Movie Journal: Stardust

There's only so much to say about Stardust, and that's mainly that it is a charming film that succeeds in parts but ultimately fails where it really counts. Sound familiar? I used the same words in my review of Indy 4, though I assure you that Stardust is in many ways the better movie.

Why do I say this? Because, again, it's got a lot of charm. The majority of the time characters come across really well and there are more than a few fantastic scenes. However, to go into any detail concerning the first act and a half of the film would be to destroy it for the reader. The fact is that Stardust sets up the story almost perfectly and then fails to deliver.

It's hard to say exactly what doomed the latter half of the film. I have a few hunches, one being the casting choice of Claire Danes as the ethereal and immortal Yvaine. Claire Danes just doesn't do ethereal and immortal, if you know what I mean. She and the main character were a terrible pairing, and the least charming aspect of the movie. As a result it was really hard to be engaged by the events between them. I had initially thought that Danes had been a weird casting choice, but also that there must be something I missed and that the director would make it work. Not the case. In fact, every time I saw Danes I was ripped right out of the experience because she just didn't belong. This was not a good moment for an actress of her caliber, partly because it may be that she was carefully cast but just didn't do a very good job.

It's terribly sad, because Stardust is a very unique and ingenuity-infused film, and with a few tweaks it could have been truly great.

6 out of 10

Movie Journal: An American In Paris

An American In Paris is one of the greater musicals such as The Music Man and Singin In The Rain, though it tends to achieve far less publicity. Mark my words though that it is every bit as great, if not more so.

This fabulous musical tells the story of...wait for it...an American in Paris! Would you believe it? Gene Kelly stars as a young, struggling artist. He's also the film's choreographer, and boy does he go to town on this one. As the film opens up and the main character is introduced, each movement is like that of a ballet, elegant and precise. And that's far before any singing or dancing even starts, though there's much to enjoy until that picks up. The characters positively come to life on the screen, and give you a guided tour of life in Paris, and what the people are like there. At least, what they're like in a musical.

So anyway, as I was saying: Gene Kelly is Jerry Mulligan, an inexperienced if inspired artist who is barely scraping by. So along comes Milo Roberts, an older, wealth-inflicted woman who has taken an uncanny interest in his work. She wants to help him. It could be that Milo is lonely and attempting to take advantage of Jerry by putting him in her debt, but in his situation, what choice does he have? Things become even more complicated when our hero meets another gal; a young and gorgeous doll he's hooked on almost instantly. This quite visibly upsets Milo, but that's not where the trouble ends. Though Jerry starts going out with this girl named Lise Bouvier in secret, and adores her more than anything in the world, it seems there's something she is not willing to tell him, just like he's not willing to tell her that Milo's financial grip on him is growing uncomfortably tighter.

Sound cookie-cutter? It's not. The storyline is more than the sum of it's parts, and the same goes for the film's rich characters. The dialogue that passes between each one is, to say the least, very well crafted. It's outstandingly clever, and meshes with each song effortlessly scene by scene.

Which once again brings me to the subject of Gene Kelly's choreography, which was almost never better than this. Prepare for your mind to be blown away before the movie is over. "Captivating"? Yeah, it's captivating; your brain will be in microscopic bits. Before the film's end there comes an almost entire act of stylish musical montage madness that leaves you breathless. Musicals don't get much better than this.

Bottom-line? An American In Paris gives us a precious glimpse of the sheer beauty a painter sees in his lover, and it's so spectacular, so amazing, so majestic, that there's no way you're going to watch it just once.

9 out of 10

Movie Journal: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

To tell the truth, I had actually looked forward to Indy 4 for some while; though not excessively enough to find time to view it in theaters. Nevertheless, I was excited. Now that I've actually got around to seeing it, I have to say that not only is "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" the worst Indiana Jones film ever created, but it also happens to be one of the worst action films I have had the misfortune to see.

Now, don't get me wrong. I haven't seen loads of terrible action movies, but I have seen my fair share. And, truth be told, Indy 4 isn't all bad. But it just doesn't succeed where it counts.

Take Jones himself, for instance. As longtime fans of the series, do we not empathize with his situation when the Soviets are forcing him to assist them in their search of the Crystal Skull, which they believe will lead them to the ultimate power? Of course. But Jones' responses to these various situations gives us more of the impression that he's just trying to stay out of trouble instead of being in search of adventure. And who could blame him? He's gotta be at least fifty years old by now, right? It's unfortunate that he's really not the same Indiana we remember and cherish.

In fact, nothing we've cherished from past Indiana films is present here. Marcus? Dead. Jones' father? Dead. And so what we are presented with are a group of mostly new characters, the purpose of these being to replace the old, which never comes to fruition. True, some chords are struck here and there, such as during Shia Labeouf's character's introduction, when he is portrayed as something of a passive thief; a person who takes what he wants without asking, without thinking, and when he feels like it. But that's never really referenced again, and the rest of his character doesn't really reflect that. Also, Karen Allen returns as Indy's long lost G.F. Marion Ravenwood, but the chemistry between her and Ford just isn't there anymore. Not to mention that her character was really badly written this time around.

Perhaps the only character I connected with besides Shi LaBeouf's was Cate Blanchett's. Blanchett did applaudingly well as a Russian villain, and it's a shame because in the end she received the very worst fate among every bad guy in the movie.

The action shines in some moments, but really grinds in the third and perhaps most crucial act of the film. The creators attempt to keep things rolling with cute little domestic inter-character subplots between the main characters, which are badly hatched and executed worse.

Indiana Jones 1, 2, and 3 feature some of the best action scenes ever created, along with superb dialogue and legendary characters to carry it. Indy 4 is the sequel that should never have been made, because then Indy fanatics wouldn't have to pretend for the sake of the series that it didn't exist. Also, I really expected just a little more of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg both. Granted, it's not the worst movie ever made, but it just falls too flat for many people to care for very long.

