Bubba Ho-Tep

There's no denying that Don Coscarelli's Bubba Ho-Tep has an...unusual premise. Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy fighting off a mummy in the retirement home they're stuck in. But that premise alone makes you want to check it out, yes?

Coscarelli's roster of regulars in Bubba Ho-Tep is led by Bruce Campbell (as Elvis) and Ossie Davis (as Kennedy -- yes, it makes just as much sense in context). And boy, are they a riot. Campbell is clearly having a blast in his role while Davis (who passed away a few years after this) is much the same. Just goes to show a decent script goes a long way.

Speaking of which, there's something to be said about the script of Bubba Ho-Tep. Based on Joe R. Lansdale's novella, Coscarelli's script shows that a spark of imagination and creativity goes a long way. Because, honestly, who else comes up with such a premise and delivers on it? (Well, besides, Lansdale and Coscarelli, of course.)

But don't think that Bubba Ho-Tep is all laughs. It also shines a light on the price of fame, past regrets, and the cost of aging. If someone tried to add all of this on top of its premise, it'd be written off as too convoluted and overwrought. But Coscarelli keeps it poignant.

Bubba Ho-Tep isn't for everyone but if you're looking for some good entertainment, this is for you. With Campbell and Davis being a hoot together, that alone should warrant a look. (And again, the script's decent.)

My Rating: ****

Ginger Snaps

There's no denying that certain genres apply to certain metaphors better than others. Horror in general is the most common genre up for interpretation, focusing on real-life things the average person fears. Death, grief, the unknown -- all subjects no one wants answered.

Another topic serving as a metaphor in horror is puberty, which makes perfect sense. Changes, hormones, increased emotions -- all make for an ideal monster movie. And that's just what John Fawcett's Ginger Snaps is. (It helps that this was written by a woman.) Like Jennifer's Body nine years later, it proved monster movies weren't just for boys.

Sure, some might view the "menstruation as werewolf" metaphor as heavy-handed but writer Karen Walton makes it work. In the hands of someone else (read: someone who doesn't menstruate), it would come off as clumsy. Frankly, more women should write horror.

Released in a post-Columbine society, it had to have been daring to have Ginger Snaps make its presence. (Better that than, say, Heathers.) But at the same time, it was practically an ideal time to release it, what with Gen-X angst at an all-time high. Then again, it's a matter of opinion.

Ginger Snaps shows that horror benefits greatly from being told from a woman's perspective. With a genre often filled with misogyny, it's vital to have women tell these stories. (Mostly because they can handle certain subjects better than men.)

My Rating: ****

Down with Love

The very moment Peyton Reed's Down with Love begins, it's clear that it'll be a pastiche of the many romantic comedies of the 50s and early 60s. (It uses the 20th Century Fox logo from that time.) And that's only the start of it.

As Barbara Novak (Renée Zellweger) sparks a feminist revolt with her titular book, reporter Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor) is convinced that Novak doesn't firmly believe in what the book presents. To prove it, he seeks out to seduce her. But plans like this often don't go without a hitch (so to speak).

Both Zellweger and McGregor had proven their bankability prior to Down with Love (she with Bridget Jones' Diary, he with the Star Wars prequels) so obviously this should work out. And boy, does it ever. (Hopefully the two actors will do another project like this.)

Also of note in Down with Love are supporting actors David Hyde Pierce and Sarah Paulson, who also have excellent chemistry together. Though both are more known for their Emmy-recognized work (he for Frasier, she for various Ryan Murphy productions) -- as other films they partook in can attest to -- they're always a welcoming presence in a movie. (And again, they should be in another project together.)

Down with Love is an utter delight, a rarity amongst today's regular features. The quartet of actors work off each other wonderfully, again alluding to similar titles of the era the film pays homage to. Basically if you needs the movie equivalent of an antidepressant, you'll more than likely find it here.

My Rating: *****

Where the Wild Things Are

Childhood is something that comes and goes too quickly for one to appreciate. It's a time where one doesn't have to worry about everything around them, just the things that matter to them alone. But as is learned sooner or later, you have to grow up.

Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are has that as an overlying theme. Following Max (Max Records) as he escapes to his own imagination, he encounters the titular creatures and is crowned their king. At first Max revels in such an honor but the clashing personalities of the beasts cause a number of problems, many of them Max can't fix.

Based on Maurice Sendak's book of the same name, Jonze expands the 40-page story to explore more of Max's sense of creativity. And knowing Jonze's projects prior to this, it's interesting to see him tackle someone else's work (especially something more family friendly).

With his work often featuring fantastical elements, Jonze practically seems perfect to adapt Where the Wild Things Are. Granted, his previous films could be viewed as adult fairy tales (sometimes in every sense) but here he tones down his usual storytelling. And the result seeps with nostalgia.

Where the Wild Things Are is a decided change of pace for Jonze but it's an interesting one regardless. (What's the likelihood of him doing a similar project in the coming years?) He may be more known for mature (if sometimes crude) stories of whimsey but such familiarity with this type of tale greatly benefits him when doing a family-friendly one. (Oh, and you'll be missing James Gandolfini more as a result of watching this.)

My Rating: ****1/2

Jennifer's Body

"Hell is a teenage girl." So opens Karyn Kusama's Jennifer's Body. Similar to what Adam Wingard did with The Guest a few years later, it's a throwback to horror movies from the 1980s. (It's just on the more bloody side of things.)

It has all the elements regularly found in 80s-era horror flicks: high school students who'd rather live life than fuss over their studies, the less-than-helpful adults, and the violent climax. It's familiar territory, yes, but it's enough to make it accessible.

And with a script by Diablo Cody, there's a fine line throughout Jennifer's Body between self-parody and taking itself seriously. Between the vapid nature of Jennifer (Megan Fox) and the general frame of mind of -- note the name -- Needy (Amanda Seyfried), Cody might have borrowed a cue or two from Scream. (Which of the two is better is obvious once you've seen both.)

And with Jennifer's Body being both written and directed by women, there's a definitive feminist air to it. Not just because Jennifer and Needy are are viewed as more than just objects but rather there's some actual dimension to them. (Unless they're the "final girl", well-written female characters in horror films tend to be a rarity.)

Jennifer's Body may have been one draft away from being great but it's easily the spiritual successor of Heathers without a doubt. (As anyone who survived high school can attest to, what's shown in both films is unfortunately not too far from reality.) The horror on display may be Jennifer but in reality, it's getting through those four years of hell.

My Rating: ****

Strictly Sinatra

There are those who simply crave the spotlight. They want that validation more than the air they breathe. But would they be willing to cross certain moral boundaries?

Toni Cocozza (Ian Hart) is tempted to do so in Peter Capaldi's Strictly Sinatra. He yearns to be the next Ol' Blue Eyes but he's only eking out gigs in Glasgow dives. But some local gangsters like act enough to give him a little push...though not without a catch.

Indeed the plot is a familiar one often found in lesser titles but there's something to Strictly Sinatra that has a certain charm to it. Perhaps it's because of its contrast between the glitzy clubs the gangsters frequent and the grimy city streets that house them. (Even Scorsese doesn't depict such a thing in his films.)

Another detail of Strictly Sinatra are the homages to days passed. From the many allusions to the Rat Pack to cues reminiscent from films of the era, Capaldi adds a sense of nostalgia to his film. But as Toni learns time and time again, nostalgia by its lonesome won't pay the bills.

Strictly Sinatra may be a lesser-known title from the past decade but it shouldn't be a forgotten one. Capaldi (who was a few years away from The Thick of It) has a creative spark on display here and hopefully he'll use it again in the near future. (After all, that spark got him an Oscar several years prior.)

My Rating: ****

Unrelated

Joanna Hogg's Unrelated opens with Anna (Kathryn Worth) arriving at her friend's vacation home in Tuscany, a temporary escape from her crumbling marriage. The shot of her standing alone with her luggage establishes who she is: the outsider looking in.

Indeed there are a number of shots throughout Unrelated (keenly framed by cinematographer Oliver Curtis) that show Anna by her lonesome. Even when she's with other people, she's captured in a way that makes her look like she isn't welcome. This detail defines her character arc.

