The Worlds End Review

With “The World’s End,” British director Edgar Wright completes his buddy comedy trilogy (dubbed the “Cornetto” trilogy because Cornetto brand ice cream is seen in each one) that began in 2004 with “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” in 2007. As far as great comedy movies are concerned, I consider both “Hot Fuzz” and “Shaun” two of the very best comedies around. Aside from their wonderfully zany situations (“Shaun” was a comedy set during a zombie apocalypse and “Fuzz” was an action/cop comedy) and their vulgar but not too vulgar brand of verbal comedy the best thing those movies did was formally introduce American audiences to one of the funniest comedy duos to ever grace the screen: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. With Pegg as the confident leader and Frost as the oafish sidekick the perfect onscreen comedic chemistry that they create each time is the essence of the Cordetto trilogy. No matter the scenario or the setting (all three of the films are in no way related to each other) they always play buddies and in one way or the other that relationship is always tested. It helps immensely that Frost and Pegg have been friends in real life since childhood. Watching them banter back and forth with one another (in some ways they resemble a modern day Laurel and Hardy) is like watching two real friends having a conversation, and cameras just happen to be rolling. With their impeccable timing, it never feels like they’re giving performances. No matter how ridiculous the scenario is their buddy comedy chemistry always remains authentic, and with Wright in the director’s chair, the trio has been unstoppable.

In many ways “The World’s End” is a meditation on the first two pictures, combining the supernatural element from “Shaun of the Dead” with the seemingly idyllic small town (that’s actually hiding a deadly secret) setting of “Hot Fuzz.” And while “The World’s End” isn’t as strong as “Shaun” or “Fuzz” story wise the comedic interaction between Pegg and Frost is just as great.

Pegg plays Gary King, a man in his early forties who just hasn’t grown up. On the last day of school in his hometown of Newton Haven Gary, along with his chaps, attempted a ritual called The Golden Mile. A ritual in which one must drink a pint of lager at all twelve of Newton Haven’s bars (ending with The World’s End, hence the film’s title) in one day. Sadly, they couldn’t finish and this failure has left Gary incomplete and so he has remained an alcohol and drug addicted adolescent. His friends on the other hand have grown up and gotten normal jobs. However, Gary somehow convinces all of them to come back to Newton Haven with him for one last weekend to finally finish the ritual.

The first ten to twenty minutes of “The World’s End”-- as Gary anxiously leads the rest of the lads around to each bar like a child-- is truly great because it’s like watching real friends having conversations and drinking. No crazy antics, just five guys having some laughs, maybe a little bit of arguing and more importantly reliving fond memories. In addition to Frost as Andy Knightley, (who hasn’t had a drop of alcohol since a drunk driving accident) there’s Oliver (Martin Freeman), Steven (Paddy Considine) and Peter (Eddie Marsan). All of them are fantastic together and even though the picture does get more and more ridiculous as it goes on, that genuine sense of friendship is never lost. The humor—for the most part—is achieved through rapid-fire verbal comedy, that again is vulgar but not too vulgar. Instead of overwhelming the audience with f-bombs and sex jokes like you see in most American comedies these days, they’re used sparingly and effectively in “The World’s End.” There are very few lazy physical comedy bits and there’s almost no gross out humor. Considering that the “five Musketeers” (as Gary calls them) gradually get more intoxicated as the night goes on it’s a relief that the movie doesn’t contain even one vomit scene.

At the halfway point things take a turn for the weird. Apparently, after the five friends left Newton Haven the town was taken over by an extraterrestrial force. Now, while the residents look normal on the outside they’re actually blue blooded, emotionless robots. As much as it pains me to say it, this sudden twist of events is where I start to have issues with “The World’s End.” The “Invasion of the Body Snatchers-esque” premise isn’t nearly as fresh or inspired as the zombie apocalypse premise in “Shaun of the Dead” was, nor is the rest of the story as clever as the excellent, multilayered murder mystery in “Hot Fuzz.” The first bare-knuckled brawl the five friends have with a few of the robots (in one of the pub bathrooms) is funny and exciting because it comes completely out of nowhere, but after awhile the robot fighting gets to be a little repetitive and tiresome. Furthermore, the rest of the movie basically becomes one big exhaustive chase, as the lads go from one bar to the next.