What I think it comes down to is that, the rest of the series and any expectations aside, even in it's own right The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an ultimately unfulfilling story. It really is a bad movie.

5 out of 10

Movie Journal: True Lies

The first act of the film starts out with a strong, balanced action sequence that sets up the action-oriented element of the plot: that a group of terrorists are currently attempting to smuggle a nuclear warhead into the United States. Then, as the main character spends time at home with his family while the mission is on standby, the movie moves into the second act, the majority of which is a romantic comedy. The fact that these two elements of action and romantic humor can be juggled so effortlessly is in itself a grand feat, rendering True Lies an absolute must-see.

Just three years after the release of the amazing Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Arnold Shwarzenegger returns to take on the role of Harry Tasker, a character who at first glance makes you think of both Rambo and James Bond. Not only is he tough and efficient, but he's got all the cleverness and playfulness of a ladykiller. So it's something of a surprise when he goes home to an ordinary wife and kid, both of which he absolutely adores, even if they don't know it.

They fact is, they both believe that he is a computer salesman. Harry's frequent and necessary lies for the sake of his work have formed something of a disconnection between him and his family. It's the family and marital issues as well as the terrorist threat that are balanced so well and effectively that we have to keep watching to see how things are finally resolved. Also, this is Schwarzenegger at his totally captivating and very best.

The action is best described as very well paced, very well structured, and very well choreographed. It may be of interest to the reader that there are some action shots that are straight out of The Matrix( or rather, there are shots in The Matrix taken straight out of True Lies). For a movie running at 144 minutes long, it's amazing that True Lies successfully has you absolutely gripped by it's over-the-top yet somehow very intense action throughout it's entirety.

As for the adjoining plot involving Harry Tasker's marital problems...I will tell you that the antagonist of this plot is played by none other than Bill Paxton, in one of his most absolutely hilarious roles yet.

Perhaps one of the only major complaints I have is a stylish yet obscenely sexual scene right at the mid-act climax that very nearly bogs down the pace of the film. It's relevant and short, and it's not particularly explicit, but it's just far too gratuitous for my taste. Overall, I guess it's not really a kid movie, if you know what I mean. Other than that, this film is action, romantic, and comedic gold.

8 out of 10

Movie Journal: Red Eye

Here is a film that, chances are, you've heard about at some point, even though you've probably never seen any trailers, posters, or ads for it. Red Eye is in many ways an underrated film, and mostly because people tend to expect it to be something other than what it is: a short, humble yet superbly acted thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

Red Eye was released just a month before the thriller Flightplan, which bears many resemblances but is far more remarkable. Rachel McAdams stars as a hotel manager whose father is held ransom in order for her seatmate(Cillian Murphy of Batman Begins fame) to persuade her to adjust which room the senator is to stay in. The course of this conversation takes place aboard an in-flight airplane, and takes up a good majority of the film.

Don't get the wrong idea: Red Eye is every bit the sum of it's parts and more, which include rich, character-oriented dialogue and remarkable acting. Since when can you watch two people sit and talk for minutes at a time and be entertained? Not so often, these days. Usually the filmmakers have to introduce some kind of new element to keep things rolling before people start spacing out. Which is interesting because Red Eye throws little plot twists or surprises to speak of, but I assure you that if it had run much longer than it did my head would have exploded of overstimulation as it is.

Why this movie has such a low average viewer rating on most movie sites is beyond me, because it's truly great. Red Eye is a gripping, intelligent, and worthwhile thriller that deserves at least some of your attention. You will be entertained.

8 out of 10

Gran Torino Review

Though I wasn't sure what exactly to expect, it turns out that Gran Torino is a superb masterpiece, and in many ways a structurally near-perfect story of pain, death, and ultimate salvation.

Yes, Clint Eastwood stars in this movie, and no, it's not a "shoot-em-up". Eastwood plays a bitter Vietnam vet and an elderly widower with a somewhat paranoid contempt for his neighborhood and it's steadily increasing number of Asian immigrants, as well as the lingering new generation of ignorant teens, many of which constitute the proud gangsters prowling the streets. Eastwood's character's bitterness and disapproval is duly noted by his threatening, animal-like growl, as he glances at his teenage granddaughter and happens to sight her pierced bellybutton.

But make no mistake; Eastwood's contempt for the people around him in no way leads to our contempt of him. In fact, his behavior is perfectly charming because we suspect that deep down he's a real teddy bear. And he is. On a case-by-case basis.

For example: when an Asian kid tries to steal his mint-condition Gran Torino, he's not a teddy bear. Anyhow, turns out that the kid was pressured into it by a local gang, who have been haunting the family next door. As one event after another takes place in this man's life, the situation and the events revolving around it grow increasingly intense; from brutal beatings, to rape, and eventual murder.

Sounds rather dim, doesn't it? But despite these dark undertones Gran Torino is a very bright movie that's a great deal of fun all the way through. Though the majority of the supporting actors are brand new and fairly inexperienced(as Clint Eastwood has pointed out himself) their characters come across magnificently, and with a hint of complementary spontaneity that many have falsely accused of being shallow one-dimensionality. Don't listen to them; if anything, these characters come across as all the more authentic.

Eastwood's role is that of a man who struggles both spiritually and physically most of his life, but in the end finds redemption. This isn't just a good film, or a great one either. It's an absolutely superb and ingeniously crafted masterpiece that I'm really glad I didn't miss.

9 out of 10

Public Enemies Trailer

This is a movie whose premise has me rather intrigued, so of course I've been looking forward to the trailer.



The tone is serious overall, and yet the characters and action are almost stylized to the point of being fitting of a dark superhero comic. Looks glorious.