Atonement

I was quite excited to see Joe Wright's rendering of Ian McEwan's novel after seeing what he did with the classic Pride & Prejudice. It would probably have helped to have read the book to prepare for this film. So many people consider McEwan's work a masterpiece that there has to be something more to it than what we the audience get to see in the movie.

The story is essentially that of a poor young man named Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) who works as a groundskeeper for the rich Tallis family. He has ingratiated himself into the family and finds that the father is going to put him through medical school soon. Alas Robbie is in love with the oldest daughter Cecilia (Keira Knightley) whilst the younger one Brionly secretly has a crush on him. After Brionly sees two different scenes (that is suggested she believes Robbie to be a sex crazed attacker) involving Robbie causing her to think he was the one who attacked and raped her cousin. On the word of Brionly, Robbie is sent away to prison for two years and is forced to join the army during the early days of WWII to excape further jail time.

After the Robbie joins the army, the film loses all perspective and turns into an almost Terence Malick-like film. What was once an intricately told tale of lust and bitterness, deviates into a darker meditation that never quite works. Perhaps this is better told in the novel. Here, you merely get the bare minimum with a nice (or sad) little twist later on. James McAvoy provides the films only strong performance. Knightley and the two Brionly's are adequate, but hardly anything special.

Overall though, I felt quite disappointed with the setup to just have the story peter out the last hour. Obviously, Joe Wright has a lot of talent and that is further evidenced here. He has an eye for shots and backgrounds that is clearly among the top filmmakers. So I would suggest the problem lies in the screenplay adaptation by Christopher Hampton. Hampton's previous work like Mary Reilly and The Quiet American are both good examples of his mixed work. Hopefully Joe Wright finds something better for his next project.

55/100

Drillbit Taylor

Yes... I'm giving you an advance review. I was forced to watch the on the shelf for the last two years Drillbit Taylor. Let's just say it should have stayed there. Two of the big names of comedy are attached in different ways. Seth Rogen (Superbad) draws a writing credit while Judd Apatow somehow excutive produced this sad retread of every other teen film you've seen. Owen Wilson stars as the title character who is an ex-Army Ranger who has found himself on hard times. Three dorks very much in the vein of the kids from Superbad are looking for a bodyguard to save them from the school bully.

The principal (Stephen Root) doesn't believe that such activity could be going on thus forcing the dorks' hand. Drillbit is a conman looking to exploit the kids while giving them the stupidest advice ever. Eventually he infiltrates the school under the guise of a substitute teacher. Alas, it isn't Tom Berenger so no ass kicking is done. There is also a worthless subplot with Apatow's wife Leslie Mann as a beautiful teacher who exists only to have sex with Wilson's character apparently.

All of the story is cliche and plays like My Bodyguard with a dose of Superbad. The comedy is the lazy kind you get in a lot of Will Ferrell with most of the laughs intended to come on improv. Well the bad news is Owen Wilson is no Will Ferrell... or even a John C. Reilly. The film drags for the last hour as the stupid never stops. One can only wonder how dumb the writers think teens really are... do they honestly believe that they would be sucked in on the con... or even sucked into watching this film. If you catch yourself thinking that maybe this film isn't that bad... well it isn't bad like say an Eddie Murphy film, but it's mediocrity only serves to make you wonder what you could have been doing the last 1 h 45 min.

20/100

Rescue Dawn

Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) joined the Navy before the conflict in Vietnam because he wanted to fly. The Navy was offering a chance to fulfill that dream so away he went. Little did he know that poor Dieter would be shot down in his first mission over Laos. The mission was black ops so no official rescue party could be sent in to get him. Dieter is on his own to find his escape after capture by a patrol.

Director Werner Herzog captured this story before in a documentary he did with the real Dieter Dengler. However, both felt the story still needed that visualization to fully appreciate the journey Dieter faced. This time Herzog could show his interaction with fellow prisoners Duane (Steve Zahn) and Eugene (Jeremy Davies). The three along with a few other foreigners intend to make a break with the wet season comes... but can they wait that long?

For a very modest budget of $10 mil, Herzog does a fine job of creating the big picture. The locations are incredbly shot... there are times with they are going into jungle and they barely can cut their way through the foliage. Another positive thing to remark on here is the much better pacing to this film then most Werner Herzog films. At right around two hours, Rescue Dawn never plods. Christian Bale and Steve Zahn are very good here and Jeremy Davies... well he is Jeremy Davies. Bale you expect this kind of physical role from, but Steve Zahn is very effective in this serious acting turn.

Overall you get a well crafted and harrowing tale. An interesting side fact, Rescue Dawn is the first project from a production company ran by Elton Brand... yes the PF for the LA Clippers...

90/100

November

Okay... we are going to keep it simple with this clunker. Courteney Cox plays a woman named Sophie who loses her husband (James LeGros) in a convenience store hold up. One by one little things start happening that blue the line of what Sophie thought happened and what really did happen.

At only 77 minutes long, November is one of the most boring films I've ever watched. The plot is that of 15 minute student film and plods along at a pace Kubrick would have been ashamed of. Amateurish... hackish... blah blah blah. Absolutely one of the worst movies I've ever seen. A waste of James LeGros.

0/100

Things We Lost in the Fire

Audrey (Halle Berry) loses her husband Brian (David Duchovny) to a senseless attack while trying to break up a domestic dispute. Audrey turns to Brian's best friend Jerry (Benicio Del Toro) for support even though she has resented him for years. Audrey just wants someone around to keep that since of her husband there for herself and her two children. They are mostly selfish reasons because Jerry is trying to fight his addiction to heroin all the while he provides a father figure.

