Movie Review

Melodrama, Weak Performances Hold Back ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’

BrianTT — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:51:51 -0700

Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The amazing adoration for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is based on one of two things: a crush on one of the cast members or goodwill spawned by a love of Stephenie Meyer’s books. Without people’s passion for Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, or the source material, the “Twilight” films have little merit on their own. “New Moon” is a slight improvement on the last entry, but fans still deserve better.

If you have a poster of Robert Pattinson on your wall and have followed every casting announcement for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” like Chicago Cubs fans follow their favorite team, then there’s little point in trying to dissuade you from your affection for the franchise. I understand the desire to desperately want to love on the big screen what meant so much to you on the page. It’s much the same motivation that allows people to look past the flaws of those they love. But the flaws are there and director Chris Weitz, most of the cast, writer Melissa Rosenberg, and the producers of “New Moon” could have done significantly more to hide them.

(Left to right) Robert Pattinson stars as Edward Cullen, Kristen Stewart stars as Bella Swan, and Taylor Lautner stars as Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
Photo credit: Kimberley French and Summit

The film opens on the 18th birthday of our mopey heroine Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Bella’s increasing age has led her to concern about the fact that her bloodsucking boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) happens to be nearly a century older than her. How will his immortality impact their relationship?

The issue becomes more prominent when the Cullens decide to move out of town before too many locals realize that the patriarch of the clan hasn’t aged in the ten years since they’ve been in town. Using the classic technique of trying to break a girl’s heart so she won’t miss you as much when you’re gone, Edward pushes Bella away, sending her into possibly the most melodramatic depression ever seen on film. You’d think the poor girl was trying to kick heroin.

After she gets over the loss of Edward and comes out of her house again, Bella finds herself drawn to the newly-chiseled Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Of course, Bella can’t meet a nice, normal young man and seems destined to only draw the attention of supernatural creatures, as evidenced by the discovery that Jake is a werewolf. The wolves signed a treaty with the vampire years ago, keeping the peace in this quiet town and that pact is threatened by the new love triangle.

The love story in “New Moon” never really gains traction as the three characters aren’t on-screen together until the final act, which switches focus overseas and turns into something more in common with B-movies in the genre with vampire leaders and fantastic cameos from Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning. Sadly, the inclusion of Sheen and Fanning late in the piece only shines a spotlight on how little character, depth, or acting there has been in the film until that point.

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson star in The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
Photo credit: Kimberley French and Summit

I’ve liked Stewart before, especially in the highly underrated “Adventureland” from earlier this year, but she’s simply bad here. Awful dialogue by Melissa Rosenberg doesn’t help but I’m confused as to why Stewart puts so little energy, passion, or relatable humanity into her performance. You can’t tell the difference between her line readings of “I am sad” or “I am happy”. When she breaks out of her Cullen-less depression, her demeanor barely changes. She’s just dull.

And Pattinson is even worse. He mumbles incoherently and mistakes being hard to understand with being mysterious. Lautner does good work in the early “courting Bella” scenes but can’t handle the drama of the final act.

Even with all of the acting problems, most of the blame for what sinks “New Moon” has to be placed at the feet of screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. She has taken a pulpy, timeless plot (the film references “Romeo & Juliet”) and played it deadly seriously and melodramatically without finding the true emotion of the piece. The 130-minute running time could have been trimmed by at least a half-hour if every line…wasn’t…delivered…with such…false gravity.

The action sequences - including a few werewolf on vampire fights and a great sequence with Sheen and Fanning near the end - are significantly better than the first film and a few of the supporting performances have improved, allowing for a slight upgrade, but there was hope that “New Moon” could really deliver where “Twilight” fell short. I guess we’ll have to wait for “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” to turn this franchise around.

‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Anna Kendrick, Michael Sheen, and Dakota Fanning. It was written by Melissa Rosenberg and directed by Chris Weitz. It opens on November 20th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Sandra Bullock, Strong Script Bring Clarity to ‘The Blind Side’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:14:25 -0700

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – “Based on a True Story” films are difficult to pull off, especially those that are the improbable story of a white Memphis family adopting an African American football prodigy. Sandra Bullock is the mother, through it all, in “The Blind Side.”

The football-themed title refers to protecting the quarterback’s blind side, the area where he can’t see a defensive linebacker coming. Symbolically, it also describes the life of Michael Ohr (an exceptional Quinton Aaron), a Memphis teenager who is discovered to be homeless by the Tuohy family, and is taken in by the firecracker Mom, Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock).

Michael’s blind side is his past, a difficult road of negative parentage and squalid conditions. The shelter that the wealthy Tuohy family gives him is almost too much for him, much as the private school a previous mentor managed to get him into.

