X Men: First Good X-Men Film In a While

X-Men: First Class

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Micheal Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence.

Alright, let's be honest up front. X-Men: The Last Stand sucked. Then, when we were ready to forgive Marvel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine came out. That sucked as well. When I heard about yet another X-Men prequel, I was not going to jump on the bandwagon quite yet. However, when I saw the cast and the talented ensemble that was laid out for First Class, I let myself fall in love again. 'Maybe they could do it', I thought, 'Maybe they could give us another good X-Men movie!' Ladies and gentleman, Marvel did not disappoint. X-Men: First Class is an exhilarating, yet episodic, well acted film that brings good review and good standing back to the X-Men franchise.

The film focuses on telling the stories of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, respectively. McAvoy plays Xavier, a recent Oxford graduate who lives with his friend and fellow mutant, Raven. Lensherr, in trying to track down the man responsible for discovering his power to control metal and also for the death of his mother, crosses paths with Xavier, who had been hired by the C.I.A to stop Sebastian Shaw, the very man that Lensherr was trying to find. Once united, the two are put in charge of finding mutants to recruit for the C.I.A.'s purposes, (cue the hilarious one-line cameo from Hugh Jackman.) The mutants focus is then to stop Shaw from inciting World War III, and this puts them smack in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This film works on several levels. The cast is superb with McAvoy at the helm. He is a confident, charismatic presence as the young Charles Xavier. His chemistry with Micheal Fassbender (Lensherr,) is palpable, with plenty of homosexual innuendos to boot; ('He left quite a gap in my life, I was hoping you could fill it' Really?) Believability is important when it comes to comic book films, it's the difference between The Dark Knight and Ghost Rider. Now, the script doesn't work quite as well. There's a rushed, talky quality to much of the dialogue, like the characters being given their iconic nicknames in one convenient line, and never touched upon again, or the discussions regarding the Missile Crisis. The direction feels episodic at times, but that's what you get when you have to tell so many stories in one film. Perhaps that's why Vaughn felt the need for the abundance of title cards in the film. We know we're in Russia when we see marching armies and men speaking Russian, and we know we're in Miami when we were just told that Shaw was in Miami in the last frame. But Vaughn's action sequences are really a marvel (no pun intended.) He infuses a kinetic energy into all of his frames, much like he did in Kick-Ass. Vaughn almost directed X-Men: The Last Stand, so we get to see a glimpse of what that film could have been, although it's main problem was its script, which Vaughn couldn't have saved. Despite some inconsistencies between that film and the comics, I would say that Marvel has brought us a film that, despite its issues, holds the summer hostage as the best film to come out so far.

Score: 8/10

The Fighter

The Fighter

Director: David O. Russel

Starring: Christian Bale, Mark Whalberg, Amy Adams.

In the hubbub surrounding David O. Russel's "Irish" Micky Ward biopic, I pictured a Classical Hollywood inspirational film with sweeping montages of Mark Whalberg running and soulful closeups of him, Amy Adams, and Christian Bale making up the substance of the film. What I expected was a film that relied on good performances alone to push it onto Oscar territory. What I got was an intriguing docu-drama that functions not only as an inspirational sports film but also as a family study of dysfunction within the dynamic of the Ward/Eklund clan. Russel and his crew let the camera fit into the intimate spaces in the character's lives, giving the feeling that we are where the cameras can't be in these character's lives. The "film within a film" aspect of the documentary on Dicky Eklund's crack addiction allowed the film to delve into those places. Steadicam and handheld work dominate the film, giving the actors a natural place to transform into real people living in an early 90's Lowell suburb. The best performance of the film is the Oscar worthy transformation of Christian Bale. As always, Bale was very physically prepared, having lost a lot of weight since we last saw him in Public Enemies, and he looks almost as repulsive as he did in The Machinist, a role which he lost 60 pounds for. Bale has the accent, the hubris and the tragedy that define the contradictory figure of Dicky Eklund. Adams is impressive as well, stepping out of her type and stepping into the role of a smoking hot woman who won't give up on the people that she loves and doesn't take no for an answer. Whalberg deserves much credit as well, this was his project, and his genuine desire to to the story was certainly reflected in his performance. While The Fighter runs a little predictable, the dynamic of the family and the effect that it had upon Micky Ward make this film a solid, well filmed and acted Oscar season winner.

