Hector and the Search for Happiness (4/10): Not such a happy experience at all

“How many of us I wonder can recall that childhood moment when we experienced happiness as a state of being”

In Hector and the Search for Happiness, you’re more likely to leave the theater with too sweet of a taste in your mouth than actually happy because the comedy is schmaltzy and generic. The dialogue is corny at times, which I can’t say for sure if it’s the screenplay’s fault or the popular novel it was adapted from written by Francois Lelord because I’m unfamiliar with it. I just felt that most of the characters introduced in the film were stereotypical and only served the purpose of developing the story. The plot is pretty simple and straightforward: Hector (Simon Pegg) is a middle aged psychiatrist who gets tired of his routine life and decides to travel in search for happiness. He leaves his girlfriend, Clara (Rosamund Pike), and tells her he can’t help his patients to be happy if he doesn’t feel happy. This is where his adventures begin as he travels across Asia, Africa, and North America meeting different characters who give him different versions of how to find happiness. The first of course takes place in China where he meets a wealthy businessman named Edward (Stellan Skarsgard) who tells him that happiness can be bought with money. He later searches for happiness in a one night stand with a girl he meets at a nightclub. The film practically takes us around the globe introducing us to new characters who play typical roles (a rich businessman, a monk, a family woman, a drug dealer, a volunteer doctor, and an old flame). Along the way he writes the different approaches these people have towards happiness, and I just found it a bit too simple and corny. The film does move along at an interesting pace thanks to the lead performance from Simon Pegg who is always a delight on screen. He has charisma and a sharp sense of humor, but this time he was held back by the script.   

It is no secret that Simon Pegg has done his best work in Edgar Wright films alongside Nick Frost. Despite being charismatic there isn’t much he can do when given a weak script. The film at times feels offensive in the way they portray some of these foreign characters (especially the scenes in Africa). I also felt the relationship between his character and Rosamund Pike’s a bit uneven. At first Pike is portrayed as the perfectly neat girlfriend who is always helping Hector in keeping his routine. She’s kind of like the cool girl from her Gone Girl speech and does everything that she thinks is expected from her. This somehow isn’t working for Hector because he feels unhappy and that apparent chemistry disappears. Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno, Christopher Plummer, and Toni Collette are some of the familiar faces that have supporting roles in this movie, but not much is done with their characters. They are only introduced in Hector’s life as a way to give him a different approach of how one can find happiness in life. Some audiences might find the sweet story approachable, but I just found it way too schmaltzy and false. The comedy didn’t work very well, although i did like some of the animated scenes that were included in the film. There is nothing fresh or original about this film and it takes a similar approach as other recent films like Eat, Pray, Love and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

My Review: Gone Girl (9/10)

"What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What have we done to each other? What will we do?"

David Fincher has exceeded my high expectations once again with this brilliant thriller starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. I have so many things to say about Gone Girl that I simply don't know where to begin. First of all, anyone who loves movies knows how stylish Fincher's films are and how meticulous he is with each project. He creates interesting characters and he knows how to set the right mood for his films. In Gone Girl he does just that creating a tense and moody thriller which all of a sudden switches gears on us with unexpected twists and genre shifts. In one moment you are watching a suspenseful thriller and then all of a sudden you find yourself laughing at the dark humor presented in the story with each new dark revelation. It is a unique experience for the audience and I enjoyed every second of its 150 minute runtime. It is very close to being another masterpiece from Fincher, although Se7en and Fight Club still remain my favorite from his rich filmography. Bringing back his usual collaborators for the musical score, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, also played a key role in the success of this film which helped improve the mood to an already suspenseful and eerie atmosphere. Jeff Croneweth's cinematography also stands out in Gone Girl making every shot gorgeous to look at. The film is also perfectly edited, but that is something I will mention in the next paragraph when I credit the narrative structure of the movie. Fincher doesn't disappoint for one second and treats the audience to a wickedly entertaining film with several disturbing ideas exploring new grounds with the thriller genre. It is a must see for all film lovers out there.

