Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

I remember the first time I saw the trailer for ExtremelyLoud and Incredibly Close. I saw Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Max von Sydow and Jeffrey Wright in the preview and thought, “What a cast!” Top it off with an emotionally-charged, albeit touchy, backdrop in 9/11, and my expectations were high. Unfortunately, expectations are one thing, while what the film actually turns out to be is quite another.

Let me start off by talking about the few things that I actually liked. First and foremost, I think young Thomas Horn did a good job portraying Oskar Schell, a “nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.”

I must admit, I was conflicted regarding Oskar, namely that at times he was endearing while at other times extremely bratty and annoying. Nonetheless, Horn’s portrayal evoked polarizing emotions, which I think is a testament to his range. It was a tall order asking a kid to depict a child who lost his father on one of America’s darkest days, but Horn did a satisfactory job in his acting debut.

I must also give props to Sydow, who played “The Renter.” He did a fine job in the supporting role, despite his character being a mute. That’s right, Sydow doesn’t say a single word in the movie, and in my opinion, he gave the best performance. I believe this for two reasons. First, Sydow’s facial expressions and gestures are so advanced that they allowed him to express emotions clearly without the benefit of words, and second, the talents of the other characters in the film were wasted.

Combined, the actors previously mentioned, with the exception of Sydow and Horn, had maybe 25 minutes of screen time out of the movie’s 129-minute run time, and that is being generous. Goodman had two lines as Stan the Doorman and was onscreen for less than a minute, which obviously failed to utilize his abilities. Meanwhile, Wright had a more active role, though he didn’t make an appearance until the film’s end.

As far as Hanks and Bullock are concerned, these are the players the audience will come to see, but leave wondering why the director, Stephen Daldry, failed to take advantage of the Oscar winners. Hanks lights up the screen when he’s actually on it, but that only constitutes maybe 15 minutes of the film. Bullock, on the other hand, didn’t seem her usual self. I found her character, Linda Schell, flat, boring, and uninspiring. The character was a woman who lost her husband on 9/11, yet I felt no connection to her.

The underutilization of the actors was extremely disappointing, but the story was also lacking. I was expecting a journey of self discovery by Oskar and the rest of the characters, and while this happened in some capacities, it just fell flat. The was obviously unbridled love underneath the dreary and cold veneer of the film, but it just never came to the surface. While it was extremely loud in terms of context and star power, it was not incredibly close in hitting the mark.

There were a few good things about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, but so much was left on the table that I imagine most viewers will leave unsatisfied and wanting. Whether they leave wanting either more story, closure, Hanks, or Bullock, the fact is they’re leaving unfulfilled. Not a great feeling to be spending your money on, unless it’s $1 at Redbox for the DVD.

Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 39%

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The Grey

I am going to be honest, I’m a big fan of Liam Neeson. If I know he is in a movie, I’ll want to see it. It may sound a bit exaggerated, but he has such a commanding presence that it is a pleasure watching him on the big screen. While he has had a long and prosperous career (i.e. playing Oscar Schindler in Schindler’s List), it wasn’t until recent hits like Taken, Unknown, The A-Team, and Batman Begins that Neeson became a major Hollywood player. With all that said, I was really looking forward to his new film, The Grey.

If you’ve seen the previews for The Grey, you can see that it is reminiscent of the Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin survival flick, The Edge, where a bear mercilessly stalks the survivors of a single-engine plane wreck. I say it is reminiscent, but The Grey is really more of a cookie-cutter copy as it features the survivors of a plane crash being hunted by a pack of wolves in a barren wasteland. The Grey may lack originality, but it more than makes up for it in execution.

As always, Neeson puts in a tremendous performance as Ottway, a sniper who protects workers at an outlier oil rig in the Arctic. Ottway is haunted by the memory of his wife, who had left him, and it seems only appropriate that he is alone and about as far away from civilization as humanly possible. Actors Dallas Roberts, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, and Nonso Anozie, all of who do an excellent job, round out the rest of the cast as the other survivors.

One of the things I liked best about The Grey was there was no unnecessary romance to convolute the story. Sure, there was Ottway’s wife, played by Anne Openshaw, but she was only shown in brief flashbacks that contributed to the story. Love is a luxury, and as this film makes abundantly clear, there is no room for luxury while trying to survive . . . unless love is the only reason you want to survive (which is the case with some of the characters).

