Chasing Mavericks

 I recently took a trip from New York to Dallas Texas. I looked in the American Way magazine behind my seat before take off and was pleasantly surprised to see Chasing Mavericks as my chosen film for the flight.

Chasing Mavericks is actually based on a true story of Jay Moriarty. When we enter the film Jay is growing up in Santa Cruz and learning to surf with the locals. He soon discovers Mavericks waves, which are freak gigantic waves that only occur in perfect storm conditions. These waves are a bit of legend and when he discovers they exist, he also finds a surfer (Gerald Butler ) who can ride them at the same time. He pleads for Frosty (Butler) to train him to ride Mavericks. When he agrees, a special journey and bond is formed between the two.

The movie really covers the cliches of a kid growing up in California  The bully kid in school. The hot older crush he cant have. The dead beat single mom (Elisabeth Shue) who turns it around. I felt myself rolling my eyes at how well everything worked out for this kid. It was entertaining though and the surf scenes are absolutely beautiful. I am not sure if any CGI was used to film this movie, but it looked real. If was real, what beautiful footage. Some of the surfing scenes in the movie are really amazingly shot. I would love to see a Maverick some day. 

I would compare it to a modern day version of Airborne (1993). It's a light feel good story with a cheesy twist.

Side note: If you haven't seen these surfing movies, you should: Chasing Giants, Point Break. 

1-10: 6 (better than Flight for me!) 

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Flight

Hello my fellow one or two readers out there (maybe just my Mom). I have been traveling like crazy for work but don't you worry, I have been still getting my fill of movies. 

I had been avoiding Flight to be honest with you. I knew it was about a Pilot (Denzel Washington) for a commercial airliner who has a drinking problem  He miraculously lands a plane after experiencing mechanical issues mid air. He pulls a move that only Maverick from Top Gun could replicate and saves most of the lives on the plane. But then the Airline finds out he was drunk and bust his balls to no end and probably sends him to jail.

Yep..that's what happened. 

John Goodman plays a great role as Washington's drug dealer, Harley May and really adds some comic relief to a total downer of a movie. Denzel does a great job as always with this role. I can't help but get angry watching these types of movies where the lead role is a drunk. Maybe because I'm a drinker and it gives a glimpse into the extreme side of the abyss, But I mean get get a hold of yourself Denzel. The whole Liquor cabinet!?

Don't watch this one hung over.

1-10: 5

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Here Comes the Boom

Well that big snow storm Nemo swept through Fairfield County last night and I made it back from Omaha Nebraska just barely after lay overs in four different cities. My travels included a viewing of Jaws, Kill Bill 1 and Forest Gump. When I returned I felt like getting into something on the lighter side. I decided to take in the comedy Here Comes the Boom staring Kevin James.

Many times I look right to the director to get a feel for what is coming. Frank Coraci has previously brought us Wedding Singer and Waterboy. More recently though Zookeeper. Best case scenario you get a movie that lands somewhere in between the hard hits of Waterboy and the humor of The Wedding Singer. Well that is exactly what you get from Here Comes the Boom. 

Kevin James is Scott Voss, a biology teacher for a high school in deteriorating shape financially. Budget cutbacks proposed by one of the board members shows reverting back to salaries of the previous year, financial conservation, and the elimination of the school's music program. Voss, who seems to be often lackadaisical and unmotivated during school hours, is reminded of the music director, Marty (Henry Winkler), an aging man who confides in him when he realizes that his wife is pregnant. He decides to take a stand for Marty and raise the $48,000 needed to save the music program by taking up mixed martial arts, when he discovers from a friend that just losing a professional match grants you $10,000, where winning grants you a whopping $50,000. Can he save the day? You will have to watch to find out.

1-10: 5

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End of Watch

End of Watch, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, follows the lives of two south Los Angeles polices offices. After making some routine arrests that seem to be tied to the Mexican cartel, they become targets of an assignation by the cartel.

The movie was written and directed by David Ayer the writer of Training Day. The script is well written; Ayer takes you into the life of these offices and the community they patrol with such realism you can feel emotion of every scene. There is not a particular plot for this movie, Ayers is just showing you the daily lives of a Los Angeles police. Ayer chooses to shoot the film in that hand held , shaky  amateur style you see in movies like Clover Field (I have no idea how that popped into my head). I am not a big fan of that style though. Although it can be effective, sometimes it makes me sick.

