Movie Review - Delivery Man

Delivery Man (2013)

Starring Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, and Cobie Smulders 

Directed by Ken Scott

In order to make money in his younger days, David (Vince Vaughn) donated anonymously to a fertility clinic over the course of two years.  Twenty years later, David discovers that the clinic utilized his sperm to father 533 children, over a quarter of whom have filed a lawsuit to find out who their biological father really is.

Therein lies the story of Delivery Man and the simplicity of it is both welcoming and a detriment.  Unfortunately, in order to flesh out the tale, writer-director Ken Scott has David go on a mission to try and secretly meet each of the teenage kids named in the lawsuit and this episodic nature of the film's middle act wears thin after a while.  After he meets Kid #3, you can't help but to find yourself waiting for this never-ending meet-and-greet to conclude.

Delivery Man does have a surprising amount of heart and that's due in large part to Vince Vaughn's performance.  Although I grew tired of David's insistence on meeting his spawn, I never disliked Vaughn's ability to show a bit of heart -- a quality I typically haven't seen before from the comedic actor.  Unfortunately, Vaughn's success with the role isn't enough to elevate Delivery Man beyond something simply average.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Alice Eve, and Benedict Cumberbatch

Directd by J.J. Abrams

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

With the origin story of 2009's Star Trek reboot behind us, I was looking forward to seeing what J.J. Abrams was going to bring to the table in Star Trek Into Darkness.  I should preface things by saying that while I like Star Trek, I'm no über-fan.  I haven't really seen any of the original movies and essentially was a ST:Next Generation guy and that was it.  So, if this movie resembles another (which I heard it did upon its release last year), it's news to me.  So, with that caveat out of the way, I'll say that I found Into Darkness to be a truly fun ride that nicely paces its action sequences and never once feels like the typical non-stop in-your-face special effects spectacle that most summer action movies are -- and I mean that in a good way.

Into Darkness places an emphasis on story and that's a welcome treat.  As far as the story goes, however, I'm not going to delve greatly into it as there are a few surprises in terms of Star Trek lore that are best to be left unsaid.  Needless to say that the way director Abrams and his long-time collaborator screenwriter Damon Lindelof (along with writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) are able to weave the old Star Trek with this new reboot are inventive and enjoyable.  I'll also add that even if you've never seen another Star Trek film, you can start with Star Trek Into Darkness and not be lost.  Although it's a continuation of the 2009 film in terms of character development, there's nothing presented here that will make you feel lost if you start your Star Trek journey here.

As I mentioned, I appreciated that those involved creatively didn't feel the need to place action scenes directly after one another in a whiz-bang fashion.  However -- and this is the film's one true detriment -- because of the lack of action sequences, much of the cast wasn't showcased to its fullest potential. Whereas in the first film, I felt that actors like John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin all got their moments in the sun that doesn't necessarily happen here.  In some ways, that's better -- the film's focus on Kirk, Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the villainous renegade Star Fleet member John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) streamlines things a bit more and eschews the need for "action moments" simply to place characters in scenes.  However, with a cast this good, I missed seeing them at times.  That said, Chris Pine has taken the character of Captain Kirk and imbued him with just the right amount of the suavely chauvinistic vibe William Shatner brought to the character without taking things overboard that he's quite enjoyable to watch.  Actors in movies like this don't get a lot of credit, but I think what Pine is doing with Kirk -- making him a cocky guy with a lot of heart -- is great stuff.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden

The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (2013)

Featuring the voices of Cate Blanchett, Thomas Kretschmann, Diane Kruger, Sebastian Koch, Connie Nielsen, and Josh Radnor

Directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

In the late 1920s, budding philosopher Friedrich Ritter was fed up with the world and escaped with his girlfriend Dore Strauch (both were married and having an affair) to the abandoned isle of Floreana in the Galapagos Islands chain.  The two resided on Floreana alone for quite some time foraging for their survival by finding what they needed from the land only being visited by a sea captain and his crew every now and then.  When word about their secluded paradise hit the newspapers, Heinz and Margret Wittmer (and their teenage son) believed it to be the perfect escape for them as well seeing as how they worried about living in what they believed to be a deteriorating society.  The Wittmers landed on Floreana in the early 1930s much to Freidrich and Dore's dismay, but the two groups eventually figured out a way to deal with one another despite the fact that Friedrich was very discomforted by the notion that he wasn't living out his dream of solitariness anymore.

Shortly thereafter, the rich Baroness Von Wagner and two of her male confidantes landed on the small island of Floreana with the goal to build a hotel for visiting Americans and Europeans.  Needless to say, while Friedrich and Dore made do with the fact that the Wittmers landed on the island, at least that family shared his desire to be secluded from the rest of the world.  With the Baroness now attempting to capitalize monetarily on Friedrich's small piece of paradise, things inevitably were going to take a turn for the worse.