Stranger in a Strange Land: Quinton Aaron as Michael Ohr in ‘The Blind Side’
Photo credit: Ralph Nelson for Warner Bros. Pictures

Michael is an inwardly drawn soul, prone to randomness in his first football practices. But Leigh Anne’s intuition and stick-to-it guidance lights his path, and the blessings that fill his life begins to heighten his play. Soon the college recruiters come in, and getting a scholarship to a major school will prove to be one more difficult challenge for “Big Mike,” the child that society almost lost.

What could be incorrectly formulaic actually works for two reasons – Sandra Bullock and a script that has a little fun with the subject. The Virginia-born Bullock absolutely knows her modern Southern woman character, a hard charging matriarch who absolutely clutches the rudder in steering her direction. Despite some unnecessary wardrobe choices (appropriate for the character but still unlikely in some scenes), Bullock never wavers from the no-nonsense believer in Michael’s potential.

The script has some decent laughs, and is unapologetic – as it should be – about the family’s wealth, football passion and the process that pairs them with Michael. He is a huge presence, unlike anyone around him, yet the clan brings him in and transitions the frightened homeless kid to confident member of the family. And through it all, the narrative is not afraid to note the absurdity of it all.

Recruiters: Sandra Bullock (center, in sunglasses) as Leigh Anne Touhy and Some College Coaches in ‘The Blind Side’
Photo credit: Ralph Nelson for Warner Bros. Pictures

The worthy supporting cast keeps the story afloat as well. Tim McGraw is the idly rich Dad Tuohy, providing Greek chorus commentary to his agreeability regarding the situation. Ray McKinnon provides some comic relief as high school Coach Cotton, not knowing what to do about Michael, but basking in the glory when Bullock’s Leigh Anne directs the course for his team’s use of the big guy. And Kathy Bates brings her usual flair to a small supporting role as a brassy tutor, believable without overdoing it.

John Lee Hancock’s direction is crisp and natural, and his decision to let Bullock run with her character was a good one. He even throws in a comic montage, with the middle age college coaches slobbering over an 18-year old offensive lineman like groupies over a rock star.

But some of the scenarios were a little too sharply drawn to work. The Tuohy children were perfect movie kids and were used as annoying props at times. The revisit to Michael’s housing project roots had a boyz-in-the-hood flavor that bordered on stereotype. The Bullock character’s defiance in those revisit scenes muddied any chance that some real human exchange would take place.

But these are small complaints in a well-done and persevering tale of football and a family’s purpose. This is simple entertainment that doesn’t pander to the usual expectations for this level of Hollywood product. The celebration of family, the American Dream and of course football doesn’t hurt either. The Blind Side adjusts the focus toward its own vision, and has the gumption to stick to it.

”The Blind Side” opens everywhere November 20th. Featuring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates, Ray McKinnon and several real college coaches in cameos, and is directed by John Lee Hancock. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Creator Jared Hess Scores With ‘Gentlemen Broncos’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:29:32 -0700

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Writer/Director Jared Hess’ universe, where obscure pop culture references and strange survivors abide, gets another workout with the spontaneously funny “Gentlemen Broncos,” which also features Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge.

Gentlemen Broncos features the affable Michael Angarano as Benjamin, a science fiction nerd with a penchant for creating his own intergalactic stories. His widowed mother, Judith (Jennifer Coolidge) is his biggest cheerleader, but is racked with bi-polar bouts of crying in conjunction with a fledgling designer nightgown business. When she sends Benjamin away to a sci-fi writing camp, it puts into motion the next phase of their lives.

Hess’ Material World: Michael Angarano as Benjamin and Jennifer Coolidge as Judith in ‘Gentleman Broncos’
Photo credit: Seth Smoot for Fox Searchlight

At the camp Benjamin meets Tabatha (Halley Feiffer), a perplexing fellow nerdling who vaguely takes a shine to him. She reads his stories of Bronco, a sci-fi action hero who is searching for his lost testicle. Bronco is a lusty adventurer, who rides bucks (male deer) that can shoot laser beams. His writings also come to the attention of his author hero, Rob Decker (Jemaine Clement), who recognizes his talent by stealing his story for publication.

Back at home, Benjamin must contend with his new found friendship with Tabatha, selling the movie rights for his story to a untalented director named Lonnie (Héctor Jiménez), and his new best friend/guardian angel, Dusty (Mike White).

At the core of all of Jared Hess’ films (“Napoleon Dynamite,” “Nacho Libre”) are anti-heroes who use the power of love to complete their quests. Gentlemen Broncos is no exception. Benjamin has dedicated all of his stories to his father, the late park ranger named Bronco, and has formulated a whole deep space world around his heroics.

This is at times hilarious stuff, as off kilter and endearing as Napoleon D. The on-screen rendering of the Bronco story is especially heady, considering we get the tale from three points of view - Benjamin’s original (with Sam Rockwell as Bronco), Rob Decker’s rather queer recopying (Rockwell again) and Lonnie’s film version, which features an overmatched but eager-to-please Dusty as Bronco.

