The Favourite

The Favourite (2018)

Starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, and Joe Alwyn

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: B-

My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel (2017)

Starring Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Iain Glenn, Holliday Grainger, and Pierfrancesco Favino

Directed by Roger Michell
Written by Roger Michell

***This film is currently streaming via HBO***

Summary (in 500 words of less):  Orphaned as a young boy, Philip is adopted by his cousin Ambrose.  When Philip gets older, Ambrose leaves for Florence, Italy, where he meets up and begins a relationship with his cousin Rachel.  Now 24 years old, Philip (Sam Claflin) begins to receive letters from Ambrose stating he is distrustful of the medical care that Rachel is giving him.  Soon after, Ambrose dies, and although Philip is bequeathed Ambrose's estate, Rachel (Rachel Weisz) pays Philip a visit in England where Philip, initially convinced that Rachel murdered Ambrose, begins to fall for the older women.  Is Rachel playing Philip simply for his wealth?  Did she murder Philip's adopted father?  

• Unfortunately, My Cousin Rachel is a bit too stodgy and bland to be truly successful.  
• The source material was written by Daphne du Maurier, the author of Rebecca and The Birds - two stories masterfully crafted into films by Alfred Hitchcock.  Unfortunately, the same can't be said here.  I don't know if the material just lacks substantial tension, but in the hands of writer-director Roger Michell, this flick doesn't quite click.
• Yes, Rachel Weisz imbues the title character with a mysterious quality that has us questioning all the way to the end whether her intentions are good or bad, but it isn't enough to captivate and the slow pace bogs things down.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Denial

Denial (2016)

Starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, and Andrew Scott

Directed by Mick Jackson 

***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Based on a true story, Denial details the story of Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz), an American professor of Holocaust studies who is sued in Britain by renowned Holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall) because of something she wrote about him in her recently released book.  British law differs from American law in that the burden of proof when it comes to libel falls to the defendant so Deborah and her legal team headed by Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson) must prove that Irving's denials of the Holocaust are false.  One would think that determining the legitimacy of the Holocaust would be an easy task, but in the court of law, one mustn't take anything for granted and Rampton  and his team find it a surprisingly more difficult job than they initially believed.

Denial is one of those interesting pieces of history that deserves to be told and is seemingly too crazy to actually be believed.  Would a Holocaust denier really sue a professor simply because she disparaged his crazed beliefs in a book?  Yep...and to think that the British legal system almost let him get away with his nutty lawsuit.  The film itself is rather straightforward, but it's well-paced and well-acted with a strong leading performance by Rachel Weisz who carries the film ably on her shoulders.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - The Lobster

The Lobster (2016)

Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, John C. Reilly, and Olivia Colman

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

I was so on board with director/co-writer Yorgos Lanthimos' weirdly offbeat The Lobster throughout most of its first hour as its surreal tale begins to unfold.  David (Colin Farrell) has just gotten divorced and in the strange land in which The Lobster is set that means that he must find someone to fall in love with him in forty-five days lest he be turned into an animal.  Yep...I said it was weird.  David heads to a hotel run by a manager (Olivia Colman) who sets up a variety of activities to set people up with someone they can love.  As his days dwindle down and romance seems less likely, David ponders whether an escape is necessary...and that's where the story drastically changes and grows increasingly uninteresting in its second hour.

The comedic satire in the film's opening half creates a world with new rules that are fully embraced by both the film's characters -- which include John C. Reilly as a lisping loner and Ben Whishaw as a limping lover -- and the audience.  I bought into the insane set-up that people would actually turn into dogs or horses or even lobsters if they failed to fall in love, and I found the set-up unique and engaging despite the bleak and sometimes melancholy sadness that permeates the inhabitants of the hotel.  The second half, however, removes us from the hotel setting and things fall apart.  The comedic aspect fades away and the tone of the film shifts into something that disappoints.  (I'll admit to being vague here to avoid spoilers.)

Kudos to Colin Farrell for carrying the film and giving a solid performance as the depressed David who finds himself forced to find true love in a short amount of time.  Creatively, Lanthimos at least envisioned a dystopia that we haven't seen before.  Unfortunately, he can't sustain a two-hour film across this land set up in the way he has.  There was promise here that unfortunately didn't pan out.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Complete Unknown

Complete Unknown (2016)

Starring Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Michael Chernus, Azita Ghanizada, Danny Glover, and Kathy Bates

Directed by Joshua Marston

**This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

When Clyde (Michael Chernus) brings his new girlfriend Alice (Rachel Weisz) to the birthday party of his co-worker Tom (Michael Shannon), he doesn't expect her to be such a hit.  A biologist studying the recent discovery of a new species of frog just outside of New York City, Tom's party guests fawn over Alice's pleasant, slightly shy demeanor and unique job.  Tom, however, recognizes her right away and, as the night progresses, Alice proves to be a different person entirely from whom she initially presented herself.

