The Help

The Help is arguably one of the best movies of the summer. The way it encompasses so many intertwining lives and depicts them in a genuine sort of way is remarkable. The movie brings out so many emotions in it's audiences, that's it no wonder that it achieved so much box office success back in August.

If you've been living under a rock for the past 2 months then you probably don't know that the film is adapted from a novel with the same name, by Kathryn Stockett. Tate Taylor, who I've read is a very close friend of Stockett, directed and assisted in writing the screenplay for the film. Taylor and Stockett have truly accomplished something incredible, with this being both of their first major Hollywood film releases, they crafted a 146 minute piece of art that not only moves smoothly and efficiently through a complex character driven narrative with heavy societal commentaries at almost every turn. Some critics have argued that the film only scratched the surface in terms of racial relations during this time in America, but it must be remembered that the film is a drama and was distributed by DreamWorks, not to simply educate people, but to turn a profit, so obviously certain aspects of depicting the civil rights movement wouldn't end up on screen. I personally have no problem with this, as if I'm seeking to be enlightened of this tumultuous time in American history I pick up some documentaries from my local library,

Another aspect that makes the Help so remarkable, is it's cast. From Bryce Dallas Howard, to Allison Janey, to Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Cicely Tyson, and Sissy Spacek, all of the performances feel authentic and compelling. I expect this ensemble to be recognized come awards season, and a lot of credit should again be given to Taylor and Stockett for providing these actors with material that could showcase their talents.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

It's not an easy thing for a single, 25-year old guy to admit to seeing a romantic comedy, on a whim, at 10:30 in the morning, by yourself... So, consider me revealing this bombshell about a close friend of mine, a giant leap of faith. I mean really, the romantic comedy in question would have to be one of the best ones he's ever seen to share something like that with me, and then allow me to put it on the Internet for all to see. I hope that gives an idea of my buddies immense admiration for Crazy, Stupid, Love...

In so many ways this movie is the perfect romantic comedy, here's a few reasons why: It's two leading men are hilarious and have excellent on-screen chemistry, the primary roles are acted incredibly well, it depicts romance at all the important stages of life, it has an assortment of scenes that you remember days after leaving the theater, either because their funny, touching, or outrageous, and because it sort of has the perfect title(If you've seen it, think about it).

I have to admit that one of my main reasons for seeing this movie, besides the praise it was getting from everyone, was the scenes in the trailer with Ryan Gosling cleaning up at nightclubs. I thought if anything it'd be entertaining to watch him try to mold Steve Carell into an equally smooth operator. Also, I love Emma Stone's quirky funniness and red hair(Julianne Moore's, too). But, there were so many surprises in this movie that it's impossible to not like it in my opinion. Jonah Bobo and Analeigh Tipton give two brilliant, unexpected performances, that are basically as important to the movies overall grade as Stone and Moore's are. Dan Fogelman deserves a ton of credit as well for just how funny the dialogue in this movie is. Gosling, if he gets (and he should) a Golden Globe nomination for his comedic performance, ought to buy him something nice and expensive.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Reboot, remake, sequel, whatever you want to call them these days, a lack of creativity or risk taking has been plaguing Hollywood as of recent. But, with Americans being tighter with how they spend on entertaining themselves not alot of studios want to bankroll big budget movies. It just makes more business sense to modify something that's been done in the past and release it to the masses.

Rise of Planet of the Apes, is a reboot to a franchise that began in the 60's, with Planet of the Apes, which starred Charlton Heston. It depicts the life of Will Rodman, (James Franco) a San Fransisco scientist who has been developing a serum in the hopes of curing Alzheimer's. He's been testing a genetically engineered retrovirus on primates and the results are coming back very positive. The virus changes the primates in a way that vastly increases their brain activity, essentially giving them a human level of intelligence. But, their are negative side effects, when a primate becomes aggressive and utilizes her newly acquired intelligence to escape a secure room in a test facility and interrupt a very important board meeting, that would've secured more funding for the Alzheimer's cure research.

Rise is a very fascinating movie, with not too much write home about acting wise, unless you can wrap your mind around the incredible accomplishment of Andy Serkis, the actor who portrayed Gollum in the Lord of the Rings franchise. He or CGI modified versions of him, make up the character, Caesar, who is the central ape character in the film. Watching his body language, facial expressions, and general mannerisms enmeshed the audience in the struggle that the primates faced against their human overlords, if you will. I wasn't rooting on the humans in some of the final battle scenes on the Golden Gate Bridge, I was compelled by Caesar's look of betrayal, when he was "abandoned" at an ape facility later in the movie, to pull for the apes and their desire to acheive freedom from the testing facilities and zoo's of the Bay area.

Rise is certainly a very well-made, worthy summer movie that may just spawn the likes of another movie in the franchise sometime down the road.