Jerry starts going to meetings to get help and befriends a younger addict named Kelly (Alison Lohman). He also becomes a sympathetic ear for Brian's other friend and neighbor Howard (John Carroll Lynch taking time off from scaring the shit out of you in Zodiac). As Jerry becomes a bigger part of their lives will he be accepted or perhaps he will relapse under the strain...

Things We Lost in the Fire has a contrived screenplay that puts these characters into a situation and seems lost on what to do from there. Halle Berry is trying way too hard to run the gambit of emotions - which she can do two. Her subpar skills are much more noticable with the power of Del Toro's performance. He plays Jerry with a subtlety that Berry could never grasp. He can provide more depth with a look than with all the lines Halle has in the script. It would have been nice to see someone like Maria Bello or Naomi Watts (very 21 Grams-ish)in the lead... actresses who actually can act. Lynch and Lohman are top notch here in key supporting turns.

The basic idea of a heroin addict staying with a family in a time is loss is quite prepostorous... but if you can get by that detail you actually get an involving story of recovery. Only the Audrey part is flawed with everything else being very well done. It seems frustrating for this film to hinge on an actress who can bring the goods. I think that is my only real problem with the film. It has an awkward start with a slow set up... and a somewhat disjointed opening only adds to this feeling. The overall pacing gets better later on when the story becomes Jerry's. Del Toro should have received a nomination for best supporting actor for his work here and the fact he didn't is frustrating.

65/100

No Country for Old Men

The Coen brothers lastest opus is an adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel so one should keep that in mind when viewing No Country for Old Men. Much of the complaints that I've heard from people are valid, yet I still enjoyed the film and the ending. The obligation to keep it faithful to the book does box the Coens in though.

Basically, this is another tale like A Simple Plan of a fellow named Llewelyn (Josh Brolin) that stumbles onto a drug deal gone wrong. Llewelyn finds the case of cash close by and attempts to start his life over. The only problem is that he goes back to the grant the wish of the last man standing for water. This time, people are waiting for him. So the film quickly turns into chase movie with Llewelyn being persued by the Mexicans selling the drugs and Anton Chigirh (Javier Bardem). Anton is the hired enforcer of a mysterious business man (Stephen Root looking for more than his Swingline stapler).

Soon, the mysterious man determines that his enforcer is off his rocker after Anton racks up an Arnold-like body count in Texas. So he sends ex-army mercenary named Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson) to secure the loot and take care of Anton. All the while, Sherrif Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is trying hard not to take an interest in all this murder in his county. Ed Tom believes in avoiding sticking your nose into serious cases or else you too could be become involved.

All of the actors, even the small parts (Garret Dillahunt from Deadwood in particular), are well cast and acted. My chief complaint rests in the limits of the book and that is the underdeveloped Woody Harrelson role. The man chews the scenery everytime he comes on screen and you want his character to take care of all the ugliness unfolding, but as quickly as he enters he leaves. Another problem with the film is the climax. Having not read the book, the inevitable clash between Llewelyn and Anton has to take place on screen. In the film, their final battle isn't shown and really isn't addressed. The films does reach a conclusion that is satisfying and rather fitting, but the Coens set us up throughout for what seemed to be terrific climax worthy of LA Confidential like cred. Llewelyn who also was ex-army seems the perfect foil for Bardem's Anton and you want to see it play out. Javier Bardem has the flashy role, but Josh Brolin deserved the Oscar nod. I haven't seen him get a meaty role like this before, but he nails this one.

No Country for Old Men moves swiftly for its two hour running time. I'm not sure how much is cut out of the book, but there seems to be missing some meat on the bones. I definitely would have been okay with another twenty minutes of story. That being said, I did have a good time watching it... maybe too good of a time and that's why I wanted more with the characters. This is a flawed movie... but a good one.

85/100

Sunshine

Set in the future, scientists are forced to plan a second mission to the sun in order to restart it. Through some science that doesn't quite make sense we learn that a massive warhead is needed to get it going again. A crew of 7 with various jobs is assembled. The important ones are Capa (Cillian Murphy) the payload specialist, Mace (Chris Evans), Cassie (Rose Byrne...God I love just saying her name) the pilot, and Searle (Cliff Curtis) the doc.

Obviously, the first mission didn't succeed so that is bound to be brought up. Just when and how provide some of the meat of the plot for the rest of Sunshine. Unfortunately, Sunshine falls in line with most other space movies with their themes of rebellion and isolation so nothing truly seems a surprise. The two things that set this film apart from others are the outstanding visuals and the strong work of the cast.

Director Danny Boyle again has shown a flair for putting on the screen a tremondous vision. 28 Days Later and Trainspotting both showed off his eye for the shot. Here you get some majestic shots of the sun as the Icarus (the ship) makes its way closer to the star. Later on when you get a full view of the areas around the payload, you truly get an overwhelming sense of scale.

One thing I do have to say is that with great trepidation do I have to give props to Chris Evans for giving a subtle, yet powerful performance. Til now Evans is mostly known for the craptastic Fantastic Four films, but here you get a hint that he could do much more. Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne have a nice interplay that isn't given a chance to fully play out. And finally I know Cliff Curtis's names... this guy was absolutely terrific in 3 Kings as well as performances in Fracture, Live Free or Die Hard, Training Day, Deep Rising (yeah I went there), and many more. Cliff is definitely in my "that guy" hall of fame. Anyway, he is solid here as the doc that seems to be the one character that gives his role a sense of humanity. That picture in the post would be of him.

I did have some issues with something that happens in the third act that left me wanting more of an explanation. You have to go along with it at the time, but later on you might be left wondering. Sunshine does manage to distinguish itself from other space dramas, although whether or not it is remembered in years to come will be the question.

70/100