Extract

2009, Rated R, 92 minutes, Directed by Mike Judge, Written by Mike Judge, Produced by John Altshculer & Michael Rotenberg, Cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt, Original Music by George Clinton

With: Jason Bateman (Joel), Mila Kunis (Cindy), Kristen Wiig (Suzie), Ben Affleck (Dean), J.K. Simmons (Brian), Dustin Milligan (Brad), Beth Grant (Mary), Gene Simmons (Joe Adler), David Koechner (Nathan)

Mike Judge brought us the comedy classic Office Space about the lives of cubicle workers. He created a cast of characters that amusingly tried to get through their days at the office despite everything  that was hitting them. Fast forward 10 years and Judge  brings us a film about the management side of a company: Extract. While the idea of Judge examining the other side of the work coin was an exciting idea for me, the movie itself was just an average comedy with sporadic moments of humor.

Body of Lies

2008, Rated R, 128 minutes, Directed by Ridley Scott, Produced by Ridley Scott, Written by William Monahan, based on the novel by David Ignatius, Cinematography by Alexander Witt, Original Music by Marc Streinfeld

With: Leonardo DiCaprio (Roger Ferris), Russell Crowe (Ed Hoffman), Mark Strong (Hani) Golshifteh Farahani (Aisha), Oscar Isaac (Bassam)

Many, myself included, will always be interested in the inner workings of the CIA and its operatives. We have so many questions that can never be officially answered and so we are left to answer them with our imagination and of course Hollywood. Body of Lies dives deep into a post 9/11 world and explores the working relationship between an operative on the ground in the Middle East and his figurative and literal overseer glued to giant screens at home. Ridley Scott does an excellent job of creating a grand scale spy thriller with an intensity that keeps you glued up to the credits.

Robin Hood

2010, Rated PG-13, 140 minutes Directed by Ridley Scott, Written by Brian Helgeland, Produced by Ridley Scott, Cinematography by John Mathieson, Original Music by Marc Streitenfeld

With: Russell Crowe (Robin Longstride), Cate Blanchett (Marion Loxley), Max von Sydow (Sir Walter Loxley), William Hurg (William Marshal), Mark Strong (Godfrey), Oscaar Isaac (Prince John), Danny Huston (King Richard the Lionheart), Mark Addy (Friar Tuck), Matthew Macfaydyen (Sheriff of Nottingham), Kevin Durand (Little John), Scott Grimes (Will Scarlet)

The Robin Hood Project at the University of Rochester compiled a list in 2003 of 50 different feature films about Robin Hood. Ridley Scott’s aptly titled Robin Hood is yet another addition in an already extensive filmography. Based on my own viewing of various Robin Hood films (which is a fraction of the movies on the list), Scott does manage to stake a claim on new territory in the story. He answers the question, how did Robin Hood become Robin Hood, the notorious outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. While Scott does contribute a unique origin story, the movie itself is average fare with less original cinematic qualities.

Sunshine

2007, Rated R, 107 minutes, Directed by Danny Boyle, Written by Alex Garland, Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Cinematography by Alwin Kuchler, Original Music by John Murphy

With: Cliff Curtis (Searle), Chip Chung (Icarus), Cillian Murphy (Capa), Michelle Yeoh (Corazon), Hiroyuki Sanada (Kaneda), Rose Byrne (Cassie), Benedict Wong (Trey), Chris Evans (Mace), Troy Garity (Harvey), Mark Strong (Pinbacker)

Sunshine most likely passed by your summer blockbuster radar in 2007 as it was a limited release (461 theaters at its peak) and only made $3.6 million domestically (boxofficmojo.com). I came across this film while I was watching trailers. The trailer for this film is one of my favorite trailers of all time and got me really excited about the film (you can check out the trailer yourself at apple.com/trailers) Danny Boyle is upfront about the nature of his 2007 film Sunshine: “There’s two branches. There’s fantasy, Star Wars and Star Trek, where you can do anything you want. This is the other branch, it’s based on realism, that man goes into space in a steel tube.” (comingsoon.net) Boyle creates a wonderfully done claustrophobic science fiction thriller that pays homage to the classic realistic science fiction films and also advances the genre forward. This is a film for the science fiction fan; those who dabble in the genre on the fantasy side may not enjoy the film as much as it is has psychological action and a claustrophobic theme. For those who enjoy the genre, it is an excellent film that stays true to realistic science fiction as it delves more on the psyche than the action, and addresses hard hitting issues like addiction, the existence of God, and the effect of isolation.

Broken Embraces

2009, Rated R, 127 minutes,  Directed & Written by Pedro Almodovar, Produced by Agustin Almodovar and Esther Garcia, Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, Original Music by Alberto Iglesias

With: Penelope Cruz (Lena), Lluis Homar (Mateo Blanco/Harry Caine), Blnaco Portillo (Judit Garcia), Jose Luis Gomez (Ernesto Martel), Tamar Novas (Diego), Ruben Ochandiano (Ray X)

Broken Embraces  is the fourth time Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz worked together, and it is this pairing of the two that creates a lush and enthralling noirish love story that will enrapture your senses. Broken Embraces is a beautifully created story about all kinds of love: obsessive love, passionate love, love of family, love of film and love of beauty. Almodovar constructs a beautiful world where Cruz is able to take her acting to places it has never been to breathe a beautiful depth to the film.