Buckin’ Bronco: Sam Rockwell in ‘Gentlemen Broncos’
Photo credit: Seth Smoot for Fox Searchlight

There are softer spots in the comedy than Dynamite, but it is much more accessible than Nacho Libre. As in the previous films, Broncos uses a style of counteraction against its enemies – think Napoleon’s dance and Jack Black’s wrestling – but here it includes the shooting rays from the flying bucks and a recurring blow gun that Benjamin uses towards the end to roll-on-the-floor-laughter effectiveness.

The cast, as usual in the HessWorld, plays it as straight as possible, with the exception of Jiménez’s Lonnie, who might possibly be brain damaged. Haley Feiffer handles her character beautifully, keeping Benjamin and the audience guessing as to what her motives essentially are. Jemaine Clement as the larcenous author is so complete with his bizarre villainy that even in comeuppance there was an endearing quality about him.

Like Napoleon and Nacho before him, Benjamin seeks that holy grail of enduring recognition so he can rescue himself and the world around him. The laughs from such a journey are a natural extension, in this case, of science fiction, the writer, the plagiarist, the girl and a hero named Bronco, who might possibly save the whole universe.

Jared Hess (with his co-writer/wife Jerusha) just want you to live in this universe for awhile, recognize some of yourself in their characters and have a bit of fun. It is what their films are all about. As Napoleon Dynamite would say, ”Just follow your heart. That’s what I do.”

”Gentlemen Broncos” opens in Chicago November 13, 2009, with a limited release elsewhere. Check local listings for theaters and times. Featuring Michael Angarano, Jennifer Coolidge, Halley Feiffer, Héctor Jiménez, Mike White and Sam Rockwell, directed by Jared Hess. Rated “PG-13.”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Gabourey Sidibe Shines in Inspirational True Story of ‘Precious’

BrianTT — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:16:43 -0700

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The final scene of Lee Daniels’ “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” ends with a dedication that the film is for “precious girls everywhere”. The words seem likely to resonate with the legions of fans of this tragic semi-true story (based on the girls that the author met while teaching in NYC) - women and men who can identify with rising above abuse, poverty, addiction, or whatever seemingly insurmountable odds speak most personally to them.

Daniels has made a bleak, brutal, depressing urban drama that will surely be the “feel-bad, feel-good” movie of the year, a well-made film that is so dark that it can be hard to watch but that is designed to illustrate the fact that the human power to overcome adversity is stronger than the instinct to shrivel and die.

Precious (Gabourey Sidibe, left) and Ms. Rain (Paula Patton, right) in Precious: Based On The Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire.
Photo credit: Anne Marie Fox/Lionsgate

Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is a stolid, overweight, somber, friendless teenager who has lived through an absolute nightmare since the day she was born. She is regularly abused by her mother (Mo’Nique) and is recently pregnant with her second child, both offspring the product of continuous rape by her own father since she was only an infant.

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Photo credit: Lionsgate

After her second pregnancy is discovered, Precious is shuttled off to an alternate education program for young women who have shown academic potential and she starts to discover that there are people in the world willing to help her. The most important are a teacher named Ms. Rain (Paula Patton) and a welfare worker played by Mariah Carey, but she also makes friends in her class and even opens up to a cute nurse played by Lenny Kravitz. The walls between the fantasy world that Precious has constructed to escape the pain of her everyday life start to come down as she is lifted by others towards a chance at a normal life.

A lot of “Precious” plays like an urban horror movie. Mo’Nique’s unbearably evil mother could give any villain from an actual genre film of the last few years a run for their money, but the story of Precious is true and it’s the handling of the stark realism of the piece that works best. Where other filmmakers would have sugar-coated the darker elements of this semi-true story, Daniels arguably pushes the horror of the life of Claireece Jones too far in the other direction. It feels like he gives Mo’Nique one “evil mother speech” too many, pushing her character into more of a “Mommie Dearest” vein than she should be and the film plays about 15 minutes longer than it needs to. Repetition has a way of draining a story of its power, even an inspirational one like “Precious”.

But most of the power remains due to a stellar ensemble. At the forefront, Sidibe is strikingly good, a sure lock for an Oscar nomination. She understands that the power of this character is not in the melodramatic speeches of the final act but the quiet, confused moments that lead to them. The viewer literally watches Precious come out of her shell with each positive encounter and it’s a completely genuine performance that helps off-set the more flashy elements of the film like the musical fantasy numbers and the unusual, eye-catching supporting cast.

As for the alternate casting of the ensemble, not only are they all effective in their roles, particularly Mo’Nique and Carey, but one could argue that choosing unusual actors and actresses for the smaller parts is thematically relevant to a story about not judging a book by its cover. There is a girl like Precious on every block in every city, a woman who may be seen by classmates or peers as stupid or confused but hides a back story that you can’t even imagine.