Now, I’m not saying the rest of the movie (after the robots are introduced) is bad, there are still plenty of laughs to be had and like in the other two movies Pegg and Frost’s relationship is the central force. It’s just that it doesn’t quite match the great quality of the beginning or the great quality of the other two. In fact if the movie had just been about the five friends doing The Golden Mile without having to fight robots I would have liked it just as much, or even more than “Shaun” or “Fuzz.”

There’s more I could talk about but when it comes to comedies, the less you say the better. “The World’s End” is the lesser of the Cordetto trilogy, but considering how great the first two are and considering that this one is still a lot of fun, that’s not much of a criticism. Though the movie contains a wild and outrageous sci-fi premise the human element—Gary and Andy’s friendship-- still remains intact and we’re reminded yet again that Pegg and Frost are one of the best modern comedy duos.

B+

You're Next Review

Adam Wingard’s “You’re Next”—an old-school style slasher movie—leads you to believe that it’s going to be more clever and innovative than it actually is. In the brisk opening scene a random couple is having sex and then are killed off by maniacs wearing simple plastic animal masks. A very typical opening scene for a slasher film, right? But we accept it and we accept the very standard setup that follows.

A family (mom, dad, three sons, two daughters, along with their significant others) head up to an old creaky mansion, belonging to the parents, out in the middle of the country to spend some time together. Now you don’t have to be a genius to figure out—for the most part-- what’s going to happen next. Based off of the opening scene and the title we know some of these people are going to be killed off by those animal mask wearing maniacs, but again you go along with it because you expect that there will be some kind of clever twist or innovation on the horizon, much in the same way Drew Goddard’s horror/comedy “The Cabin in The Woods” did last year. At this point “You’re Next” is so simple and routine, the characters so thin, that there has to be something more to it…right?

So anyway, not long after the family arrives, those maniacs return and gory mayhem begins. While the family is eating dinner (and while two of the brothers, played by AJ Bowen and Nicholas Tucci, are having a heated argument), arrows start flying through the window, killing one of the significant others. From there, the score by Mads Heldtberg, Jasper Justice Lee and Kyle McKinnon (which is a combination of classic horror movie string music and 80’s synthesizer horror music) picks up, the camera starts shaking and whirling around and chaos ensues.

There’s some B-slasher movie fun to be had here. The script by Simon Barrett contains some funny one-liners, delivered by the actors with the right amount deadpan, and the killings should satisfy your slasher movie appetite, if you have one that is. And then the twist we’ve all been waiting for finally comes towards the end, but sadly it’s really not all that good or innovative of a twist--unlike the twist in “Cabin In the Woods.” Yes, you may not see it coming but when it does come you sort of shrug and go: “alright then.” I think Wingard and Simon Barrett rely too much on the killings, the comedic one-liners and the overall old school slasher movie vibe “You’re Next” gives off. But none of that is enough. The picture thinks it’s being really cool and clever; man! Aren’t those killings gnarly bro? Can’t that protagonist chick (played by Shami Vinson) kick ass? Aren’t those animal masks creepy? But ultimately it isn’t and its B movie thrills wear off immediately after watching. “You’re Next” isn’t bad per se, it’s just disappointing.

 I can see the midnight horror movie audience loving “You’re Next” and ever since it premiered at the 2011 International Film Festival it has received early critical acclaim. The audience at my preview screening seemed to be having a ball. I was never flat out bored during the film and it’s a quick ninety minutes but I guess I wanted more from it. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone into it expecting a clever or innovative twist, but then that would make the movie even more forgettable and pointless. When it comes to horror I need more than just gnarly killings and creepy masks.

