L.A. DINE-N-CLUB FAVORITE MOVIE PICKS
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127 HOURS
Fox Searchlight – 90 min; Rated R
Powerful, if not downright uncomfortable to watch at times, 127 Hours will have you pining for the great outdoors while squirming in your seat. The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston (played brilliantly by James Franco) and his horrific confinement in a deep and remote Utah canyon after a boulder crashes on his arm leaving the lone hiker trapped.
As the film’s title suggest, we follow the confined hiker over the next 127 hours as he must battle the elements and his own demons to find the courage and wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary.
Directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later) 127 Hours is thrilling and luckily never feels too claustrophobic, as Franco is for all intents and purposes alone onscreen. “I knew I wanted to bring the audience into the canyon with Aron and to not let them go until he himself is released,” Boyle explains.
“One of the reasons I wanted to do this role is because it is made up so many little personal moments,” James Franco explains, “those moments we all have when you’re completely alone. I felt that was a side of me I could really understand and tap into. The story is basically about a man confronted with his own death and figuring how to get back to life.”
Heavy on the drama with lots of uncomfortable moments for the viewer, this may be too intense for some but it’s a rewarding experience about the quest and desire to persevere and not give up.
Click here to watch the 127 Hours trailer.
GERRYMANDERING
Green Film Company – 77 min; Unrated
http://www.gerrymanderingmovie.com/
A fascinating documentary, Gerrymandering once again points out how unscrupulous politicians can be by exposing the most effective form of manipulating elections short of outright fraud.
Gerrymandering refers to the manipulation of the redistricting process for political gain following each decade's Census. The term was coined back in 1812 after the redistricting actions of then-Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry. In some cases, voting districts have been specifically handcrafted to eliminate someone wanting to run for election or to ensure opposing voters now belong to a different district. Elections have been won (or stolen) as a result of Gerrymandering.
A timely release with the November 2 Election Day upon us, Proposition 20 proposes to extend the jurisdiction of the voter-approved citizen’s redistricting commission passed in 2008 to cover Congressional districts (this initiative is supported by several prominent California Republicans and is largely opposed by the California Democratic Congressional delegation), while Proposition 27 would scuttle the voter-approved citizen’s redistricting commission and return the line drawing power for all districts to the members of the California State Legislature (Prop 27 is supported by major donations from prominent California Democratic politicians).
At this stage in the game should we really be shocked to learn just how corrupt politicians can be to get what they want? Just ask the citizens of Bell. A bit dry, this is very interesting knowledge and is something all voters should be aware of.
Click here to watch the Gerrymandering trailer.
CATFISH
(Universal Pictures – 94 min) Rated PG-13
This film has garnered big web buzz and people are debating whether it’s true or not. Billed as true life, this “documentary” follows a New York photographer who meets a family online, falls in love with one of them via IM, text, email and phone conversations, and when he makes a surprise visit to rural Michigan to visit, things do not go as planned.
Filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev, back in 2007. Little did they know that the thrilling and troubling moments they filmed would spark mass interest after its splashy premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
Maybe it’s because so many people were duped by Blair Witch Project that some are hesitant to believe that Catfish is genuine, or maybe nobody really wants to ask the question, just how well do we really know all of our online “friends”? Interesting, and with a charismatic “leading man” in Nev, the big ‘payoff’ you might want after shelling out for a movie may disappoint some (just a hint, don’t expect this to turn into some kind of horror movie) but it is a fascinating look at just how social we like to make our media out to be.
Click here to watch the Catfish trailer.
www.iamrogue.com/catfish
MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT
(Music Box Films – 113 min) Rated R
Now Playing In Limited Release
The first of a two part movie juggernaut, Mesrine: Killer Instinct is the wonderful tale of Jacques Mesrine (played brilliantly by Vincent Cassel), the legendary French gangster of the 1960s and ‘70s who became known as French Public Enemy No. 1 and The Man of a Thousand Faces. Infamous for his bravado and outrageously daring prison escapes, Mesrine carried out numerous robberies, kidnappings and murders in a criminal career that spanned continents until he was shot dead in ‘79 by France's notorious anti-gang unit.