Hey everyone,

College is taking a considerable amount of my time up, as expected, so I won't be posting too much for a while, but I will try my best to get something up sometime soon.

Watch movies alot!

Troy.

Wright loses 10 experience points

Scott Pilgrim V.S. The World

Director: Edgar Wright.

Starring: Micheal Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans.

Scott Pilgrim V.S. The World is a rushed film that often feels like it's much, much less than it could be. Edgar Wright steps away from a truly original directorial style to go mainstream with Scott Pilgrim, and the result is a rushed movie that panders too much to the video game and comic book crowd.

Micheal Cera plays Scott Pilgrim, a geeky, jobless loser living with his gay friend in Toronto. Striving toward his youth, he begins dating a 17 year old high school girl, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong.) He drags Chau along until he meets Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) at a party. He immediately becomes infatuated with Ramona and decides to abandon Chau to pursue her. Flowers is aloof to his advances, but when she finally warms to him, he realizes he must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Scott takes on the challenge to win Ramona's heart.

Now, I might have some major people disagreeing with me, but let me clarify a few things. I'm not a gamer, or a comic book lover, really. I don't have any problem with either thing, but it's just never been my thing. So this film felt like a celebration of all the things that I don't really identify with. It's fast, fun, and involving to a gaming audience, and it just kind of flies by the rest of us. Wright used his distinctive editing style and surrealist qualities to great effect in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but in Scott Pilgrim, it was overused and at the same time underdeveloped. It might have to do more with Wright's reputation than the film itself, but Scott Pilgrim has been hailed as a hallmark of the “ADD” culture that we live in. Really? Since when are we branding our culture after a deficit disorder? I think we sell ourselves short constantly in Hollywood. Our culture likes mindless action flicks and can't pay attention to an actual story, so we need to pander to that brand and change the quality of our films, right? I disagree. I think we should constantly challenge ourselves with the films that we make. If this is what defines our culture, obnoxiously fast editing that wears out its welcome, fast and flashy video game gimmick visuals (yes, that's what it is, a gimmick) then I'm kind of scared for the future! Wright's direction is unique, yes. It's certainly entertaining and fun, but does it define the age that I live in for me? I don't think so.

The acting is nothing special either. Micheal Cera stars as....Micheal Cera. He portrays the same character that he portrays in every movie. He's awkward, he's gangly, an he hasn't quite hit puberty yet. He's interested in some girl who is aloof at first, but later falls in love with him. Are you asleep yet? This character is really getting tiresome, and it's not going to work commercially forever. Micheal Cera is a one trick pony. Winstead as the love interest is adequate enough, but her character is one-dimensional as well. She's a standoffish bitch who does what she wants but then has that one soft spot, that one weakness that allows the story to progress. The shining light of the cast is Kieran Culkin, who plays Pilgrim's gay roommate Wallace Wells, an acts as a witty and sarcastic spiritual guide for Scott. Culkin's charisma and overwhelming charm helped make this a somewhat entertaining experience for me. Ellen Wong is dreadfully obnoxious as Pilgrim's high school girlfriend Knives Chau. Scott Pilgrim, ultimately, made me laugh, but it annoyed more than anything.

Score: 6.5/10

More Ferrell and McKay hilarity.

The Other Guys

Director: Adam McKay.

Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Whalberg, Eva Mendes, Micheal Keaton, Steve Cougan.

3/5

Love em or hate em, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are an unstoppable comedic force in Hollywood today. The Other Guys hearkens back to buddy cop movies of the 80's, a la the Lethal Weapon franchise as well as Beverly Hills Cop. The Other Guys might function as a celebration of the genre just as well as it parodies it, with the actor-director team mixing in their signature brand of raunchy jokes, perfect timing, and hilariously random, zany situational comedy.