C

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Review

Of all the young adult book series adaptations to come out recently, “Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones” (based on the book series by Cassandra Clare) has to be the most convoluted. Where “Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters” just felt uninspired and phoned in, “City Of Bones” tries to incorporate too many ingredients, without any of them really making much of an impression. It’s almost as if it was conceived entirely in a focus group. The movie is essentially a mash up of “Harry Potter” “Twilight, “Blade,” and “Underworld” along with some “Star Wars”. And that’s not even all of it. Here’s a movie that’s so densely plotted and only concerned with how many cool things from other fantasy and supernatural works it can toss in.

 Set in modern day New York City (I highlight this because during all of the fantasy and supernatural happenings some characters still use iPhones), the story revolves around teenager Clary Fray (Lilly Collins), an average “Too Cool For School” adolescent. She’s just going along doing her thing, hanging out with her goofy hipster friend Simon (Robert Sheehan) and not getting along with her mother Jocelyn (Lena Headey). But then, uh oh! Her world suddenly turns upside down, when she discovers a secret world hidden within the real world that’s full of demons. Or Vampires. I’m not exactly sure, both terms are used. Either way, they take the form of Mundanes (“Muggles”, for all you “Harry Potter” fans and “humans” for everyone else) and like to hang out in freaky raver nightclubs. One day two muscled biker-looking thugs break into her home and attack Jocelyn. They’re searching for a cup, or (using the pronunciation of the lead thug played by Kevin Durand) a caahhuup! It’s a very special caahhuup! that has to do with immortality… or something like that. Jocelyn is the only one who knows where it is and instead of being tortured or killed by these guys she takes some kind of potion and sends herself to another dimension. Man! What a potion!

Amidst all of this commotion Clary meets Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) a tattooed, leather jacket wearing hunk known as a Shadowhunter (a half angel, half human demon/vampire hunter essentially). Jace, along with Simon and Clary complete the movie’s love triangle. Jace of course is Clary’s obvious choice for a suitor; with his chiseled face, gorgeous long blonde hair and British accent. And he can kill demons, what more could one want from a guy? He’s the Edward Cullen of this movie, which also means he’s a gigantic bore. Bower delivers his lines with almost no emotion, keeps the same serious expression on his face and does a lot of intense staring across the room at Clary. Simon on the other hand has liked her for a long time and has always been there for her, but Clary thinks of him as a friend instead of a lover. Aside from looks I don’t know what Clary could possibly see in Jace. Simon at least has some personality.

Moving on, Jace takes Clary and Simon to a Hogwarts style invisible safe haven (right in the middle of the city) where he and all of the other tattooed, leather wearing Shadowhunters live. There’s Alec (Kevin Zegers) and Isabelle (Jemima West) who, aside from being more attractive young people, serve little to no purpose in the story. While there, Clary discovers that she too is a Shadowhunter and for a little while you think the movie is going to turn into “Clary Fray: Demon/Vampire Hunter.” But no! it all goes back to that stupid cup mentioned earlier. It’s a very powerful, Holy Grail-esque chalice that, if placed in the wrong hands, can be very dangerous. So it’s up to Clary and the gang to run around town fighting vampires and demons to retrieve it before this other rogue Shadowhunter guy Valentine (Jonathon Rhys Meyers) gets it first and does evil stuff with it.

There’s more. Oh lord you better believe there’s more! Instead of building character the movie is just one left turn after another, introducing more and more fantasy/supernatural elements with no nuance and very little coherence. It’s got something for everybody! You want a blue liquid portal that allows you to go to other dimensions? You got it! You want an enchanted garden full of magical flowers? You got it! You want a scruffy leather jacket wearing werewolf army? You got it! You want creepy demons made of ash? You got it! Oh wait; Clara possesses some extraordinary ability (like being able to pull out objects that have been hidden in magic cards) all of a sudden. Sure, why not? She’s the chosen lady. There’s one big revelation (this is where “Star Wars” comes into the mix) that comes near the end involving Clary and Jace that’s so out-of-left-field and ridiculous that’s it’s just too much. Even worse, the movie then immediately proceeds to make that revelation ambiguous in a poor attempt to create interest in the next story.

In short: the movie is a tedious mess that ends up being too complicated and bloated for its own good.

