Friends with Benefits (2011)

Director Will Gluck, who brought us Easy A, last year. Brings us a movie that at one point was going to be called "Fuck Buddies." Good luck marketing that. It was actually in production around the same time as No Strings Attached which features Natalie Portman who was paired up with Mila Kunis in Black Swan. Just a little interesting that co-stars of a film with 5 Oscar nominations was in the process of an ad campaign for a film where the stars were working on two separate and similar films.

So the film is about a young hot shot website designer [Justin Timberlake] who is contacted by a headhunter [Mila Kunis] to take a job in New York. Dylan seems happy in LA, but with some convincing from Jamie he takes the job. He works for GQ where Woody Harrelson plays a pretty funny sports writer that questions Dylan's sexual preference. Jamie is Dylan's only friend in the city and their "work" relationship turns into a friendship with "benefits." Trying to avoid a romantic relationship their emotions start to play a factor and we learn that Dylan has commitment issues.

Pretty typical to have a guy with commitment issues, which is why I liked No Strings Attached a little more. In retrospect I'm not exactly sure when No Strings didn't get an 8/10. Either way, the flash mob scenes are pretty cute, there are some good running jokes, and Timberlake proves once again he can handle the shift from singer to actor. Probably worth your time if you like Rom-Com's.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632708/

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I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor star in an interesting comedy based on a true story. The film which was produced in 2009 and released in three other countries before the production company decided not to bring it to the US. The rights were purchased by two other companies and release at the end of 2010.

The film is based on Steven Russell, an American con artist & prison escape artist. Russell seemed to be living a normal life with a wife and daughter, until one day he decided he no longer wanted to hide being gay. He moves to Florida, gets a boyfriend, and lives an extravagant lifestyle... all on credit card fraud. Eventually caught, he serves him times before getting out, running his con, and going back.

The story is silly, almost unbelievable, and definitely a little over done for Hollywood. Overall I liked it. Not one to watch with the kids and probably not for people that don't like Jim Carrey since he reverts to some of his old comedic shticks.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045772/

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Frenzy (1972)

Another new Alfred Hitchcock for me, as some of you know I really like Hitchcock and have been trying to force myself to ration out his films for years so I always have some new ones. This one is actually in the 1001 Movies book, and gets the horror label simply because I haven't taken the time to make a separate "thriller" label yet.

The film is about a serial killer they call the necktie murderer. We learn early in the film who this person is, then we see how the wrong person gets framed. Hitchcock is interesting and different enough that you can never be sure how it will all play out and keeps the amount of information I shared from being too much.

I had to ask myself when it was over, if it wasn't Hitchcock would you have really liked it? The answer is, maybe not. It was good but he does have a lot better ones out there.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068611/

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Eyes Without A Face: Les yeux sans visage (1960)

Considered in some regards to be a sequel to The Island of Dr. Moreau, in more regards to the storyline than to the actual character or a film. Also, one of those Criterion films that is held in higher regards years after being made than on initial release. This is the type of film I expect in the 101 Horror Films book.

The film is about a brilliant surgeon going to any lengths to repair his daughters face. Her face was burned off in a car fire as a result of his careless driving, and he cares more about fixing "the face" than helping the girl. His assistant scours the city of girls of similar complexion then kidnap them to steal their faces. 

It isn't the most exciting horror film, especially since I think the genre has come a long way in the last 30 years. It was a good story and interesting ending, pretty good, not great.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053459/

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Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011)

Another documentary that doesn't fit into horror month. Why? Well because my wife and I are done with our horror films for the month, and I'll be watching the rest of the horror movies on my own this month. We jumped to see this one as soon as it went to dvd because we are Conan fans. Not big fans, but we prefer him over the other late night hosts, and hate what Leno did to the man.

So a little background [and the film does explain this], Conan was awarded the Tonight Show when Leno retired. After a few months NBC decided to give Leno a primetime slot in a bad economy because talk shows are cheap. The ratings were awful... as expected and they told Conan they would push his show back to midnight to make room for Leno. He opted out of this deal and was awarded a large severance package, part of the package gauranteed a non-compete where Conan was not allowed to go in television or internet for 3-4 months. During this time he decided to go on tour.

This documentary follows Conan while he sets up his show, and through a portion of his performances. We learn how annoying he can be, and mean/funny he comes across as, because let's face it comedy usually comes at someone's expense. As a Conan fan I liked this because I felt I learned something about him, but it really isn't much of a documentary and wouldn't be worth your time if you didn't know the man already. It reminded me a little of the Joan Rivers documentary because both people can't stop being in front of people and just eat up attention.

