Monday Movie Thoughts...Vol. 5

Contagion

I really enjoyed this movie. It was both a disaster/thriller film as well as a political one. I wasn't bothered by the slow pacing or lack of action. It was a thinking man's film and certainly tried to raise some questions that are prime for today's world. Is the government doing all it can for our healthcare, or is it skirting around making large pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars? Are there homeopathic drugs that do work better than those produced in drug factories? Or is this a ploy for those that produce homeopathic drugs to pad their pockets? These are some of the issues that Contagion tries to raise and while I think they do an alright job, there isn't enough depth to their answers. With a star loaded cast the movie was able to carry a weak plot through to the end. I think the ending was a little too easily summarized for the amount of panic that ensued throughout the film. I can see why the film flopped in the box office, but as a rental was well worth the time. I think Outbreak is a much better movie. Worth renting!

 

The Debt

It's been a while since I've enjoyed a good espionage film and this one doesn't disappoint. Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson headline the cast. The film reminds me a lot of Spy Game, featuring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. It's slow paced, revealing itself one layer at a time and throwing in a few action sequences to add some excitement. Jessica Chastain continues to win me over with her diverse range, and she adds to her resume with this performance. Fierce and intelligent, she is the perfect spy, and along with her two partners kidnap one of the Nazi's famed experimental surgeons. 

But all is not as it seems, and so it brings us to present day where we find our spies in old age enjoying the fame and fortune awarded them for their efforts but on the brink of disaster. Their past has come back to haunt them. Helen Mirren plays the older version of Chastain and is excellent as usual. My only complaint with the film is the rushed ending. It is a satisfying ending, but just felt rushed. I was intrigued by the trailer when I saw it at the theater and can recommend it as a rental. There is some strong language, violence and disturbing images, so viewer beware. 

Drive

Ryan Gosling is emerging as one of my go to actors. He already had two films in my favorites list of 2011 and we can now add a third. In fact, Drive would have tied with Super 8 as my favorite of last year had I seen it earlier. The movie is crisp, weaving a hypnotizing soundtrack with perfect cinematography and a story that is an intelligently written. Gosling delivers, Albert Brooks was great and Carey Mulligan continues to win me over, and small but intense roles from Bryan Cranston and Ron Perlman are the cherry on top.

Nicolas Winding Refn directs his best film to date and a ton of kudos goes to Hossein Amini for his screenplay adaptation from the novel. Gosling is smooth as a stunt car driver who also serves as a getaway driver by night. He meets a beautiful woman who is his neighbor and then things begin to spiral down from there. It is extremely violent and not for the weak of heart. The language is strong and there is a short scene with nudity, so viewers beware. Other than that, it is an extraordinary film. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before, and in this day and age of knock offs, remakes and lame originals, that is a rare treat!

When I finished it I immediately watched it through again and then went out and bought it. Yeah, that good! So good, that this review is short because I honestly cannot put into words what I want to express. For a more in depth review, check out Paul Hunton's at The Notorious PKC.

Take Shelter

Out of every movie I saw in 2011, Take Shelter is the most heart-wrenching, psychologically challenging and most rewarding film of the year. It's not my favorite film of the year by any means, but it is phenomenal. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain put up my two favorite performances of last year. Shannon's performance is better than Gosling in Drive, and no way did I think I would be saying that. I'm not familiar with him as an actor, and I'm not sure I've seen him in anything before, but the guy is spot on here. When I was done with the film I was spent. Drained from the intensity that pulls us as viewers along for a two hour experience that is worth it.

I am fascinated by storms. My father never really shied away from a tornado siren, so when other families were hunkered down in their homes, we stood in the window looking for the funnel cloud or the debris from the tornado on the ground. I could sit for hours watching lightning storms and listening to thunder. It is mesmerizing and so the fact that Take Shelter deals with storms was my first hook. The psychological element of the film taking place with apocalyptic leaning, and Shannon's character Curtis is the lone voice slowly having visions of an impending storm and the need to build the storm shelter to save his family. I won't go into any more details than that, as the film is definitely a must see. I've seen this film on many top ten lists garnering rave reviews and they are all correct. I'm glad I didn't see it in the theater as I don't think I could have sat still for long. 

It's a slow moving film, that is minimalistic in form, and basically formulating around Shannon and Chastain as a married couple dealing with many issues. Chastain has slowly risen up as an actor to watch fielding much attention for her roles in The Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter. I thought she did a good job in The Tree of Life even though I had no idea what was really going on. I don't remember her having much dialogue if any in that film but her physical acting spoke volumes. I haven't seen The Help so I can't comment on that performance, but looking at all of the awards she is building up for these three films is quite impressive. She is in another film I plan on watching this week sometime (The Debt) and has won awards for that performance as well. I can't wait to see what she does in the future. Bright career ahead of her for sure.

I like big blockbusters but I also the minimalist movies such as Take Shelter. It's a nice change of pace. A subtle but powerful film that had me terrified for Curtis and his family. And for me to care about characters is rare, which is a true testament to the power of Jeff Nichols screenplay and directing. I'll be buying this movie and will be recommending it to everyone in earshot. It does have some strong language in it, which is why it received its "R" rating, but don't let this deter you from seeing it. It now sits at the #3 slot in my favorites list of 2011.

The Rum Diary

Johnny Depp plays Paul Kemp, a journalist who gets drunk, hangs out with drunks, who sometimes get high on drugs, lusts after a woman, gets arrested several times, and is a movie that celebrates debauchery. Hunter S. Thompson is a weird dude, and so is this movie. Skip it.