Miss You Already (7/10): Girl Power!

“You kind of look like a superhero.”

Catherine Hardwicke may not be a director who has consistently delivered strong work, but I tend to enjoy her more personal and female centered films. Many probably know her for her direction in the first Twilight film, which I actually enjoyed quite a bit despite the critical hate. Red Riding Hood I can agree with everyone was a huge failure, but her debut film, Thirteen, still remains one of her best films to date. I found some similarities between that film and Miss You Already, Hardwicke's latest movie. Although Thirteen centered on two young teenagers, it was basically a movie about female characters. In Miss  You Already the characters are in their late 30’s but the film also centers on a strong female friendship. It is not every day you get to see a film where the two protagonists are females and both the director and the screenplay writer are also women. The film has a voice of its own and despite being melodramatic at times it does feel authentic. It deserves to be seen. 

I know that there will be many comparisons between this film and The Fault in Our Stars because it centers on a character battling with cancer, but this film deals with the subject matter in a much more authentic tone. It is not aimed towards teens by introducing a charismatic character, but it tries to deal with the subject matter in an honest way by showing how cancer affects not only the individual but the family and friends around them. The friendship between Drew Barrymore’s Jess and Toni Collette’s Milly is at center and we get to see how this new struggle alters the course of their own personal family lives. The men playing their husbands (Dominic Cooper and Paddy Considine) are relegated because this is a film centering on female characters, but they each add emotional value to the film. I enjoyed the family dynamics here and was touched by the more emotional moments. I never felt them manipulative because the film has a voice of its own. Hardwicke seems to be in a much more comfortable position when she centers on dramatic stories and stays away from science fiction.

The performances from both Collette and Barrymore are solid and I believe they are the reason why the film works as well as it does. Collette especially gets to shine since she has some of the most difficult and emotional scenes in the movie, but Barrymore knows how to stand her ground and the chemistry between both actresses was solid. Cooper and Considine also get to have their moments although they don’t get much screen time. The cast is great and the film benefits from their charismatic performances. Miss You Already might not be an original or groundbreaking film, but it is a sincere family drama that manages to deliver authentic emotions. 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (9/10): And so does the franchise!

“There's been an awakening. Have you felt it? The Dark side, and the Light.”

There is a new film that has been released this weekend that not many people may have heard of, so I want to recommend it because it’s worth checking out. Apparently The Force Awakens is the seventh film in the little recognized Star Wars franchise and I’m surprised not many people have been talking about this sci-fi action packed adventure franchise. It seems to have some sort of cult following because there were a few people dressed up in the movies as some of the characters in the film. I’m glad I was lucky enough to have heard about this J.J. Abrams’s directed movie. Abrams who is better known for creating the hit TV series Lost has directed some remarkable films. His first feature film was Mission Impossible III which I will always remember for having one of the best villains in the franchise (played by the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman). He followed it up with the reboot of the Star Trek franchise which was a wonderful surprise for fans around the globe. I wasn’t a fan of the franchise myself until I got to see what Abrams did with it. He later went on to direct Super 8 which was as close to a Steven Spielberg 90’s movie that you will ever get. From that point on I knew Abrams could do no wrong. After succeeding yet again with another Star Trek sequel he decided to aim for something much smaller: A reimagining of the Star Wars franchise. If the film has success it will probably be thanks to my recommendation of the movie since I’m hoping it gets a lot of word of mouth. Please go watch this movie even if you haven’t seen the other films in the franchise because it stands on its own. It is almost a remake in a way since it follows the basic blue prints of the original film with some returning characters. I guess Abrams can receive some of the credit because everything he’s done up to now has been highly entertaining. Hopefully the film will be a success and that way people will go back and check out the other films in the franchise starting way back in the late 70’s.