Alan Gamble, (Will Ferrell) is a accountant for the NYPD. He does up the numbers and the paperwork that the superstar field officers, (played by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) are too busy kicking ass to do. He's a geeky, square yuppie who takes no risks in life. Terry Hoitz (Mark Whalberg) works across from him. He's a no-nonsense former police officer who must now work along with the geeks in accounting because of a haunting police past (it's not serious, don't worry.) Alan discovers that a famous financial monster (Steve Cougan) has not received some scaffolding permits on buildings in the city. Pairing up as partners after the strange death of the superstar officers, Gamble and Hoitz go to arrest (Cougan) but uncover a bigger crime regarding extortion of funds to cover up expenses. Now, the two rookie officers are stuck in he middle of a huge scandalous conspiracy.

The script presents McKay at his most focused. There is a point to this film, a political point, as seen in the ending credits where statistics from the financial crisis flash across the screen. Also, a line at the end of the film references Goldman Sachs, the corporation in hot water from the government right now. But, McKay has not lost his comedic touch. The jokes are random, hilarious and executed to perfection by most of the cast. This is just as, if not more quotable than Stepbrothers or Anchorman. Not everything is perfect, however. Many cameos and bit parts by the cast fall flat. Rob Riggle plays the same character that he plays in...everything. Wayans has a few funny lines, including what is arguably the funniest in the film, but overall he didn't create anything fresh or exciting. Jokes fall flat or are rehashed from earlier in the film. But the charm of the leads and the zaniness of the story keep the film going at a brisk pace and allow it to be hilarious.

The chemistry between Ferrell and Whalberg is picture perfect. The geek and the hard ass are a classic combination for a duo, and both actors play their respective parts with a vigorous and zealous quality. McKay has a steady hand behind the camera, making for a breezy and enjoyable film. His fine work is his most impressive to date, many of the over the top action sequences being better than some of his serious action contemporaries. The explosions and car chases have just enough surrealism to not take them seriously.

With a vision and focus for their film, Ferrell and McKay create their best yet, a comedy/parody classic with enough crazy comedy to satisfy Ferrell and McKay fans.

Hey,

I saw The Other Guys recently, so look for that review, (Who knew Mark Whalberg could be funny?) And tonight I'm seeing Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, so those two should be posted around the same time. Keep reading!

Troy.

The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer

Director: Roman Polanski

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams

Many people say that Roman Polanski should be in prison, not still making films. I tend to agree with them. But boy, does he really know how to intrigue and envelop an audience. Polanski's latest effort stars Ewan McGregor as an unnamed “ghost writer” who is hired to revise and finish the memoir of Adam Lang, former British Prime Minister. Lang's original writer, Mike McAra drowned suspiciously. Only a day into the project, Lang is accused of working with the CIA to support illegal torture methods of middle eastern terrorists. “The Ghost” soon discovers that his predecessor may have come close to discovering the truth about Lang before he disappeared.

Based on a novel by Robert Harris, The Ghost Writer is a taut, suspenseful and relevant political drama. Harris' intention in his Adam Lang character was to draw comparison to Tony Blair, Britain’s last Prime Minister and a controversial figure in the war on terror. Polanski's fascinatingly original camera work is reminiscent of Hitchcock; the claustrophobia, the shaky back and forth shots of “the Ghost” in a car chase all create a sense of the character being watched, studied and scrutinized. This film was released on the same day as Shutter Island and they both depict a man trapped on an island, (though the type of land formation is irrelevant,) physically and psychologically. This is also a theme echoed in Steig Larsson's novel The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. “The Ghost,” no matter where he goes is never alone, whether it's the presence of another human or Polanski's doing, (following him with the camera, so to speak.) Both Scorsese and Polanski were really speaking to Hitchcock's style with their films released in 2010.

Ewan McGregor gives a somber subtlety to his role, but also a lighter, almost comedic at times, performance. His character was thrown into a situation to which he had no ties, and so his honesty is believable. Brosnan and Williams give great supporting turns as the Langs, a couple with troubles, secrets, and things to hide. Brosnan is a perfect politician, and I think he was born to play one. He has charisma, he has rhetoric, and he's not afraid to use it! His wife, Ruth, is portrayed by a very fiery Olivia Williams; a woman who has always had control over her husband and has recently been losing it while he has had charges brought against him for war crimes.

Polanski brings his signature to this film. It is a moody political thriller, almost Gothic in tone. Compared to most of today's super slick, fast paced an sleek political thriller's, Polanski's effort is a breath of fresh air as both a faithful novel adaption and a taut and chilling film.