Unrelated also shows Anna's attempt to regain a sense of youthfulness during her vacation. She spends more time with her friends' children than them, and revels in their bouts of debauchery. But it's only a matter of time before reality kicks in for her.

Like many other women directors before her, Hogg chronicles the ever-present fear of aging found in fictional women. As with their real-life counterparts, they know that it's only a matter of time before they become less desirable. (Though here's a question: why is it that men are the only ones depicted in making the most of their mid-life crises?)

Unrelated isn't unique in its story but Hogg adds another chapter to a familiar story. A passage from Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier best sums up what Anna is going through: "We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist."

My Rating: ****

Monsoon Wedding

If there's one thing that can guarantee dysfunction within a family (at least in fiction), it's a wedding. Sometimes the stress behind supposed wedded bliss can bring out the worst in some people. Often for comedic purposes, this plot also works well in drama.

And look no further than Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding for the latter instance. Revolving around the many guests of a wedding in Delhi, it chronicles the many personal crises they're facing and how they try their best to keep them hidden from others. (Easier said than done to be fair.)

Monsoon Wedding depicts the difference (and potential clash) of cultures. Between the many Indian wedding traditions and more contemporary attitudes, it's almost a miracle that there isn't strife within every waking moment. (Then again, that would make the film unbearable.)

And as any film revolving family can attest to, Monsoon Wedding also depicts the secrets the characters hide from others From small things like money woes and affairs to more dire matters like skeleton in the closet. Regardless of the scope of these secrets, they'll try their damnedest to keep them hidden for just a little longer.

Monsoon Wedding captures the many plights that go into planning a wedding and how it all pays off in the end. Sure it was a given that it would end on a positive note (you can't have heartbreak at a wedding) but no matter. Nair still provides a good story.

My Rating: ****1/2

Songcatcher

It becomes clear early on in Maggie Greenwald's Songcatcher that this won't be the usual fish out of water story. Set at the turn of the 20th century, it's the kind of film that only comes once in a blue moon. It doesn't need anything on a large scale; it just needs the right people for the jobs at hand.

And what a cast Greenwald got for Songcatcher! Starring in the film is Janet McTeer, frequently a welcoming face in the various projects she's in. Here, her Lily Penleric wants to defy the gender norms of her era, a task easier said than done in the eyes of some of her peers.

Being a musicologist, Lily's fascinated by the origin of folk songs. And during her trip to the Appalachian Mountains, she discovers many of these songs amongst its people. And what ensues has the frigid Lily warming up to these people and their way of life.

Like what Greenwald did with The Ballad of Little Jo seven years prior, Songcatcher is a depiction of Americana of days passed. She depicts a more simpler time before electricity became the norm but also when feminism wasn't. Oh, how the times have changed.

Songcatcher features the key and best qualities of a film. It lets the viewer bask in the same sense f discovery as Lily, an element many films tend to eschew. As is frequently the case with women-directed films, it's an often overlooked title. But hopefully more people will try to seek it out.

My Rating: ****1/2

This Is England

The opening credits of Shane Meadows' This Is England establishes both the time period and the general mood of the film. Within its beginning sequence, the film portrays itself as one of rebellion, simmering anger and discontent.

But scratch the surface of This Is England, and there's more to it. It depicts those trying to deviate from what society expects of them. After all, this was the 1980s; this was a generation brought up in an era of traditional values, counterculture and Watergate. They wanted to disassociate from the previous generation.

This Is England also depicts how easily corruptible youth can be. Shaun (an excellent Thomas Turgoose) falls into a small group of local skinheads led by Woody (Joseph Gilgun, also excellent). But when Combo (a terrifying Stephen Graham) re-enters the picture, things get more violent.

Though its premise makes the film seem more vicious, This Is England has a sense of heart to it as well. Woody's gang provides a sort of family to Shaun. And Combo provides a more toxic example, exposing the already fraying tensions the country is dealing with.

This Is England may be bleak by initial appearance but it blossoms into something else entirely. Meadows makes sure that his film is balanced on the very fine line of safe and wild. (Also just enough to make it tip briefly on either side.)