The Force Awakens takes place some 30 years after Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) defeated Darth Vader’s evil Empire (sorry for the spoilers if you haven’t seen the original films). It was a battle between the dark forces and the light. Now the galaxy is facing a new threat. Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) has been training his apprentice, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and establishing the First Order which wants to rule the galaxy and put an end to the Resistance which is led by General Leia (Carrie Fisher). Ren is extremely powerful and he uses the dark side of the force to his advantage subjugating anyone who opposes him. The only one who could threaten his abilities is Luke Skywalker, but he has disappeared and no one knows his whereabouts. Both the First Order and the Resistance are searching for him for different reasons. One of the Resistance’s best pilots, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), has received an important tip about his whereabouts, but when Ren finds out he will stop at nothing to retrieve the information. Dameron has no other option but to hide the information in one of his personal droids (BB-8) and sends him off before being captured by Ren. The droid is discovered by a young scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) who helps BB-8 escape from some mercenaries who are after it. Rey and the droid find assistance from an unlikely ally, a rogue stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) who is fleeing from the First Order. The fantastic sci-fi adventure begins as these fugitives try to reach the Resistance before the First Order discovers their whereabouts.

Abrams and Disney both leave their personal stamp in this film. There are classic Disney elements to this story which are told through Abrams’s unique style. Abrams knows exactly what his audience wants and he delivers a nostalgic piece of filmmaking by following pretty much the same beats as the original film did. Disney recycles some of its known humor and adds its own familiar tragic elements. I don’t know if The Force Awakens is more of a sequel than it is a reboot with returning characters because it feels so familiar and predictable. But it is exactly what fans wanted and it delivers. Darth Vader is probably the best villain in the history of film, but here Abrams manages to craft another memorable villain who comes close to matching him. Kylo Ren will probably become a pop culture icon just as Darth Vader has been over so many decades. Driver delivers a fantastic and memorable performance although my only complain about his character would be that his powers seem to weaken throughout the film after such a powerful entrance. Although I’m sure that will be resolved in the next film which will probably have a similar tone to The Empire Strikes Back which is my favorite film of the franchise. Harrison Ford stands out once again as Han Solo and he gets a lot of screen time, reminding us all why he is such a beloved action star. He delivers most of the funniest lines in the movie just as he did in the late 70’s and 80’s. The new additions, Daisy Ridley (who reminded me of a young Keira Knightley), John Boyega (who was discovered in the fantastic British horror comedy Attack the Block), and Oscar Isaac all deliver fantastic roles and inject the movie with fresh and well established characters that will deliver the franchise beyond nostalgic value. The Force Awakens had huge shoes to fill, but Abrams managed to reinvigorate the franchise by combining fresh blood with returning beloved characters. Fans will definitely be pleased with the film although it is hard to match the greatness of the original films due to its predictable nature that has more nostalgic value than anything else. We will have to wait and see how it works with younger audiences and if it stands the test of time. 

American Ultra (6/10): Jason Bourne on drugs.

“I think I'm that tree. And I think you're the car and I think I'm stopping you.”

American Ultra is what you get when you combine any classic stoner comedy with The Bourne Identity. It is a hybrid of both genres which results in a fast paced action comedy. It is almost cartoonish at times despite trying to remain serious. There are scenes in this movie that reminded me of Pineapple Express because the action scenes are extremely violent at times, although the comedy is much more toned down here. The film never ceased to entertain me throughout its entire runtime, but at the same time I felt like the characters lacked a bit of personality and the story didn’t offer much. The cast is extremely talented, but the fast paced action scenes don’t give us time to center on the characters. I wouldn’t rewatch this film, but I still enjoyed it. American Ultra is Nima Nourizadeh’s follow up to his directorial debut, Project X. The main reason I wanted to catch up with this film however, was because it was reuniting Kristen Stewart with Jesse Eisenberg after their wonderful collaboration together in Adventureland. I loved the two together and I was looking forward to seeing them play love interests once again. Perhaps I ended up enjoying this movie more than others because I like the two leads, but I wasn’t even close to hating this. It does have several flaws, especially the decision to cast Topher Grace as the main villain because he is completely one dimensional. This isn’t a film for everyone, especially if you’re expecting a full blown out comedy because it is more of an action film that feels like a graphic novel adaptation at times. 