The story of Precious is far-too-common. Physical and sexual abuse takes a devastating toll on the youth of the world on a daily basis. The inherent dramatic power of the story of a survivor is resonant enough to speak to precious girls everywhere but it’s how well-told that story is in Lee Daniels’ film that allows it to speak to all viewers, precious girls or not.

‘Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire’ stars Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, and Lenny Kravitz. It was written by Damien Paul and directed by Lee Daniels. It opens in Chicago on November 6th, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Art World Bares its Soul in Adam Goldberg’s Superlative ‘(Untitled)’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:52:06 -0700

Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – One of the best and most exciting surprises of the 2009 film year is a smaller, claustrophobic film starring Adam Goldberg and set in the art gallery world of New York City. “(Untitled)” is an honest, uncompromising character study.

Taking its name from the practice of inscribing artwork with no label at all, (Untitled) involves three people, two who are practicing artists and one who owns a small Soho art gallery. Adrian (Adam Goldberg) is a composer of atonal symphonies – think using buckets and chains for sounds instead of harmonics – and although recognized as a significant craftsman he still needs to supplement his living by providing piano atmosphere in a haughty bistro.

Adam Goldberg as Adrian in ‘(Untitled)’
Photo credit: Parker Film Company/Samuel Goldwyn Films

His brother Josh (Eion Bailey) is a “successful” artist, having found a niche market selling his works to decorate hotel lobbies and corporate hallways. He is the biggest income generator for Madeleine (a revelatory Marley Shelton), who owns a small but cutting edge gallery. Embarrassed that she has to rely on Josh’s commercial work to stay afloat, she coyly hides his work in the back when clients come to call.

When Madeleine sees Adrian perform one of his symphonies, she not only gets a commission for him but takes him on as a lover. When the three attitudes of the principal characters collide – Adrian’s outsider inclination, Josh’s desperate need for artistic credibility and Madeleine’s blind worship of the next edgy art happening – the very question of who decides what art can be is philosophically rendered.

Jonathan Parker’s direction, from a script co-written with Catherine DiNapoli, is a tightly woven potpourri of feeling regarding humankind’s notion of promoting and understanding their own artistic taste. The script is also highly quotable. Adrian assertion that harmony was created so capitalists could sell pianos is just one of the crazy, beautiful lines that are both thoughtful and hilarious.

The principal characters are right on the money. Goldberg is playing a variation on his reliable character, the twitchy intellectual whose very presence has psychological implications, but with more depth and complexity. Eion Bailey’s Josh is a perfect sibling foil. He is rich, he is apparently successful, but he knows deep down that Adrian is the artist with integrity. And Marley Shelton, both icy and scintillating as Madeleine, is pitch perfect. She is everything that is expected of an NYC art luminary, but both the script and her characterization reaches for something more.

Zack Orth as Porter, an Art Patron Wannabe and Marley Shelton as Madeleine in ‘(Untitled)’
Photo credit: Parker Film Company/Samuel Goldwyn Films

New York City is effectively used as a character, but not the NYC that is expected. This is the New York of dusty school performance halls, domestic white wine poured at a converted warehouse gallery and the unfamiliar bohemian streets that exist in a fantasy world of insular artists. It is the New York in Johathan Parker’s universe.

For a lower budgeted film, the art direction is substantial. There is feeling in all the locations, from Madeleine’s oh-so-arty loft apartment to the converted work spaces of a mod and crazy next big artist named Ray Barko (Vinnie Jones). Most compelling is the form- over-function living space of a art patron wannabe (he’d made his money in dot coms). It’s very absurdity, especially as he’s trying to impress a date, speaks volumes without having to say anything.

But the ultimate success in this film lies in the internal and external debate that occurs within the narrative about staying true to one’s passion for creation. Does, for example, Josh really think he has a vision, when he essentially makes copies of all his previous work because someone oohed and aahed at a hotel opening?

Is Adrian really satisfied that he is a true artiste, even though his symphonies are easily dismissed and trash-worthy (in a derision hilariously provided by a Russian soprano)?

And finally, is Madeleine nothing more than a hyperbolized version of the easily manipulated wannabes and commercial agents that she easily cashes in on? It is the genius of a fully realized production that allows such a thought process to flow.

After seeing this film, I thought about my grandmother and the artwork she chose to display in her working class home in West Virginia, paintings and sculptures of religious imagery patterned after her life of faith.

Who is anyone to question those soothing images to her, and moreover what outsider can question anyone’s interaction with the imagery they bring into their own lives? (Untitled) dares to take this challenge on and comes to theorize that the journey of this short life is truly an artistic work in progress.