That summary of Complete Unknown may make the film sound scandalous or even exciting...it's not. Instead writer-director Joshua Marston's film devolves into a rather boring piece that perhaps thinks it's important, but really ends up feeling rather pedestrian.  Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon are captivating enough in the first half when there's some unknown tension as the two stare at each other across a room cluing in the audience that something isn't quite kosher.  However, as the second half begins and Alice's truth comes to the surface, it ends up being not all that interesting and the focus on it hurts the film.  This is director Joshua Marston's first English-language film and his eye behind the lens shows promise -- the opening sequence, as an example, sets a slightly creepy tone that the film can't sustain -- but Complete Unknown ends up a disappointment.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - The Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans (2016)

Starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, and Florence Clery

Directed by Derek Cianfrance

If someone were to come out of The Light Between Oceans and say they were bored senseless, I wouldn't be able to necessarily argue with them.  Writer-director Derek Cianfrance's film is indeed deliberately slow-paced, but to this reviewer it adds much nuance to the film's plot which details the lives of recently married lighthouse keeper Tom and his wife Isabel who live a secluded life on an island, unable to contact anyone on the mainland without the help of a several hour boat ride.  The detachment Tom and Isabel experience is palpably felt thanks to Cianfrance's methodical direction which in addition to looking cinematographically beautiful also gets some emotionally riveting performances from its cast.

Taking place in the early 1920s, Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) is a WWII vet who recently moved to the western Australia coast.  Upon arrival, he is offered a job as a lighthouse keeper on the secluded island of Janus Rock which Tom accepts without hesitation, seeking an opportunity to live alone and reflect upon the horrors of the war.  Tom's seclusion, however, is short-lived as he soon falls for a young woman named Isabel (Alicia Vikander) on one of his visits to the mainland for supplies.  Isabel agrees to marry him and the newly betrothed couple begin their life together on Janus Rock, soon discovering that Isabel is pregnant with their first child.  Ecstatic, the couple prepare for their upcoming arrival, but unfortunately Isabel miscarries which spirals her into a great depression from which she only recovers when the couple discovers that they are pregnant again.  However, this pregnancy is met with the same hurtful result as Isabel loses this child as well.  The confinement of the island coupled with the loss of the two children devastate Isabel, but one afternoon, Isabel and Tom discover a boat floating near the coast of Janus Rock and, upon pulling the craft to shore, they find a weeks-old baby girl inside along with a deceased man.  Because of their seclusion, no one was yet aware of Isabel's latest miscarriage and, after Isabel's insistent pressing of Tom, the couple decide to act as if the baby is theirs.  To say this won't end well shouldn't come as a surprise as upon a visit to shore several years later, Tom discovers a disparate Hannah (Rachel Weisz), devastated that her husband and child seem to have been lost at sea.

The Light Between Oceans is certainly a film in which the human emotional psyche is placed front and center which can lead to an overly melodramatic piece if the director and actors aren't careful.  I'm pleased to report that isn't the case here in the slightest thanks in large part to the performances of the three aforementioned cast members.  Rachel Weisz nicely captures the mournful essence of a recently widowed woman dealing with not only the loss of her husband, but her child as well.  Michael Fassbender's imbues Tom with an icy exterior that melts away when he meets Isabel, only to return when he realizes the gravity of the crime they've committed despite the fact that it has brought the couple much-needed happiness.

The film, however, belongs to Alicia Vikander.  As the film opens, Isabel's youthful sassiness is an attractive asset to the stern Tom and her zest for life doesn't exactly echo the more subdued surroundings of her quiet coastal Australian town.  Capturing the joy of impending motherhood, Vikander also completely embodies the devastation of a woman who loses two children via miscarriage and her brooding pain is palpably felt.  The epicness and freedom their secluded island once gave Isabel now feels lonely, restricting, and painful.  Vikander perfectly captures these varied emotions which take her character on a bit of a roller coaster ride, but never feel out of place.  Together, Vikander and Fassbender (a couple in real life) create a beautiful romance that is dealt many an ill-fated blow.