Cowboys & Aliens

Maybe, it’s just that I really enjoy western’s, but I would’ve been satisfied with Cowboys & Aliens, had the extraterrestrials never showed up. There’s something that I just love about the simplistic, visceral rawness of an old western movie set, it could be the notion that with less lucrative sets it puts the actors talents at the foreground or that I’m nostalgic and enjoy being transported back to another time. Whatever it is, when you bring together talented individuals like Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Jon Favreau, and Steven Spielberg you’re definitely in for something very cool.

The plot of the movie goes like this: a spaceship arrives one night in a settlement in Arizona, with it comes epic destruction and many disappearances. A short time before this apocalyptic night a stranger jaunts into town, with a boldness and swagger about him that the townspeople take notice of. He is Jake Lonergan, played by Daniel Craig, but he’s suffering from a strange amnesia as he doesn’t know who he is, how he came to be in this place, and what the contraption on his wrist is. Lonergan’s boldness is put on display as he stands up to Percy Dolarhyde, acted well by Paul Dano, the son of Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde, cattle baron and the driving force of Absolution’s economy. Dolarhyde senior is of course portrayed by Harrison Ford, and when he gets word of his son being thrown into the clink he isn’t pleased. Couple that with the news of farmhands vanishing and missing, burnt and mutilated cattle and Dolarhyde is grumpy as hell. Dolarhyde confronts Sheriff John Taggart, but he doesn’t budge on his decision to send Percy off to face his judgment. But, all of this is interrupted by a bright red light on the horizon, which leads to bodies being snatched by “demons in flying machines”.

I don’t want to give too much else away, but Spielberg, Orci, Kurtzman, Lindelof, and company have crafted a very solid screenplay that ties together well. Spielberg is definitely one of Hollywood’s masters of science fiction, so I can speculate that his insight on how the extraterrestrials should look and move was extremely valuable. The only flaw I wondered about after seeing the movie, that I’m sure was discussed at production meetings was how on Earth did those cowboys survive a full on battle against aliens with “atom scrambling” weaponry, with only some dynamite, an alliance with some of the natives, and their trusty six-shooters (The answer is truthfully, they would’ve been pulverized and there wouldn’t of been any American history post 1879). Alas, this is just fiction, and of course you’ve got to root for the good guys, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

But, although not many critics and moviegoers enjoyed Cowboys & Aliens, I did. I wouldn’t crown it movie of the summer” or anything like that, but I’d recommend watching it to anybody who enjoys science fiction or Daniel Craig. I do realize that, that isn’t the most sweeping endorsement, but the movie didn’t really have that “It” factor that movies like Men in Black or Independence Day had in spades.

Captain America: The First Avenger

I’m definitely not completely sold on 3D technology, and movie’s like Captain America, are the reason why. At no point during watching it this past weekend did I think to myself, “This is such an awesome scene, I can’t imagine this without my 3D glasses on”. They actually served as more of a hindrance than a help, as they aren’t the most comfortable pieces of eyewear out there. But, when looking at the box office take for the film, I have a good understanding about why Marvel/Paramount decided to add 3D in post production.

Anyways, a bit about “The First Avenger”, it of course starred Chris Evans, who many know from the Fantastic Four franchise and more recently Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Evans proves those that cast him were wise though, as he carries this “bridge” or setup blockbuster into a moderately favorable reviews and a very healthy domestic box office take. Evans’ boyish, cocky swagger that served him well as “the Human Torch”(Or whatever he is, in Fantastic Four) wasn’t replicated here, as it so often is in superhero movies. He brought a relatable, selfless underdog-“esque” charisma to the role that I think many audiences enjoyed. Even after the transformation, from the below-average Joe to Captain America, Evans’ still managed to show the character’s vulnerability.

Captain America has a few supporting performances that are noteworthy, the first of which being Hayley Atwell, as Peggy Carter. Other than the notion of her being an agent in the United States Army being extremely far-fetched, she has great chemistry with Evans’ onscreen and she can fake deliver a punch with the likes of the Jolie’s and Jovovitch’s of the world. There’s a scene with her towards the end of the movie, where she dons a red dress, that I’m sure all the drool-y adolescent Marvel fan boys will be replaying in their minds (Or on their PC’s) for the rest of the summer. I’d look for some big things from Atwell after this effort.

Hugo Weaving, as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull, might be the best villain in a superhero flick in quite some time. His grandiose, borderline lunacy which he exudes during any monologue where he’s detailing his plans for world domination are exceptional. I see a lot of similarities to his performance and Christoph Waltz’s in Inglorious Basterds, but I won’t be surprised if Weaving doesn’t win an Oscar, but give the man a Saturn nomination or something, at least..