Good if you like Conan.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1864288/

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The Last Exorcism (2010)

It seems like the number of exorcism films has been on the rise lately. Both sequels to the original and knock offs. I have to say this is the best one I seen in a while, and it even had me fooled for a while.

The film is shot as if it is a documentary. We follow around Cotton Marcus [Patrick Fabian], a preacher that tells the camera about how his father was a preacher and got him riling up the congregation as a kid. Now as an adult he isn't sure how much he really believes in what he says, and he has made a living of performing staged exorcists. He allows the documentary crew to follow him around on his "last" exorcism. So I'm not thrilled with the title of this film. It implies that this is either the last exorcism film in a series or that this is the final exorcism ever performed. Either way it pigeonholed it for me as another "last" horror film that isn't even close to a "last."

So you can guess how well this will go, right? Any time in a horror film someone says, this is the last time I'm going to do this, you know there will be trouble. So we see Cotton set up the room with speakers, props and other tricks to fool the girl, her brother, and her father. After the exorcism this don't improve, through some impressive lighting techniques it is much like The Blair Witch Project. We are constantly reassured that this is just a hoax, then have to second guess that conclusion.

Although I didn't get this a "worth watching" rating, for a horror flick it was pretty good.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320244/

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The Mission (1986)

As I was putting together a movie list from my 501 Must See Movie book I came across this film and wanted to see it right away. I found it at the library the next week, but it still took me a while to get to. Nominated for 7 Oscars including best picture, and winner of 1 [Cinematography], starring Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Neeson so quite a cast.

Based in the 1700's in remote area of South America ruled by the Portuguese. We start with a tribe of natives strapping a Jesuit missionary to a cross and throwing him over a waterfall [the movie poster]. The church sends in a missionary they felt would have more luck with, Father Gabriel [Jeremy Irons]. He gains the trust of the natives and they start building the church, meanwhile slave traders have hired men to hunt the natives down. Robert De Niro plays Mendoza, who is a slave trader/hunter who after some "family turmoil" begins to turn his life around.

This film starts as an action/adventure, then turns into a political drama for the second half as the church in Portugal gets tangled in the politics of who owns the land the native are own and if the missions can remain on the land. I would have liked more action and less politics, but it was good nonetheless, just not good enough for a worth watching grade.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091530/

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The Caine Mutiny (1954)

This was a fairly controversial film in the 1950's because, as the film's disclaimer says at the start, this is fiction and there has never been a mutiny in the US Navy. It was more than slightly frowned upon to make a film that didn't show the military in the best light less than a decade removed from World War II.

The film starts with Ens. Willie Keith [Robert Francis] a young man fresh out of the academy preparing for his first real assignment. We get the sense that he is immature and does not make the best and most mature decisions. He favors his mother over the girl he really loves because she isn't in the same "class" and wouldn't meet mother's approval. He seems sure that he will get a job aboard a battleship, but to his dismay he gets assigned to the Caine. The Caine is a beat up ship that has seen a lot of action, the crew is informal and the captain is unorthodox which upsets Ens. Keith. When the captain is reassigned the navy brings in Lt. Commander Queeg [Humphrey Bogart], so our lead character really isn't on the screen for the first 20-30 minutes of the picture.

The immature Mr. Keith is immediately impressed by Queeg's desire to clean up the crew. Lt. Keefer [Fred MacMurray] is immediately against Queeg and convinces Lt. Maryk [Van Johnson] and Ens. Keith that action needs to be taken.

The film turns into a courtroom drama, and by seeing Ens. Keith mature, which is reflected in his personal life as he introduces his girlfriend to his mother and they get engaged. At the same time though, he is still siding with Keefer and Maryk against Queeg, and the film eventually turns into a courtroom drama. This is when José Ferrer is introduced and we get [I feel] the best performance in the film.

Good, not great, based on a book and play, I am glad I watched it. It was better than I was expecting.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046816/

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Source Code (2011)

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this science fiction action film about a man who wakes up in someone else's body on a train about to be bombed. There, that is your one sentence on what this movie is about, I don't want to say much more. I've heard it compared to a action film with Groundhog Day repetition, I didn't get that... and I don't know if that is the best thing to call it. I don't like spoiling films, especially since this is a mystery first, science fiction second, and action film third.