To me, the film works best in the first two-thirds where the brooding nature and the deliberate slow pace add to Tom and Isabel's plight.  (I will readily admit that this sentiment will not be shared by all.)  The final third is where things begin to derail a little bit and, oddly enough, it's the point when there's the most plot.  Machinations in the story lead the characters of Isabel and Tom to begin to question one another and there's one too many changes in heart as the story progresses.  However, Derek Cianfrance had built up such goodwill in the prior acts that I was willing to overlook it somewhat.  Thanks to some nuanced direction and terrific performances (including the not-yet-mentioned wonderful work from young Florence Clery as Tom and Isabel's child whose acting feels incredibly innocent and natural), The Light Between Oceans is a great start to the awards season.  Unfortunately, I doubt it will be remembered in any capacity come Oscar time.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Youth

Youth (2015)

Starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Alex Macqueen, and Jane Fonda

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino

***This film is currently available via HBO Now***

Oh, the potential of Youth.  A talented ensemble cast.  A sometimes touching story (with hints of humor) about two older men trying to remember their engaging past while dealing with their tediously dull present.  A stunningly beautiful nude woman portraying an intelligent Miss Universe winner.  This had a bunch of things going for it.  And then director Paolo Sorrentino goes and screws things up with some of the oddest direction I've seen in a 2015 movie.  Youth certainly looks beautiful, there's no denying that, but the images Sorrentino places up on the screen feel too esoteric to really push the film's plot along, and while I'm sure his visuals meant something to the director, they just befuddle the viewer with a "can't we just get on with the plot" mentality.

At the film's center is Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine), a famous classical composer and conductor who has left his profession behind after his wife fell ill.  Fred retreats at a luxurious spa catering to the incredibly wealthy in the Alps.  There with him is his daughter-cum-manager Lena (Rachel Weisz) who is always pushing him to reconnect with his sick wife (and her mother) whom he hasn't seen in a decade as well as his best friend Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel), a movie director prepping for what he believes to be his last film.  As Fred and Mick rest and relax, they reminisce and often have quite a lot to say about growing old and the effects it can have on one's life.  (Frankly, some of the dialog they spout is actually quite profound and oddly intellectually stimulating, so Sorrentino -- who also wrote the picture -- succeeds in that respect.)

The conflict in the picture arises from the arrival at the spa of a person into each of these men's lives.  For Fred, it's the Queen of England's emissary (Alex Macqueen) sent on a mission to coax the composer into one last outing to play his celebrated "Simple Songs" collection for Prince Philip's birthday.  For Mick, it's Brenda Morel (Jane Fonda), an aging actress who has starred in several of his films and whom Mick wants to appear in his final picture.  Both the emissary and Brenda cause the two men to question their current way of life, impacting them in surprising ways.

For the most part, the acting raises the bar for Youth with the ensemble impressing (including an understated Paul Dano playing a young actor also at the spa).  Michael Caine in particular captivates as his Fred copes with living with a bit of repressed guilt for past indiscretions.  Unfortunately, scenes that forward along the story are oftentimes broken up by tiny visual vignettes of other spa-goers that fall tremendously flat after Sorrentino decides to repetitively return to them throughout the film.  As I've said, I'm sure they mean something metaphorically, but this isn't a film that I particularly feel is "study worthy" to have to delve into and investigate what they really signify.  These throwaway scenes bog down the film's running time and take away from the heart of the story which lies in Fred's relationship with his daughter, his friend, and his estranged wife.

Youth is a weird beast because there are things I really liked about it (even the throwaway vignette-like scenes were shot well despite being frivolous).  In the end, however, it's too choppy and lacks a cohesion that I feel would've strengthened the picture.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - The Bourne Legacy

***Movie #4 of BOURNE Week***
The Bourne Legacy (2012)

Starring Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Oscar Isaac, Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Donna Murphy, Corey Stoll, Zeljko Ivanek, and Joan Allen

Directed by Tony Gilroy

As we discovered in the previous Bourne films, Jason Bourne was just one of many men recruited by the CIA to violently act out missions for the agency.  The Bourne Legacy leaves Matt Damon behind (likely because they couldn't offer a big enough paycheck) and focuses on one of the other men -- Aaron Cross -- part of another black ops group Bourne and Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) were trying to uncover in earlier flicks.

The Bourne Legacy opens with many of its scenes running concurrently to the final moments in The Bourne Ultimatum.  Director Tony Gilroy (the co-screenwriter of the previous Bourne films as well as this one) picks up the reins from Paul Greengrass and nicely ties Aaron Cross's story into Jason Bourne's timeline with this concurrent opening.  Smartly, Gilroy plants Aaron Cross (played by Jeremy Renner) into a different CIA black ops program -- one that forces its recruits to take pills in order to maintain their stamina, strength, and intelligence.  This allows for a different background and starting point for Cross than Bourne and it plays well throughout the film, feeling like a somewhat different animal...which is a good thing.