The Grey is not only a man-versus-nature film, but highlights the conflict between man-versus-man and man-versus-himself. It fires on all cylinders and delivers hard-hitting questions, truths, and gut checks throughout. What would you do if you were thrown into an extreme survival situation? The Grey explores some of the answers, and believe me when I say it packs an emotional punch.

For example, right after a plane crash scene, the survivors find one of their colleagues gravely injured. As the man clings to life, Ottway bluntly informs him that he is going to die. I found the ensuing reactions, both by the survivors and the fading man, to be powerful. It was a terrible situation, and I wanted badly to turn away; however, I was caught up in the reality of situation and couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. It’s rare for a scene in a film to have such emotional influence, but this one did. I’ll never forget it.

The end of the film will have people taking, and while I don't want to give any spoilers, I will say that I liked it; however, I can see a lot of patrons leaving unfulfilled, especially if they’re the type who needs closure. I felt the ending was true to the theme and messages preached throughout the film, which revolved around the ideas of existentialism, religion, and faith. 

The Grey was well worth the price of admission and I recommend you check it out.

Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 81%

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Underworld: Awakening

On one of my last days in Australia, I decided to see my third film of the trip and watched Underworld: Awakening, the fourth film in the franchise. With a movie like this, I know I’m not going to be viewing a future Oscar winner, instead I’m simply looking to be entertained. In the past, two out of the three Underworlds had accomplished that (the Underworld: Rise of the Lycans was pretty bad), and I’m happy to say that the fourth did the same.

When a film manages to entertain me throughout, I will automatically give it a near-50% rating. While Underworld: Awakening got to that point, it didn’t go any further. For those who don’t know, the Underworld franchise is based upon the vampires vs. werewolves concept, or as it is known in Underworld, Vampires vs. Lycans. That concept carried the first three films, while the latest installment added human-element into the mix.

After being absent from the abysmal Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Kate Beckinsale reprises her role as Selene, a vampire death dealer who specializes in the extermination of Lycans. The film essentially picks up were the second one left off, namely Selene’s romance with Michael (formerly played by Michael Speedman), who was a hybrid vampire-Lycan. The latter character is run out of the storyline fairly early on, so Speedman’s absence, and subsequent replacement, isn’t really noticeable.

Instead of Michael, we get his love child with Selene, who is named Eve (played by India Eisley) and serves as the new hybrid. The story is set twelve years after Underworld: Evolution in a time when humans have discovered the existence of the vampires and Lycans, and doing their best to eradicate them. It all sounds pretty silly, and it really is, but what else would you expect from a movie like this.

The story of Underworld: Awakening is mediocre at best, but some decent special effects and high-octane action sequences make it watchable. Beckinsale’s reprisal is gratifying, as is watching Stephen Rea as Dr. Jacob Lane. Rea, who is soft spoken and accustomed to playing a good guy, shows his range by playing a diabolical villain. With that said, there were a lot of characters in the film with minimal development and seemed almost frivolous including Detective Sebastian (played by Michael Ealy), David (Theo James), and Quint (Kris Holden-Ried).

I’m not particularly glad I saw Underworld: Awakening, but I didn’t regret it either. I guess I would say that as a bad movie, this was a good one, if that makes sense. Your life won’t change one way or the other if you see this movie, but I can think of worse ways to waste 90 minutes.

Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 47%

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Tailor, Tinker, Soldier, Spy

I had an unexpected night off while in Australia and decided to go see Tailor, Tinker, Soldier, Spy (TTSS), a film I had been anticipating ever since seeing the trailer months before. The movie, which is a Cold War era spy film, boasted one of the most impressive casts ever assembled, at least in my opinion, including Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy.

Now, I must admit that I had heard some mixed reviews on the film. Some called it a “masterpiece” while others said it was unbearably slow. I went in with a lot of patience, and when I emerged after the viewing, I was conflicted as to what I had just seen. Yes, TTSS is extremely slow and lacks the action one might expect in a spy film, but in its own way, it was engaging and a mental challenge.

It’s hard to describe what it’s like watching TTSS, but I liken it to observing a chess match. While not particularly action packed, there is a hidden war going on between the players, each with their own agenda. If you have a sharp mind and know a bit about the game, you might find a match particularly thrilling and nerve-wracking, while a layman might find it rather monotonous and boring. TTSS isn’t a movie for everyone; in fact, two people walked out of the theater during the showing, and I couldn’t help but think many of my friends would do the same. On the other hand, someone who likes a good mental game may actually find the film enjoyable. I consider myself one of the latter.