The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden is an interesting documentary that utilizes original writings of all the involved parties to tell its tale.  Through voiceovers by the likes of Cate Blanchett and Diane Kruger taking on the roles of Dore and Margret respectively, we get intimate knowledge about each family's feelings towards one another.  This aspect of storytelling is certainly compelling despite the fact that as things veer into disturbing territory, the original journals seem to be less than descriptive and often contradictory as each family attempts to "cover their ass."

Unfortunately, when the filmmakers attempt to showcase life on the other isles of the Galapagos chain by conducting current interviews of elderly folks who were around in the 1930s and younger folks who currently live on the islands, their film sometimes comes to a screeching halt.  These conversations aren't particularly compelling and don't add much to the overarching mystery of what happened on Floreana in the late 1920s/early 1930s.  Still, The Galapagos Affair is a decent portrait of a certainly little known historical anecdote.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - We're the Millers

We're the Millers (2013)

Starring Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Ed Helms, Nick Offerman, and Kathryn Hahn 

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber

Jennifer.  Aniston.  Striptease.

I could simply leave this review at that, but I guess I'll continue by saying in addition to that sultry dance performed by one of my celebrity crushes, We're the Millers provides enough laughs that even if a nearly naked, seductively gyrating Jennifer Aniston doesn't float your boat, you'll still probably have a good time.  Thanks to a game cast who milk the comedy bits for all they're worth, We're the Millers successfully brings the raunch while also giving us characters and a story that hold our attention.

Jason Sudeikis is David Clark, a pot dealer who ends up losing his stash of weed and a significant amount of dough when an attempt to save a homeless girl being attacked by a bunch of street thugs goes awry.  This doesn't sit well with David's boss (Ed Helms) who forces David to head to Mexico and smuggle into the states a significant amount of marijuana without getting caught at the border.  With seemingly no feasible way to smuggle in the pot on his own, David concocts a plan to rent an RV and make up a fake family, acting as if they're taking a trip to Mexico for recreational purposes hoping that the border agents won't possibly think anything is out of the ordinary when they try and get back into the States.  To achieve this task, he enlists his down-on-her-luck stripper neighbor Rose (Jennifer Aniston) to play his wife, the aforementioned homeless girl Casey (Emma Roberts) to play his daughter, and his virginal downstairs neighbor Kenny (Will Poulter) to be his son.  Along the way, this fake family (known as the Millers) runs into drug kingpins and crazy RV enthusiasts (the latter played by Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn) in their attempt to bring an humongous stash of pot over the US border.

While certainly raunchy, We're the Millers does have a bit of heart although it never goes too far over that sentimental edge which works in its favor.  As mentioned above, the entire cast works quite well together with nary a bad apple in the bunch which was a welcome surprise.  Watching a film like this in the comfort of your own home alone can oftentimes ruin its ability to succeed because you don't have the rapturous laughter of an audience around you, but We're the Millers made me laugh out loud enough to deem it a success.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Rush

Rush (2013)

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Alexandra Maria Lara, and Olivia Wilde

Directed by Ron Howard

Ron Howard's directed a lot of good films over the years, but with the exception of Apollo 13, I'm not quite sure I've ever looked at his movies and thought he was a brilliant director.  While he creates good stories often with very nice family dynamics, he's not exactly known for his edge-of-your-seat, exciting direction.  Rush changes that.  To me, the stand out factor in Rush -- what elevates it beyond your typical sports flick -- is what Ron Howard brings to the table.

There's a palpable excitement that runs almost throughout the true story of the rivalry between 1970s Formula One race car drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), the ladies man, and the focused and serious Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl).  The two started out competing against one another on the Formula Three level, finding each others' very different attitudes towards racing almost repulsive.  Then, in 1976, they found themselves duking it out for the Formula One cup with Lauda needing to prove his 1975 Formula One cup victory not a fluke and Hunt attempting to showcase that he wasn't just the chauvinistic party boy that many in the racing world thought him to be.  The rivalry between the two was intense and made for a very interesting and exciting competition.

As I mentioned, I always felt like Ron Howard was very good at focusing on a story's intimate moments -- the connections between characters -- and that's certainly proven once again here.  Both Hemsworth and Brühl imbue Hunt and Lauda with a vicious rivalry, but also with an aire of respect for one another.  Recognizing that they mutually push each other to better results, I found their relationship uniquely depicted and compelling, and thanks to two fine performances by Hemsworth and Brühl, the rather simple story is elevated beyond what I expected especially considering the subject matter that I initially assumed would be completely unappealing to me.

