"J. Edgar"

Should have been a lot better.  A look at one of the most powerful, controversial figures in the 20th century and most enduring face of the FBI should have been a lot better.  Ahead of his time, it's interesting to see the events or incidents leading up to the creation of now well-known laws, requirements or procedures.  Long, labored and suffering from a bad script and direction, nonetheless, I found the devoted relationships between Edgar and his domineering mother, lifelong work (and presumably life) partner and loyal-to-a-fault private secretary fascinating and touching.  Acting-wise, applauded (although no fan of DiCaprio's accent here) for a multi-faceted, closely guarded and image-obsessed character, as well as Hammer in a main supporting role.

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/78mzvu4
DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/82qugw6

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The Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

2012 is finally here!  While it may or may not be the year of the apocalypse, it will most certainly be a banner year for blockbusters.  Not only will Batman and Spider-Man return to the theaters, but so will a host of superheros, James Bond, Hobbit, and sparkly vampires.  Evil Queen will also make an appearance (and we're not talking Disney-style).

 

Check out the 2012 most anticipated movies on Yahoo: (synopsis and trailers included)

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/most-anticipated-movies-2012-230155530.html

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"Midnight in Paris"

I saw "Midnight in Paris" a few months ago but didn't get a chance to review it.  Woody Allen is a mixed bag for me.  I adored "Match Point" and enjoyed "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," but not "Cassandra's Dream." I went back and forth with MIP before finally deciding to see it.  Lovely, whimsical and kinda magical.  If you're a literature major, you may be enamored with it and totally gets the humor.  But even if you aren't, it's a must-watch for those into history, arts, culture... or anything French.

 

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/7pef83g

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/8xbxmno

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Upcoming Movies: January 2012

Happy New Year!

 

January 13

"Contraband" (http://www.contrabandmovie.net/) - To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, a former smuggler heads to Panama to score millions of dollars in counterfeit bills.

 

"The Iron Lady" (http://www.theironladymovie.co.uk/blog/) - A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power.

 

January 20

"Underworld Awakening" (http://entertheunderworld.com/) - When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind.

 

"Haywire" (http://haywiremovie.com/) - A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.

 

January 27

"The Grey" (http://www.thegreythemovie.com/) - In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders.

 

"Man on Ledge" (http://www.manonaledge.com/) - As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"

Wilder adventures.  Bigger firepower.  While the novelty may have worn off, the comedic bromance between the two leads have not. More action-packed (albeit slow-mo overkill) and Captain Jack Sparrow-esque, but just like its predecessor, the second installment is a connecting game of observations, disguises and smarts.  Who knew saving western civilization could be that much fun?

 

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/csncood
DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/6r6269g

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"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"

Mission incredible.

 

Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt in the fourth installment of the "Mission Impossible" series.  J.J. Abrams ("Super 8," "Alias") continues on as producer and Brad Bird onboard as director. 

I loved Bird's award-winning animations "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille," but thought the choice to put him in the director's seat for a blockbuster live action was a curious one.  Turns out he manages to pair the word "mission" with "accomplished" with MI:4, transitioning successfully from pixels to people.

In MI:4 the IMF team globe-trots to Budapest, Moscow, Dubai and Mumbai.  A botched mission and the death of an IMF agent in Budapest leads to Moscow.  Since the bombing of the Kremlin, however, as relayed by the Secretary of Defense (Tom Wilkinson), the President has initiated 'Ghost Protocol' procedure, where the IMF team (Benji Dunn, Simon Pegg; Jane Carter, Paula Patton; William Brandt, Jeremy Renner) is falsely implicated in the attack and disavowed. 

Agent Dunn, the tech wizard, has passed his field test and is finally going on field assignments.  His interactions with the team provides a comic relief during tense situations.  Agent Carter fills the role of a strong, beautiful, fierce agent.  Agent Brandt, with a secret past linked to Ethan, was initially the wild card, but eventually becomes an integral part of the team. 

Ethan is determined to clear the team's name.  The team's mission is now to put a stop to an exchange of nuclear launch codes between the real terrorist, Kurt Hendriks (Michael Nyqvist), and Sabine Moreau (Lea Seydoux) in Dubai, and for Kurt to get to the satellite in Mumbai and incite a nuclear war.  Having faced betrayals in the past, Ethan is forced to trust and rely on his team without the backup and support of IMF.  The team works well together and the wisecrack moments are enjoyable.  As a team leader, Ethan is visibly more human here.  Less precise, riddled with doubts and missteps.

Unprepared and operating in the dark, at times, it doesn't feel like a "Mission Impossible" movie. There's lack of a domineering villain, although the stakes are high.  But the MI hallmarks are there.  Impossible missions.  High-tech gadgetry.  Larger than life actions.  MI:4 is glossily made and smoothly shot with wide angle views of exotic locales and set pieces. 