The repercussions of the actions of Bourne and Landy, however, permeate throughout The Bourne Legacy, as Cross finds himself being hunted down by CIA agents as they try to cover their tracks about the government's black ops agencies.  This leads Cross to Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a biochemist who has medically tested him in the past and who Cross uses to help him evade those coming after him.

The Bourne Legacy works really well as a continuation of the overarching political conspiracy story that runs rampant throughout this cinematic series.  Where it falters, however, is in a few of the film's action moments, including a very ill-conceived final action sequence with some laughable reaction shots from Weisz that ends things on a decidedly disappointing note.  Renner is more chipper than the dour Bourne (at least as chipper as one can be when being hunted down by the CIA) and his interactions with Weisz, while more generic than Bourne's interactions with his female contacts, are pleasantly conceived.  However, Renner is actually a little too high on charisma -- a fault that I almost can't believe I'm writing.  He didn't quite sell me on the "operative on the run" aspect of his character.  Still, it was pleasant to put a different face front and center in the series even though it didn't quite match the success of its immediate predecessor.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Oz: The Great and Powerful

Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)
***viewed in 3D***

Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, and Zach Braff

Directed by Sam Raimi

There was no way Oz: The Great and Powerful was going to compare to the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, but I was surprised by what disappointed me the most about this prequel of sorts to that Judy Garland winner.  Rather than be wowed by the "astounding" visuals that can be created by filmmakers 75 years later, I instead found myself longing for the days when computer generated landscapes and backdrops didn't even exist yet.  When Garland's Dorothy lands in Oz, the flowers certainly have a plasticine look to them, but they look more "real" and visually appealing than much of what is seen in Sam Raimi's new take on author  L. Frank Baum's work.  The one lesson I learned from this new film is "just because we can utilize computers, doesn't mean we should."  That's not to say that Oz: The Great and Powerful is horrid.  Comparisons have been made to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and Oz fares better than that Johnny Depp-starring dreck.  But both films epitomize what is wrong with Disney's desire to "update" these classic films and stories for a new generation -- computer effects may seem to allow for more creativity, but the fact is that filmmakers decades ago had to be much more creative in a hands-on manner in order to get these fantastical lands like Oz and Wonderland to come to life.

Dorothy doesn't make an appearance in Oz: The Great and Powerful.  Instead, this is the tale of how the wizard -- podunk traveling circus magician Oscar Diggs (played by James Franco) -- got to the fantasy land in the first place.  Much like Dorothy, Oscar gets whisked up into a tornado, and when he arrives in Oz, he's greeted by Theodora (Mila Kunis), a lovely looking witch, who tells him about a recent prophecy that mentioned a man much like himself would come to Oz and, with his wizarding ways, right all that was wrong with the land.  Theodora takes Oscar to meet her sister, fellow witch Evanora (Rachel Weisz), in Emerald City where he discovers the abundant riches that the new wizard will inherit...should he manage to destroy the wand of the Wicked Witch who lives in the Dark Forest.  Along the way to destroy the Wicked Witch, Oscar meets Glinda (Michelle Williams), yet another witch, who tells Oscar that it is in fact Theodora and Evanora who are the evil ones in the land.  The question then becomes who exactly is Oscar to trust in this unfamiliar place?

Considering my rant in the opening paragraph of my review, it should come as a surprise that I think the best parts of the movie are the unique computer-animated characters brought to the screen in the forms of Finley (voiced by Zach Braff) -- a monkey who becomes forever indebted to Oscar after the wizard saves him from inevitable death -- and China Girl (voiced by Joey King) -- a tiny porcelain girl from Oz's China Town in which everyone is made of fine porcelain china.  While I disliked the computer generated landscapes the humans travel through in every single scene, I do appreciate the character work that has advanced with computer technology.  Finley and China Girl are able to do a bit more than, as an example, Toto in the original film.  Together, these two characters breathe life and impart much humor into the story...more than any of their human counterparts, that's for sure.

I used to be a fan of James Franco.  I say "used to" only because I can't help but think he just doesn't care about anything anymore.  Ever since his horrific hosting of the Oscars a few years ago, his attitude has been a complete turn-off to me and his nonchalance is carried to the screen in this obvious paycheck role for him.  His eyes are lifeless in nearly every scene and he lacks the whimsy needed for a character like the Wizard to succeed.  Similarly, Mila Kunis starts off painfully wooden.  As her character's secrets gradually are revealed, she's able to emote a bit more, but it's a rough start for her as well.  Things aren't much better for Michelle Williams either, but the role of Glinda is perhaps the trickiest one of the bunch, so I'm cutting her a little slack.  Glinda's the epitome of good (as we know from the 1939 original) and there's simply not much to work with.  Rachel Weisz certainly fares the best -- I just wish we didn't have to wait nearly an hour to see her character for the first time.