In addition to the quieter moments, Howard steps up his game with Rush as he and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle craft a retro-looking depiction with modern sensibilities.  Auto racing isn't my cup of tea in the slightest, yet Howard makes the multiple races all feel unique, placing us into the cars for some, following from behind on others, and mixing the vantage points up often enough to keep the viewers on their toes, yet completely unconfused about what is being shown.  Considering how similar all the racing cars look, it's a feat in and of itself that Howard makes these races comprehensible to a racing novice like me, but making them tension-filled edge-of-your-seat moments is another coup altogether.  The fact that we can't even tell where the "real" and the "special effects" begin and end is a credit to all involved.  Rush gives us a new Ron Howard who proves that he may have more up his sleeve than I ever thought he did before.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Tim's Vermeer

Tim's Vermeer (2013)

Directed by Penn (Jilette) and Teller

Tim Jenison is an inventor/engineer of sorts who made his living crafting advances in television/video technology.  Jenison's success enabled him to focus on some odd things late in life including the theory that seventeenth-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer perhaps used an intricate series of mirrors and camera obscura to create his incredibly photo-realistic paintings.  In order to try and prove that Vermeer utilized technology to create his masterful works of art, Jenison sets out to try and recreate The Music Lesson, one of Vermeer's paintings.

From 2008 to 2013, Jenison intricately recreated what he believed to be Vermeer's set-up and then spent over 130 days painting his recreation of Vermeer.  While comedians Penn and Teller do an adequate enough job directing Tim's Vermeer, even at only 80 minutes, the film drags a bit.  While Jenison's stamina throughout his journey is admirable, there's only so much of intricate painting you can watch before the yawns start coming.  That said, Tim's Vermeer opened my eyes up to something that I never even had heard of before and actually made me want to find a Vermeer painting and closely examine it.  Maybe I will someday, but until then the intriguing notions brought to the surface in Tim's Vermeer will have to suffice.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Before Midnight

Before Midnight (2013)

Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

Directed by Richard Linklater

There are two absolutely fantastic scenes the bookend Before Midnight, the third film in the Richard Linklater-directed series that periodically cheeks in on the lives of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), a couple who met and spent only one night together while touring Vienna in their early twenties (in the film Before Sunrise) and then rekindled their love nine years later in Paris (in the film Before Sunset).

The first of these scenes has Jesse and Celine -- who after the events of the last film are now a couple raising twin girls -- driving a car through Greece while on vacation talking about some of the more mundane aspects of their lives.  This long take immediately tells the audience that Jesse and Celine have become much more familiar with each other since the last film's conclusion, with their conversations shifting from the more esoteric as we saw during their courtship to more grounded, based in reality-type dialog ("Should I take this new job?  What about the kids?").

The second of these scenes occurs after a long day of meeting with friends and watching over their kids as Jesse and Celine have been treated to an evening at a posh hotel kid-free by their Greek comrades.  Upon their arrival, the two want nothing more than to forget about their kids and spend the night ravaging one another with lovemaking.  However, Jesse's fourteen year-old son who spent the summer with his father in France and then vacationing in Greece calls Celine to tell him that his plane home to the States landed in London.  Celine says something very casual at the end of the conversation that Jesse takes as derogatory toward his ex-wife and this somewhat innocent remark causes the night to spiral out of control with Jesse and Celine yelling about how they've given up so much for one another, feeling like they've left part of themselves behind ever since they finally took the plunge and got together nine years ago.

Both of these scenes epitomize all that is great with the Before... series of films -- crackling, real-life dialog that never once feels forced or out of place, coming from a natural place of real emotion and story.  Thanks to the performances of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and the fact that we've followed these same characters across a unique twenty year cinematic journey, we can't help but feel we're watching a real-life couple deal with the positives and negatives of a relationship.

Unfortunately, the problem with these two fantastic scenes is that they make the rest of the film pale in comparison.  Unlike the previous films in the Before... series, Before Midnight invites several other couples into the picture as Jesse and Celine vacation in Greece.  (On the surface, I get this -- Jesse and Celine are older now with kids and their lives aren't strictly revolving around one another like the previous two films.)  We get a particularly long scene at a dinner table in which these couples discuss the differences between men and women that pretty much boils everything down to the stereotypical "men think with their penises, women think with their hearts/brains" thing we've heard hundreds of times before.  This is actually a theme that runs throughout much of the film's scenes that aren't strictly Jesse/Celine moments and it really makes it seem as if we're watching two different films.  For a flick that contains this childish "been there-done that" base look at the Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus concept to also contain some of the most realistic and intimate looks at communication in a relationship seems oxymoronic.

Still, the final scene alone of Before Midnight is worth the price of admission alone and elevates the film (to a level it may not be worthy of being elevated) thanks to the stellar writing of director Linklater and stars Hawke and Delpy -- it's that fantastic.  Although Midnight couldn't quite match the ease and charm of Sunset, I look forward to checking in on Jesse and Celine again in nine years as this original cinematic series continues (at least I hope that's in the works).