My Rating: ****1/2

Italian for Beginners

It's true that sometimes a woman-directed film solely gets recognition if they're of a raw, gritty and brutal nature. (The films of Kathryn Bigelow, Lynne Ramsay and Andrea Arnold usually apply.) But it's frequently the lighter woman-directed films that tend to get overlooked.

Lone Scherfig's Italian for Beginners for instance tends to get lost in the shadow of her later film An Education. (The latter film isn't darker per se but it isn't a bed of roses either.) But earlier in the decade, she made a charming little film about people trying to change their mundane lives.

Italian for Beginners focuses on a small group of people in a Danish suburb whose sole connection is a class of Italian lessons done mainly for a temporary shift in their weekly routines. Their lives are remarkably ordinary outside the classroom but something changes once they've stepped into it.

Scherfig's film was also a stark contrast to other titles of the Dogme 95 movement. Compared to the dark works of Lars von Trier and Harmony Korine, Italian for Beginners is a breath of fresh air, a deviation from the frequently grim nature of European cinema. (Just a casual observation, mind you.)

Anyway, Italian for Beginners is a deeply charming film. Much like the other entries of the Dogme 95 movement, it doesn't need any big spectacle to maintain its image. It only needs a good script and a keen eye, and Scherfig provides both.

My Rating:

The Merry Gentleman

Between his last venture as Batman and his Oscar-nominated comeback in Birdman, Michael Keaton had a career of varying highs and lows. He basically went from leading man of the 1980s to character actor of the 1990s and 2000s. Regardless of that career shift, Keaton remained a welcoming face in the films he appeared in.

In 2009, he stepped behind the camera for The Merry Gentleman as well as starring in it. As of late, there have been a number of actors dabbling in directing. So how well has Keaton fared? (For the record, Keaton became director when screenwriter and original director Ron Lazzeretti stepped down due to medical reasons.)

Having a dark story set during a supposedly cheerful time of year (the Christmas season) gives The Merry Gentleman a twisted sense of humor to say the least. Being a neo-noir, the film shares elements of those of a similar nature from the 1940s. (Clearly Lazzeretti did his research.)

The Merry Gentleman features some solid work from Keaton and Kelly Macdonald. (There's also a chilling one-scene turn from Bobby Cannavale.) As with other noirs, the dynamic between Keaton and Macdonald's characters is a complex one.

The Merry Gentleman proves that Keaton is not only a solid actor, he's a very capable director as well. Hopefully he'll direct another film in the near future. (Preferably something a little more put together.)

My Rating: ****

Forty Shades of Blue

Sometimes queer directors tend to capture the woes of everyday life better than their straight counterparts. Christopher Isherwood wrote about human behavior more intimately than, say, Ernest Hemingway. Andrew Haigh captured the tumultuous nature of marriage in 45 Years as well as John Cassavetes did in Faces. And those are just a few examples.

Ira Sachs' Forty Shades of Blue also focuses on the stormy stages of a relationship, this one of a May-December variety. One half (Rip Torn) is persistently unfaithful while the other half (Dina Korzun) isn't happy with the state of their relationship. But soon something happens that alters the delicate balance of this union.

Forty Shades of Blue admittedly follows a familiar formula: strained relationship, third person enters the picture, complications ensue. It's an overused trope by this point but if it's in the right hands, it might result in something original. Alas, that's not the case here.

Sachs does provide a perspective that can equate to an outsider looking in. He depicts a relationship quite simply beyond repair, faint glimmers of hope sprinkled here and there. But all in all, Sachs shows there's no chance for these two.

Forty Shades of Blue by many means is an average film though Sachs does try his best. But unlike his later film Love Is Strange, Sachs depicts a doomed affair. At least the work from Torn and Korzun is solid enough.

My Rating: ****

Frida

Sometimes there are those real-life people whose lives are full of colorful details . A list of numerous romantic trysts, scandals of a grand scale, and personal achievements only they can claim. It's almost to the point where if their life story gets turned into a film, it takes a hell of a lot of luck to make it work from beginning to end.

This is why Julie Taymor's Frida works as well as it does. With its subject being artist Frida Kahlo, it requires the right people to make her story come to life all these years after her death. And Taymor is one such person.

