Movie Review - Third Person

Third Person (2014)

Starring Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody, Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Moran Atias, Maria Bello, and Kim Basinger

Directed by Paul Haggis

I've always said I'm a fan of movies that attempt to interweave multiple storylines with an overarching theme.  Third Person is one such film, but it fails so miserably as it attempts to fill its bloated 135-minute runtime with three tales of loss that feel so poorly thematically connected that I couldn't help but wonder why Oscar-winning screenwriter-director Paul Haggis was ever given the green light in the first place.

One piece of the triad deals with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael (Liam Neeson) who has secluded himself in a hotel room to finish penning his next masterpiece.  When his lover Anna (Olivia Wilde) surprises him, we realize that the relationship between these two lost souls is tenuous at best.  Then there's Julia (Mila Kunis), a mom whose son has been taken away from her by her ex-husband Rick (James Franco) after a horrible accident almost left their child for dead...or was not an accident at all?  Finally, Scott (Adrien Brody) is a sneaky businessman who steals upcoming suit designs from ritzy high-fashion designers in order to make cheap knock-offs.  While in a bar in Italy, he meets Monika (Moran Atias) who is struggling to find the money to pay off a gangster who has kidnapped her child...but is this all a con?

None of those stories really sound all that interesting on their own and when put together, they amount to a whole lot of depressing nothingness.   The male actors fare a bit better in the ensemble as most of the females are written so poorly that Kunis, Wilde, and Atias really couldn't do a thing to help forward their characters' plots or dimensionality.  Man or woman, though, I found myself completely removed from the variety of plights on display rather than being pulled in and invested.  Quite frankly, Third Person is a bit of a mess.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Matheiu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, and Tony Revolori

Directed by Wes Anderson

Director and screenwriter Wes Anderson's films are always easy to pick out by their colorful visual style, exquisite production design, sardonic, quirky humor, and the presence of Bill Murray, but with the exception of Fantastic Mr. Fox, I always tend to feel that Anderson can't quite craft a great story around his admittedly unique style.  While The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of his better efforts, I still find myself waiting for one of his live action flicks to really grab me and pull me in with its story.

Told in a flashback within a flashback, the film focuses on Monsieur Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), the concierge at the prestigious Grand Budapest Hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka in 1932.  While Gustave runs the hotel with precision, he's also well known amongst the elderly lady crowd for providing something a little bit extra during their stay.  (That "extra" would be sex...in case I was too vague.)  One such lady -- Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Tilda Swinton in a ton of make-up) -- has fallen in love with Gustave and while he admittedly reciprocates the feeling to her, he has too many other "duties" in the hotel to fully give himself to her.  However, after she leaves to travel back to her home, Gustave receives word that Madame D has been killed and that he must attend the reading of the will for she has left something to him.  Upon arrival, Gustave learns that Madame D has bequeathed the terribly expensive painting "Boy with Apple" to him much to the chagrin of his relatives.  Not only that, but Madame D was murdered and her sons and daughters are pointing to Gustave as the main culprit.

There are so many great things about The Grand Budapest Hotel that it pains me to not love it more.  Ralph Fiennes is fantastic as Gustave.  The dry humor and wit that exudes from every line reading and every movement from Fiennes is an enviable feat and he really is the unsung hero from the piece.  The rest of the supporting cast is pitch perfect as well with a very nice turn in particular from newcomer Tony Revolori as Gustave's lobby boy/right hand man.  Fiennes is a strong presence in the film and Revolori holds his own, providing his own bit of humor from his reactions to the oddness going on around him.  The cast itself certainly gets the tone of things from Wes Anderson himself who, as a director, has a way of creating humor simply from his direction -- the pan of a camera may be all that's needed in order to elicit a chuckle.  As I watched, I realized that not too many directors have this ability and Anderson understands how to utilize the lens itself in order to create humor.  And the production design -- top notch, melding old school and new school designs with ease, creating a storybook-like world that completely brings us into the fake land of Zubrowka.

But it's that darn story that doesn't quite elevate things.  For about an hour, I was onboard, but the thing peters out towards the end as it shifts from focusing on Gustave to focusing on Gustave's escape plan from those trying to pin him for murder.  I can't say that I want an emotional connection in Anderson's films -- that's not what I'm looking for from his pictures.  But there seems to be some fundamental piece of the puzzle missing in his live action flicks for me that fail to click with my mind on some level as the film progresses.  Perhaps it's just that I tire of the quirkiness after about an hour and I'm left with some pretty basic storytelling in nearly all his films.