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - After Earth

After Earth (2013)

Starring Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Zoë Kravitz, and Sophie Okonedo

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

While not quite the debacle I was expecting, After Earth is a dismal, depressing flick with nothing positive to note.  Father-son duo Will and Jaden Smith star as father-son duo Cypher and Kitai Raige who crash land on Earth centuries after the planet was deemed inhabitable.  Dad Cypher is immobilized during the crash and unable to walk, so he sends son Kitai out into the unknown landscape in order to find the tail end of their spacecraft which contains a beacon that can be used to send for help.  Along the way, Kitai is forced to face an environment that has adapted to kill humans while additionally having to do battle with an alien creature that was being carried on the afflicted spacecraft that just so happens to be able to smell fear.

As Kitai is out in the wild, he's in constant communication with his father who, thanks to conveniently innovative technology, is able to see everything going on in the environment around his son.  A pack of wild monkeys are coming Kitai's way?  No worries because Dad knows about it first.  A giant hawk is coming to attack Kitai?  We've got that taken care of.  All the while, we get to hear Papa Smith spout eloquent theology like, "Fear is not real.  It's a product of our imagination.  Danger is very real, but fear is a choice," in the most monotone voice caught on film in 2013.  With nary a modicum of emotion emanating from Will, it's obvious why Kitai wants to break away from his father.

While Will Smith is an emotional vacuum, Jaden doesn't have the charisma to carry the film.  Tackling some weird undecipherable accent, Jaden shouldn't have necessarily earned the Worst Actor Razzie Award, but any attempts by the Smith family to make their son a star should probably be quashed sooner rather than later.  Then again, maybe it's just the role as co-scripted by M. Night Shyamalan whose involvement with this was unceremoniously kept hidden in all ads after his recent directorial foibles.  After the one-two-three punch of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, Shyamalan has utterly ruined his reputation and After Earth (despite direction that isn't horrible...faint praise, I know) won't help to redeem that in the slightest.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - At Any Price

At Any Price (2013)

Starring Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Kim Dickens, Heather Graham, Maika Monroe, and Clancy Brown
Directed by Ramin Bahrani

Despite decent performances from Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron, At Any Price is a heartland-set drama that plays more like a soap opera than a legitimate movie.  Quaid is Henry Whipple, a Midwestern farmer who sells seed to his fellow agriculturists.  Henry's son Dean (Efron) lived in the shadow of his older brother who, after he went off to college, left Dean to feel the brunt of Henry's desire to pass his farm down to one of his sons.  Dean, however, just wants to race cars leading to tension between father and son.

Beyond this little familial tiff, there are several other "issues" that come to the forefront as the movie progresses that elevate the drama.  Some of these elements work...some are laughable.  Quaid tackles these hurdles by making his character irritatingly chipper which works at moments and doesn't at others.  Efron comes off a bit better, proving that there may be potential for something from the young actor, but once again, he's not given much to stretch his acting chops here.  (Parkland and The Paperboy also allowed him to give decent performances, but also didn't give him a chance to really shine.)

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Evil Dead

Evil Dead (2013)

Starring Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, and Elizabeth Blackmore

Directed by Fede Alvarez

I must admit right off the bat that I've never seen the original Evil Dead.  I tried to watch it several years ago, but its corny nature was a bit of a turn-off at the time.  With that in mind, I watched the 2013 remake without any preconceived notions and I found first time director and co-screenwriter Fede Alvarez's film a scary gore-fest with many an uncomfortable cringing moment which, ultimately, makes this type of film a success.

The story is incredibly simplistic -- a group of five twentysomethings head to a secluded cabin wherein one of them accidentally conjures up demons which begin to possess them one by one, turning them into evil human-killing zombies.  We're not looking at fancy storytelling here, but what we are seeing is gore galore done so in a way that genuinely had me uneasy...in a good horror film way, if that makes sense.  The sense of tense discomfort that the director brings to the table is perfectly suited for the flick and, considering this is his first venture into feature film making, that's not an easy task to accomplish.  Aided by actors who are all better than horror films like this typically have any right to have in them, Evil Dead ends up being a surprising solid entry for me as I round up my 2013 film-watching.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - The Canyons

The Canyons (2013)

Starring Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Funk, Amanda Brooks, Tenille Houston, and Gus Van Sant

Directed by Paul Schrader

I will readily admit that the only reason I watched The Canyons is because I expected both the film and its troubled star Lindsay Lohan to land on my Worst of 2013 list.  Color me surprised that Lohan's performance is a intriguingly vulnerable one, tapping in to what I can only assume are her own insecurities as she attempts to get back on her feet after a rough go this past decade.  The film itself...well, I've see worse this year...