It’s not hard to see why Clare’s book series (there are six) would be so popular among young adults. They have everything! I mean literally, they have almost everything a young adult might be interested in; vampires, werewolves, demons, attractive half angel people, objects that need to be retrieved, portals, prophecies, teen love triangles, iPhones. But by having all of this stuff just sort of shoved in there and by trying to appeal to everyone “Mortal Instruments” amounts to practically nothing in the end. Another utterly worthless attempt to capitalize on a young adult book series for some box office dollars.

D-

Ain't Them Bodies Saints Review

“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”--written and directed by David Lowery--is one of those movies you have to see to really appreciate. On paper, its premise doesn’t sound like anything new, and it isn’t very complex or intricately plotted. The film is purely an exercise in the craft of filmmaking; directing, editing, sound, cinematography and acting. The picture revolves around a young outlaw couple living in 1970’s Texas, (played by Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck) though before I move on I feel like I should mention that those expecting a raucous, action packed film about an outlaw couple should look elsewhere. As “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” takes a quiet, poetic and meditative look at these young outlaw’s lives.

We first meet our outlaw couple in the middle of shootout between them and the cops. The male outlaw Bob Muldoon (Affleck) decides to turn himself in and take the blame for everything that’s happened so that his wife Ruth (Mara) can raise their child—which she’s carrying at this time—in peace. Bob is sent to the slammer and Ruth given a house by an old friend Skerritt (Keith Carradine) where she takes care of her daughter Sylvie. One day, Bob escapes and sets out across Texas to reunite with Ruth, who meanwhile has befriended a shy cop named Patrick (Ben Foster). In this way “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” isn’t so much about Ruth and Bob’s lives as outlaws but about their lives after that period. They were wild, carefree outlaws once but now that they have a child it’s time for them to grow up and settle down.

As far as story goes, that’s pretty much it. Not much actually happens in the movie, in fact Lowery excludes a number of scenes and events one would usually see in an outlaw movie, Bob’s escape from prison for example. However “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” isn’t concerned with plot but with character and mood, as well as creating an atmosphere. And Lowery--along with his crew—certainly does create a wonderfully beautiful and dreamy atmosphere. The rich, soft cinematography by Bradford Young is absolutely gorgeous, giving the movie an old fashioned and glamorous look. Most of the outdoor scenes are either photographed at sunrise or sunset, giving them a slightly orange tinge. While the scenes that take place within crowded interiors have an amber glow.

Daniel Hart’s instrumental score mirrors the moods in the movie almost perfectly. Sometimes it’s calming and tranquil, and at other times it can be stirring and haunting. However, the instances when Lowery doesn’t use the music—and instead emphasizes the other non-diegetic sounds within the movie, like the wind, rain, birds, crickets or the sound of a distant train horn—are just as effective. Together these components create a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. The small town suburban neighborhood where Ruth and Sylvie live, the wide-open empty fields with deserted farmhouses and the cloudless (or nearly cloudless) orange skies evoke a simpler, bygone era. This atmosphere that Lowery creates is perhaps the best thing about the movie.

 

Although it also helps that the lead performances are strong. Mara (who has become one of the best young American actors) gives a subtle but powerful performance. Her Ruth is gentle and nurturing when it comes to taking care of her daughter but also tough and resilient. After all, she did participate in the criminal deeds along with her husband; she even shoots and injures a cop during the beginning shootout. She waits patiently for Bob to return so their family can be complete but at the same time she’s perfectly capable of raising Sylvie on her own.

Affleck is admittedly a little bland but this blandness actually works in his favor. Bob is not overly showy and arrogant and charismatic like most outlaw heroes but instead straightforward and plain. His love of Ruth and Sylvie (who he hasn’t met) seems to be the only thing motivating his actions as opposed to money or the thrill of committing crime. He’s a dreamer—when he reunites with Ruth and Sylvie he plans to take them away and build a farm somewhere—but doesn’t have a solid plan for fulfilling that dream and so he takes on each day one at a time without thinking of possible repercussions. Given the circumstances of the story Mara and Affleck only have a few moments together, but during those few delicate and intimate scenes (for example, at the beginning when they’re sitting in a pickup truck talking about their future as they wait for their criminal accomplice to show up) we’re completely convinced of their character’s relationship.

