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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Taken 2

Taken 2 was released on DVD this week. I was a fan of the first film. I thought it was fast paced and a good solid action film. When I heard Taken 2 was being made, I was really fearful they really didn't have anywhere to go with a new plot. I was right.

Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is a retired CIA operative who is divorced from Lenore (Famke Janssen, X-Men) and has one daughter Kim (Maggie Grace, Lost) who he so daringly rescued from an Albanian sex slave trader in the first film. The entire cast is back in this sequel and this time they decided to "clear their heads" and head  Istanbul for a vacation. The Father of one of the men he killed in the first film is able to pull some political strings and locates Neeson and his family while in Europe.

First off, it's always good when a sequel is able to bring back the whole cast. I hate when they just substitute a new person into the sequel without explanation (like what they did with Vivian on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, for those that are my age). Other than that the movie disappoints. Everything works out so seamlessly for him and he is able to kill hundreds of people without even breaking a sweat or really getting in that much life threatening danger. I know Bryan Mills is good...but come on! Many parts of the movie left me rolling my eyes and saying yea right.

Improvements: I mean did he live in Istanbul half his life? How in the world does he know the in and outs of every street, alley and building in that city?

1-10: 4

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Les Miserables

So I made a deal with my girlfriend; if we go see Djanjo Unchained, I would take her to see Les Miserable a few weeks later. That day came last night. Do you remember when you were in middle school and your history teacher calls out sick. You get a substitute teacher in class that says we are going to watch a movie about the French Revolution? It was like that, except you had to pay for it and imagine the weather outside the class room being 85 degrees and it's the last day of school.. I mean I wanted to kill myself. The movie is 157 minutes long. I must have looked at my watch 40 times.

Look Jean Valjean (Jackman) is one hell of a guy, ok. I mean he gets butt slammed for 15 years in prison for stealing some bread and then escapes under the watchful eye of Russell Crowe. He takes a life of shit and turns it into good. He's a Saint, I get it. But I guess i'm not in touch with my inner being or perhaps not mature enough to handle such a "masterpiece". I would have rather sat through Scary Movie 16. 

Hugh Jackman does a great job and is up for best picture. Give it to him and lets move on. 

Ann Hathaway does not. Plain and simple. (please see photo below. Picture 157 minutes of this..)

Improvements: Russell Crowe sucks.

Les Miserable = Shane Cassidy

1-10: 3

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Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best picture nominations came out on Thursday. I made a pact five years ago to see all the nominees before the big night which airs on Feb. 24th. So I better get busy. Beasts of the Southern Wild got the nod.

I had passed by Beasts of the Southern Wild a few times on the OnDemand menu a few times over the last couple weeks. The title of the film and the fact that it stars a nine year old girl lead me to believe it was a kids movie. It is not.

Hushpuppy ( 9 year old Quvenzhane Wallis) is a six-year-old living in an isolated bayou community. When her father Wink becomes ill, she sets off for the outside world in an attempt to help him. The journey to save her father is delayed by a "busted" universe that reverses weather patterns and brings about long-extinct animals. Hushpuppy is in a race against the clock to try and save her father and her community, the Bath Tub. Can she get it done?

The movie was pretty long but Quvenzhane Wallis, who is up for best actress, does a fantastic job. The film is on her back completely and she carries the load in shining fashion. to be honest I am still digesting the film. I am torn on how I feel about the movie. It certainly shows the devastation wrought by Katrina in the  Louisiana delta in a brilliant way. It has the signature Academy artistic flare to it for sure as well. I am just not sure how I felt about the plot as a whole. But it is well filmed.

Improvements:

1-10: 7

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The Three Stooges

The Farrelly Brothers who brought us Dumb and Dumber, Something about Mary and Shallow Hal take a stab at the classic comedy trio of The Three Stooges. I waited for this to debut on HBO before checking it out. I had it save on my DVR for a week and decided to watch it around 10:00pm on Wednesday night. It was the perfect slot and time to watch it.

Moe, Larry and Curly are left on the steps of an Orphanage as babies and remain un-adopted and grow into men amongst a group of Nuns. Well sort of men. After years of finical woes the orphanage has used up it's last dime and is being forced to closed unless they can muster up close to a million dollars to pay off the debt. To get the money to save the orphanage, the Stooges are offered a job to kill Mac (Craig Bierko) pretend husband of Lydia (Sophia Vergara), who is said to have a fatal disease and wants to go out on his own terms. Of course, it is Teddy (Kirby Heybourne) who will be the real victim/husband of Lydia who is married to Teddy and who wants Teddy's money. If you have followed this so far you just know all will go wrong. 

Hey, it's a comedy and the jokes keep flying from start to finish  It had that Dumb and Dumber feel to it and I couldn't help but laugh out loud a few times throughout the movie. Larry David plays one of the head Nuns the stooges seem to always terrify with their stupidity. He is absolutely fantastic. Every time David was onscreen, I couldn't help but cracking up. If you have HBO, throw it on and let me know what you think. I for one thought it felt like a breathe of fresh air. 

Improvements: I thought they miscast Larry (Sean Hayes, Will & Grace). He didn't do it for me.

1-10: 8

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