This long-awaited biography of France's ultimate criminal won Vincent Cassel the César Award for Best Actor. The second half of the story is due out September 10. Believe me, it only gets better!
Both a thriller and a biopic, Mesrine: Killer Instinct explores the man behind the icon. Directed by Jean-François Richet and starring Vincent Cassel, along with Cécile De France, Gérard Depardieu, Roy Dupuis, and Gilles Lellouche, this is easily one of the best films of the year, along with the Red Riding Trilogy, 44 Inch Chest and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, as well as the upcoming Carlos trilogy to air on the Sundance Channel.
A gritty and unrelenting tale, this film is a bona fide ‘guy film’ galore; think Reservoir Dogs with a French accent. It doesn’t really get better than this.
Mesrine: Killer Instinct is now playing at ArcLight Hollywood, The Landmark in West L.A., as well as Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, and Laemmle Fallbrook 7 in West Hills.
Click here to watch the Mesrine: Killer Instinct trailer.
QUEST FOR HONOR
(SB Productions – 64 min) Not Rated
In Kurdish Language With English Subtitles
A brutal and disgusting practice, ‘honor killings’ are the heinous act of men murdering daughters, sisters, and wives to protect their “family honor.” This backward way of thinking is threatening the lives of thousands of woman in Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and adjoining countries.
Of course domestic violence and brutality towards women is not just a Middle East problem, four women are killed every day in the USA because of domestic violence, and Mexico (as well as Latin America in general) is plagued with numerous, countless atrocities towards women – the staggering death toll of Ciudad Juarez is just the tip of the iceberg.
In Quest for Honor, a woman's body is discovered in a field near Ranya, Iraq, apparently the victim of an 'honor killing’ while a second woman is recovering from three bullet wounds suffered at a 'Safe-House' where she had fled to escape her husband. In a society where females are sold off as property, in one instance an infant girl was already sold to marriage, woman are seen as less than second class and are deemed powerless.
First time filmmaker Mary Ann Smothers Bruni documents these horrible acts and the people who are fighting to end these senseless killings. “We went to Iraqi Kurdistan to record the success stories of women rebuilding Iraq. Once there, we were even more taken by the narrative of women struggling with the region’s worst nightmare—the horror of ‘honor killing’ and the related practices of trading and selling women. The problem of honor killing lies deep in the roots of Middle Eastern culture. Its obliteration requires the hard work of brave and dedicated local activists and politicians.”
Honor killings are pre-Christian and pre-Islamic practices that must be stopped. While Quest for Honor offers no solution, perhaps, because sadly, none is readily available, it’s a start just to begin a much needed conversation.
Quest for Honor is now playing at ArcLight Hollywood as part of Docu Weeks.
Click here to watch the Quest for Honor trailer.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK
NOW PLAYING EVERYWHERE
(Universal – 109 min) Rated R
A somewhat quasi takeoff of the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, both Jonah Hill (then credited as Matthew the waiter) and Russell Brand, once again playing the irreverent Aldous Snow, have teamed up for the very funny Get Him to the Greek.
This time Jonah Hill (Super Bad, Knocked Up) is Aaron Greenberg, an ambitious 23-year-old record company employee whose assignment is to fly to London and escort a rock star to L.A.’s Greek Theatre for a high profile reunion concert. But British rocker Aldous Snow is both a brilliant musician and the walking embodiment of sex personified. Weary of ‘yes’ men and piles of cash, the former mega star is searching for the meaning of life but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a few orgies along the way. When he learns his true love is in California, Aldous makes it his quest to win her back before kick-starting his career comeback.
As the countdown to the concert begins, the record company flunky must navigate a minefield of London drug smuggles, New York City brawls and Vegas lap dances to deliver his charge safe and, sort of, sound. He may have to coax, lie to, enable and party with Aldous, but Aaron will get his man to the Greek.