The plot revolves around a stoner, Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg), who doesn’t seem to be going anywhere in life. He is waiting for the perfect moment to propose to his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart) who is the only person he cares for in the world. Mike isn’t the brightest kid, but he has a good heart. It doesn’t take long for us to realize that Mike has a special ability that he doesn’t even know about. He has been part of a CIA experiment that has trained him to become an assassin. Now the people that made him want him dead. Adrian Yates (Topher Grace) orders his agents to terminate Mike after their experimentation with the Ultra program has been abandoned. His former trainee, Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton), decides to activate Mike so he can defend himself against the onslaught of agents that are coming after him. Now Mike inadvertently discovers his new set of found skills and uses them to protect himself and Phoebe from the people that want him gone. Walton Goggins, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman, and Tony Hale have small roles in this film, but are always a delight to see. Neither of them stand out, but they each deliver in the few scenes they are given. 

Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg both play characters we’ve seen in the past and that we know they can play in their sleep so there isn’t really anything new they bring to this film. If you’re not a fan of these actors then skip this film, but if like me you enjoy them, then you won’t be disappointed despite them not doing anything unique. Eisenberg has proved in the past that he can deliver stronger material (The Social Network) as well as Stewart (Clouds of Sil Maria), but here they seem to be in more comfortable territory and therefor don’t bring anything unique. American Ultra benefits from an interesting story even though it doesn’t live up to the initial setup. It starts off pretty strong, but ends up lacking a stronger finale.  

Can't Hardly Wait (4/10): A predictable teenage comedy

“Don't look back. You should never look back.”

There is a scene during the movie where someone spray painted “This Party Sucked” on the door, and I guess that the same thing can be said about this predictable and formulaic teen comedy that tries way too hard to capture the spirit of former John Hughes’ comedies from the 80’s. Perhaps it is my fault that I just got around watching this film now, but if that is the case all I can say is that it hasn’t aged well considering many films since have done a much better job at delivering laughs and breaking genre conventions. Can’t Hardly Wait is completely predictable from start to finish and the characters all fall flat despite some charismatic performances from the cast. The script may be the biggest disappointment because the characters aren’t given anything interesting to say and they all play generic characters. This was Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan’s first feature film as directors, and they only went on to direct one other movie together (Josie and the Pussycats). Can’t Hardly Wait was received quite well in the late 90’s, but I can’t see its appeal. It feels like a generic teen comedy about teenagers partying after graduation.  They all promise to be memorable, but in the end everything that goes on in the party is completely predictable. There are fun moments, but the film never justifies it 100 minute runtime. 

Jennifer Love Hewitt plays the girl everyone in school loves and admires, but she has recently been dumped by her boyfriend, played by Peter Facinelli, who wants to move on and meet college girls now. Their breakup is the talk of the school, and Ethan Embry’s Preston believes fate has given him another shot to talk to the girl of his dreams. Preston has always been in love with Amanda (Hewitt), but she doesn’t even know of his existence. We find out about his secret crush for Amanda through his best friend, Denise (Lauren Ambrose), who he confides in. Other people we meet at the party are the classic characters we’ve seen in many other 80’s and 90’s teen comedies: some of the hot shot athletes who are best friends with Mike (Facinelli), their gorgeous girlfriends who are part of Amanda’s group, the rockstar wannabes, and the nerds who want to avenge all the years of bullying they’ve endured. Charlie Korsmo gives one of the most funny performances as this nerd who after drinking a bit too much becomes the sensation of the party. There is also a side plot involving Denise getting locked up in the bathroom with Kenny Fisher (Seth Green), someone who she shared a past with but hasn’t been in contact since. Locked up together in the bathroom seems like a good way to dig up the past and they both open up with each other. The side stories and secondary characters are actually more interesting than the actual main plot involving Hewitt and Embry’s relationship and that is what ultimately hurt the film for me.  