Stanley Tucci, is Dr. Abraham Erskine and is as he usually is, quite brilliant (I heard the biggest reason he signed onto the film was because he’s always wanted to portray a character with a German accent). But, he is very convincing with the accent and in this role, his thoughtful acting, which he brings to all of his roles, is very important during a scene in the early stages before Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. Dominic Cooper, who must be a rather big star in the UK, adds a solid performance as Tony Stark, “the Marvel Comics Godfather of weaponry”. Tommy Lee Jones (Who I almost forgot, but based on his performance in this one, shouldn’t have) stands out as, Colonel Chester Phillips, a brazen, “take no sh*t” tough guy.

I haven’t seen Green Lantern, and I don’t plan to see it anytime soon, with as bad of reviews as it got, but I’d definitely put this movie above that and somewhere below Thor (Just slightly). But, it’s a worthwhile summer blockbuster, that if can be avoided, should be seen two dimensionally.

Super 8

Super 8 is so reminiscent to me of all the childhood classics that Steven Spielberg bestowed upon my generation. The rough and tumble Super 8 film crew consisting of a handful of Hollywood unknowns, might as well be carbon copies of the kids from, “The Goonies”. Or “ET” with the connection that can be made between two estranged beings, a young child and an extraterrestrial. Spielberg will be remembered as a Hollywood icon because of how over the years he’s created rich, compelling, visually striking films with enormous budgets, while utilizing the acting of relative “Hollywood unknowns”. His philosophy of not taking away from the story by casting big names and flashy marketing campaigns has remained one of the most refreshing aspects of Hollywood summer blockbusters over the last ten years or so. I think this last notion is blurred a little bit with marketing behind, Super 8, but he’s a producer for this movie and not directing it.

But, I did notice something from the MTV Movie Awards from last week that I thought was a bit peculiar, It was J.J. Abrams, the movie’s director, and Spielberg appearing at the awards show to present an award and plug their film (of course!). It isn’t really like Spielberg, to croon to the beckoning of any studio’s marketing department, even not his own, DreamWorks. But, with this one I think the executives at Paramount really pressed the fact that this movie needed to do well in the 13-19 year old male/female demographic, so that its opening weekend take would be deemed a successful one. I think the movie’s producers and marketing team felt that the movie should do well with the 18-25 yr. old demographic that are regular, Lost, viewers. But, although the numbers, $38 million for the weekend, are being considered above industry expectations, I think that Paramount would’ve liked a bit more.

Anyways, a little about the movie… Probably one of the best aspects of, Super 8, is the interaction between these young adults, who are trying to make a zombie movie. Charley’s bossiness of the others and how the audience will see this in regards to their adolescence/childhoods, the crew’s immaturity, but tact/adeptness at utilizing real life events unfolding around them to increase the movie’s “production value”. It brought me back to my childhood, even reminded me of some of the hopes and dreams I had when I was that age, which I’m sure was a similar effect for others watching the film. It might be a little slow in the middle before the story climaxes, but the acting, casting, and directing are right on point and make for an awesome science fiction thriller that most certainly has appeal to such a wide range of moviegoers.

Thor

Just like Iron Man did in 2008, Thor has surprised a lot of people and busted blocks to reign in the arrival of summer movie season (Fast Five, did open before it, but lacks a superhero, so it doesn’t count). Chris Hemsworth has got to be the talk of the town, with a successful opening, a rumored offer from the Snow White and the Huntsmen people, and just generally women swooning over his chiseled self for 120 minutes in cineplexes across the country.

The movie probably isn’t as “good” as Iron Man, but it’s leading star is easily as entertaining as Robert Downey Jr. One aspect that it’s inferior to Iron Man in, is the chemistry between the two stars that Downey Jr. and Paltrow had onscreen. It was so obvious when watching their scenes unfold that those two were friendly/comfortable with each other when the cameras weren’t rolling. Natalie Portman, who is the leading lady in Thor, doesn’t have that before mentioned chemistry with Hemsworth, but she’s an adept enough actress that audiences will certainly focus on her other qualities instead. This is hardly a major squabble to have with a $150 million blockbuster, but I’m trying to be a bit critical of a movie which I really loved, so bear with me.


Not being very familiar with the Thor comic books, the learning curve to understand where he comes from, what he can do, and why he’s doing it is more than adequately addressed by director, Kenneth Bragnagh, Stan Lee, and the rest of the film’s producers. But, I think the ultimate goal of familiarizing the audience with Thor and his abilities is to introduce another character of the Marvel universe and build anticipation for The Avengers Summer 2012 release. Well, this plan worked on me as Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk now have some serious competition in my book for “Most badass contemporary superhero”. I think Stan Lee and the rest of the Marvel execs hope Chris Evans, as Captain America, can add even more clutter to this later in the summer.