While Hill and Brand deliver funny performances, it’s Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs that delivers the scene stealing moments as Sergio the record label head. So many times it’s Diddy that steals the show in Get Him to the Greek, a rib-tickling good time about rock & roll excess.
Click here to watch the Get Him to the Greek trailer.
THE CLASH OF THE TITANS
(Warner Bros. – 118 min) Rated PG-13
A remake of the 1981 epic adventure starring Harry Hamlin and screen legend Laurence Olivier, the revamped Clash of the Titans is turbo-charged with action but light on story.
Telling the tale of the ultimate struggle for power, pitting men against kings and kings against gods, the remake stars Sam Worthington who is no stranger to epic, Hollywood studio films having starred in Terminator Salvation and Avatar in the last year. Now the Australian hunk plays Perseus, the demi-god son of Zeus who is out to avenge the death of his mortal family at the hands of Hades, ruler of the underworld. Cue epic battle scenes as the perpetual loner goes to war with humankind hanging in the balance.
I remember when reviewing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians movie stating that it only peaked my interest in the upcoming Clash of the Titans film but I was hoping for a better story. Sure the effects are top notch, although, again, I was not impressed with the 3D aspects, in fact, none of the new batch of 3D films has really had any knockout 3D imagery, but the story and heart of Clash of the Titans is lacking. While many of the same characters appear in both Percy and Clash, including Medusa, it is interesting to note that in Percy, Preseus was the son of Poseidon, and in Clash he’s the son of Zeus himself.
Looking at footage of the original Clash it does tend to look outdated and but it did manage to tell the same story with better character development. Sometimes the problem with CGI films is that it’s all bells & whistles and everything else, storyline and performances, take a back seat. Don’t get me wrong; this is the fun popcorn movie of the moment and worth seeing for a fun night out, but diehard Clash fans, or true cinephiles, i.e. movie buffs, will definitely be left wanting more.
Click here to watch the Clash of the Titans trailer.
Click here to watch a scene from the original Clash of the Titans.
— Jose Martinez
DEAR JOHN
(Screen Gems – 105 min) Rated PG-13
Looks like the girls went to the movie this weekend, and many took their men with them to the tune of nearly $33M at the box office. Yes, Dear John stars hunky Channing Tatutm as well as hottie Amanda Seyfried of “Big Love” and Mamma Mia fame as two star-crossed lovers who meet over Spring break in North Carolina. He’s on a two-week leave from the Army and she’s on vacation from college.
It’s love at first sight and two weeks later they swear to write to one another the whole time he’s stationed overseas. Soon he’s deployed to the Middle East and the steaks grow higher. Eventually the inevitable “Dear John” letter arrives and the drama really begins to heat up.
Director Lasse Hallström (My Life As A Dog, What’s Eating Grape, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat) does a fine job keeping the melodrama in check for the most part. And kudos to the film’s leading actors for providing enough onscreen chemistry to keep things interesting.
Eventually the chick-flick quota proved too much for my tastes but, hey, I’d rather be seeing 44 Inch Chest so I’m probably the wrong guy to review this film. With Valentine’s Day coming up guys take note this is the perfect date movie out right now.
Adapted from a novel by Nicholas Sparks, the film features all the qualities we’d come to expect from this kind a movie…star-crossed lovers, terminal illness, love during the time of war…think The Notebook and you get the gist but then again, girls just seem ready to devour this recipe.
There have been reports that test audiences didn’t react well to the film’s original ending so the studio opted to stick closer to Sparks’ original ending, but if you haven’t read the book then that won’t really matter.
If you’re in the mood for a Romeo meets Juliet modern-day love story then this just might fill the bill. Guys, feel free to bite the bullet and score some points and go see Dear John, and girls, do give your man some props if you drag him along, but at the same time know it’s hardly the worst thing out there so it’s not like you’ll owe him “big time.” Besides, what’s a relationship without a little give and take?
Watch the Dear John movie trailer here.
— Jose Martinez
