Synopsis: FBI agents track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.
Release Date: June 7, 2013
Thoughts: I’m all for movies that have a few nice tricks up their sleeves and Now You See Me looks to have some nifty ones waiting for us. Though not being released until June of 2013, I have high hopes for this caper film that boasts an impressive lineup of character actors from Morgan Freeman to Woody Harrelson. Never being a huge fan of Jesse Eisenberg (who essentially plays the same character in each film…he’s like an American Hugh Grant), I’m willing to give him another chance with this one. Movies about magic can be difficult because audiences don’t always like to feel like a film is pulling a fast one on them…but the premise looks interesting, the cast is appealing, and arriving at the start of the summer movie season could be a nice counter-programming move to the bombastic flicks that will surely be occupying every other theater at that time. Count me in for this.
Synopsis: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Billy Burke,
Review: I remember seeing the teaser trailer for the first Twilight film in early 2008 and the audience absolutely losing their minds with excitement. The strangest thing was that as involved with movies as I was, I had no idea what this movie was or could have anticipated the mania the franchise would create over the next five years. So I did my homework: I read the books, I saw the movies, and I’m still more than a little crazed at how popular this series is. I’ll admit I’m not close to the target demographic but there’s something about the overall message of submission that I can’t get behind.
Okay…maybe I’m reading a bit too much into the saga of Bella Swan (Stewart) who falls hopelessly (and helplessly) in love with Edward Cullen (Pattinson) who just happens to be a vampire that glitters when seen in the light of day. Over the course of five movies, Bella sulked and moped around in the throngs of love while rebuffing the advances of local-boy-turned-werewolf Jacob (Lautner) and avoiding a clan of vampires from Italy.
The best movie in the series is, for my money, the third entry (Eclipse) as it was less about our leads making goo-goo eyes at each other and more about an action centered plot. It’s the only Twilight film I saw twice in the theaters…partly because I liked it and partly because I had tickets that couldn’t be refunded. Eclipse led into Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and I’m still of the mind that the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer’s didn’t need to be broken up into two parts. The only reason it was seems to be written in mega dollar signs – at least the final book of the Harry Potter series was split into two satisfying movies. Breaking Dawn was split into two films that have their moments but fail to fully satisfy the appetite.
For those not familiar with the Twilight saga, beware that spoilers will commence in the next paragraph.
When Breaking Dawn – Part 1 ended, Bella had just given birth to a daughter and then promptly died…but not quite because Edward gave her the bite of her life and her blood red eyes opened right before the credits rolled. After an admittedly agreeable credit sequence, Part 2 picks up with vampire Bella learning her strength and taking time away from mothering her rapidly growing daughter to share more gauzy love scenes with her new husband. The daughter, Renesmee (awful name), is strangely CGI-ed in many scenes…placing the morphed face of the youngster that will eventually play her on several younger iterations. At its best, the effect is interesting. At its worst, the technology makes the child look like a pinhead wearing a dreadful wig.
There’s some nonsense concerning a vengeful vampiress tattling on Bella’s offspring to the Italian vampires (headed with an absurd glee by Sheen) which sets into motion a much talked about battle that takes up the rest of the film (and a large chunk of the novel). Here’s what I don’t get: In all of these films we see vampires travel at great speed to different countries yet in this film it takes the Italian vampires WEEKS to finally make their appearance. Maybe travel was cheaper if they went at off-peak times but still…it’s a wrinkle the film never ironed out.
Stewart, whose hair in the movie is more voluminous that her acting, is her usual glowering self though not quite the sullen sulkstress she’s been previously. Maybe it’s a newfound motherly glow that makes her more interesting this time around but she does tie up her character with some decency. I still get the impression that Stewart couldn’t wait to get done with these films but she’s not nearly as removed as she was in the second film.
Pattinson is another actor that has gained popularity solely based on his performance here and I’m afraid he’ll struggle with his career now that the Cullen story is over. Lacking depth for anything more than looking good, he speaks his lines as if he’s unsure if any of it makes sense…like MadLibs. Lautner is still the worst actor of the bunch and after several failed films outside of the Twilight franchise he should consider another line of work.
The rest of the Twilight cast members are glorified soap opera actors with no one rising above the material at their feet. It’s not good material to begin with, true, but I’d have enjoyed seeing someone do something with the hokey dialogue. Only Fanning as a nasty vampire shows signs of life in an otherwise DOA stable of actors.
The finale of the novel was a flat pancake of a let-down (and fans thought so too) so it was nice to see that screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and director Condon found a nifty way to have their cake and eat it too. I won’t spoil it for those that haven’t had the chance to see the movie yet, but I’ll say that I found myself on the tail end of the film feeling quite impressed with the tenacity of the filmmakers. A closing “curtain-call” type credit sequence was a nice capper for fans of the series.
As far as good filmmaking goes, this ain’t it…however don’t be too shocked if Breaking Dawn – Part 2 keeps you involved for its trim two hours. You may get a full eye workout from the numerous times you’ll roll them but look…you are either in the camp of voracious fans that have gone nutso for all things Twilight or you aren’t. That’s not to say if you aren’t a fan you can’t enjoy these films for what they are…because on some level they get the job done.
Review: So much material has been written about the high school experience over the years. From novels to movies, college essays to anonymous e-mails, the educational landscape of these formidable years continues to provide material for public consumption. Director Chbosky has adapted his 1999 novel of the same name for the big screen, turning a dynamic book into a deeply felt movie that should strike a chord with anyone who has gone through the ups and downs during this pivotal time.