The best part of the film, as I expected, was the cast of characters. Gary Oldman plays the role of Smiley, a recent fired member of England’s top spy agency. He is recruited to investigate the possibility of a mole in his former place of employment, and Oldman does a tremendous job in the film, which is par for the course. While I think Oldman was great, all he basically did was portray a tiresome, well-composed, and emotionless old man. He did it well, but I never forged an emotional attachement to Smiley. I’ve heard Oldman's name mentioned in connection with a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards, but I’m not sure his character warrants the nod.

Other actors who did their jobs superbly were Colin Firth as "Bill Haydon/Tailor," John Hurt as “Control,” and Tom Hardy as “Ricki Tar." Hurt is a veteran of the big screen (I loved him in V for Vendetta), while Hardy is one of Hollywood’s best up-and-comers, and of course there is Firth, who excels in every role that he takes.

If I had to say one negative thing about the film, it would be the lack of Ciran Hinds, who played "Roy Bland" in the film. I consider Hinds one of the most underrated actors in both film and television, and it’s a shame to see him in this role, namely that he barely has any screen time and offers just a few lines of dialogue. If you’ve ever seen HBO’s Rome, where Hinds plays Julius Caesar, you know what I’m talking about as far as his talent is concerned and why I feel this was a missed opportunity on director Tomas Alfredson’s part.

TTSS is a sophisticated movie driven by dialogue and the performances of its cast. If you’re looking for a mind numbing spy movie, this isn’t for you (try Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), but if you like a mystery/thriller that is mentally challenging and stimulating, then I think you will find it satisfying.

Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 72%

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The Descendants

After The Descendants won Best Motion Picture—Drama at the Golden Globes a couple days ago, not to mention George Clooney’s win for Best Performance by an Action in a Motion Picture—Drama, I decided I had better get to a theater and see what all the fuss was about. I’m currently in Melbourne, Australia, but lucky for me, there is a theater right here in my hotel complex.

On a side note, this was the first time I've ever seen a movie in a foreign country. It was essentially the same as going to the theater in the United States with one major difference. In Australia, or at least at the theater I went to, seating was assigned. I didn't care for this at all. Sitting in between two strangers was not ideal, especially when there were several empty seats. Nonetheless, I like to adhere to cultural norms so I stayed out and made do.

Now that I've got that off my chest, let me address the lure of this film, George Clooney. I am hit or miss when it comes to this film super star. I love a lot of the movies Clooney puts out such as Ocean’s 11, Burn After Reading, Up in the Air, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and the Ides of March, but every once in awhile there will be one that disappoints like Leatherheads and The Men Who Stare at Goats. I wasn't sure what to expect, but let me tell you, when it comes to The Descendants, add it to his list of hits; as a matter of fact, I’d say this was one of his best performances ever, right up there with Up in the Air and O Brother.

In this film, Clooney plays Matt King, a Hawaiian workaholic whose wife is in a coma and on life support. Left with two daughters and a monumental business decision to make, King must juggle the hardships of an impending death and a series of life-changing discoveries. Clooney shines in the role, and if you see the film, you’ll understand why he was awarded the Golden Globe.

Speaking of tremendous performances, the entire film was brilliantly cast. The roles of King’s daughters were played by Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller, with the former capturing the audience’s attention in a performance equal to that of Clooney, while the latter showed remarkable range for someone so young. I am confident that both of these ladies will have a bright future in Hollywood.

Others in the film who delivered stirring performances included Judy Greer, Rob Huebel, Nick Krause, and Robert Forster. There was one scene where the latter two actors interacted that was particularly funny (“I’m going to hit you.”); in fact, that’s one of The Descendants’ strengths, the well-timed infusion of subtle comic relief in otherwise serious situations.

Speaking of the film’s earnestness, I must admit that there are few motion pictures out there that have packed an emotional charge like this one. The intimacy displayed in this film toward life, love, heartache, and death will resonate with anyone who has been in a similar situation. There are times in life when you desperately need answers and go to ridiculous lengths to get them, even if they’re not attainable. Then there are times when you must deal with missed opportunities, never saying what needed to be said, and having to cope with life after the fact. The Descendants not only explores these life experiences, it encompasses it.

There was nothing fake or over the top about The Descendants and that is what makes it do great. Here is a movie that is real, unadulterated, and as close to real life as a movie can get. The film neither goes too far nor does it fall short, instead it toes the line perfectly. With a great story, superb performances, and a well-written script, The Descendants is one of the best films in recent months and will be a contender come Oscar season. If you have the chance, see this movie.

Buddies Forever Movie Club Rating: 95%

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