The problem with The Canyons is that all of its characters are self-involved, obnoxious a-holes.  They're certainly not enjoyable to watch.  Considering that this is from the pen of Bret Easton Ellis, I'm not particularly surprised as my limited knowledge of Ellis is that these types of characters are his bread and butter.  There's a slightly noir-ish tone to The Canyons with story centering around spoiled rich kid movie producer Christian (porn star James Deen) and his inability to trust his live-in girlfriend Tara (Lohan).  The two have an odd, open relationship welcoming men and women back to their palatial L.A. home to partake in a variety of sexual relations.  However, when Christian suspects Tara may be having a "real" relationship with someone other than his controlling self, he's not a happy camper.

While Lohan embodies the worn-down, world-weary, tough-around-the-edges Tara quite well, the same can't be said for James Deen.  While he certainly tries, he can't quite get Ellis's words to come out sounding believable.  Then again, to Deen's credit, I'm not quite sure anyone could succeed as the character of Christian does get saddled with much of film's attempt at creating "substance" and "meaning" by talking about what his character perceives as problems with society.  This is where Ellis falters in that I have no desire to hear what these vapid characters have to say about anything.  While I think it's supposed to be skewering the elite Hollywood mindset it depicts, it doesn't succeed.

The rest of the relatively unknown cast actually does a decent job, but the surprise of the film is Lohan.  She definitely looks weathered here and a little worse for the wear, but this was a vehicle aptly made for her and her recent troubles.  She channels a bit of the noir dames of the past and was honestly compelling to watch.  Good luck to her in the future and here's hoping she can turn her life around.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Blancanieves

Blancanieves (2013)

Starring Maribel Verdú (queen), Daniel Giménez Cacho (father), Sofía Oria (young), and Macarena García (old) 

Directed by Pablo Berger

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

We all know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs so telling it in a silent black-and-white format as it is in Pablo Berger's Blancanieves won't throw anyone into fits of confusion.  The question is, though, did this tale really need to be updated in this way?  Ultimately, the answer is no and while I appreciated Berger's screenplay's different spin on the Grimm tale, I found myself fighting boredom and stopping the film multiple times as I viewed it.

Boredom never sets in when the evil Encarna (Maribel Verdú) is onscreen, however.  Unfortunately, when she's not in the picture, Blancanieves doesn't have the emotional push to get me to care about the story which is a little odd considering the fact that this flick actually goes into Snow White's background much more than any previous Snow White movie I've seen.  Here, bull fighter Antonio Villata (Daniel Giménez Cacho) is gravely gored during a bullfight.  While he survives only to be a paraplegic, his grief-stricken pregnant wife dies during childbirth.  Unable to live on his own, Villata's live-in nurse cares for and eventually marries him.  This live-in nurse -- the evil Encarna.

That child that was borne to Villata's wife?  Young Carmencita (Sofía Oria) lives with her grandmother for several years until she dies of a heart attack leaving Carmencita essentially orphaned.  Having never met her father before, Carmencita is taken to his palatial abode, but upon arriving is greeted by Encarna who forces her to sleep in the chicken coop and forbids her to see her father.  Eventually, Carmencita breaks Encarna's rule and her relationship with her father blooms in secret without Encarna's knowledge.  Needless to say, this is where the typical Snow White story kicks in.  Once Encarna discovers this familial connection several years later (Carmencita is now a teenager played by Macarena Garcia), she is banished from the house, hunted down by "the hunter," and meets some dwarfs.

While I appreciate the updating and the fleshing out of the story, the film isn't visually stimulating enough (despite a charming "old" look) or unique enough story-wise to captivate.  Blancanieves really only comes alive whenever the scenery-chewing Encarna is onscreen and that just isn't enough to make the flick work.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Simon Killer

Simon Killer (2013)

Starring Brady Corbet and Mati Diop

Directed by Antonio Campos

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

Simon Killer had so much potential as a film -- and then it went and did the whole indie flick thing where its ending proves to be a huge letdown after all this build-up simply for the sake of naturalism. It's a tease, really.  Fortunately, despite the disappointing final act, the first two-thirds of Simon Killer is a rather stunning character study with some compellingly fresh directorial choices (both visually and aurally) that add to the flick's appeal...and make it all the more upsetting that it can't deliver the goods in the end.

Recent college graduate Simon (Brady Corbet) has just broken up with his girlfriend of five years and is visiting Paris to try and get his mind off his longtime lady.  Unable to kick the depression, Simon is persuaded into taking his mopish self into a brothel one evening where he meets prostitute Noura (Mati Diop).  When Noura agrees to see Simon outside of work (still for money, mind you), Simon begins to become infatuated simply with the fact that he's made a connection with someone -- it could've been anyone, but it just so happened to be an incredibly attractive French hooker.  The paid dates eventually fade away and a real relationship begins and Simon comes up with a plan to blackmail Noura's rich clients out of lots of dough by videotaping their sexual escapades and threatening to show their indiscretions to their wives.  The ripple effect of this on Simon and Noura's relationship is a bit more profound than either of them could imagine.