Despite the humans certainly disappointing, the film managed to hold my attention throughout and I can't ever really say I was bored and that's likely a credit to director Sam Raimi.  Raimi starts the film in a lovely black-and-white 4:3 Academy ratio when Oscar is in Kansas and then expands to a color widescreen format when in Oz.  While I thought this may be too much of an homage to the original, it's a device that still manages to work incredibly well -- it's oddly exciting when we get the first glimpse of color.  Raimi also realizes that despite Oz: The Great and Powerful being a family film, it's okay to throw in a few scary moments here and there...and there are a few moments involving those pesky flying monkeys that could easily frighten a young child.  Credit also must be given to some pretty nice 3D work on display.  It's not often that I'm able to comment positively on 3D work, so when I can, I like to point it out and mention that the upgrade may be worth the surcharge.

While Oz: The Great and Powerful may not have me clamoring for the inevitable sequel that will come our way in a few years, it certainly didn't taint the fond memories of its 1939 predecessor.  And it's a step in the right direction in terms of "fantasy remakes" after the heinousness of Alice in Wonderland a few years back.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - 360

360 (2012)

Starring Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Foster, Maria Flor, Jamel Debbouze, Lucia Siposová, and Gabriella Marcinkova

Directed by Fernando Meirelles

***This film is streaming instantly on Netflix***

Some people can't stand it, but I'm a fan of films that have seemingly unrelated stories that manage to somehow weave together by the film's end in unexpected ways.  Whereas films like 2009's The Burning Plain and 2006's Babel use this storytelling technique to take on more serious subjects like domestic abuse and gun control, respectively, 360 attempts to utilize its interweaving stories by focusing on love.  However, we already have an excellent movie that does this incredibly well in Love, Actually, and 360 fails at creating the depth needed for its much more serious tone than that 2003 film.

360 opens (and ends...hence the title) with Mirka (Lucia Siposová), a young Slovakian twentysomething getting nude photos taken in an attempt to enter the lucrative world of being an internet call girl.  Almost immediately after having her pictures posted, she's chosen to have a meeting with Englishman Michael Daly (Jude Law) while he's on a business trip in Vienna.  Michael is a married man and, thanks to a serious of events, ends up not going through with the meeting with Mirka.  Little does Michael know that back in London, his wife Rose (Rachel Weisz) is having an affair with a Brazilian hunk named Rui.  When Rui's girlfriend Laura (Maria Flor) finds out about his escapades, she leaves him to head back to Brazil.  On the plane, Laura sits next to John (Anthony Hopkins) an older gentleman who has been looking for his missing daughter for years.  He's flying to Denver because he has been told that an unidentified woman matching his daughter's description has been found dead.  While on a layover in Colorado, Laura meets Tyler (Ben Foster) at an airport restaurant and she sees an opportunity to have an invigorating one-night stand as a means to forget about Rui who has done her wrong.  Tyler, however, has just been released from prison for committing what we can only assume was a horrible sex crime and has to fight the urges to turn into the horrible man he once was.

As these stories begin to link up with one another, the problem begins to arise that we don't really care about any of them.  Somehow, every single one of these stories seems superficial and fails to resonate on any type of emotional level with the audience.  It's not that all these characters are flawed (although most of them are) as a movie full of flawed characters has a tendency to create some intriguing conflict; it's just that none of their stories are given the opportunity to create any impact.  And, as 360 begins to come full circle, we realize that in the end these stories are rather mundane.  This movie by its very nature wants you to look at the grand scheme of things by focusing on more intimate moments, but neither the big nor small pictures are charismatic enough to carry the film.

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

Movie Review - The Deep Blue Sea

The Deep Blue Sea (2012)

Starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, and Simon Russell Beale

Directed by Terence Davies

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Melodrama Alert!  While The Deep Blue Sea was released this year, with the exception of a bit of nudity and language, it could easily have been a contemporary to British romances of yore like Noel Coward's Brief Encounter.  With a classical music soundtrack filled with melancholic violin cues keyed to tell us exactly how we're supposed to feel, director Terence Davies' film about a woman having an affair in 1950 is lovely to look at, well-crafted, and decently acted, but I found myself removed from the proceedings, not caring a whole lot about the main characters.