Jake wakes up as Colter, a friend of traveling mate Christina [Michelle Monaghan] the girl, who is a friend but you can tell there are commitment issues here. Between train bombing sequences Jake's character communicates with "Goodwin," in what is the mystery of the film. Goodwin is played by Vera Farmiga, who you would remember from  Up in the Air, and will probably wonder what she has been up to for the last two years... picking bad films to work on...

[Spoiler] I just have to say the ending sucked. I can't write this review without talking about it. It reminds me of an interview I read with Brad Pitt where he discusses how the ending of one of his early films was re-written because it "didn't test well," he decided from that point on to write in his contract that changes like this couldn't be made on film from the start. For example, the ending of Seven didn't test well, but Pitt fought to keep it how it was, thank goodness because easy happy Hollywood endings don't fit all stories. I really wonder if this was changed because it didn't test well, because it just didn't make sense and I can't see a screenplay writer that came up with this creative sci-fi plot ending it that way.

You could skip this one and wouldn't miss out on much.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/

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The Gunfighter (1950)

A short and simple western film that I was able to sneak in right before the end of the themed month. This film stars Gregory Peck, who is easily one of my favorite actors of the 1950's. My favorite of his films is Cape Fear, which I reviewed here.

The film isn't even an hour and a half long and has a simple and uncomplicated plot. Peck plays "Jimmy Ringo," a notorious gunfighter with a reputation that precedes him. In the opening scene he isn't able to sit quietly in a bar without a young cowboy making him prove his toughness.

I found it interesting that this film portrayed a real person in such a fictitious manner. The REAL Jimmy Ringo did little to earn a bad man reputation and died of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Not really the sympathetic gunfighter looking to put his past behind him and become a "good man," that this film makes him out to be.

Forget what his name is and it is a decent short western film. I like it, but it was also pretty forgettable.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042531/

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Little Big Man (1970)

A western adventure film that I would compare to Forrest Gump . Starring Dustin Hoffman as Jack Crabb, the film starts with an old man recanting his entire life. Raised by Indians,  taken in by a town major as a teenager [and Faye Dunaway as Mrs. Pendrake, the major's wife], fighting with General Custard, and back and forth between the cowboys and Indians over and over.

The film is too silly to consider a drama, some parts come out as a comedy, but there are also very chilling scenes were Indians are massacred. I have mixed emotions about the film, part of me really like it for what it was... a tall tale. Another part of me really disliked it for bouncing between a comedy and a serious drama. I ended up giving it a pretty decent score, because if this was a story being retold by a very old man he probably would remember both humorous and sad things about his life.

Although it was funny to make General Custer look like a lunatic and silly because committed so many horrible murders on innocent people, I just don't see his character as being realistic. Good, not great.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065988/

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The Professionals (1966)

I have to say I'm more familiar with Burt Lancaster in a father or bad guy role than in the leading role, and I can't say I'm a fan. Lee Marvin is pretty good though, so that did make the film enjoyable.

The Professionals is a film about a couple of men who are hired by a  wealthy Texan to go into Mexico and return his kidnapped wife. Marvin plays Henry, who then assembles a team to take on the daring mission. They encounter bandits on the way to "Raza's" rebel camp. Claudia Cardinale stars as Mrs. Grant, a Mexican woman taken from her people to become the wife of a rich white Texan, it is pretty obvious from the start that this might not really be a kidnapping.

Good message, good stars, good western action, you can't complain. A was a little bored at times, but that is probably just from the large quantity of westerns I've seen lately. I liked Lancaster throwing the dynamite instead of using a gun against bad guys. I had the impression that this would have been a Top 10 Western when the AFI awards came out in 2008, and if they would have scrapped their attempt to be broad in include a mining town film McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and a cheesy comedy Cat Ballou, than this one would have been on there.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060862/

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Lonely Are The Brave (1962)

Although this is a western, it really is a drama above all. This film an adaptation of the novel "Brave Cowboy" by Edward Abbey. Kirk Douglas liked this book so much that he gave it to a friend, Dalton Trumbo,  to write the screenplay. Considered by himself and his son to be his best work, I personally still liked Spartacus more.

The film is about a man who almost lives in the wrong era. Some might even call him a little nuts, but just because they don't understand. The film starts with John Burns [Douglas] sleeping at his campfire on a barren western plain with his horse nearby. He awakes to the sound of an airplane passing by. As he gets up and starts his day, he needs his wire cutters at the ready as he has to cut through fence after fence to get to the next town. He arrives at his sister-in-law's place and it becomes evident that this is the middle of the 20th century. He learns that his brother is in jail for a year for helping immigrants who have crossed a border he didn't think much of.