The Gift (8/10): A solid psychological thriller

¨It's all in the eyes, you see. You see what happens when you poison other people's mind with ideas?¨

The Gift sort of appeared from nowhere and has surprised critics and audiences alike for its suspenseful narrative and strong performances. This is Joel Edgerton's directorial debut and what makes it even more impressive is that he wrote the script and co-starred in the film as well, so it is quite an achievement for him. Edgerton had previously co-written some interesting scripts (The Rover and The Square), but this is the first time he went solo while deciding to direct it as well.  These mystery thrillers are probably my favorite kind of films so I was hooked from the very beginning and loved the performances. This is the film I wished Creep would've been. The performances are solid and no one seems to be over selling it. There are also several suspenseful moments and a couple of jump scares that worked extremely well. Edgerton does a fantastic job directing this movie without trying to do anything overly artistic. It is a simple mystery thriller that manages to work thanks to some clever twists and surprises along the way. The premise at first seems like one you've seen before, but each time you think you know where the film is heading it takes a couple of unexpected turns that work to the film's advantage and adds to the overall creepy atmosphere.

I don't want to give the plot away so I will be as simplistic as possible, but no matter how familiar the premise may seem at first I recommend you stick with it because the film is very rewarding.  We are introduced to a married couple who have recently moved to California from Chicago. Simon (Jason Bateman) is returning to his childhood town with his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall). They seem to be the perfect couple living a blissful life as they both are settling into their beautiful new home. While they are visiting a local store, Simon runs into a man who introduces himself as Gordo (Joel Edgerton). At first Simon doesn't recognize him, but they were both school friends and it doesn't take long for him to recall him (Gordo the weirdo as he later tells his wife). Gordo is very excited to see him and seems very friendly although it does make Simon a bit uneasy. Gordo begins sending gifts to the couple and showing up at their home uninvited which begins to make them uncomfortable (as well as the audience).  It becomes evident that Gordo is a bit of a creep, but he isn't exactly menacing either. As familiar as this stalker premise might seem, the film does evolve into something more and it does so in a very natural way. 

I'd say that The Gift is more of a psychological drama than an actual horror thriller, but it does have its jump scares scattered throughout. The mystery works because everything unfolds naturally and none of the twists seem forced. Edgerton never plays tricks on the audience and delivers a straightforward film which benefits from the three lead performances. Jason Bateman is known for his comedic work, but here he excels in this dramatic role playing a successful business man. Rebecca Hall is also great although her character isn't given much of an arc. Joel Edgerton is fantastic as this creep who makes the audience feel uncomfortable while also feeling sorry for him at times. I don't think the movie would've worked without these strong lead performances because they play a key role in making the premise evolve naturally. The Gift ended up being a memorable psychological thriller that benefited from the audience going into it without knowing much about it. It was a fantastic experience and one of the better thrillers to come out this year. In a way it feels like a throwback to some thrillers from the 90´s.

Hot Pursuit (3/10): Not so hot after all

“He is known as the Bank of Bogota, the Tender Tender, the Lender Lender, the Money Launderer, El Chapo, the Pork Chop.”

There are films where the producers and everyone involved in the making of the movie seem to demand that its audience shut down their brain in order to simply enjoy the movie and have fun with it, and then there are movies like Hot Pursuit where it’s simply imposible to experience any pleasure from it no matter how long you’ve shut down your brain for. Hot Pursuit is the definition of lazy film making where every character is a stereotype and all the jokes seem to revolve around the same concepts: white southern girls are flat and uptight, while latinas are loud, busty and aggressive. There is not much more to this film that only stands out because it stars two females in the lead roles. We’ve all been asking for more substantial roles for females so it is always a delight to see a film like this highlighting two females as the main stars. Unfortunately the script lacks ideas and the comedy falls completely flat which doesn’t help the feminist case at all. 

The film stars two extremely talented and funny actresses, but the script completely handcuffs them and there isn’t anything they can do to save the movie. If you want to have fun go watch Sofia Vergara in any episode of Modern Family and I guarantee you that you will get more laughs out of it. Reese Witherspoon was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year for her performance in Wild where she was outstanding, but if she’s not careful she might end up turning into the next Cameron Diaz who tries so hard to be funny that she only ends up being annoying. If you want to see Witherspoon giving a fun performance then check out Legally Blonde or Election which were the two films that put her on the radar. Vergara and Witherspoon are funny actresses so on papers this seemed like an interesting project, but here they aren’t given any opportunity to shine.