”(Untitled)” opens in Chicago November 6th, in limited release elsewhere. Check local listings for theaters. Featuring Adam Goldberg, Marley Shelton, Eion Bailey and Vinnie Jones, directed by Jonathan Parker. Rated “R” Click here for the HollywoodChicago interview with Adam Goldberg of Untitled.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘The House of the Devil’ is a Trip Back in Suspense Horror

PatrickMcD — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:07:55 -0600

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Halloween is the perfect time to revisit those horror films of youth, lost in the mall theaters or crackling through the VCR in a multiply rented copy. “The House of the Devil” reveres those roots and brings them back to light.

The year is 1983 and Jocelin Donahue portrays Samantha, a financially challenged student in a small college town. Desperate to leave her dorm living situation, she finds a perfect apartment right next to campus. The problem is she doesn’t have the rent down payment and has no means to get it.

Fresh Faced 1980s Gal: Jocelin Donahue as Samantha in ‘The House of the Devil’
Photo credit: © Magnolia Pictures

Enter the campus bulletin board, with a mysterious posting for a “babysitter” to make instant cash. When Samantha calls the number, a serious voice tells her how desperate he is to have her take the job.

When she arrives at the house, the peculiar Mr. Ulman (Tom Noonan) gives her a rundown of her duties. She is actually caring for an elder within the house, who never comes out of her room. She is briefed further by Mrs. Ulman (Mary Woronov), who seems most interested in Samantha’s youth and beauty.

Samantha must then contend with the creaky house, the impending eclipse of the moon and some strange discoveries to come.

Ti West’s direction, from his screenplay, connects with the elements of the horror film genre in the year he sets the film, 1983. Every noise and moan of the house and its surroundings dictate that lonelier time, before internet and mobile devices associated the ordinary college girl with the larger world.

West is obsessed with the suspense of it all, almost to a fault. Jocelin Donahue’s Samantha stands in for the babysitter in all of us, waiting for the night to end and creeping through the house in all of its hidden rooms, secret closets and unusual items. Her fresh faced innocence and ordinariness is perfect for the role, and the art direction, despite a limited budget, is appropriately early 1980s.

Mary Woronov as Mrs. Ulman in ‘The House of the Devil’
Photo credit: © Magnolia Pictures

There is an effective use of music as a foreshadowing, as Samantha is a early proponent of the Walkman – fun to see in the context of the headphone society of now – and the rock songs she listens to adds a seductive creep factor to her curious explorations.

The film also uses veterans of the ‘80s era – most notably Mary Woronov (”Eating Raoul”) and Dee Wallace (”E.T.” and “Critters”) very effectively, especially in the realm of the suspense. Tom Noonan’s Mr Ulman is a masterful centerpiece, giving build-up to the night’s potential adventures and icily creating an enigmatic atmosphere to ponder.

The payoff to all this, without giving anything away, is a Rorschach test using the style of scare factor that permeated the suspense horror of another time. It is the bits and pieces that surround the blood and avenging towards the end that give this film its flair, generating the cringe for the simple bump in the night.

This film may be most effectively shown through the dusty tapeheads of an old VCR, on a chilly and isolated Halloween night, with the lights off and the outside world turned in. The House of the Devil awaits you.

”The House of the Devil” opened in a limited release October 30th, and is also available on VOD, Amazon VOD and Xbox Live. Featuring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Dee Wallace and Greta Gerwig, directed by Ti West. Rated “R” Click here for the HollywoodChicago.com interview with director Ti West.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Michael Jackson’s This is It’ Would Evocatively, Memorably Move Even Rhythmless Zombies

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:59:03 -0600

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Even a rhythmless zombie will be able to siphon Michael Jackson’s prowess now. And this time, this is it.

If you thought the king of pop wouldn’t deliver on his latest bout of 50 sold-out worldwide concerts, think again. “Michael Jackson’s This is It” takes you on a raw ride behind the scenes, pulls at all the right heartstrings and unleashes what the late master performer would have done had he not passed much too young.

The poster for the “Michael Jackson’s This is It” concert film.
Image credit: Sony Pictures

The 112 minutes of this Michael Jackson legacy – comprised of footage leading up to his very last weeks on Earth – fly by as you try to prevent the closing credits from scrolling too soon. No matter your musical taste, there likely isn’t a tune in this concert film that you won’t recognize (perhaps except for one about MJ’s green love for our “sick” planet).

The documentary and its CD sountrack feature most of the following hits: “Thriller,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Billie Jean,” “This is It,” “Earth Song,” “Heal the World,” “Black or White,” “Beat It,” “Who is It,” “Threatened,” “Ghosts,” “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground),” “The Love You Save,” “I’ll Be There,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Put the Blame on Mame,” “Human Nature,” “HIStory,” “Jam,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Speechless,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin,” “They Don’t Care About Us” and “Bad”.

For the right to whittle these minutes down from more than 100 hours of rehearsal footage, Sony Pictures paid a handsome $60 million. The film, which opened in 99 countries on Oct. 28, 2009, currently only has a planned two-week run. “Michael Jackson’s This is It” will expand to 110 countries by this weekend and could be extended beyond the two weeks depending on its box-office performance.