Simon Killer is raw and doesn't mince on being overtly sexualized (it wasn't rated by the MPAA) which adds to director-screenwriter Antonio Campos' voyeuristic take on young lust.  Campos utilizes long takes and somewhat odd, off-putting camera placement to aid with this creepy, constantly lingering feel.  (One take, for instance, plants Campos' camera squarely at the level of his characters' torsos and we only get glimpses of their faces when they sit down.  Of course, this "torso focus" also sexualizes the characters a bit as well.)  A pulsing soundtrack helps to create a vivid world for his two main cast members.

Brady Corbet is frightening here.  At first, we feel for his Simon as we view him as a guy who's having a tough time getting over a break-up.  Soon, however, we see that he's become a bit warped, a bit unsteady, and a bit off his rocker.  It's not that he ever becomes possessive of Noura, it's just that she becomes his life.  I realize that sounds oxymoronic, but she never really becomes his puppet on a string...he's simply is desperate for that human connection.  In fact, their first scene together involves a sexually deviant moment that epitomizes just that -- Simon doesn't need her to physically satisfy him; he just needs to know she's there in order to be satisfied.  (Vague enough, for you?  I just don't want to spoil things.)  Corbet does an excellent job of giving Simon layers that he slowly peels back, becoming a bit more menacing as the film progresses.

Unfortunately, the film fails to present a satisfying payoff.  While it's likely the most realistic way for the film to end, Simon Killer concludes with what feels like a middle finger to the audience.  Still, everything leading up to that is so good, that I can't not recommend it.  It's certainly not for everyone due to its graphic nature, but it's an impressive directorial job from Antonio Campos that makes me want to seek out his prior flick.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Blue Caprice

Blue Caprice (2013)

Starring Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Tim Blake Nelson, and Joey Lauren Adams

Directed by Alexandre Moors

I remember the Beltway Sniper case of 2002 quite vividly in part because I had relatives who lived nearby as the terror unfolded over the course of several weeks.  That connection to the crime had me interested in seeing Blue Caprice, but the debut film of Alexandre Moors just plays too much like a stereotypical "indie" pic -- lots of deep meditative talking, lots of shots of trees passing by in a car, drab settings, slow pace.  While it seemingly had the grounds for a good story, Moors and the film's screenwriter fail to make the story captivating.

While it's interesting to see how John Muhammad (Isaiah Washington) met the seventeen year-old Lee Malvo (Teguan Richmond) and "corrupted" him/guilted him into obeying his whims, my biggest problem with Blue Caprice is that I never quite grasped why Muhammad was so ticked off to go on his rampage in the first place.  Admittedly, maybe the film attempted to describe it beyond "My Ex-Wife Stole My Kids From Me and The State Always Sides With The Woman," but the snail's pace at which this film's first hour meanders by failed to allow me to watch it without stopping the Blu-Ray multiple times so I may have missed certain aspects of the plot.  Nonetheless, without the reasoning behind the killings, I lost interest.

While the film certainly kicks into gear during the last 25 minutes when Muhammad and Malvo finally make it to the Washington, D.C., area, it was a disappointment overall.  Isaiah Washington certainly gives a good performance, but it's not enough to lift the film from its rather boring laurels.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - The Summit

The Summit (2013)

Directed by Nick Ryan

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

So many reviews as of late trying to finish up 2013...so little time...gonna keep this one brief...

The Summit details the story of an ill-fated expedition to K2 -- the second highest mountain peak on Earth -- during the summer of 2008.  Eighteen mountain climbers made the trek up to the apex, but only eleven came back down alive.  This is their story...and a gripping one it is especially due to the fact that the loved ones of those who died aren't entirely sure that they didn't perish because of the misdeeds of others thanks to some poorly managed planning.

Nick Ryan's documentary is a little heavy on re-enactments, but I guess that's inherently due to the fact that cameramen can't make the treacherous climb up K2.  Still, thanks to some tense interviews, The Summit is an interesting, though not necessarily original, film.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Byzantium

Byzantium (2013)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley, Jonny Lee Miller, Daniel Mays, and Caleb Landry Jones

Directed by Neil Jordan

As I draw to the end of my 2013 viewing (the RyMickey Awards will finally be forthcoming in September), I often wonder why I feel the need to see as much as I can movie-wise.  What's the point?  Surprises like Byzantium are why I hold off on my awards.  Now, I can't say for certain that Byzantium will land in the top of any of my categories, but I can at least say that this new take on a classic vampire story breathed new life into a genre that's been beaten down to kid-like, laughable levels as of late thanks to the popularity of the Twilight series.

The alluring Gemma Arterton is Clara and when we first encounter her she's stripping in a seedy bar in England in an attempt to bing in an income to look after her teenage sister Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan).  However, Clara and Eleanor have a secret and when one of Clara's customers reveals that he knows Clara is really a vampire, he meets an untimely end that forces the two sisters to flee their apartment for a new town.  As the two immortal women settle in, they become comfortable with their surroundings which is never a good thing considering the secrets that both Clara and Eleanor hide from everyone.