I've given David Fincher a lot of credit for his work because he is one of the most talented directors in Hollywood right now, but I also have to give praise to Gillian Flynn's wonderful screenplay adaptation of her own novel because it is outstanding. A lot of the success this film is receiving is due to the wonderful narrative structure Gone Girl has. The way it is presented in non-linear fashion is beautifully paced together. The first half of this film begins like your ordinary forensic mystery investigation where you try to guess what may have happened or what motives were behind the disappearance of the female lead character. As the investigation goes on, we get flashbacks narrated by this missing person where she explains how she met her husband and how everything unravelled after those first few years of marriage where everything seemed perfect. The less you know about this film before going into it, the more you are surprised by it. I am glad I hadn't read the novel before because it was a pleasure to experience how the narrative structure of the film unfolded before me with every twist and shift of tone. Flynn has written a crazy novel which plays out as a satire and a social commentary on marriage and the effect the media has on public perception. It is a story about perceptions and how we put on masks to pretend we are something we aren't in front of others. It has a few things to say about marriage and how couples try to change each other or pretend to be something they aren't in order to win the other's affection. As you watch Gone Girl you can't help but imagine how much fun Fincher and Flynn were having as they dissected some common problems couples have in marriage. Of course everything is overblown in this satire and you will find yourself laughing at several of the situations presented (especially in the second half of the film), but it does have an underlying message and a purpose. I thought it was quite a witty commentary on marriage and society, and for that I have to give Flynn credit for the wonderful story she has written, and of course Fincher takes advantage of that and creates a stylized and fun trashy film that is beautifully shot and edited.

When you go into a Fincher film you know you will get great performances out of him because he brings the best out of his actors. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike are superb in the lead roles. He is perfect as this enigmatic husband who is lacking empathy in the publics eyes. Pike gives an icy and memorable performance as her character is hard to decipher at first and our perception of her shifts as the movie moves on. She is simply great. As much as I enjoyed the lead performances, I have to say that what really surprised me here were the secondary actors. Who would have thought that Tyler Perry could have pulled off his role as the charismatic lawyer so well. He has several funny scenes and he was a great addition. My favorite performance in this film came from Carrie Coon (who I really like in The Leftovers series) who plays Affleck's twin sister. She had some strong dramatic scenes and had great on screen chemistry with Affleck. I hope she receives a nomination for her role here because she absolutely pulled it off. Kim Dickens who plays the detective in charge of the investigation was also great. These were all interesting characters who played key roles in the success of this moody thriller. Many people complained about Neil Patrick Harris's performance, but I think the main issue I had with him wasn't his performance, but his character. There are also some over the top violent scenes that didn't work too well, but for a satire Fincher pulls it off just fine because he knows that this is an exaggerated pulpy film and lets the audience have fun with it. Gone Girl was one of my most anticipated films for 2014, and after watching it I have to say it exceeded my expectations; I had a crazy fun time with it and it deserves all the praise it's getting.

My Review: The World's End (7/10)

"And here we go! Just like the Five Musketeers!"

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright's final installment of the Cornetto trilogy is a very entertaining and funny film. Just like its predecessors The World's End works as a comedy although this time the focus is on the sci-fi genre. Shaun of the Dead was based on horror, Hot Fuzz on buddy action films, and now The World's End makes fun of the apocalyptic science fiction films we've all seen. However the films all work best as a comedy considering Wright carefully constructs them and builds momentum at the right moments. The fans who pay close attention to the script will catch several of those small elements he includes in the comedy. Pegg and Frost also deliver great characters and have a solid supporting cast. If you enjoyed the humor in their previous films then you will be very satisfied with this film because it follows the same premise and has several of the same actors involved once again. The script is witty and the direction with the fast edits, slick camera angles, and well timed action sequences works really well. It might be a slightly more mature film than its predecessors, but it still includes all the key elements that made the first two such likable films. My personal favorite of the three will still be Hot Fuzz, probably because it was the first film I watched since I had never seen Shaun of the Dead, but I still enjoyed all three films. The humor in The World's End isn't the cheap kind, the jokes are well constructed but I understand that its humor isn't for everyone. The characters are all very well developed and each one has his or her own personal traits defined. It has a nostalgic vibe to it as well considering the characters all seem to lament over their lost youth, and are trying to live out those memories for one last time. It's a very satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy.