The tour was supposed to begin in the summer of 2009 in London. The film, which is produced with the full support of Michael Jackson’s estate, chronicles the lead up to the tour from March through June 2009. Tickets for the currently limited film engagement went on sale on Sept. 27, 2009. The featurette from the film can be watched now below.

Interestingly, only Michael Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009 upgraded the film to the big screen despite an initial plan for it to go straight to DVD.

Director Kenny Ortega (“Michael Jackson Memorial” on TV, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” “High School Musical 2,” “High School Musical,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Newsies”) uses the rare screen time not only for one last reminder of how Michael Jackson’s trend-setting stylings remain timeless but also as a unique peak inside the man in this mirror.

“Michael Jackson’s This is It” captures the artist’s perfectionism, love for his fans, adoration for his colleagues and perhaps most surprisingly his loneliness despite a legion of global lovers.

You get the sense that Michael Jackson sometimes tunes into the world that loves him but also fades out to another place where he hears what it’s supposed to sound like, sees what it should look like and feels what it must feel like. Though Michael stands on stage with either no one in the crowd or just his close-knit band of performers, he projects what it would have looked like with his full houses.

The film is paced chronologically in the order in which the tour was rehearsed. The editing room revolved between using high-definition frames as well as lower-quality rehearsal footage. If lower-quality footage was intended to give you the sense that you’re a fly on the wall in this rehearsal space, the same feeling was accomplished with the high-def cameras. It’s unclear why the decision was made to use lower-quality cameras.

The film’s most questionable decision, though, was to avoid the more controversial aspects of his life. While “Michael Jackson’s This is It” is pitched as a behind-the-scenes film and it delivers on that promise, the documentary serves as a pleasure chest to fans without objectively scrutinizing his life.

As would be expected, everyone in this film utterly respects and idolizes Michael Jackson. It’s as if anyone they’ve ever worked with before was practice for this prime time to shine with the best. The design of the film is to help compensate all these performers for the global tour was supposed to be but not meant to be.

While the film could receive criticism for emotionally exploiting a fan’s need for closure through financial gain, such a claim would be unwarranted. This is a story that’s worthy of the big screen and these performers deserve the rewards the film reaps.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Adam Fendelman.

Though “Thriller” was injected with special effects now that weren’t around then, “Smooth Criminal” was designed now to look like it did long ago in Chicago. The film ultimately chooses to pay homage to Michael Jackson’s life – without recognizing his death – and allows the music to make his impact immortal.

“Michael Jackson’s This is It” from director Kenny Ortega features Michael Jackson along with the following performers: Alex Al, Nick Bass, Michael Bearden, Daniel Celebre, Mekia Cox, Misha Gabriel, Chris Grant, Judith Hill, Dorian Holley, Shannon Holtzapffel, Devin Jamieson, Bashiri Johnson, Charles Klapow, Jonathan Moffett, Tommy Organ, Orianthi, Darryl Phinnessee, Mo Pleasure, Dres Reid, Ken Stacey, Tyne Stecklein, Timor Steffens and more.

The film opened on Oct. 28, 2009. “Michael Jackson’s This is It” which has a running time of 112 minutes, is rated “PG” for some suggestive choreography and scary images.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’ With John C. Reilly Not Freaky Enough

BrianTT — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:51:49 -0600

Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – For everything that Paul Weitz’s “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” does right, there’s something about the film that just doesn’t work. More manic than quirky and more cluttered than consistent, “Cirque” features a few great performances and interesting characters but they’re sabotaged by the other members of this cinematic freak show.

With a plot that plays like what “Beetlejuice”-era Tim Burton might have done with the current vampire craze (“True Blood,” “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon”), “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” is an adaptation of the books by Darren Shan that is constantly shooting itself in the foot through bad editing, a distracting supporting cast, a super-dull lead, and far too much expository dialogue. A non-ending that tries to set up the franchise a la “The Golden Compass” doesn’t help the feeling that you’ve just watched a tragically incomplete film.

(L to R) Crepsley (John C. Reilly) makes a curious proposal to Darren (Chris Massoglia) in Cirque Du Freak: The Vampires Assistant.
Photo credit: David Lee

Darren (newcomer Chris Massoglia) is a high-school kid with an obsession with spiders. His best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson) is the more mischievous of the two and his goth obsession happens to be with vampires. The two are thrilled when a mysterious limo with plates that read “DES-TINY” toss them a flyer for the ‘Cirque du Freak,” a traveling show stopping in their town that night.