The premise of the film is pretty simple: Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) is an uptight cop who takes the law seriously. Her boss asks her to escort a key witness who is going to testify against an important drug cartel leader. The witness is Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara). Things don’t go as expected as several corrupt cops and drug dealers try to prevent the two women from reaching their destination. There are also some twists along the way that really don’t add much to the comedy. The film is an excuse to put the two talented females together, but the screenwriters managed to take away whatever magic the two actresses might have had together. Hot Pursuit might be one of the frontrunners for this year’s Razzies for its lack of imagination and being such a missed opportunity.  

Stonehearst Asylum (4/10): A poor attempt at creating a suspenseful gothic film

“We're all mad Dr. Newgate. Some are simply not mad enough to admit it.”

Set in a mental institution during the end of the 19th century it’s hard not to compare this gothic thriller to Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island. Whereas Scorsese managed to create a film with an eerie atmosphere full of intrigues and thrills, Stonehearst Asylum fails to do so. It seems to have the perfect setting and cast to do so, but director Brad Anderson (known for The Machinist) isn’t able to come up with a compelling script. There is a scene during the opening of the film where a young doctor played by Jim Sturgess arrives at this gothic asylum and the atmosphere seems ideal for a great suspenseful thriller, but the story never seems to catch on with the visuals and the atmosphere is lost. It isn’t enough to make a film with a gothic look if the story isn’t engaging, and this movie is proof yet again that a talented cast doesn’t always make for a good film. Jim Sturgess, Kate Beckinsale, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Kingsley, and Michael Caine all star in this film which should automatically make it worth giving it a watch, but unfortunately the script doesn’t do anything to make their characters interesting. The film is based on Poe’s short story, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, but the adaptation to the big screen doesn’t necessary make for a good watch.   

The plot revolves around Dr. Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) who arrives at a remote mental institution to offer his assistant. Despite his young age, he is eager to help these mentally ill patients and Dr. Silas Lamb (Ben Kingsley) greets him with enthusiasm. Edward realizes that Lamb’s methods are a bit unorthodox as he allows his patients to run around freely in the institution helping around with the chores. Mickey Finn (David Thewlis) is Lamb’s right hand man, but he seems a bit unstable and many of the patients seem to fear him. When Edward meets Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale), a patient who seems very enlightened and educated, he immediately becomes infatuated with her. She seems to have issues with touch and intimacy, but at the same time she is also a very caring individual who looks after some of the patients in the ward. Early in the movie there is a twist that I won’t give away, but where Edward is introduced to some other characters among which is Benjamin Salt (Michael Caine) who makes a very interesting claim that could change everything he has come to believe about the asylum. 

I think the revelation in the film is made too early on and it takes away from some of the suspense it could’ve benefited from. Once the reveal is made the film seems to lose some of the tension and it becomes a bit predictable along the way. It is a shame because there was an interesting cast to work with here. As stunning as she is in this film, Beckinsale doesn’t get much to do other than simply captivate audiences with her looks. Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine are such wonderful actors that I could’ve used more face off between the two. The film continues to deliver some twists along the way, but they never do anything to build the suspense. It has the right look, but it simply doesn’t transmit the suspense and the gothic atmosphere it so desperately tries to establish.

Spectre (6/10): Doesn't live up to the standards set by Skyfall

“You are a kite dancing in a hurricane, Mr Bond.”

Sam Mendes did a fantastic job sitting in the director’s chair for Bond’s previous movie, Skyfall, so expectations were really high for what he could deliver in his follow up: Spectre. If there is something that Daniel Craig has brought to the franchise is that he has turned Bond into a serious character from the start. Casino Royale is still my favorite Bond film, but I’ve enjoyed all of his films, which wasn’t the case when Pierce Brosnan was playing the titular role. After the success of Skyfall it would be impossible to live up to the expectations Mendes had built with his now demanding crowd, so it is only normal that Spectre feels like an average spy thriller. The film still continues to look gorgeous, but the story did lack some originality and for that it feels predictable and familiar. Spectre also has pacing issues, but I’d say the main problem is that we’ve seen better spy films released this year. Mission Impossible raised the bar in its action sequences, while Spy was a comedy action film that barely missed a beat. If Spectre would’ve come out any other year it might have been a bit more interesting, but after the fresh success of both those films I felt like this was a letdown. As much as I love Craig as Bond, he didn’t have much to work with here and the villains didn’t present much of a threat either. Spectre has the look and feel of the rest of Bond films, but it fails to entertain or bring anything new to the table. Out of the four films Craig has played Bond this is probably the most formulaic one.  

