Movie Review - The Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)

Starring Billy Crudup, Michael Angarano, Moises Arias, Nicholas Braun, Gaius Charles, Nelsan Ellis Keir Gilchrist, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Mann, Ezra Miller, Logan Miller, Chris Sheffield, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, James Wolk, and Olivia Thirlby

Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez

Absolutely fascinating.  That was my reaction all throughout The Stanford Prison Experiment which is one of the year's most riveting edge-of-your-seat films.  While not a horror movie, director Kyle Patrick Alvarez's film plays like one as twenty-four young college students are recruited to portray either prisoners or guards and, over the course of what was supposed to be a fourteen-day mock prison experiment, form reactions and attitudes that these men had no idea were inside them.

What exactly are the psychological effects of being a prisoner or prison guard?  That's the question that psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) wanted to explore in August 1971.  After placing an ad in the local paper looking for young male college students, two dozen kids were selected and randomly chosen to be either guards or prisoners by Zimbardo and his student colleagues.  On the relatively empty Stanford campus (thanks to summer break), Zimbardo took over a whole floor of his psychology building, creating cells and a variety of areas for the prisoners and guards to inhabit.  While things start out pleasant enough between the two groups of students, the prisoners begin to insist on certain considerations to which Zimbardo tells his guards to "take control" which they vigorously embrace leading to some horrifically chilling moments of psychological torture.

The fact that this happened in real life -- oh, I hadn't mentioned that tidbit yet -- is insane and it makes what unfolds all the more intriguing.  The cast of young men (and one woman) form one of the best ensembles put onto film in 2015.  Tye Sheridan gives his best performance yet as he gradually comes undone as Prisoner 819.  Similarly, Johnny Simmons has a heartbreaking scene as his Prisoner 1037 faces the parole board (yes, this experiment went so far as to have a parole board) and Thomas Mann also captivates as a prisoner brought in towards the end of the experiment who immediately realizes that something isn't quite right.  Kudos also to heretofore unknown actor Chris Sheffield as Prisoner 2093 who has an incredibly moving moment near the film's conclusion that makes Dr. Zimbardo question the ethics of his experiment.

Speaking of Zimbardo, Billy Crudup doesn't have the flashiest role in the film, but he's certainly the glue that holds things together and does a great job of conveying his initially innocent character's insistence of the importance of the mock prison and his slide into the frightening puppeteer who controls everything.  As the lead guard, Michael Angarano gives one of the scariest performances of the year.  His character's ease into strict authoritarianism depicts a frightening side to human emotions that we all may have inside us.  With the exception of Ezra Miller who I thought was playing his character similar to every other character I've ever seen the young actor play, the entire cast of knowns and unknowns kept my eyes glued to the screen.

The Stanford Prison Experiment is a film I didn't want to end.  I'm not a psychology buff in the slightest - I tend to think it's mostly a load of hooey - so for me to be riveted by this film was a complete surprise.  The talented ensemble should take a lot of the credit, but director Kyle Patrick Alvarez deserves much praise as well.  His film doesn't play like an educational documentary.  Instead, this is a tense discomforting two hour journey into human behavior with his camera allowing us to witness both the emotional trauma of the prisoners and the sadistic glee of the guards.  My words at the beginning of this review really sum up my thoughts about the movie as a whole -- absolutely fascinating.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Movie Review - The English Teacher

The English Teacher (2013)

Starring Julianne Moore, Michael Angarano, Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins, and Nathan Lane

Directed by Craig Zisk

***The film is currently streaming on Netflix***

When Jason (Michael Angarano) returns to his small Pennsylvania hometown after spending a few years in New York City trying to make it as an aspiring playwright, he's greeted kindly by his former high school English teacher Linda Sinclair (Julianne Moore) who is thrilled to have a student who has gone on to write a play (despite the fact that it's never been produced).  After meeting with her school's drama teacher Carl Kapinas (Nathan Lane), Linda decides to produce Jason's play with Carl for their high school dramatic production.  Along the way, however, Linda and Jason begin to have a relationship beyond teacher-former student and complications arise that may affect Linda's typically mundane and rote life.