Neil Jordan's film not only tells the modern-day journey of Clara and Eleanor, but also the two hundred year-old story of how they became immortal vampires in the first place.  Both aspects of the effectively woven story written by Moira Buffini are surprisingly solid, each holding its own and deepening one another via their plots.  Jordan's film ratchets up the tension at key points, is nicely shot, and humorously gory at times -- the latter of which actually added some comedic moments to the otherwise heavy plot.

Saoirse Ronan presses on with her monopoly of mopey kid roles, but this works here because her Eleanor feels trapped not only in her sister's shadow, but also quite literally in her never-aging body that doesn't allow her to become close to anyone since her secret will be revealed should she form a long-term relationship.  Gemma Arterton continues to impress, exuding a dirty sexiness when Clara's pimping herself out to get money to pay the rent while also believably mothering the younger Eleanor in an attempt to save her from those who would do her harm.

Byzantium is much more fun than I expected it to be.  With solid craftsmanship on all levels, this one was a pleasant treat.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing (2013)

Starring Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Clark Gregg, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz, Sean Maher, Reed Diamond, and Julian Morgese

Directed by Joss Whedon

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

It always takes me about thirty minutes to get acclimated to Shakespearean dialog.  In those thirty minutes, I often find myself wondering why I put myself through watching interpretations of his work, but I eventually get won over and that's certainly the case here with Joss Whedon's modern-day updating of Much Ado About Nothing.  

Set in a California home, Much Ado tells the tale of Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof) -- two former lovers (at least in this production) who have quite a love-hate relationship with one another.  Neither will admit that the other is their true love and instead spend their days poking fun at each other's idiosyncrasies.  Benedick has arrived at Beatrice's uncle Leonato's (Clark Gregg) home for a get-together weekend along with Leonato's good friend Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) and Don Pedro's good friend Claudio (Fran Kranz).  Upon arrival, Claudio declares his undying love for Leonato's daughter Hero (Julian Morgese) at which point Leonato offers up to him her hand in marriage.  (So we have two love stories going on at the same time, for those who are already confused by the older English names.)  Unfortunately for Claudio and Hero, things don't go smoothly as not everyone who is partying at Leonato's abode wants the two of them to get married and may do whatever is possible to nix the upcoming nuptials.

I had seen Kenneth Branagh's version of Much Ado About Nothing over a decade ago so the story here was somewhat fresh for me and not immediately resonant in my mind.  I was surprised at how witty I found the dialog (once I got acclimated, as I mentioned) and I found the humorous tete-a-tete between Beatrice and Benedick to be charmingly romantic.  It certainly helps that Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof (two veterans of Joss Whedon tv series) have a fantastic rapport with one another with Acker in particular impressively capable of handling both the comedic and dramatic sides of her character -- a woman who wants to outwardly show independence, but also wants the love of a man to latch onto.

Admittedly, the modern-day updating isn't perfect, but it provides a different point of view than we're used to seeing and creates an easier transition for those who aren't used to seeing the Bard's words play out.  I know Branagh's take on this same material is well-loved, but I don't remember it nearly enough to draw a comparison to this, so instead I'll just say that this Much Ado About Nothing -- a passion project for The Avengers director Whedon -- is an amusing interpretation of a classic piece of literature.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - 20 Feet from Stardom

20 Feet from Stardom (2013)

Starring Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer, Merry Clayton, and Judith Hill 

Directed by Morgan Neville

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

The 2013 Academy Award-winner for Best Documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom references the distance from the background singers to the lead singer on the concert stage.  Always in the background, back-up singers have always found it difficult to make the leap to center stage for a variety of reasons which this documentary by Morgan Neville details.  While certainly easy to watch and enjoyable throughout -- it's one of those movies that makes you smile while you're watching it because of how pleasing and genial its subjects are -- the film lacks some emotional oomph and gravitas.  Despite the plights of some of these ladies, I never really felt bad for them.  Then again, in retrospect, I'm not really sure I'm supposed to feel bad for them.  And that limbo is what made 20 Feet from Stardom not quite connect with me.

The film focuses on four women -- Darlene Love and Merry Clayton (from the 1950s/60s), Lisa Fischer (from the 80s/90s), and Judith Hill (from the aughts) -- and all four have personalities that you immediately find charming and welcoming.  The film paints all of them in a glowing light, having nothing but respect for the oft-unrecognized job that they tackled.  Love and Clayton in particular were often left by the wayside despite playing key roles in many of the era's greatest songs.  Fischer tries for a solo career (and wins a Grammy), but never captures a solo moment for herself.  Hill is just now trying to stretch out from the background to the forefront.  All four of their stories are compelling, but the subject matter is almost treated too trite and sugary for its own good.