Rachel Weisz is Hester, the troubled younger bride of Sir William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale), an older gentleman whom she seems to care for, but doesn't love.  Sometime into their marriage, Hester strays into the arms of the handsome and dashing Freddie (Tom Hiddleston) who sweeps her off her feet.  After ten months of fun, during which time she has left her husband to live with Freddie, Hester finds that her new paramour may not be the dream catch she always hoped to snag.  So, on a typically overcast English afternoon, Hester turns on the gas fireplace in her and Freddie's apartment and attempts to end her life.

Don't worry -- there's no spoiler alert needed with that revelation as that is The Deep Blue Sea's opening scene.  The entire film -- which actually takes place over the course of a single day -- plays out as flashbacks to Hester's loveless past countered with the aftermath of her suicidal actions.  And yes, it's as disheartening and morose as it sounds.  This overarching sense of depression and lack of any joviality makes the whole film feel rather heavy-handed and the story difficult to connect with.  The film is certainly beautiful to look at with its brown hues and foggy London nights and Rachel Weisz certainly has the appropriate amount of British angst for her character, but The Deep Blue Sea is just a tiny bit too depressing to recommend.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Dream House

Dream House (2011)

Starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts

Directed by Jim Sheridan

Dream House tries to be a slightly more adult-skewing ghost story, but it unfortunately lacks any scares or tension and the "surprise" twists are telegraphed from the opening moments (and were apparently spoiled in the trailer of which I don't have any recollection).  After watching the film, I discovered that director Jim Sheridan (who crafted a slow and plodding film here) was at odds with the production company throughout most of the filming and neither he nor stars Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz agreed to do any amount of press for the flick upon its release.  They knew they had a stinker on their hands...and they weren't wrong.

Although I could easily spoil things for you as the movie doesn't attempt to hide its secrets, I'll simply state that Dream House revolves around a family who moves into a new home only to discover that several years ago the former owners were killed in a horrible fashion.  Seeing as this is an "attempt" at a horror film, it's no surprise that the events from the past begin to slowly wreak havoc on the events in the present as husband and wife Will and Libby (Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz) must do what they can to keep their family safe.

Ultimately, it's obvious that no one really had fun whilst filming and it shows onscreen.  Everything about Dream House feels heavy-handed, uninspired, and insipidly dull.  Despite an admirable attempt at creating a modern-day adult-centric horror movie, this venture doesn't work in the slightest.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - The Whistleblower

The Whistleblower (2011)

Starring Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci, David Strathairn, and Vanessa Redgrave

Directed by Larysa Kondracki

Based on a true story, The Whistleblower explores the United Nations cover-up of sex trafficking crimes in post-war Bosnia through the eyes of a Nebraska cop named Kathy Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) who took a job to help police the war-ravaged area.  For a film that essentially has no more story than that, I was rather surprised that the film, despite its nearly two hour run time, didn't drag.  In fact, it's actually quite a plus that the flick moves along at such a good pace.

Unfortunately, I couldn't shake the fact that the movie which highlights the lack of women's rights in Bosnia would have found a better home on Lifetime rather than in a movie theater.  Granted, it's got a decent performance from Rachel Weisz as the headstrong Bolkovac, but Weisz can't escape the fact that her character is so typical of movies like this -- strong female in a male-dominated working environment finds herself being harshly derided by her colleagues.  It's this aspect of failing to create anything beyond a stereotype for the character of Bolkovac (and her male co-workers) that makes the movie feel less worthy to be a theatrical release.

Then again, I'm critiquing The Whistleblower, but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit.  Admittedly, I wasn't expecting much, but it certainly was an interesting watch.  I just couldn't help but think it could've been much better with a little more depth in the main characters.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Agora

Agora (2010)

Starring Rachel Weisz and Max Minghella

Directed by Alejandro Amenábar

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

There's not a doubt in my mind that Alejandro Amenábar's flick Agora is anti-Christian.  In case we weren't aware of this via his blatant storytelling, Amenábar costumes all the Christians in dark clothing while everyone else wears white.  Still, somehow this period costume drama that focuses on (sarcasm alert) über-exciting topics like religion and philosophy kept me interested for over two hours, moving at a shockingly quick pace.  Granted, the one-sided nature of Agora ultimately brings the film down a notch or two, but thanks to some decent performances, my interest was piqued in this historical drama.