Joining the ranks of other classic coming-of-age films like Lucas, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is on the surface much like the rest of ‘em as it chronicles the lives of a small group of teenagers. What sets it apart is a fine attention to detail and sincerity sadly absent in films made for the young adult set today. Here is a film about teenagers that doesn’t talk down to them, it’s frank in its depiction of what happens when the teachers aren’t paying attention without pointing the finger at the adults being the root of the problem. These teenagers are making choices of their own free will that will have an impact (good or bad) on them at some point.
With a valued maturity, I found myself deeply responding to the situation that our titular wallflower is facing. Charlie (Lerman) is starting off freshman life after a tumultuous year that is revealed in bits and pieces along the way. With no friends to speak of and a senior sister that has her own issues to deal with, he desperately wants to fit in but doesn’t know how to go about it. His eventual saviors are stepsiblings Patrick (Miller) and Sam (Watson), seniors who quickly bring him into their fold and introduce him to new people, places, sounds, and ideas.
Over the course of a year, the film charts some tender moments that can be equal parts familiar and foreign to older audiences viewing this looking back on their own personal high school life. For teens of today, I’d imagine it’s a fairly accurate depiction of youths that grow up faster than we did when we were their age. Chbosky has written some heartbreakingly on the nose interactions, words that sting and situations that inspire all come together deftly for the first time filmmaker.
Now that’s not to say it’s a perfect film…it’s not. While the film gets it mostly right there are times when it bites off more than it can chew. I think there are three too many Afterschool Special moments that burden the film rather than strengthen it. True, the performers handle these situations with authentic reactions but I think the film would be better without them.
Secondly, the casting is a bit uneven which also unfortunately works against the film. Lerman is nigh-perfect as Charlie…everything he does suggests someone just bursting at the seams to belong and being sidelined by forces beyond his control. Miller, too, does a 180 degree turn from his unsettling work in We Need to Talk About Kevin to make the gay Patrick no stereotype or sympathy case. Whitman channels Carrie Fisher (that’s a compliment) in her role as a headstrong member of the clan that takes a liking to Charlie.
The one bit of casting that never felt right was Watson in the lead female role and object of Charlie’s infatuation. Something seemed off in her performance that was never able to truly right itself completely. Several of her scenes with Lerman have an almost unbearable truth to them and these are the moments that should be remembered. Sadly, it’s countered with an American accent that wasn’t quite there and a general awkwardness that shouldn’t have been present considering the character she’s playing. Watson also looks too young to be a senior in high school…actually everyone looks the same age so the freshman Charlie doesn’t appear to be younger than his senior buddies.
In the best movies about youth, adults take a back (screen) seat to the youngsters and that’s the case here. Rudd is his typical likable personality that’s balanced with care and compassion. McDermott and Walsh, identified only as Father and Mother, ably work with their small parts to convey what home life is like for Charlie. Lynskey and another actress that cut her teeth in 80’s movies (I’ll keep her name to myself) show up for brief but memorable cameos.
It’s easy to see why this could sit on the same shelf as the John Hughes films of the 80’s. It skillfully navigates some of the more treacherous trappings of its contemporary counterparts and arrives as an upperclassman from the start. Though it doesn’t redefine its genre it successfully captures a lot of the pain, heartache, joy, and evolution that our high school cocoon can bring.
Synopsis: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.
Release Date: November 16, 2012
Thoughts: Well the vampires are rallying for one last go around as their epic saga comes to a close. At this point, you’re either on board with these films or you roll your eyes at the hoopla that surrounds their release. For me, I’m just happy the conclusion is near. I thought the final book was a tough slough and wasn’t sure why it needed to be broken up into two parts as the second half of Breaking Dawn was especially ho-hum. From the looks of the trailer, however, we may just have a decent coda to Bella and Edward’s story. It may all be smoke and mirrors but I’m wondering if the middling reception of the book led Meyer to allow the film version to get beefed up.
Synopsis: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.
Release Date: November 16, 2012
Thoughts:
With some unbelievable rumors surfacing last week that Summit Entertainment was already thinking of ‘rebooting’ the Twilight series, I’ve received this trailer with a bit of wariness. Having slogged through all four books I know how it all ends but anyone who also has stumbled through the pages knows that the story probably isn’t quite done. I still don’t agree that Breaking Dawn needed to be split into two books so here’s hoping that the screenplay for Breaking Dawn – Part 2 was pumped up with a bit more action than the book held in its final few chapters. Part 1 was a decent flick but only became interesting in the final few moments, I hope that director Bill Condon can wrap it all up nicely.
Synopsis: Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity.
Release Date: October 5, 2012
Thoughts: I know, I know…with the right editing it’s easy to make any crap movie look good. However, buzz has been building on this one saying that it creates some pretty scary moments that go above and beyond the jump-scares that are relied on so heavily in most horror films. Director Scott Derrickson helmed The Exorcism of Emily Rose which scared the bejeebus out of me when I saw it at the drive-in. That it’s also from the makers of Paranormal Activity and the quite good Insidious only adds to my interest. I watched this trailer late at night and it kinda creeped me out enough to sleep with a night light on…but a nice manly night light.
Synopsis: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.
Release Date: November 16, 2012
Thoughts: The Twilight saga will finally be done (probably) after part 2 of Breaking Dawn is released in November. I’m not quite sure why the final book had to be broken into two parts…oh wait…now I remember…money. With the chance to squeeze some more cash out of their Twi-hards the producers chose a good place to make the break between movies but having read the book there’s not a whole lot left to cover. I’m sure they will find a way to extend the dewy-eyed naval gazing of our love triangle to make up for the fact that there is not much material to work with. Having seen this trailer several times with a packed audience its clear the anticipation is high…which I’m sure will only grow when a longer trailer is released later this summer.