The film centers on five friends from a small English town that decide to get together 20 years later and finish what they never could during their teenage days: complete an epic pub crawl known as the Golden Mile. It consists of drinking one pint of beer in all 12 Newton Haven pubs in the course of one day. Gary (Simon Pegg), who was the leader of the group, decides to round up the crew and accomplish this goal. He is very self centered and doesn't treat his friends really well, but somehow (probably from a sense of nostalgia and trying to relive the best year of their lives) they all still decide to tag along. The group consists of Pete (Eddie Marsan) who was bullied upon during his youth, Steven (Paddy Considine) who is currently dating a young fitness instructor, Oliver (Martin Freeman) nicknamed O-Man because of a birthmark he had on his forehead that resembled a 6, and Andy (Nick Frost) who used to be Gary's best friend before they had a fallout and became estranged. As they begin their quest for the Golden mile they run into Sam (Rosamund Pike), Oliver's sister, with whom Gary had a one night fling when they were young, but Steven is the one who has been in love with her all his life. They are surprised to discover that the people in the town have changed and are behaving strangely. What begins as an apparently innocent and fun night might end up being a nightmare as they begin uncovering a conspiracy that threatens all of humanity. 

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost sort of switch roles from the ones they played in Shaun of the Dead. This time Nick plays the much more mature character, while Simon is the childish one. Pegg is really unlikable at the beginning of the film, as he manipulates and completely ignores his friends, but his character soon grows on us as we identify with his sense of nostalgia of the past. I think that the scenes between these group of friends hanging out in the pub was probably the strongest part of the film considering that the sci-fi scenes were a little too over the top (although some action sequences were really entertaining). The way these characters interact with one another is what makes this film worth seeing. The satire and slapsticknalso mixes really well with this smart comedy. I still think that Scott Pilgrim is Edgar Wright's best film to date, but he always delivers fun and entertaining movies. 

My Review: Jack Reacher (8/10)

¨There´s this guy, he´s a kind of cop, at least he used to be. He doesn’t care about proof, he doesn’t care about the law, he only cares about what´s right. He knows what I did. You can´t protect me. No one can.¨

Jack Reacher was one of those films I went into with very low expectations, but came out pleasantly surprised with how entertaining the movie really was. Tom Cruise isn’t one of my favorite actors, but I can honestly say that I prefer his mysterious, quiet, low key approach much more than his eccentric and talkative characters (like in Knight and Day). There is no denying his on screen charisma and he really doesn’t have to do much in order for you to root for him and that is why I find his quieter performances much more thrilling and engaging. Jack Reacher has it all: it´s action packed, it has thrills, mysteries, twists, and even some comedy. I was entertained much more than I thought I would be with this Tom Cruise vehicle. The screenplay was adapted by Academy Award winner, Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) from Lee Child´s book One Shot. Although McQuarrie is known mostly for his work with screenplays, this is his second film as a director (the first being The Way of the Gun) and he does a great job with the action scenes here. I am not a big fan of car chases, I get tired of them very easily, but this film has one of the best vehicle chases I´ve seen since Ronin. The opening scene with the sniper point of view was also pretty gripping and inventive. I was really glad I got to see this film despite it not being groundbreaking or anything because it was entertaining. This mystery thriller worked really well thanks to some great comedic moments.

Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is a former military operative who has been living off the radar in the past year like a John Doe. He is the kind of person who can´t be found, but rather he finds you. The movie begins with a deadly sniper shooting five innocent victims in the middle of the city. The police identify the alleged murderer as Barr (Joseph Sikora), a former military officer who claims to be innocent. Detective Emerson (David Oyelowo) has a strong case against him, but all Barr says is ¨Get Jack Reacher.¨ Neither Emerson nor District Attorney Rodin (Richard Jenkins) know how to reach Reacher, but he shows up after hearing the news. He begins investigating the case after the defense attorney, Helen (Rosamund Pike), convinces him to look into the supposedly locked case. She believes like everyone else that Barr is guilty, but wants to save him from the death penalty. When Jack Reacher begins to investigate the case he finds some evidence that leads him to believe that Barr is innocent and that someone had a specific target in mind and wanted to make everything look like a random killing. While Jack begins digging deeper some men begin to follow him and try to scare him off, but Reacher is the sort of guy who always gets to the bottom of things.  