Iron Man 2

2010, Rated PG-13, 124 minutes, Directed by Jon Favreau, produced by Jon Favreau and many others, Screenplay by  Justin Theroux based on the Marvel comic book, Cinematograhpy by Matthew Ligatique, Original Music by John Debney

With: Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark), Don Cheadle (Lt. Col James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine), Scarlett Johansson (Natalie Rushman/Black Widow), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer), Mickey Rourke (Ivan Vanko/Whiplash), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan)

The original Iron Man was considered a breath of fresh air in the superhero action movie genre. It was a surprise hit with a light hearted feel, great action, and wonderful and witty dialogue. Iron Man 2 comes with much higher expectations than the first one: bring more of the same fresh air but do it in a new and exciting way that does not stray too far from the original. While Iron Man 2 is an action packed movie with great new characters, it does not break out ahead of the original and even creates a much darker tone that gives it a much less original feel.

The Sting

1973, Rated PG, 129 minutes Directed by George Roy Hill, Written by David Ward, Produced by Robert Crawford, Cinematography by Robert Surtees

With: Paul Newman (Henry Gondorff), Robert Redford (Johnny Hooker), Robert Shaw (Doyle Lonnegan), Charles Durning (Lt. Wm. Synder), Ray Walston (J.J. Singleton), Eileen Brennan (Billie), Harold Gould (Kid Twist), Dana Elcar (FBI Agent Polk)

Con movies have been done before, they have been done since, and we will continue to see con movies throughout the cinematic future. The Sting stands out as the best according to many critics and I tend to agree. It deserves the 7 Oscars it nabbed, including best picture, because it is an exquisite film that makes you continually evaluate and reassess who exactly is being conned and how is this all going to turn out. 

Couples Retreat

2009, Rated PG-13, 113 minutes Directed by Peter Billingsley, Written by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn & Dana Fox, Produced by Scott Stuber & Vince Vaughn, Cinematography by Eric Edwards, Original Music by A. R. Rahman

With: Vince Vaughn (Dave), Jason Bateman (Jason), Faizon Love (Shane), Jon Favreau (Joey), Malin Akerman (Ronnie), Kristen Bell (Cynthia), Kristin Davis (Lucy), Kali Hawk (Trudy), Peter Serafinowicz (Sctanley), Jean Reno (Marcel)

  

      Life can hit you pretty hard sometimes. It is so easy to get caught in the moments, the issues, and the stresses of life that families suffer and marriages are neglected; some realize it and accept it, others run from it, and some do not even realize that it is happening to them. Couples need to take time out for themselves to get things back to the way they were, to better appreciate their spouse and realize the importance of family. Couples Retreat plops you right in the middle of four such couples from Buffalo Grove, IL. Three couples are in a relationship that seemingly works for them while the final couple is considering divorce. And so we enter the comedically dramatic world of these four couples as they travel to paradise for sun, fun and therapy;  while it presents some laughable moments, it falls short in character development and strong story giving us another average romantic comedy.

Kick-Ass

2010, Rated R, 117 minutes Directed by Matthew Vaughn, Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., Produced by Adam Bohling, Matthew Vaughn and others, Cinematography by Ben Davis, Original Music by Marius De Vries, Ilan Eshkeri, Henry Jackman, & John Murphy

With: Aaron Johnson (Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass), Lyndsy Fonseca (Katie Deauxma), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Chris D’Amico/Red Mist), Mark Strong (Frrank D’Amico), Chloe Moretz (Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl), Nicolas Cage (Damon Macready/Big Daddy)

Superhero movies have been around for long time. In the past 10 years they have become assured box office success raking in hundreds of millions each. The majority of these films tackles a standard plot of a superhero taking the law into his own hands to clean up the city or exact revenge. Kick Ass, the latest movie adapted from a graphic novel, creates a new premise around the typical superhero plot. The protagonist is no longer a superhero but instead an average teenage boy, a neurotic father and his young daughter. Kick Ass is a new direction in the superhero drama that also represents the progressively more violent and shocking nature of today’s entertainment industry.

Tron

 

1982, Rated PG, 96 minutes, Directed by Steven Lisberger, Written by Steven Lisberger & Bonnie MacBird, Produced by Donald Kushner & Ron Miller, Cinematography by Bruce Logan, Original Music by Wendy Carlos

With: Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn), Bruce Boxleitner (Alan Bradley), David Warner (Ed Dillinger), Cindy Morgan (Lora)

Tron takes you into the world of computer programs and video games...literally. It takes place in 1982 when video games were getting their start and computers were beginning to tackle more functions and responsibility. Tron dazzles the eye with bright colors and captures the imagination in its immersive virtual reality.

In 1982, video games were just beginning to enter the mass market from the exclusive entertainment world where they started. Tron gives a bigger picture of that world from the inside out. Tron gives life to the virtual world behind the screen by creating people who do the fighting and obey the commands of their outer world users. The movie uses a simple and engaging plot to address issues of technology, corporations, greed and power.