After I finished watching the movie, I wasn't THAT impressed by it. Then I spoke to my brother Ryan who loved it. After discussing it for awhile with him, my opion has swayed a bit. That is why I can't wait a week to write thiese reviews!

If you liked Training day or S.W.A.T, you will like this.

1-10: 6

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Killer Joe

This movie was a good find. Killer Joe stars Matthew McConaughey as Killer Joe Cooper and he does a great job. I rented the "Unrated" version of the film and I never really know how much of a difference this makes then the normal version. This movie is raw and very graphic though, so maybe they left some graphic scenes in it that got cut for theaters.

Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch, The girl next door) is a trailer living Texas boy, who gets himself in deep trouble with a local Pool Shark guy for money. He discovers his Mother has a life insurance policy and coaxes his Sister (Juno Temple), Father (Thomas Haden Church) and Step Mother (Gina Gershon) to hire a hit man to kill her off.  This would allow Chris to pay off his debt and the remaining family members would split monies evenly. They turned to Killer Joe Cooper to get the job done.

This movie is raw and I liked it. McConaughey deserves some credit for this role. I mean he kills it. He should have been nominated for best actor for this film. Juno Temple and Emile Hirsch also deliver solid performances  The movie is out for rental and I recommend it. However there is sex, raw violence and it just feels dirty. So If you are used to a movie that stars Jennifer Lopez, you might not like this one.

Improvements: I really don't like Thomas Haden Church. He was like the bar tender on Wings all those years. Like the tall dopey guy. I just can't see him in another role. I would have liked someone else in the role of Father.

1-10: 8

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Sleepless Night (Nuit blanche)

This week I am traveling for business. When I am on the plane I don't mind watching foreign films.  This gave a me a chance to check out the French action flick Sleepless night. The movie came out in 2011 but I had heard from a few people that it was a solid flick.

Vincent is a police lieutenant who also does some side work as a drug mule. A drop-off goes bad and the coke gets stuck with Vincent. The next day his son is kidnapped by the Kingpin Jose Marciano who also happens to own a massive nightclub. Going to retrieve his son, a pair of cops are also on his tail to stir things up, followed by the criminals who are on the receiving end of the cocaine trade-off gone wrong.

The film mostly takes place in the enormous nightclub and is a clever concept, well done in my opinion  The action is intense and reminds me of scenes out of Jason Statham (Transporter, Snatch) movie. The plot also takes several turns and by the end, it leaves you guessing who is really the good guy here.

It is in subtitles and unless that stuff really doesn't bother you, skip it.

Improvements: I mean several people were killed in the club. Gun shots all over the place. The kitchen gets destroyed on two occasions and no one ever leaves the club. Everybody just keeps dancing as machine guns are blasting everywhere. I am thinking in real life, that may cause a panic.


1-10: 6

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Life Of Pi

My hunt continued this week to complete the 2013 best picture nominations. Life of Pi has been out in theaters for a long time and I found the time to catch a 7:15 showing in Bridgeport mid-week. All I had heard about the movie was how beautiful the film was shot by director Ang Lee ( Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon / Brokeback Mountain). I am not much of a reader and I know this was a popular book, but I would been experiencing this tale for the first time time on the big screen.

Pi Patel is a French- Indian boy whose family is moving their zoo animals from India to Canada when a storm sinks their freighter. The only survivors are Pi, a hyena, a zebra, and a tiger named Richard Parker, who find themselves in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. Though the plot sounds quite basic, the movie itself has many layers. The surviving animals stranded on the boat with Pi are not hokey or "Disney" looking by any means. They are not pales and are not singing songs with each other during the quest for survival.  It's a true survival story at sea..with an angry Tiger.

 Ang Lee does an amazing job bringing this story to life on the big screen. His use of color and ability to make the animals look so real are pretty sweet. Ang Lee or Life of Pi should win something for this. I mean some scenes in this movie are absolutely beautiful. Like a piece of art. It also has a deep spiritual vibe to it. I feel like I need to get more in touch with my inner Zen. I think I need to go to Bali.


Improvements: I did feel like some of the transitions were a little slow and by the end it did feel long.

1-10: 9

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