But what happened throughout Kahlo's life that would require a keen eye to re-capture it all? A stormy marriage to muralist Diego Rivera, her many affairs with men and women, her independent thinking...there was so much more to Kahlo than her artwork. She was truly one of a kind.

Starring as Kahlo is Salma Hayek, who prior to (and annoyingly several times since) Frida was frequently cast as the sultry Mexican bombshell. Here, with the aid of some makeup, she proves her viability as a serious actress. Hopefully she'll get another solid part sometime in the near future.

Frida effortlessly brings Kahlo's paintings to life, something only a select few art-based biopics can do well. With solid work from Hayek and Alfred Molina, it shows that only the right people can make certain projects. (Mental note: see Taymor's other films.)

My Rating: ****1/2

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

We all strive for a sense of contentment in our lives. We yearn for some sort of purpose. Some find it with ease, others achieve it with some difficulty. And there are those who envy the people that are happy with their lives.

Jill Sprecher's Thirteen Conversations About One Thing follows the day-to-day lives of five people. Walker (John Turturro) is going through a midlife crisis. After an accident, Troy (Matthew McConaughey) becomes wracked with guilt. Gene (Alan Arkin) grows increasingly irritated with a cheerful co-worker. Beatrice (Clea DuVall) keeps a positive outlook on life despite it being far from perfect. And Patricia (Amy Irving) discovers her husband's infidelity.

What Sprecher shows with her film is simple human behavior. We don't know how to achieve the happiness we feel we deserve. We don't know if we'll find it in something superficial or long-lasting. All we know is that we want to be happy, no matter how long it takes to find it.

Sprecher also shows that life can play cruel tricks on certain people. Fate can be a fickle thing to some people. Bad things happen to good people, and vice versa. Nothing about life makes sense, even if we try to understand it. In other words, sometimes you have to accept what life throws at you.

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing is a quiet film in its execution of everyday life and the hurdles one has to jump. Fate may be a cruel thing but one thing's definitive: we know how to dust ourselves off and march on.

My Rating: ****

Crash

Obviously the world we're a part of is far from perfect. Not one person who has walked this earth has a completely untarnished soul. Fiction often shows how flawed the many inhabitants of this planet are, sometimes to unflinching degrees.

But boy, it doesn't get any preachier than Paul Haggis' Crash. What should have been an interlocking saga of racial tension with several Los Angeles residents ends up being nothing more than an overdone, uneven film laden with stereotypes to the point where it's almost racist. (Then again, what else to expect when the script's written by two white guys?)

How so with the stereotypes? Oh, where to begin? The struggling store owner from the Middle East, the black hoodlum with a grudge against society, the racist police officer, the Asian with certain language pronunciations, the Latino mistaken for a gang member...the list goes on and on as the film continues. (It's also telling that out of the film's many performances, the one that gets an Oscar nomination is the racist cop.)

Though Crash did manage to get one thing right. It shows that society as we know it is crumbling. We need to do away with bias and prejudice in order for us to move forward as people. How much longer until we learn from the mistakes of the past?

For a film supposedly open in its depiction of racism, it's actually rather bigoted most of the time. It feels ten minutes too long after only five, and there are parts that'll have you rolling your eyes so hard you'll end up doing a backflip. And this overwrought propaganda managed to win three Oscars? Why?

My Rating: **

Nowhere Boy

Every now and then we get biopics that focus on the sordid details of a famous person's life. Infidelities, abuse of all sorts, and numerous details that they want the public not to know. Though sometimes these biopics focus on their lives before they became famous.

Such is the case with Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy. Revolving around the life of John Lennon before his days with the Beatles, the film depicts his life as a misfit from Liverpool. Taylor-Wood depicts the future music legend as impatient with his life early on and striving to change it.

As anyone with a decent grasp on music of the last century knows, the Beatles were basically responsible for one of the biggest movements in the music industry. Had it not been for this quartet of Liverpudlian blokes, who knows what the state of the music world would be like? (More than likely boring knowing the number of musicians inspired by the Fab Four.)

