to root for these guys, they are the villains, they do terrible things, we are all their victims, but then why do we want them to get away with what they're doing? These are all questions that only begin to come up long after the credits have rolled and eventually you realize that these guys deserved far worse punishment and got away too easy (but wait that is what really happened with all these Wall Street stockbrokers that almost ruined the country), and that is why Scorsese is such a brilliant director because he is so subtle in getting his message across and does so in such an energetic and funny way.
The screenplay was adapted by Terence Winter from Jordan Belfort's autobiographical book about his rise to becoming a millionaire as a Long Island penny stockbroker. At age 22, Jordan (Leonardo DiCaprio) received early training from his boss Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) and eventually gets a stockbroker license, but the company melts down on his first day and he's left in the streets again. His wife, Teresa (Cristin Milioti), recommends him a job at Investor Center, which happens to be a very unprofessional small establishment that only deals with penny stocks, but has incredibly high commissions. Jordan is a natural and pitches sales so well that he rises to the top easily again. One day a neighbor named Donnie (Jonah Hill) comes up to him and asks him how he makes so much money, which leads him to decide to get into stocks and work for him. The two find a garage and set up their own business bringing along some of their friends: Robbie (Brian Sacca), Alden (Henry Zebrowski), Chester (Kenneth Choi), Nicky (PJ Byrne), Toby (Ethan Suplee), and Brad (Jon Bernthal). Jordan teaches them how to pith the sales and over the years the company grows at a very high rate and even gets marketing from Forbes Magazine where Jordan is nicknamed as the Wolf of Wall Street. These guys don't care about their clients and will tell them anything just to make a sale, and do a bunch of illegal things along the way which eventually gets them into trouble with the law, specifically FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) who begins to follow their every move. Along the way in the midst of all the parties, sex, and drugs, Jordan falls for the beautiful Naomi (Margot Robbie) and eventually divorces his wife and marries her. The film continues to follow Jordan's excesses as he becomes more and more addicted to drugs, the most powerful of all being money.
Scorsese makes several great statements in this film about the world of Wall Street, similar to what he did with the gangster world in Goodfellas. He doesn't shy away from their egocentric world portraying numerous scenes where the characters are getting high, having sex, and getting rich at expense of the rest of the world. He also makes it clear that money is the most dangerous and addictive drug of all, and these men don't know where to draw the line. There are several scenes that truly stood out for me like the scene where Mark teaches Jordan what the business is really about, or when Jordan and Donnie meet for the first time, or when Jordan meets with Agent Dunham in his yacht. In the midst of all the crazy debauchery, these small conversation scenes work so well giving the characters more depth. There are also hilarious scenes like the one where Jordan and Donnie suffer from a delayed drug side effect, mixed with some very dark scenes as well like when Jordan has a huge fight with Naomi portraying him at his lowest point. The performances in this film are also incredible, Leonardo DiCaprio gives his best and funniest performance to date, the scenes where he gives his employees pep talks are mesmerizing, Jonah Hill is also at his best and has some extremely funny and insane scenes, they both truly deserve Oscar nominations for their work here. Matthew McConaughey is no longer a surprise, he has been exceptional in his latest films, but he has a very small role here, Margot Robbie gives an outstanding performance in a world where females are completely objectified, Rob Reiner is funny as Jordan's father, and finally Kyle Chandler also stood out for me as the only character who seemed to be morally incorruptible. They all bring so much energy to this film making the three hours go by fast despite being overblown and repetitive.
¨Everything on the tour went drastically wrong. But at least there was a tour for it to go wrong on.¨
That is the kind of attitude that Steve ¨Lips¨ Kudlow, lead singer of the Canadian cult metal band Anvil, has had during his entire life. Things have gone wrong with the band, but his positive attitude and his fight for achieving his dreams and goals are what have made the band stick together for more than 35 years. This documentary, directed by Sacha Gervasi (who also wrote The Terminal) is a truly emotional experience that tries to examine what went wrong with this promising band from the 80`s which disappeared from the map all of a sudden. Anvil seemed to be heading to certain fame in the early 80`s when they went on tour opening for Bon Jovi with their hit song ¨Metal on Metal.¨ Something went drastically wrong, due to poor managing, and the band was soon forgotten by almost everyone. Other bands such as Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax that did make it big time in the metal world claimed to be heavily influenced by Anvil, but somehow Lips` band faded away. Now more than 30 years later, Gervasi (a Canadian himself) decided to make a documentary as to the whereabouts of the members of the band. Lips and drummer Rob Reiner have stuck together during all these years playing at small shows and recording new albums, while at the same time working full time jobs in order to sustain their family. They have remained best friends since they were young teens and have played together during their entire lives despite facing great adversity. The inspiring and sometimes funny story makes for an unforgettable and emotional film.
The documentary begins by introducing us to this promising Canadian band from the 80`s that was opening for Bon Jovi and through their music influencing some of the biggest names in rock history. Despite the spectacular moment the band was living, they were the only one`s not to ever make it mainstream in the Metal world. Something went wrong and they were soon forgotten, until 30 years later Gervasi decided to make a documentary about their life. Surprisingly the band was still together playing at small gigs and releasing their 13th LP. Lead singer Steve ¨Lips¨ Kudlow and drummer Rob Reiner now in their fifties are still rocking together and dreaming of one day being able to achieve their dream. They have families to maintain and other jobs to pay the bills, but they still live for the music. Out of nowhere they receive an offer from a European fan who wants them to go on tour all over Europe. They decide to follow their dream once again and begin touring in Europe alongside their new manager Tiziana Arrigoni (the fan that e-mailed them about the tour). Things don`t turn out as expected and the band returns to Canada once again with their hopes down. Lips is too much of an optimist and a fighter to let go of his dream so he continues to pursue it alongside Robbie and together they decide to release a new CD and hopefully make it big time in the music industry that has turned its back on them time after time.
Let me level with you guys: I’m not a heavy metal fan at all, I don’t like it. I`m not a big music fan for that matter either, but Anvil is an excellent documentary worth watching because it tells a great story we can all identify with. These two buddies have dreamed of being rock stars all their lives, they were really close to making it once and they didn`t, but that never stopped them from trying and pursuing their goals. Time hasn`t been on their side, much less the music industry, but the passion these guys have for what they do make the journey worthwhile. Lips and Robbie are real life friends and as such they have their up and downs, they joke, they fight, they laugh, and they cry. There is a lot of emotion here, and these heavy metal guys aren`t really as tough as one might have expected. They never quit, they keep on going, and that is a very rare quality to find nowadays. A few try, but when they fail they let go of their dreams and try to fit in, but these guys keep at it time after time. Anvil might be a documentary, but it`s a much better buddy comedy then you will probably find from Hollywood these days. The movie is really worth a watch, it has so much emotion put into it, I really had a great time with this documentary.