Unfortunately for Julianne Moore, she's yet to star in a comedy that I've really enjoyed (yes, that includes The Big Lebowski which I think I highly overrated when I watched it several years ago).  The English Teacher does nothing to change this thought of mine.  Moore herself isn't the problem -- I think she could do decent with comedic roles if she'd only choose comedies that were actually funny.  All of the actors here are actually game and try their hardest in their roles, but even their significant acting chops couldn't elicit a single laugh from me.  Moore's facing a mid-life crisis, Angarano's trying to figure out his path in life, and Kinnear's attempting to become a better father to Jason, but none of these plot points are funny -- and therein lies the problem.

There's a sweetness that permeates through The English Teacher that is moderately enjoyable, but director Craig Zisk's first feature film is too trite and ultimately too bland to merit your time.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - Haywire

Haywire (2012)

Starring Gina Carano, Michael Angarano, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, and Michael Douglas

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Haywire is mindless fluff.  That's not meant as a criticism, but it's the truth.  No one's going to mistake this female-led action flick as great cinema, but it's certainly an enjoyable ride.  A day after I watched it, I may not remember much in the way of plot or character development, but I will remember that I had an enjoyable 85 minutes seeing it unfold in front of me and sometimes that's all one needs when watching a movie.

MMA-star Gina Carano is Mallory Kane, a "black ops super soldier" (according to imdb's description) who is used by the government to head out on certain missions for them.  She's good at her job and can kick some serious ass, but she often finds herself a bit at odds with Kenneth (Ewan McGregor), her ex-boyfriend and also the man that sets up her jobs for the government.  When set on a job to Ireland, she quickly discovers that she has been set up by her bosses and must go rogue in order to save her life.

There's nothing special that the story brings to the table, and while director Steven Soderbergh does an admirable job of filming the action scenes and keeping the story rolling at a good pace, things are by the book for the most part.  The acting is all above par, even that of Gina Carino who was criticized in reviews that I read for her lack of acting chops.  I found her perfectly acceptable for what this role asks of her.  Do I wanna see her tackle something a bit more weighty?  I'm not sure, but as an action chick, she handles herself well.

Admittedly, there's not a ton to say about this because Haywire is just a standard action flick, but it's a good one and worth a watch.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Red State

Red State (2011)

Starring Michael Parks, Michael Angarano, Melissa Leo, Kyle Gallner, Kelly Bishé, and John Goodman

Directed by Kevin Smith

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

Rather amusingly, the end credits of Red State -- Kevin Smith's horror movie that he distributed on his own after a "fake" attempt at creating a bidding war earlier this year -- separate the cast into three categories -- Sex, Religion, and Politics.  Certainly those are three subjects that are ripe for controversy and debate, and while Smith undoubtedly takes a side on those topics and does so in a not-too-subtle manner, I couldn't help but enjoy myself thoroughly while watching this.  Thanks to some great performances and a running time that moves everything along at an incredibly brisk rate coupled with solid direction and clever (but not his typical raunchy) writing from Mr. Smith, Red State is a surprising winner.

When three high school boys come across a Craig's List-style online ad for an older woman who agrees to sleep with all three of them at once, the licentious trio wants to jump on the opportunity.  Little do they know that they're walking into a trap set up by a David Koresh-like cult leader Abin Cooper (Michael Parks), a man whose group at the beginning of the film is seen picketing a gay teenager's funeral.  (While that is a reprehensible act, I was a tad worried that this "obvious" "He's EVIL" stance was going to prove to be a little too blatant throughout the movie...fortunately, Smith curbed this as the movie progressed.)  The three teens are drugged and awaken in Cooper's church where he spreads (his version of) God's word to his family members who are the only members of his congregation.  In the midst of a rousing sermon, it soon becomes obvious that Cooper has warped the Bible into something decidedly crackpot and all hell is about to break loose.