(L to R) Darren (Chris Massoglia) is introduced by Crepsley (John C. Reilly) to the freak show in Cirque Du Freak: The Vampires Assistant.
Photo credit: David Lee

Darren and Steve head to the show and the audience is introduced to the massive supporting cast including the Wolfman (Tom Woodruff Jr.), Gertha Teeth (Kristen Schaal), Rhamus Twobellies (Frankie Faison), Alexander Ribs (Orlando Jones), Madame Truska (Salma Hayek), Corma Limbs (Jane Krakowski), Evra the Snake Boy (Patrick Fugit), and the MC of the show, Mr. Tall (Ken Watanabe). Of course, the star of the evening is a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) and his magic spider named Octa.

After the show, Darren sneaks back stage to catch another glimpse of Octa and ends up stealing the creature. Meanwhile, Steve straight-up asks Crepsley to turn him into a creature of the night but is denied access into this immortal club. After Octa bites Steve, the two former friends are thrust into another ancient war between the peaceful vampires led by Crepsley (and a cameo from Willem Dafoe) and the violent ones known as the vampinese. Manipulating both sides is the twisted Mr. Tiny (Michael Cerveris) and his gross lackey Murlaugh (Ray Stevenson). Darren becomes Crepsley’s assistant and a half-vampire and Steve becomes a ward of the dark side. Darren gets a monkey girl love interest (Jessica Carlson) and the film officially pushes the “cluttered with characters” threshold to the limit.

Most of the supporting characters in “Cirque du Freak” fail to register at all with recognizable faces like Jones, Hayek, and Krakowski ending up more forgettable than anything else. Only Fugit steals every scene he’s in as a snake boy who really just wants to be an Emo band.

All that saves “Cirque” from total disaster and what makes a potential sequel something not worth totally dreading is the typically strong work by John C. Reilly. Recalling Michael Keaton’s work in “Beetlejuice” or Jack Nicholson’s in “The Witches of Eastwick,” Reilly beautifully blends creepy and charismatic. He nearly saves “Cirque” from itself.

Ultimately, “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” feels like it was mangled at some point in production. Either the screenplay was re-written too many times or things got really freaky in the editing room but there are too many awkward tone transitions and scenes that fall flat. It is a rare film that can be both cluttered with small characters and subplots and this boring at the same time.

Finally, filmmakers really need to make sure their film stands on its own and not just as a lead-in to a potential franchise. If a screenplay features characters talking about “prophecy” and what will happen at nightfall in the final minutes, send it back for a rewrite. The great franchise openers like “Fellowship of the Ring” actually have climaxes and endings that stand on their own. “Cirque” clearly wants to be the opening act for a film franchise. With this lackluster opening act, it would be truly freaky if a sequel actually happens.

‘Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’ stars John C. Reilly, Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, Jessica Carlson, Michael Cerveris, Ray Stevenson, Patrick Fugit, Ken Watanabe, Salma Hayek, Orlando Jones, Frankie Faison, Willem Dafoe, and Jane Krakowski. It was written by Paul Weitz & Brian Helgeland and directed by Helgeland. It opens on October 23rd, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Astro Boy’ is Here to Save Whatever is Left of the Future

PatrickMcD — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:18:15 -0600

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The cartoon universe is replete with superheroes, none more distinct than the title character in the new animated film “Astro Boy.” Based on a Japanese comic book from 1951, Astro Boy has new life in 3-D cartoon form.

Metro City is a futuristic utopian metropolis created especially to hover over the now abandoned earth (in shades of “Wall•E,” the landscape below is now a dumping ground). The city is an efficiently run model, aided by an army of robot workers, baby sitters and civil servants.

We Can Rebuilt Him: Scene from ‘Astro Boy’
Photo credit: Summit Entertainment

Dr. Tenma (voice of Nicholas Cage) is working on a new energy source derived from a meteorite. This revolutionary blue sphere can create clean energy and power the whole countryside. When the evil government leader, General Stone (Donald Sutherland), gets wind of the new power source, he wants to use it in a new weapon that will solidify him as overseer of Metro City.

Dr. Tenma’s son, a scientific prodigy, gets trapped with the destructive robot and is killed as the experiment goes awry. His distraught father decides to rebuilt him as a robot, and places the blue energy source as his heart. However, the new “Astro Boy” feels like a stranger in his homeland, and exiles himself to the dumping grounds below Metro City.

Astro Boy slowly discovers his prodigious powers in his new home, which eventually leads to a confrontation with General Stone and the robot weapon.

Weapon of Mass Robotics: Scene from ‘Astro Boy’
Photo credit: Summit Entertainment

While the visual elements, in this modern age of computer generated animation, are generally eye candy, the look and feel of this cartoon seems off and not as warm as other examples in the genre. Most successful is the depiction of the various robots, especially those dumped in the land below Metro City. The humans however, seem cobbled together from other sources, General Stone looked a lot like one of the characters from 1998’s “Antz.”

As in most modern cartoons, there needs to be a background “lesson,” and Astro Boy’s Pinocchio-like quest to discover the humanity in the robot form is a obvious nod to prejudice and acceptance. The filmmakers get points for the parallels to George W. Bush in the character of General Stone (to keep power, one must express power by a preemptive strike on the earth below Metro City). But overall this good/evil scenario has been seen and done before.