In 4th century Alexandria, Greek philosopher/teacher Hypatia (Rachel Weisz) finds herself and her students at the center of a changing society.  Her peoples' paganistic beliefs in multiple gods are at odds with the increasing Christian presence in the city, and they're fighting a losing battle as their famous Library at Alexandria soon becomes ransacked and destroyed.  With the Christians taking control of the city, they will stop at nothing to eradicate all non-believers, Hypatia and her colleagues included.

While there's undoubtedly an anti-Christian tone on display, I prefer to look at this film as a diatribe against fanaticism of any religion.  In that sense, I found the film moderately interesting.  (Of course, I may just be stretching the actual truth, trying to make this film more enjoyable for myself than it probably should be.)  Still, the disappointing black-and-whiteness of the whole thing with the Greek pagans doing absolutely nothing wrong and the Christians doing seemingly nothing right is kind of a crock.  Co-screenwriter Amenábar doesn't allow for anything beyond one-dimensional complexities on either side and it hurts the flick in the end.

Still, there's a pretty good performance from Rachel Weisz as Hypatia even though I found some of the dialog she's forced to spout comparing scientific reason to unwavering faith fairly lame.  In fact, it's the subdued scenes with Weisz that play much better than the rather silly swordfighting shenanigans that go on around her.

The RyMickey Rating:  C 

Movie Review - The Lovely Bones (2009)

The Lovely Bones
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, and Saoirse Ronan
Directed by Peter Jackson

What Dreams May Come, Part II. In that movie, Robin Williams gets stuck in a purgatory-esque land between heaven and earth, and The Lovely Bones contains the same premise, more or less.

Right from the beginning we learn that young 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Ronan) has been murdered and that one of her neighbors (Tucci) is her killer. The rest of the movie swaps back and forth between Susie's dream-like visions of "the in-between" and her father's (Wahlberg) search for his daughter's killer.

Unfortunately, this movie just plain doesn't work. Granted, I've only seen the first Lord of the Rings movie, but I couldn't help but wonder why the heck this guy was so acclaimed. This movie was full of odd cuts and edits, a mishmash of nonsensical heavenly visions, and some of the oddest score and background music I've heard in a 2009 movie (I realize most don't even "hear" that, but the score is an important part to my movie-going experience).

Jackson (who also co-wrote the script) poorly directs his actors and doesn't really allow us to connect with Susie's family at all. The relationship between Susie's mother (Weisz) and father is nonexistent. Sorry, Peter, but showing them making love at the beginning isn't enough to make me believe they're actually in love...I never once felt any type of connection between Weisz and Wahlberg and their feelings for each other play a fairly important role in the film. It doesn't help that Walhberg's mopey "blahness" is utterly boring to view.

Saoirse Ronan's Susie is just too darn bright, wide-eyed, and cheery for a girl who has just been murdered. I found the character and her overbearing voiceover to simply be annoying. And speaking of annoying, the stock comedic character of Susie's grandmother (played over-the-top by Susan Sarandon) was horrendous. While she brought some much needed entertainment to this overly heavy production, she seemed like she belonged in a sitcom. For this, I don't blame Sarandon, but instead fault Mr. Jackson.

Stanley Tucci's murderous George Harvey is fine, as is Rose McIver as Susie's younger sister, Lindsey, but they're not enough to tip the scales to the positive in the acting department.

Admittedly, there are moments in this film that work. The scenes of Susie's murder and Lindsey's discovery of some pivotal evidence are racked with tension. And it was moments like those that make it a shame that Jackson and his co-writers bogged this thing down with ridiculous meta-physical mumbo jumbo.

The RyMickey Rating: D+

Movie Review - The Brothers Bloom (2009)

New Thoughts: 12/9/09 -

I took another look at The Brothers Bloom this evening and I'm quite happy to say that it held up incredibly well. In fact, although I wouldn't say it increased its grade, I do think it's going to move up the ranks a spot or two. My same criticism still stands in that the final act seems a little drawn out...however, I appreciated the last 30 minutes a bit more than I did the first time around. That final act is really where the emotional oomph comes into play. Also, of note, while I still adore Rinko Kikuchi's Bang Bang character, I also came away much more appreciative of Rachel Weisz's Penelope. Expect to see her in the next Academy Awards Wishlist in the incredibly weak Supporting Actress category.

Originally Posted 6/5/09

Starring Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rinko Kikuchi
Written and Directed by Rian Johnson

After the debacle of The Limits of Control, heading up north to Pennsylvania to see a movie was not something I thought I'd rush to do again. But, for some reason or another, I really wanted to see this flick despite the fact that its release was delayed for quite a long time -- and that's usually never a good sign. Fortunately, this movie proved to be quite winning.