Tom Cruise may have found yet another franchise in Jack Reacher as his character is very likeable by remaining very quiet, mysterious, calm, but at the same time very tough. He is the sort of guy who seems to always be in control and in cool. There are also some very interesting performances here from Robert Duvall, Alexia Fast, Jai Courtney, and the great director Werner Herzog who have a supporting role. Duvall brings some comedic relief and has great chemistry with Cruise, while Herzog and Courtney create some interesting villains. The film runs a bit long and there is some problem with the pacing of the film at times, but the great action scenes make up for it. Jack Reacher has some very smart one liners and always answers with some sort of quick remark, which were the comedic highlight of the film. There is a bathroom scene that feels a bit off from the rest of the movie, and the action here is sort of cartoonish but it was also another one of the funniest moments of the film. Despite not being a huge Tom Cruise fan I really did enjoy this film and recommend it.  

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

My Review: An Education (7/10)

¨If people die the moment that they graduate, then surely it`s the things we do before hand that count. If you never do anything, you never become anyone.¨

(7/10) An Education is one of the ten nominated movies for best picture in the Oscars this year and it is the last one I got around to watching because I thought it would be the less interesting one. I remember seeing the trailer and thinking: not again, another movie about an underage girl having a relationship with an older man. Well, when I finally got around to seeing An Education I was really surprised at how the story caught my attention and captivated me. The performance from the entire cast was excellent, but Carey Mulligan stands out in the lead role. It will be a difficult task for her to overcome heavy favorites Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep in the Oscar race for best performance by a leading actress. An Education might end up empty handed in the Oscar race, but that doesn`t mean you shouldn`t get around to seeing this movie. Female Danish director, Lone Sherfig, does a great job directing this film with an almost entirely English cast. Nick Hornby, known mostly for writing novels such as High Fidelity, Fever Pitch, and About a Boy, writes the screenplay for An Education which is based on the memoir from Lynn Barber. Surprisingly the main issue that An Education deals with isn`t the relationship between an older man and a girl; but the conflict between deciding to have a good education or marrying a wealthy man and living a good life. Mulligan`s character is so mature that it makes it difficult for the audience to see her as a little girl.

The story takes place around 1960 in a London suburb. Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan from Public Enemies and Pride and Prejudice) is a very talented sixteen year old who is studying really hard in order to be accepted to the prestigious Oxford University. She loves art, speaking French, and playing the cello. Her father, Jack (Alfred Molina from Spider Man 2) pushes her really hard because he wants her to have a better life than him and recognizes that she is extremely gifted and smart. Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams who I recognized from The Sixth Sense) is her English teacher who also recognizes her talent and encourages her to take the exam in order to be accepted. Graham (Matthew Beard) is a young Jewish boy who is interested in Jenny, but her father disapproves because he has no aspirations in life. Jenny`s life will change dramatically when she meets a much older man named David (Peter Sarsgaard from Boys Don`t Cry and Jarhead). He seems to be a wealthy man who drives a nice car and is always inviting her to cultural events along with his friends Danny (Dominic Cooper from The Duchess) and Helen (Rosamund Pike who played Miranda Frost in the Bond film Die Another Day). Together they have a great time, and Jenny gets to know the world she has been reading in books for so long. She even goes to Paris with David because he is so goo d at winning her parents acceptance. Jack really likes David and everything he has to offer for his daughter and Jenny seems happy living the life she always dreamt about, but not everything is what it seems and money doesn`t grow around in trees. Emma Thompson has a small role as the Headmistress of Jenny`s school and she disapproves of her new relationship. Jenny is at risk of losing her education at Oxford and she doesn`t seem to mind because she finds out life is such more fun living it than actually studying.

I already said that Carey Mulligan was great in this film as the very smart and gifted Jenny, but Rosamund Pike has to get some credit for playing the stupid blonde and contributing in some of the funniest lines of the movie. Peter Sarsgaard is also great as David as he not only wins over Jenny and her parent`s hearts, but the audience`s as well. The performances in the movie are great and the story is very interesting. The dilemma that the film presents between getting a good education or getting married with a wealthy person is also a great debate. It is funny that Emma Thompson played a character that was so in favor of education, when she herself has said in real life that ¨the best education there can be for an actor is to walk up the street and observe human nature.¨ Jenny seemed to be the one using similar lines in this movie to prove her point. She was having the time of her life and learning so many things by attending these high class society events. The scenes between her and the headmistress, or with Miss Stubs are perhaps the best in the movie. Another touching moment was Alfred Molina´s monologue to Jenny while she was locked in her room. I really enjoyed the performances and the story as well.