Still, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a good flick -- certainly one of Anderson's better films -- with fantastic production values and great acting, but it's just missing that last bit of pizzazz from its screenplay.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Wrecked

Wrecked (2011)

Starring Adrien Brody

Directed by Michael Greenspan

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

Apparently, these days it's rather de rigueur if you're a male actor to want to be in a movie in which you're pretty much the sole person onscreen.  Taking a page from James Franco's 127 Hours and Ryan Reynolds' Buried, Oscar-winner Adrien Brody is all on his own in Wrecked, a flick that unfortunately pales in comparison to those two aforementioned 2010 films.

Adrien Brody is fine as a man who wakes up in a wrecked car in a ditch completely unaware of who he is or how he got in this predicament, but the film lacks the tension, suspense, and character development of 127 Hours and Buried.  I hate to put Wrecked into a compare/contrast-type scenario, but the fact of the matter is when you're creating a movie in which one person is going to be the only person the audience sees onscreen, there needs to be some type of connection or reason for us to care about the one-man show.  It's not that Brody doesn't try...we feel bad for him when he finds his leg trapped by the car wreckage or when the mountain lion tries to dine on him, but there's nothing in the film that allows us to latch onto his character and give a damn if he escapes.  

In the end it's a lack of dialog that kills the flick.  127 Hours and Buried both had unique ways of having their characters speak to the audience (the former through video diaries and the latter via cell phone communication).  Here, screenwriter Christopher Dodd (in his feature film debut) doesn't have a way for his main character to express his feelings, so instead we just here Brody grunting and screaming obscenities for 85 minutes and it ends up creating a gap between the audience and the character.

This flick got a super-limited release, and while it's not awful, it does drag after the novelty wears off about forty minutes in.  Instead of watching Wrecked, go watch those other two movies I mentioned multiple times above (both of which earned spots on my Best of 2010 post earlier this year).

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Nina Arianda, Kurt Fuller, and Mimi Kennedy

Directed by Woody Allen

It should be noted that there are moderate spoilers below...I call them spoilers in the broadest sense of the word because the trailer, rather ingeniously, did not give away what this movie is about in the slightest.  Perhaps rather foolishly, my fellow moviegoer and I had no concept of a completely major aspect of the plot because of a lack of reading reviews for this and only seeing the trailer.  While I don't reveal any major plot points, just be aware that I'm "giving away" more than you'd see in the commercials.

UPDATED 2/15/12 -- I don't know if it's the fact that now that it's garnered Oscar nominations, I'm looking at the film differently and perhaps a little more critically, but I recently rewatched Midnight in Paris and boy, was my "B" rating way too high.  I found the whole flick this second time around rather pretentious.  While lovely to look at and acted fine by the leads (although Kathy Bates is really painful), it was almost a chore to sit through it a second time.  My adjusted rating will appear below.

Midnight in Paris is pleasant to watch...and that's simply it.  It's a pleasant film that doesn't try to be anything more than that.  And there's nothing wrong with that.  But all this talk about how it's one of writer-director Woody Allen's best films in ages seems rather unwarranted to me.  It's a satisfying romantic comedy, but the awards buzz surrounding this film boggles my mind.  Heck, Allen's Whatever Works was a more satisfying film and failed to get any traction in the Oscar race two years ago.

When the film opens, we meet former screenwriter-turned struggling novelist Gil (Owen Wilson taking on the "Woody Allen" role, but in a thankfully much less neurotic manner than is typically characteristic of Allen's films) who is visiting Paris with his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her parents John and Helen (a somewhat scene-stealing Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy).  After hanging out for several days with two friends of Inez's, Paul and Carol (Michael Sheen and Nina Arianda), Gil grows tired of Paul's know-it-all, booksmart, and arrogant nature and finds himself separating from the group walking the streets of Paris alone at night.  While contemplating both his career and his relationship, a clock in a small Parisian square strikes midnight and Gil finds himself magically transported back in time to the 1920s where he finds himself trading one-liners with folks like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali.

Owen Wilson is one of the biggest reasons Midnight in Paris garners the "pleasant" moniker.  He's in nearly every scene and his Gil is a guy that you can't help but root for.  Oftentimes, the "Woody Allen doppelganger" is such a nebbishy whiner, but here Wilson dials down the crankiness...and it's much appreciated.  Wilson is evenly matched by Rachel McAdams who takes on a slightly different persona from the sweet gals we've seen her play recently (think back to her Mean Girls days as a reference point for this role).  With the exception of the overrated Marion Cotillard (an actress whose appeal I just don't get in the slightest) as Gil's 1920s muse, all of the supporting performances (including the aforementioned comedic chops of Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy as the conservative-skewing parents of Inez) are pleasant surprises and help elevate the flick.