Spectre opens with a rather impressive sequence in Mexico during the Day of the Dead celebration, which was a perfect opportunity for the marketing campaign to include the cool looking skeletons in the posters and the trailers. Bond (Daniel Craig) follows a gorgeous women through the crowded streets of Mexico during the parade to her hotel room, kisses her and walks out to the balcony saying he’ll be right back. That is when we realize he’s actually on a mission and a series of gunshots, explosions, and chases ensue. It was a great opening sequence but the film failed to build up the momentum from then on.  What we get next is what we’ve seen before, Bond arrives in London and is suspended by M (now played by Ralph Fiennes) for causing so much caos without being authorized to actually be in Mexico. Bond is working on his own because he doesn’t know who he can trust after the previous M left him a secret message before being murdered. Her message is what led him to Mexico in the first place and then to Rome where he discovers a secret organization responsible for several terrorist attacks that is led by a man named Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). Blofeld discovers Bond and sends his assistant, Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista) to try to stop him. In order to uncover what this secret organization is all about, Bond enlists the help of the daughter of one of its former members, Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux). Naomi Harris and Ben Whishaw are also back playing the roles of Moneypenny and Q respectively. 

Spectre is a little over two hours long and the pacing really doesn’t help the film either. You can feel it take its toll because the action sequences are far from being impressive and the plot is predictable. As cool as Craig is playing Bond, we’ve seen him do it so many times that we need more now. Waltz is a talented actor, but he seems to excel only when working with Tarantino. Here he doesn’t get much to do really and at times his character seems a bit cartoonish. Bautista is menacing, but he says one word in the entire film. Lea Seydoux is the Bond girl and she looks great, but there isn’t much more she can do to add to the story. Spectre isn’t a bad film, but the success of Skyfall raised the bar and left us a much more demanding audience. I think the major issue here was the screenplay which felt rather weak and bland. There is some fun to be had with the movie, but it ends up being forgettable in the end with a rather unsatisfying climax. Spectre has its moments but it is just too dull when compared to the other Bond films.  

The Visit (6/10): Shyamalan trying to regain the audience's trust.

“Would you mind getting inside the oven to clean it?”

I’ve always been a fan of M. Night Shyamalan’s work despite his recent strikes, so The Visit was one of my most anticipated films for this year. I had stayed away from the trailers because I wanted to experience it as fresh as possible. Shyamalan has directed some of my favorite movies (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and I even defended The Happening because I found it to be rather hilarious and it worked for me. The Visit has a similar approach in that it balances out the horror aspects of the film with the comedy (some may argue that in The Happening he never intended it to be a comedy but I disagree) although I wouldn’t say it works as well. There are many funny scenes and a few jump scares that work, but overall the film doesn’t seem to do much more than entertain. This is Shyamalan’s lowest budget studio feature film and I think this is the kind of films he needs to be directing (staying away from big Hollywood productions like After Earth or The Last Airbender). Shyamalan has always worked best when he is contained and his films center on a few characters enclosed in a small space. In that way The Visit is a return to form for this talented director, who I’ve never questioned in the past. His decision to make this a found footage film also does wonders for the film, and I usually don’t tend to be a fan of such a style. Everything is executed really well in The Visit and I was so enticed in the story that I was never really trying to discover what the twist would be at the end so when the revelation came I was pleasantly surprised. It probably wouldn’t be too hard to figure out the twist if you were trying to search for it from the first minute, but if like me you simply let yourself enjoy the narrative then you will be pleased with the result. My problem with the film actually has to do with the final execution of the climax once the twist has been revealed. I wasn’t a fan of the ending and that ultimately brought my score down a bit, but I still had a fun time with the movie.