However, despite the qualms, I really did enjoy 20 Feet from Stardom.  Great music, amusing personalities...just not quite the impact I was expecting.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Thanks for Sharing

Thanks for Sharing (2013)

Starring Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Joely Richardson, Patrick Fugit, and Alecia ("Pink") Moore

Directed by Stuart Blumberg 

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

Much like 2013's similarly themed Don Jon helmed by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Thanks for Sharing deals with sex addiction by placing the hefty subject into the context of a romantic comedy.  Granted, differences between the two films abound -- the most important being that in Thanks for Sharing the addicts have all recognized their problems and are seeking help -- but I think that Stuart Blumberg's flick fares a bit better thanks to some nice performances and a little bit more fleshing out of its characters beyond the almost stereotypical roles that were present in Don Jon.

Mark Ruffalo is Adam, a five-year clean "former" sex addict (addiction is an ongoing battle, hence the quotes) whose regular SAA meetings help him retain his sobriety.  In order to survive, Adam has removed television, the internet, and dating from his everyday life hoping to keep sexual temptations away from him.  However, his sponsor Mike (Tim Robbins), a longtime recovering addict himself, tells him that it's time for Adam to put himself on the market again -- the goal of SAA is to make sex meaningful, not to keep folks cloistered.  Adam ends up meeting Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow) and the two hit it off swimmingly although Adam has to constantly worry about whether his addiction will rear its ugly head again.

The rather charming relationship between Ruffalo and Paltrow's characters certainly buoys Thanks for Sharing and makes the flick enjoyable to watch.  The two actors' chemistry is palpable and Paltrow in particular has a light-hearted humorous demeanor here that made me wonder why she never really made it as a romantic comedy lead actress.

Unfortunately, for all the good that comes with Ruffalo and Paltrow's storyline, we're also saddled with the character of Neil (played by Josh Gad) who is new to SAA and is finding it incredibly difficult to leave behind his old ways.  Neil's way of coping with his addiction is to make jokes, but it seemed a tad off-putting in this flick.  Plus, his character's story arc was a bit too obvious to make me have any rooting interest in his success.  I knew where things were going to end up, so I admittedly checked out a bit whenever Neil was onscreen.

There's a surprisingly nice performance from Alecia Moore (better known as the singer Pink) who shows some potential as an actress as well as a tender storyline between Tim Robbins' character and his drug addicted son played very strongly by Patrick Fugit which help elevate the flick a bit.  Ultimately, Thanks for Sharing is a bit "basic" and "obvious," but it proves to be an enjoyable watch thanks in large part to the amiable cast.  Could it have delved deeper into the world of sex addiction, sure.  But not every film dealing with this disease is going to be Shame -- although I wish they would be.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Parkland

Parkland (2013)

Starring James Badge Dale, Zac Efron, Colin Hanks, David Harbour, Marcia Gay Harden, Ron Livingston, Jeremy Strong, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacki Weaver, and Paul Giamatti

Directed by Peter Landesman

Parkland looks at the immediate aftermath of the John F. Kennedy assassination not through the eyes of the Kennedys or the conspiracy theorists, but through the lens of "normal" folks on the ground in Dallas, Texas, that fateful day in November 1963.  While an interesting concept, the film lacks an emotional undercurrent throughout, forcing the audience to feel distanced from everything despite first-time director-screenwriter Peter Landesman's attempts to pull us in visually with his camerawork.

Landesman's film certainly is a good debut for the director, but considering the heft of the subject matter, the piece lacks that emotional connection you long to feel.  Part of the reasoning behind this is likely due to the fact that Parkland is truly an ensemble piece.  We see the doctors and nurses at the Parkland Hospital (played by Zac Efron, Colin Hanks, and Marcia Gay Harden) trying to save Kennedy at the beginning, but then we're whisked away to meet with Abraham Zapruder (Paul Giamatti) to see how he dealt with doling out his famous film to the media and the government.  We also get glimpses into the world of the various FBI and Secret Service agents (David Harbour, Ron Livingston, and Billy Bob Thornton) and their reactions to that day before we're welcomed into the world of Lee Harvey Oswald's brother Robert (James Badge Dale) and crazed mother (Jacki Weaver) and their varied reactions to the horrific events that his brother/son (Jeremy Strong) caused.

Quite honestly, all of these four story threads are quite intriguing and they're all buoyed by strong performances by the cast.  Unfortunately, with the ensemble nature of the piece, we're never with any one of them for any long period of time.  Just when we're starting to feel compassion for the medical workers and their unenviable task that November day, we shift to another storyline.  While I appreciate the different angles Landesman brings to the table, it does keep the audience at an emotional distance from the goings-on.  Nevertheless, Parkland is an intriguing piece that certainly gives a different perspective of the Kennedy assassination and if you're a history buff it's well worth watching.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-