Essentially there is nothing, beyond the creative visual elements, to give Astro Boy any significance. His new family on earth are plucky orphans, manipulated by an oily character named Ham Egg (Nathan Lane) but this plot twist gets mashed up in the battle towards the end. Three wacky British robots are introduced, but seemingly forgotten. Beyond the inevitable confrontation of both the evil and his father in the end, the plot in Astro Boy is rather flat, despite visually being in 3-D.

This is decent family fare, but far from the expectations of modern animation. The boy who would be a robot is encased in a mechanical cartoon.

”Astro Boy” opens everywhere October 23rd. Check local listings for 3-D showings. Featuring the voices of Nicholas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Freddie Highmore, Kirsten Bell, Eugene Levy and Bill Nighy, directed by David Bowers. Rated “PG.”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Easily Scared Viewers Should Stay Away From Buzzed ‘Paranormal Activity’

BrianTT — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:07:07 -0600

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Over the weekend, a little movie that cost reportedly $11,000 to make and was shot on one set made over $7 million at the box office. If you haven’t heard about the phenomenon that is “Paranormal Activity,” you’re simply not paying attention. The good news? Unlike a lot of highly buzzed films, this one lives up to the hype.

Reminding viewers of the ten-year-old “The Blair Witch Project,” “Paranormal Activity” is another independently made, ultra-low-budget, shot on handheld camera horror film that is going to spark more than a few nightmares as millions of viewers are drawn to it over the next few weeks. I know we haven’t seen “Saw VI” or “The Stepfather” yet (although it is notable that neither will screen for critics), but it’s hard to believe that this won’t be the hottest and most effective horror ticket this Halloween.

Even writer/director Oren Peli would admit that most of the work of “Paranormal Activity” was done in pre-production. It’s the hook of the concept that grabs you and doesn’t let go. There’s so much horror potential right in the construct of “Paranormal Activity” that it almost would have been difficult to screw it up. A young couple - Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston) - are going to document their haunting and we’re going to watch it all go down.

Katie has actually been haunted most of her life. Micah, the man who has been dating her for a few years and only recently moved in with her, thinks the demon that Katie has carried around is interesting. Katie knows it’s terrifying and potentially deadly. From the beginning, Peli solves a major problem with most haunted house movies by answering the timeless question “Why don’t they just leave the house?” In this case, leaving would do no good. It’s Katie that’s haunted.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t document it. To get to the bottom of what Katie’s invisible friend wants, Micah has set up a camera in their bedroom. The entire film is seen from the perspective of this camera, creating the sensation that you’re watching some horrible piece of evidence, a piece of surveillance video from an experiment gone horribly wrong. The opening frames, cleverly thanking the San Diego Police Department, add to the sensation that this is not going to end well for this cute, young couple.

Paranormal Activity
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

The days are relatively incident-free (although that won’t last), but when the camera is put in its stationery position in the bedroom and the time code begins to tick down in the corner, the audience is automatically drawn to the edge of their seats. The time zips by, as if a police officer is fast forwarding it, and then stops back to real time and the hair on the back of your neck stands up and chills shoot up your spine. Why is it stopping? What now? We wouldn’t be watching Micah and Katie sleeping if something wasn’t about to happen, right? Right?!?!

It’s an amazingly effective construct that only grows in intensity as the film progresses and the nights get longer for Micah and Katie. We know what happened on “Night #19”. So when a title card comes up that reads “Night #20” and the time code stops forwarding, the viewer’s mind reels. How could they possibly top last night? What could possibly be scarier than the night before?

Remarkably, “Paranormal Activity” actually does get scarier as it goes along. So many modern horror films, especially ghost stories, work against themselves, getting less effective as more questions are answered. The unknown - a light that goes on and off or a slamming door - is always scarier than the known. Peli wisely doesn’t feel the need to wrap everything up neatly, although fans turned off by the lack of an ending to “Blair Witch” should know that this one is a lot more concrete. It’s effective up until the final chilling shot.

The nighttime scenes work but the daytime ones could have been a bit more interesting and believable. I never fully believed Micah and Katie. They’re not bad actors, but they haven’t been given fully-rounded characters. They feel like devices in the haunted movie machine more than real people. And the film suffers from the suspension of disbelief necessary for a movie where a character carries a camera everywhere when he would probably just be crying in a corner or loading a shotgun.

The overall plot, dialogue, and characters could have been stronger, but the hook and the actual horror are as notable as anything the genre has produced this year. “Paranormal Activity” is something that so few entries in its genre have actually been in the last few years - honestly terrifying. That’s all that really matters. You’ve been warned.

‘Paranormal Activity’ stars Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston. It was written and directed by Oren Peli. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com