There is a perfectly believable reason why the film is shot in found footage style. Becca (Olivia DeJonge) wants to document her visit to her grandparents house and she gets her younger brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) to help in the process. She is a film fanatic and knows her way around the camera despite her young age. The reason she wants to document the visit is because her mother hasn’t been in contact with them since she ran away from home as a teen. Becca believes she can heal the wounds between her mother (Kathryn Hahn) and her parents if she documents their story. The film takes its time to introduce each character before the grandkids head to meet their grandfathers for the first time. Tyler is very charismatic and loves to rap, while Becca is more of a quiet and studious girl. Their mother has been dealing with depression after her husband abandoned her, but is currently dating someone. After her parents reached out to her via email they ask if she could send the kids to spend a week with them so they can meet. Becca and Tyler both convince their mom to send them to their place, but once they arrive they discover that their grandparents seem to be hiding a secret of their own. Nana (Deanna Dunagan) seems to act in a very strange way once night falls and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) seems to have some issues of his own as he secretly comes in and out of the shed near the home. Of course this awakens the kids’ curiosity and strange things ensue. 

Much of why I felt this film worked for me had to do with the cast. Ed Oxenbould, who I really wasn’t a fan of in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, gets to shine in this film. He carries the film for me and delivers much of the needed charm. The comedy is what works best in the film since there are really few scares, although I must admit that I did jump up from my seat a couple of times. Oxenbould was responsible for most of the funny scenes and I don’t think this film could work for anyone if they find his character annoying. DeJonge as the older sister also delivers and is believable in her role although she doesn’t seem to stay out. Deanna Dunagan is the creepiest of the grandparents and she delivers in some rather scary and tense moments. Even though I wasn’t blown away by Peter McRobbie’s performance he is responsible for the funniest scene in the movie which involved him being caught on tape with a shotgun to his mouth and after he immediately realizes it he claims to be cleaning out the gun. These moments of humor are what work best in the film and Oxenbould really delivers in that department with his sharp and witty commentaries. This might not be one of Shyamalan’s best films, but it definitely is an improvement over his recent films. I was really enjoying this film up to the final five minutes where the comedy is pushed aside to build the climactic ending. Other than that I really enjoyed this film and I will continue to look forward to what Shyamalan will be doing next. He seems to be getting back on track and doing what he does best. Here he gets to tackle some of our fears involving old age and health and plays with them in a very inventive way.      

Infinitely Polar Bear (5/10): A light hearted portrayal of a father dealing with bipolar disorder

“My father was diagnosed manic-depressive in 1967.”

Maya Forbes’s debut film received a lot of praise when it was released at TIFF last year, especially for Mark Ruffalo’s lead portrayal of a father undergoing a bipolar disorder. The film is set in the early 70’s and it centers on this unconventional family that is separated when Cameron has his first breakdown and is sent to a halfway house. Maggie (Zoe Saldana) is left on her own trying to raise her two young daughters with very low income. Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) and Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) are very spirited and loud spoken girls who want their parents to be reunited once again. Wanting to give her girls a better life, Maggie decides to move to New York to study and leaves the girls in Cameron’s charge. The film focuses on this estranged father and daughter relationship in a very light hearted way. Cameron has his usual up and downs, while the girls struggle to adapt to their new lives. Ruffalo is a talented actor, but every time he would have an outbreak I kept on waiting for him to transform himself into The Hulk. I never really saw him as Cameron and I had a difficult time seeing Ruffalo as this character despite all the praise he’s received for his performance. I personally felt the material was taken in a very light hearted way, but I’m in the minority here. Overall I did enjoy the pacing of the film, but I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

Zoe Saldana is a talented actress, but she is relegated here to a supporting role because the focus of the film is on the father and daughter relationships. Her chemistry with Ruffalo wasn’t an important aspect of the film and it is a shame because she is the one making the sacrifices for her daughters. She is playing a strong and independent female role but the film doesn’t take time to focus much on her character and the sacrifices (or risks) she makes for her children. It decides to center on Cameron and his ups and downs as he struggles to care for his daughters. The two child actresses are fantastic. They have some strong emotional scenes and I especially enjoyed Imogene Wolodarsky’s performance. The daughters are given pivotal roles because the film revolves on them and how they are affected by their father’s mental illness. This is a light hearted drama that never manages to scratch under the surface, but for audiences who are simply looking for a fun drama it offers more than enough.