A clever trick involving camouflage via a projector brings out chuckles.  The sandstorm adds a layer of challenge to the chase scenes.  But the highlight is definitely the skyscraper scaling.  Not just any skyscraper; Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  Even more mind-blowing knowing that Cruise himself performed the death-defying stunt himself.  Renner ("The Town" "The Hurt Locker") is certainly a very capable actor, but I hope Cruise remains a little longer on the franchise.  15 years after the first film, he still embodies the super-spy he's famously known for, with his daredevil and athletic prowess.  The action sequences are episodic, but it's paced just right that you're looking forward to what's coming up next. 

Big.  Bold.  Breathtaking.  I hope the team chooses to accept another mission. 

 

URL: http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol/

 

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/78w62e3
DVD (blu-player): http://tinyurl.com/7yf5jm3

 

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Note: "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"

"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol/  It will be posted on the blog at a later time.

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2011: The Year In Films

[Note: The clips are divided into several sections]

 

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"New Year's Eve"

Festive and sweet.  Nothing deep here, but sometimes all we need is a little fluff and fun.  While the star-studded vignettes are mostly light, the fulfillment of one character's seemingly impossible new year's resolutions proves to be creatively satisfying.  It runs a tad too long, nevertheless, an enjoyable holiday flick with a message of love, hope, second chances and fresh starts.  

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/7ppwscf

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/7t3939k

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Upcoming Movies: December 2011

December 9

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (http://www.tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.com/) - In the bleak days of the Cold War, an espionage veteran is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons.

"New Year's Eve" (http://newyearsevemovie.warnerbros.com/index.html) - The lives of several couples and singles in New York intertwine over the course of New Year's Eve.

December 16

"Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows" (http://sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com/) - Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.

"Mission Impossible: Ghost of Protocols" (http://www.missionimpossible.com/) IMAX only - The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

December 21

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - (http://www.dragontattoo.net/site/) - Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker.

"The Adventures of Tintin" (http://www.tintin.com/) - Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor. But someone else is in search of the ship.

December 25

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (http://extremelyloudandincrediblyclose.warnerbros.com/) - A nine-year-old amateur inventor, jewelry designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player, and pacifist searches New York for the lock that matches a mysterious key left by his father when he was killed in the September 11 attacks.

"The Darkest Hour" (http://www.thedarkesthourisnear.com/) - In Moscow, five young people lead the charge against an alien race who have attacked Earth via our power supply.

December 30

"War Horse" (http://www.warhorsemovie.com/) - Follows a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, and how their bond is broken when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches of World War I. Despite being too young to enlist, Albert heads to France to save his friend.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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"Arthur Christmas"

[Note: I was going to write a review on "Hugo" but moving out of town this weekend]

 

A fun family holiday movie; I had a smile on my face almost the entire time.  See it in 3-D (I wish I did!) for the high-flying gift-delivery misadventures around the world!

 

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/78tgp9z

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Season's Greetings: The Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies

The holiday movie season generally is a strange one. We get a bunch of big-budget crowd-pleasing blockbusters sharing the megaplex with serious, high-brow, award-friendly films. Last year we were stunned by "Black Swan" or left speechless by "The King's Speech."  This year sparkling vampires, tattooed Swedes, muppets, spies, mission impossible, Steven Spielberg all look poised to make a big splash.

Here's Yahoo Movies' top 10 picks to see this holiday season:

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/most-anticipated-movie-holiday-season-183557118.html

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"Immortals"

Along the lines of "300," "Immortals" set the bar for the swords-and-sandals epic genre.  "Immortals" was the highlight of the Comic-Con feature film panels that I attended this year. 

Henry Cavill ("Superman: Man of Steel") is Theseus, a humble stonemason, mortal man sought out by the King of Gods, Zeus (Luke Evans, "The Three Musketeers") to lead an army of men and put a stop to King Hyperion's (Mickey Rourke, "Iron Man 2") murderous rampage and save humanity. 

King Hyperion's bloodthirst for ultimate power results in an at-all-cost quest for the Bow of Epirus, a long lost weapon that could overthrow the Gods and crown him as the master of the universe.  The magical bow would set the Titans, imprisoned deep in the mountains for centuries, free and wage war against the Gods (Athena, Isabel Lucas; Poseidon, Kellan Lutz; Ares, Daniel Sharman; Apollo, Corey Sevier; Heracles, Steve Byers).

Zeus, in his human form of an old man (John Hurt), has been mentoring Theseus and believes that he's mankind's best hope.  He has faith that humans can and should save themselves without God's interference.  Any God or Goddess who directly interferes would be punishable by death.  After his mother is killed before his eyes by King Hyperion's soldiers, Theseus vows to avenge her death.  Fate leads him to the virgin oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes").  The priestess has visions of Theseus rising up for a higher purpose and leading the Hellenics army. 