 “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” is a hard film to recommend. Most people simply won’t have the patience for it, or will feel frustrated that more doesn’t happen in it, and that’s perfectly fine. But at the same time, it’s refreshing to see something this simple and small scale but at the same time so beautiful and engaging. It goes to show that good filmmaking can elevate material that doesn’t sound all that interesting to begin with.

B+

The Spectacular Now Review

James Ponsoldt’s “The Spectacular Now” is a good little film that exists mainly to showcase two immense young acting talents: Shailene Woodley (who came to everyone’s attention when she played George Clooney’s daughter in “The Descendants”) and Miles Teller (“Rabbit Hole,” “Project X”). And they are very good indeed.  But the rest of film is admittedly slight and doesn’t leave you with much to remember.

Ponsoldt’s film is about teenage love; Teller plays high school senior Sutter, one of those talkie, life of the party guys who gives off the illusion that he’s more popular than he really is. He’s great at socializing and helping his buddies get laid but in actuality he doesn’t seem to have that many friends. On top of that he doesn’t really have long-term goals and ambitions. In other words he makes jokes and can talk a mile a minute but doesn’t “do” much of anything and he’s insecure. After his girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson) dumps him, he goes on an all night partying and drinking binge, where he encounters Amiee (Woodley). Amiee’s the shy, good girl who likes to read and has long-term goals and dreams. So of course Sutter’s friends think it’s a little strange that he takes a liking to her. Oh, and it’s important to mention that the two kids have baggage pertaining to their parents; Sutter is distant with his mom and doesn’t even know where his dad is; Amiee’s dad committed suicide so she has to help out her mom with work and bills.

That’s pretty much it as far as story is concerned. Like I said, this movie’s sole purpose is to showcase these young actors and without them I think it would be much much worse. Woodley, while not angst-y and rebellious as she was in “The Descendants” turns in a perfectly sweet performance as Amiee; everything from her awkward laughs to the matter of fact way she recites her lines. You believe every word of her. Teller is just as natural, the sarcastic comments flowing smoothly out of his mouth, like a teenage version of Jonah Hill. But, as the movie goes on, and the serious stuff starts happening, he’s up to the task. Watching them together is like watching two real eighteen year olds in a relationship.

If only there was more for them to do. The script by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (based on the novel by Tim Tharp) simply doesn’t go deep enough in growing the characters and the relationship. We do learn a little more about Sutter and his problems (he eventually tracks down his deadbeat father) but Amiee is left largely unexplored. In addition the script offers little in the way of surprises; I remember waiting anxiously on the edge of my seat for a surprise or a twist or something big to happen, like in last year’s excellent teen dramedy “Perks of Being a Wallflower” but I was sadly disappointed. The whole movie is just one big…sigh.

Ponsoldt’s previous feature was “Smashed” with Mary Elizabeth Winstead as an alcoholic teacher trying to beat the habit; “The Spectacular Now” also deals with alcoholism (Sutter likes to drink, not just at parties but also during a normal day from a flask and soon it rubs off on Amiee) but in a surprisingly subtle way. At first it just comes off as normal and casual teenage behavior, then it gradually becomes more and more noticeable and problematic. Now, obviously this is meant to give the story some serious weight and edge (otherwise the movie would be even more mundane) but Ponsoldt goes soft and so it comes off as gimmicky. Maybe he didn’t want to make it too intense since it’s about teenagers but Teller and Woodley are definitely able actors (Woodley did some pretty serious stuff in “Descendants” and Teller has been in two R-rated drinking/sex comedies).

In the end, “The Spectacular Now” earns major points because of the actors; without them people wouldn’t even be talking about the movie (it was warmly received at the 2013 Sundance film festival and has been getting mostly rave reviews since) but the movie on a whole feels too safe and trivial to make a lasting impact. As for Teller and Woodley though, they’ve got bright acting futures ahead of them.

B-