John gets in a bar fight and punches a cop so he can "break into jail" see his brother, then break out. A strange film, I'm not sure I understand the message, but I do get the western man unable to conform to a changing society. Not an award winner, just one of the 50 western films in my 501 Must-See films, nothing special to me.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056195/

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Cedar Rapids (2011)

I heard about this movie watching an interview with Ed Helms on the Daily Show. Helms got his start on the Daily Show, moved on to minor roles in film, then "The Office", then thanks to some success with The Hangover he was awarded his first starring role in this film.

He plays a timid... almost stupid character most of the time so I wasn't sure if he could really pull this off. Thanks to some good performances from his supporting cast the film had a few positives. Helms plays Tim Lippe a small town insurance agent off to a insurance convention in Cedar Rapids [read: the big city]. He plays a sheltered boy, the kind of sheltered that you would expect a 12 year old in Los Angeles imagines a mid-American small town boy would be.

I have to ding the movie for making this guy to be much dumber than he could possibly be about the "outside world," but it is also a comedy so I'll play along. He gets to the convention and is roommates with the person he was specifically told to avoid, Ziegler [John C. Reilly]. Now, I've come to really dislike Reilly because he always seems to play Will Ferrell's sidekick or brother in the worst comedy's of the year. For me though, his character worked... annoying but sincere at the same time. Says stupid things, but not to get laughs from an audience. I'm not quite sure what to make of Anne Heche's performance. She plays a tied down mother who lets loose one weekend a year at this convention, serious morality issues that are dodged here, but a someone good performance.

I just don't know, I don't think many people will like this one. I'm not even sure if it deserved a "just average." It wasn't bad, it wasn't great, it made me laugh a few times, and it wasn't as bad as I expected or as bad as it could have easily been. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477837/

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The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)

I watched this film thanks to Roger Ebert, who is not afraid to go outside of the box when picking his top 10 of the year. I've been very hesitant to watch anything with Nicolas Cage lately, because it seems it will agree to anything that fits his schedule to pay off all the taxes he owes. However, when you look past Cage there are a number of reasons for giving this one a chance. Directed by Werner Herzog who has both some good [Rescue Dawn] and strange [Aguirre: The Wrath of God] films. It co-stars Eva Mendes and has supporting roles by Val Kilmer and Jennifer Coolidge [American Pie, Stiffler's Mom].

There is actually another film titled Bad Lieutenant that came out in 1992, the director Abel Ferrara was outraged to hear that this film was coming out. The studio pushed it as if it were a remake or sequel, but from what I can tell Herzog had never seen the original and never intended for the two to be compared. All I know is that they have very similar plots, the exact same imdb average, and month/day releases.

The film is about a police sergeant who hurts himself through a stupid act during Katrina, regardless he was awarded and promoted to the position of Lieutenant. The injury, which gives him a permanent limp, becomes an excuse from his rampant drug usage. He begins stealing drugs from the police evidence room, gambles and threatens football players to throw games. Just don't expect a happy Hollywood ending from Herzog.

There are strange scenes where we see iguanas, which might be some sort of drug hallucination, I don't know and didn't get it. That is Herzog for you. A 7/10 is a little generous, it was different, and not an easy film to watch, and I applaud Cage for doing something a little different. I don't think many people who read this blog will like this film.


Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1095217/

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Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Nominated for 12 Oscars, winner of 6 including best picture. This war based film was credited by Winston Churchill as doing more for the war effort than a fleet of ships. The title character is played by Greer Garson who won the Oscar and set the record for the longest acceptance speech in Oscar history [5 1/2 minutes].

The film begins with Mrs. Miniver shopping for a hat and Mr. Miniver shopping for a new car. On the train home she sees the British military starting to take action and before you know it the war has started and her son has enlisted. The film is more about a typical family experience during wartime. Not about a soldier, but about a mother who has a husband volunteering for dangerous tasks, who has to hide with her terrified kids in a bomb shelter during a Nazi air raid, and who has to witness a lived one die.

The film is quite powerful, and the sermon by the priest makes it a propaganda film. The message is clearly that war, although difficult is necessary in the [then] current circumstances. Well acted story, I don't know if it would have been written and acted the same if it wasn't during World War II, it really captures the era well.