Ever since they were little, brothers Stephen and Bloom were con men. From what I can tell, they never really harmed anyone, but they definitely were smart guys who were able to pull off (more than once) a great con, resulting in big paydays. Younger brother Bloom (Brody), however, wants to call it quits. He's tired of the life and wants to settle down. Stephen (Ruffalo) along with the brothers' assistant, Bang Bang (Kikucki), convince Bloom to help them in one last con -- stealing money from the incredibly wealthy New Jersey heiress Penelope Stamp (Weisz). Little do they know that Weisz is cuckoo and will be a much harder con than they ever suspected.

It rarely happens in movies that are so strongly character-driven, but every single one of the actors mentioned above is stellar. This is Mark Ruffalo's best role that I've ever seen him in [there I go, ending in prepositions again...]. For once, he actually brings some vitality to the screen, rather than simply moping around. Adrien Brody (who hasn't impressed me at all since his amazing Oscar-winning turn in The Pianist) was subtle, but, as the emotional center of the film, absolutely able to pull the audience in and have us root for him to get out of this double crossing life. Rachel Weisz is cute as a button (what does that even mean?) and was incredibly funny -- something I've never seen her attempt before. The final lead, Rinko Kikuchi, played Bang Bang with gusto, creating the funniest character in the film despite the fact that she only spoke three words.

Absurdity abounds in this flick -- whether it be a camel walking by in the background of a scene or Bang Bang shooting down a palm tree -- but it works wonderfully. While the comedy is certainly "out there," it's never too zany that it becomes unbelievable. That's a credit to writer-director Rian Johnson who, at least during the flick's first hour, is incredibly adept at directing comedy. His timing and his direction of his stars is spot-on during the first sixty minutes. However, during the film's last hour, the flick goes through one too many "emotional ups and downs"...the movie's over -- fooled ya...no it isn't -- that kind of thing (I must credit the "up and down" comment to one of my fellow moviegoers). It's not that the way the film ended wasn't "the right way" -- in fact, I thought the ending was exactly what it needed to be -- it's just that Johnson had already taken us to that emotional denouement (or at least what we, the audience, thinks is the emotional plateau) thirty minutes prior to the actual ending. Still, Johnson is quite an adept and talented guy and I absolutely need to check out his other directorial venture, Brick.

Another note here about Johnson: I love the fact that this movie was rated PG-13. He easily could've thrown in multiple "fucks" throughout and gotten this movie the 'R' rating that most directors would've. However, he keeps the film almost storybook-like. I didn't even think about this until I saw the PG-13 on the poster above, but this makes me love the movie even more.

I'll be honest here -- I'm jumping back and forth between a B and B+ on this one. The acting was top-notch. Absolutely the best cast in any film I've watched this year (and I honestly think it'll be tough for any cast to match the talent here in the upcoming months). But as I mentioned above, the film is not without a flaw. I need to give the flick a little more time to settle down, but for now, I'm gonna go with the rating below. In all likelihood, the rating below is gonna stick.

Definitely go check this out if it comes to your area. It boggles my mind that they didn't give this one a semi-wide release (why not 500 screens?). It's not too "indie" to appeal to the masses. People are unfairly (in my opinion) comparing this to Wes Anderson's work in terms of its quirkiness and comedic style (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore). While I liked those two aforementioned films, I never laughed out loud in them as I did in Brothers Bloom. By far, the funniest movie released this year.

The RyMickey Rating: B+

Movie Review - Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, and Abigail Breslin
Directed by Adam Brooks

I can't lie...I'm a fan of a good romantic comedy. They're few and far between, but the poster to the left mentions two really good ones -- Notting Hill and Love, Actually. The fact that this movie comes from the same producers was positive...and although it doesn't match the quality of those two, Definitely, Maybe is quite winning.

Very similar to tv's How I Met Your Mother, the flick revolves around a father (Reynolds) telling his daughter (Breslin) the story of how he met her mother, focusing on three ladies that were in his life, one of whom is the young gal's mom.

The three ladies -- Banks, Fisher, and Weisz -- come in and out of the dad's life and all three actresses are great, particularly Isla Fisher. Even in a crappy movie like Confessions of a Shopaholic, Fisher exudes cuteness and quirkiness, a combination on display here as well. And she is perfectly balanced by Ryan Reynolds who once again (along with The Proposal) proves that he's a charming leading man. I was actually moderately surprised that I believed him in the role of a father...not sure why...I guess I think he's young, but he's five years older than me (and we all know I'm a dinosaur).

The RyMickey Rating: B-