"Immortals" is lavishly and gorgeously produced.  It may not be faithful to the Greek mythology, but it's a heavenly feast for the eyes.  Towering granite cliffs, mountain walls, shimmering seas, barren desert lands, edge-of-cliff villages, marbles palatial grounds, stone temples and giant statues.  Bronze, toned bodies clad in flowing robes, warrior armors and clashing swords.  Luminous Gods draped in gleaming gold and adorned with ornate headpieces.  Such mesmerizing, living paintings. 

Even with the highly stylized battles and surreal blood sputtering, "Immortals" is a very violent fantasy.  Guts and gore galore with never-ending butchering, skewering, stabbing, slashing, beheading.  It does showcase Cavill's capability in an extremely physical role.  His fierce fights with Rourke are incredible.  Since the filmmakers of 'Superman' was looking to create a more physical Man of Steel, it looks like they've found their star. 

Overall, "Immortals" is a lesser version of "300."  Gods, soldiers, warriors, heroes, horses simply march from one place to another and battle one another.  With lackluster storytelling and character development, "Immortals" is truly a visual victory, but nothing more. 

 

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/immortals-movie-review/

 

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/ccfxjcq

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/c8re7tv

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Note: "Immortals"

"Immortals" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/immortals-movie-review/  It will be posted on the blog at a later time.

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Upcoming Movies: November 2011

November 4

"Tower Heist" (http://www.towerheist.net/) - When a group of hard working guys find out they've fallen victim to a wealthy business man's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.

 

November 11

"Immortal" (http://www.immortalsmovie.com/splash/index.html) - Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

 

"J. Edgar" (http://jedgarmovie.warnerbros.com/index.html); November 9 - As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

 

November 18

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I" (http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com/) - The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.

 

"The Descendants" (http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thedescendants/) - A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

 

November 23

"Hugo" (http://www.hugomovie.com/) - Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

 

"A Dangerous Method" (http://www.sonyclassics.com/adangerousmethod/) - A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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"In Time"

Time.  The beauty of time is that it's a great equalizer.  Whoever you are, you always have 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 12 months in a year. 

There's a saying that time is money.  What happens then if time replaces money as currency?  Something that must be earned or traded in order to extend your life?  Isn't it unfair that  many must die for a few to live?  But if you could, would you choose to live forever?  How long do you think until enough is enough?

I first heard about "In Time" during this year's Comic-Con and was most intrigued by the premise.  In this alternate reality, everyone is genetically engineered with an internal timer and aging stops at the age of 25.  Once you hit 25, you would only have one year to live.  If you can't extend your clock, you die. 

Society is divided into "time zones" that segregate the rich from the poor.  Timekeepers enforce order in order to prevent overpopulation.  The haves, with excess amount of time, have the privilege to live to eternity.  The have-nots live on a day-to-day basis and struggle without the possibility of upward mobility.  Those who can't earn, beg, borrow or steal time, zero out their clock and die on the streets from a fatal shock to the heart.

Will Salas (Justin Timberlake, "The Social Network"), a laborer with a good heart, saves a wealthy man, Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) from time thugs led by 'Fortis' (Alex Pettyfer, "I am Number Four").  The suicidal man who possesses more than a hundred years has decided that he's done with life and donates all his time to Will, unbeknownst to him.  Tragically, Will couldn't arrive in the nick of time to transfer some of his time to prolong his mother's (Olivia Wilde, "Tron Legacy") life. 

With his newfound lease on life, Will gets out of the ghetto, skips zones and arrives at the well-to-do's doorsteps, with the intention of taking away what they've got.  Having the wealth of time allows him to mingle with the well-off and catches the eye of an heiress, Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried, "Letters to Juliet") .  She's the daughter of billionaire Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser).  It's like a twilight zone to see Philippe's mother-in-law, wife and daughter all appear to be the same age, frozen in time.

When timekeepers, headed by Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy, "Inception"), finds Henry's body and a security camera leads them to Will, Will becomes a wanted man, falsely accused of murder.  He ensnares Sylvia, who eventually becomes his accomplice in his "Robin Hood" mode, in a race for survival and to distribute the gift of life to those less fortunate. 

Aside from the futuristic aspect, the thought-provoking premise isn't helped by a mediocre script, a pace that drags and cardboard characters.  There are chunks of Bonnie-and-Clyde actions with Will and Sylvia on the run.  Actions that become rather lifeless after a while.  A standout scene, of all things, is an arm-wrestling between Will and Fortis, a clever way for Will to gain time. 

"In Time" is stylistically entertaining, but the story could have been a lot more developed.

URL: http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/in-time-justin-timberlakemovie-review/

 

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/3v3neto

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/3odxxqt

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