For reasons I won't divulge in order to try and stay as spoiler-free as possible, the government soon becomes involved in this whole affair and sends out agents to try and take over Cooper's compound.  Headed by Agent Keenan (John Goodman), orders are soon given by his supervisors to do whatever is necessary to bring Cooper and his terroristic organization down.

If one were to step back and look at the grand idea that Smith is trying to convey here, his attacks on religion and our society post-9/11 don't necessarily hold water.  While both are certainly topics that can be critiqued in a film landscape, he doesn't dig deep enough to incite change or cause the viewer to even think about their opinion on the subject.

But if we overlook that (and I choose to because the rest of the film is good enough to do so), Red State is a very suspenseful horror film.  No one is safe and there was many a moment when I was shocked by what was unfolding onscreen.  Yes, there are moments of Smith's trademark humor (including a clever though mildly stupid "twist" towards the end), but the film works because the director has a solid grasp on editing his flick to maximize tension.  

Helping achieve this sense of unease are some wonderful performances.  Michael Angarano and Kyle Gallner as two of the sexually charged teens provide the "Kevin Smith wit" prevalent in his other flicks.  Nice work also comes from John Goodman as the agent who takes a rather moralistic stance against his superiors.  Melissa Leo as one of Cooper's daughters is utterly creepy and Kelly Bishé (with whom I'm completely unfamiliar) is beautiful to look at and does quite a good job as a wavering, questioning member of Cooper's clan.

The star here, though, is Michael Parks as the seemingly pleasant smooth-talking Abin Cooper.  At the beginning of the film, Cooper is given a lengthy monologue that, while could have easily been removed or shortened, brilliantly reveals the true character behind this country preacher.  He's outwardly pleasant yet so incredibly evil and Mr. Parks plays him without ever stooping to cheap tricks.  Cooper is a nut and Parks' evenhanded portrayal of him makes him even more terrifying.

Red State isn't going to be for everyone.  It is quite violent and it's not exactly a pleasant watch (although it's not nearly as graphic as the torture porn horror shlock that was so pervasive in the early aughts).  But it did it's job to keep me on the edge of my seat and that's all I can ask from a movie like this. 

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Ceremony

Ceremony (2011)

Starring Uma Thurman, Michael Angarano, Reece Thompson, and Lee Pace

Directed by Max Winkler
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Ceremony is a quirky little dramedy that I'm sure 99% of people never heard of, and while admittedly it's not exactly a movie that deserves a ton of recognition, it was an interesting enough diversion for me not to be ticked off that I wasted my time watching it.  That said, it's not without some story issues that end up .

Starting off rather promisingly, Ceremony follows early twentysomething friends Sam (Michael Angarano) and Marshall (Reece Thompson) as they trek to a coastal town for a weekend getaway.  While Marshall thinks it's an opportunity to spend time with his buddy who has been preoccupied over the past year with writing his latest children's book, Sam's intent of the trip is to crash the wedding of the slightly older Zoe (Uma Thurman) with whom he had a relationship a few years ago.  While Zoe still feels something for the younger Sam, she can't help but feel that their May-December romance would be doomed to fail despite her beau's attempts to woo her away from her documentary filmmaker fiancé Whit (Lee Pace).

Yes, there are moments where the oddball characters are too bizarre to be believed, but fortunately Michael Angarano is a rather charming leading guy.  There's no doubt that his Sam is an unrealistic person, but Angarano sells the assertive romantic who's much more insecure than his hellbent attitude causes him to appear.  Certainly the nucleus of the film, had Angarano failed, the flick would've been a disaster, but he managed to win me over from the opening scene and surprisingly carried the peculiar charm throughout.

In the grand scheme of things, Uma Thurman's Zoe is almost a throwaway...and that's partly where the film falls apart.  In the end, Ceremony is a movie that's absolutely should be about the Sam-Zoe relationship, but much too much focus is placed upon Sam's failing friendship with Marshall.  While the insecure Marshall was certainly an amusing character (and the nearly polar opposite of the headstrong Sam), the film isn't really about this duo and first time director-writer Max Winkler can't find the adequate balance between these two people in Sam's life.

The RyMickey Rating:  C