Last of all, it isn't an Oscar film people talk about. It isn't on the list of most deserving, nor is it on people's list of ones that didn't deserve the Oscar. I don't hear people talking at it as a "favorite," so if you are planning on watching all the Oscar winners you will find this one to be good, not great, but not difficult like many others from the pre-50's.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035093/

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Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

I really wasn't quite sure what genre to place this film in before watching it. I thought it might fit best into drama or western, and I went ahead and watched it in western/war month. Now that I've seen it, I can definitely say that mystery is the best category for it. Which is a tough one to talk about without divulging the entertainment of the film.

We start the film with Spencer Tracy stepping off a train in the town of Black Rock, a small town where a train stopping is an irregular occurrence. He is immediately asked what he is doing there, and it is clear that something is being covered up. The men that approach him immediately assume that he is come sort of government agent there to investigate something.

The movie is all of an hour and twenty minutes and blows by really fast. Discovering his intentions in this small town and what the townspeople are hiding is the entire plot. If the film was much longer it would be annoying since it is pretty much laid out from the start.

Not a bad film, but I could see myself forgetting a film so simple in plot. A nice change from the typical western though.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047849/

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Wings (1927)

The first year of the Academy Awards there were two separate categories for Best Picture. Best Production and Best Unique Production, where Best Production is more of a movie for the masses... a statistic that is basically captured by box office statistics nowadays and arguably has the reward of making the most money. Meanwhile the Best Unique production is considered the best acting, screenplay, etc. and you could say that the current "Best Picture" winner is not necessarily the favorite movie of the year.

Since the category has been terminated and a single best picture award was given the 2nd year of the Academy Awards, some think that this should not be considered the first Best Picture winner, while others think that this should share the distinguision with Sunrise. Now, since The Broadway Melody won the single award the following year, was a huge box office success, but did not win any acting, screenplay, or director awards I have to consider that the award still cared about box office in the 2nd year, therefore this is in fact the first best picture winner.

That being said I gave this and Sunrise both 7/10 ratings. If I had to pick which I liked better though, this one would win. It was actually a really entertaining silent film, and both films are the only Best Picture winners that were also silent. As a side note I liked The Crowd, a nominee up against Sunrise, better than both of these films.

It isn't typical for me to suggest a silent film, and won't suggest this one either. I do have to say though that this was a very exciting film. There were a number of dogfights, which is probably why it won a Best Effects Oscar, and the story and action worked well together. If it was 1929 right now I'm sure I would have loved this film. Considering what had some out at this point in cinema, this was a fantastic production and compelling storyline. If you are into silent era films, check this one out.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018578/

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High Plains Drifter (1973)

This is more like the western I expected. A film I'm sure I have seen parts of on television before. Clint Eastwood stars in a film about a man with no name that rides into a town and brings along some western justice.

Eastwood's unnamed character strolls into town, goes to the barber shop and kills three men before getting a shave. Then he rapes a girl, get a drink at the saloon, and before the town's sheriff. Hired to protect the town from men the town wrongfully condemned but are not set to get out of prison and return to the town.

Midgets, shootouts, whippings, showdowns... this film is all the typical western themes thrown into one... and a midget! Don't expect a lot out of this one, but nevertheless it did have some good action.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068699/

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Tae Guk Gi - The Brotherhood of War: Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo (2004)

I started Western/War Movie Month off with a very popular film on the other side of the world. Part of the ilmdb modern 250 and winner of numerous awards in Asia, this epic war film has been compared to a Korean Saving Private Ryan. The production values, sound effects, and cinematography are fantastic, and the acting was pretty good as well.

The film centers itself around two brothers living near Seoul, Korea. One shines shoes with the dream of making his own some day. The other is a student, but both are very happy. They even have a overly cheesy scene were the who family goes on a picnic and the brothers share a Popsicle.

All of a sudden the government start rounding up men in basically an unannounced draft. When the older brother fights to not get his young brother drafted they are both shipped off. We start with both brothers fighting on the side of the South Koreans, after several battles it looks as if the South Koreans are going to win. Then the Chinese come in to support the North Koreans and the American come in the support the South Koreans and a war that looked like it was about to end gets stuck in a stalemate. We see the war from the prospective of the average Korean citizen, forces to fight for whichever side they live on regardless of what they think of democracy and communism. Forces to go to rallies to feel their families, but condemned for going to them at the same time.

A vicious cycle, and honestly exactly what I was looking for from a starting film to this themed month. 7/10 because it is a bit long, and not something I'd suggest, but I did like it.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386064/

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