Back to Nowhere Boy. Starring as Lennon is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, whose career since this has been met with mixed reception. But here he shows the promise normally found in young actors with that extra charisma usually absent in others. (Now if only his career would get back on that promising track...)

Anyway, Nowhere Boy isn't anything too groundbreaking but much like what Anton Corbijn did with Control a few years previous, Taylor-Wood uses her photographer eye to keenly capture the tumultuous private life of a famous musician whose life ended at a young age. (Hopefully Taylor-Wood's career will thrive more now that she's moved on from Fifty Shades of Grey.)

My Rating: ****

The Informant!

Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! is decidedly different from other films of a similar nature like Michael Clayton and A Few Good Men. Sure, it looks like them but its mood is clearly more upbeat as the film wears on. Granted, in a dark way but still.

Indeed, the film is based on real events but it's not your average ripped from the headlines story. As the details begin to unfold, it becomes less about the crime a corporation is committing and more about the erratic behavior of the man trying to expose it. It swiftly becomes something that sounds like it's straight out of the tabloids.

The man in question is Mark Whitacre, played here by Matt Damon. He's a man who lives a rather regular life: good job, steady marriage, things like that. But as his involvement in trying to expose the scam further, it's clear that there's more to Mark than he's letting on. And Damon gives a performance with an air of odd curiosity.

There's an element in The Informant! that at first glance makes very little sense. The incoherent narration makes the viewer wonder why it's even there in the first place. But then there's a solid explanation much later on, and everything just clicks. It's a small detail but an effective one in Soderbergh's hands.

The Informant! is a mature comedy, something not frequently seen nowadays. (And considering the many comedic actors amongst the supporting cast, that's saying something.) And knowing how bleak Soderbergh's other films can get, it's nice to see something with some humor.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Damned United

By some means, Tom Hooper has been a somewhat controversial name in Hollywood. Not because his films focus on discussion-worthy topics but rather his abilities as a director come into question whenever he has a film released.

The two films that earned Hooper awards attention -- The King's Speech and Les Miserables -- are also what brought said controversy. But none of this got attached to any of his earlier works. (Okay, with maybe the exception of some episodes of John Adams.) One such early work is The Damned United, and thank God it hasn't been affected.

Thanks to the script by Peter Morgan, The Damned United is a fascinating film to watch. (And this is coming from someone who's not that big on sports.) Sure, some elements were added for the sake of drama but when has a film based on real events been 100% truthful?

Starring in The Damned United is Michael Sheen, an actor who doesn't get the right amount of recognition he deserves. Here, Sheen continues to prove he's a very viable actor. (Though anyone who's seen Frost/Nixon, another excellent Morgan-scripted film, would know that already.) His depiction of Brian Clough is of a man who's impulsive and demanding but very much a human being.

The Damned United is easily Hooper's best film. (Something that no one should be surprised by if they've seen it themselves.) Along with Morgan's script and Sheen's performance, the cinematography by Ben Smithard is stunning. (Much better framed than Danny Cohen's work for Les Miserables.) Seriously, be sure to see it.

My Rating: *****

Red Road

The opening moments of Andrea Arnold's Red Road focus on Jackie (Kate Dickie) at her job as a security surveillance monitor. Her life outside her job feels rather empty. (She's distant from her family.) But during one of her shifts, she recognizes someone from her past.

That someone is Clyde (Tony Curran), an ex-convict. Jackie starts stalking him through both her job and in real life. It boils down to a confrontation of aggressive means. Very aggressive.

Many films in recent years have taken advantage of the surge of technology. Sometimes it's used for comedic means, other times romantic. But the smarter films use technology for horrifying purposes, and Red Road has the latter in spades.

What Arnold does with Red Road is she makes a film of this nature through a female perspective. Normally this type of film has male predators and the women are reduced to helpless victims but here, the tables have turned in a big way. (Who said women have to be sugar, spice and everything nice?)

All in all, Red Road is very effective though it does start to lose steam towards the end. (It also features a very convincing sex scene.) Thanks to the work from Arnold, Dickie and Curran, it's a film that focuses on the dark recesses of human behavior. You can never really tell what a person is like when you first met them.

My Rating: ****1/2