Nostalgia is really a key plot point and overarching theme of Midnight in Paris.  Unhappy with his current state of affairs, Gil can't help but think that the Paris of nearly a century ago is the solution to all of his problems.  But is it?  In the end, I'm not sure the film answers that question and it kind of left me feeling a bit empty at its conclusion because of it.  I'm honestly not sure whether I'm supposed to be thinking "Yes, the past is better than the present" or "Learn from the past and shape your present with that knowledge."  (It should be noted that there's a rather interesting read on this conundrum here.  Finding myself confused by what I was "supposed to feel" at the end of this, I tried to do a little research and found that essay that doesn't really answer the question either and contains quite a few points I'd disagree with including calling Gil "anti-nostaligic," but at least is rather intuitive.)

Still, Midnight in Paris is a pleasant watch, and as I mentioned before, there's nothing wrong with simply being pleasant...just go into it trying to suppress the "Oscar talk" and you'll be fine.

The "Original" RyMickey Rating:  B
The "New" RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Splice

Splice (2010)

Starring Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, and Delphine Chanéac 

Directed by Vincenzo Natali

Splice seems to be asking the question as to whether science has gone too far when it comes to cloning. While the film offers an answer, the implications of cloning are somewhat brushed aside to allow room for some cheesy horror story to play out.  A better balance between these two sides would have made for a much better movie, although the flick is not a complete misfire.

Partners in both research and in romance, genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) have successfully spliced together genes from a variety of creatures to create a brand new species of animal that will hopefully allow for some great medical breakthroughs with regards to curing various diseases.  Unwilling to stop there, the duo decides to splice human DNA into their next creation.  The hybrid human is successfully brought to term, but the creature has much more aggressive tendencies than regular humans.  Nonetheless, Clive and Elsa decide to watch over the creature and study its growth while attempting to keep it a secret from their colleagues.  As the creature grows and begins to take on more human characteristics, Clive and Elsa find themselves growing emotionally closer to the creature becoming more and more like parents and giving it the name of Dren.  It shouldn't be much of a surprise to discover that things slowly begin to spiral out of control and Dren's animalistic tendencies begin to suppress the human characteristics creating a bit of chaos.

I actually bought into the premise which certainly works in the film's favor (although it did remind me of some other movie that I can't quite put my finger on).  The problem really lies in the fact that the horror side of the film just isn't all that scary.  When Dren, who started out more animal-like, begins to shift from human back to animal again, the special effects (which should have elicited some excitement or tension) veered towards the cheesy side.

It doesn't help that both Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are about as exciting as watching paint dry.  It amazes me that Brody actually won an Oscar because in every single thing that I've seen him in post-Pianist, he is emotionless.  [I need to go back and watch The Pianist and see if he's as good as I remember.]  I've also seen Polley in a few things and, like Brody, she's just vacant all the time.  There's very little chemistry between these two supposed lovebirds.

Surprisingly, though, I wasn't completely turned off by Splice, but I can't really pinpoint anything beyond the premise that really won me over.  My rating below may seem a tad high based on my review above, but it falls into that "Meh" category that I wouldn't exactly recommend to people, but wouldn't tell people to shy away from.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Predators (2010)

Predators (2010)

Starring Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, and Laurence Fishburne

Directed by Nimrod Antel

Honestly, I don't remember a whole lot about the original Predator.  However, I do remember liking it.  With this newly released sequel of sorts, there isn't a whole lot to like.

A group of rough and tumble guerilla-ish "warriors" find themselves essentially marooned in an unknown jungle.  No one in the group knows each other, but we soon discover that each of them specialize in killing people (with the exception -- one would hope -- of a young doctor).  Unaware of their surroundings and finding it difficult to trust in one another, they begin to trek across the terrain, hoping to find some clues to fill them in on why they are there.  They soon discover that they aren't alone in this jungle and that they have been brought here as pawns in some type of game with the same alien-predators that were the main attraction in the earlier Ahnuld film.

This flick just didn't work for me in the slightest and it's really because of the plot.   It was just "that guy dies" then "that guy dies" ad infinitum.  And it's not as if there's even a hint of character development for me to even give the slightest damn that these people are biting the dust.  As for suspense -- who needs it, apparently.  I'm not saying I was looking for a "jump out of my seat" moment, but there wasn't even a bit of excitement here. True, the original Predator isn't exactly a masterpiece, but at least it had a little bit more of a plot about rescuing someone in the jungle.

Honestly, the only saving grace in this movie is Adrien Brody who at least hams it up (in a good way).  He realizes that he's in a piece of dreck and at least is playing his role with moderate gusto.  I was also moderately impressed with Alice Braga as the lone female in the bunch, but she's not given a thing to work with either.  The less said about Topher Grace's character's "surprise" plot twist the better -- good lord that had me rolling my eyes at the inanity of it.

Give me Alien any day...

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+