Columbia Pictures

Jingoistic ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Highlights the Mission

PatrickMcD — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:46:13 -0500

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Despite an obsession for killing a single man to represent a foggy revenge, “Zero Dark Thirty” is an effective thriller in the actual re-creation of that Navy Seal operation. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”), the all-star cast is led by a miscast Jessica Chastain.

The centerpiece of the film is the killing – on May 2, 2011 – of Osama Bin Laden, the supposed mastermind of all that is evil in the post-9/11 universe. Bigelow breaks down the actual mission, from the first terror-filled days of September 11th, to the actual bullet that was expended from the chamber of USA weaponry to liquidate the terrorist. The first two-thirds of the film is the research, torture techniques and outside-the-box investigations that leads to the ultimate assignment, filmed with a methodical precision that heightened the tension, despite knowing the outcome. Like her previous “The Hurt Locker,” Kathryn Bigelow knows how to structure a military realism that hits home, but in this film she falls short in characterizing the operatives leading up to the mission.

It begins with September 11th, 2001, the day America was attacked from terrorist forces, which is determined to be facilitated by Osama Bin Laden, leader of the group known as al-Qaeda. For the next ten years, the build up to the final mission that finally kills Bin Laden is broken down, carried out through one particular CIA operative code named Maya (Jessica Chastain). The first assignment she witnesses is the torturing of an al-Qaeda underling for information.

Jessica Chastain is CIA Operative Maya in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

Through the years, as more intelligence operations are implemented to get the “most dangerous man in the world,” more danger starts to surface. Joseph Bradley (Kyle Chandler) – the CIA Islamabad Station Chief – begins to wonder about Maya’s obsession about the mission, and even the head of the CIA (James Gandofini) takes an interest in her quest. It all culminates in the mission in early May of 2011, which successfully avenges the years of investigation.

The best part of the film is the staging of the actual “kill Bin Laden” mission, which encompasses the last third of the film. Done as a night raid, the atmosphere around each step of the military intervention is thick with intrigue. The night setting also washes any color from the proceedings – conducted through cinematographer Greig Fraser – which adds a tone of doom and mystery to a situation in which the outcome is already known.

What doesn’t work, and almost hijacks the whole film, is the miscasting of Jessica Chastain as Maya. Not to dismiss her earnest performance as an obsessed CIA operative, but the film tactically misuses her low necklines, tight jeans, glossy red hair and white teeth as an actual agency representation. It becomes unbelievable, and hurts the absolute seriousness the film desires to be. The script – written by Mark Boal – doesn’t help her either, as she is put through a pool of emotions that are designed to take advantage of her gender vulnerability, to represent all our fears? Maybe if she had been de-glamorized a bit, it might have worked better, but it made the preliminaries to the actual mission somewhat disingenuous.

Another problematic circumstance built into the film is the jingoism of the United States of America as the principle bearer of morality regarding Bin Laden. Nothing is shown to be overwrought in this pursuit, despite a draining of treasury, a formation of the “investigate-anyone” Homeland Security and a perpetuation of fear from the Bush administration (“mushroom cloud”) that defined the decade. There was a obvious celebration from the Navy Seal team once they got their man, but it felt like the locker room after a Super Bowl win, rather than a grim reminder of the horrors of legal murder. Now we’re comfortable?

Joseph Bradley (Kyle Chandler) confronts Maya in ‘Zero Dark Thirty’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

In general, it seems that America wishes for a delineated enemy, like Germany and Japan of World War II, and “Zero Dark Thirty” provides that in Bin Laden, but by winning this battle how much of the war is won? The killing of a sick old man is a serious symbolic “victory,” in a war without end, but why is it suppose to make us feel better? Somebody told us that Osama Bin Laden is the scapegoat for all that is evil, yet evil remains in the world, even in the “Homeland.” As the great Walt Kelly once said, “we have met the enemy, and he is us.”

The film may give you a temporary feeling of USA superiority, but in the atmosphere outside the theater, the fight goes on. We need to keep challenging the notion that we can’t blame everything on the “enemy,” if we’re not willing to acknowledge our own fatalistic sins.

“Zero Dark Thirty” continues its limited release in Chicago on January 4th and opens everywhere on January 11th. See local listings for show times and theaters. Featuring Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Mark Duplass, Joel Edgerton and James Gandolfini. Written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Rated “R”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Skyfall’ is Enjoyable, Transitional James Bond Romp

PatrickMcD — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 09:26:00 -0500

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – James Bond is the world’s most enduring super spy, beginning with Ian Fleming’s classic spy novels, up to a celebration of 50 years in the movies. Daniel Craig returns as Bond, James Bond in the latest film ‘Skyfall,’ which blends familiar 007 actions with psychological transitions.

The transitions are what make the picture different, even slightly odd, as Bond is taken through a series of tests that call into question his relevance. In a way, it is questioning our own reaction to the super spy who came out of the Mad Men era, whether the man who literally fights towards death every day – and never ties himself down to anything or anybody – can still seem real. This complexity is less rich than described, and does stretch out the film to Freudian lengths, but there is enough in “Skyfall” to satisfy the popcorn crowd, who wants their Bond shaken not stirred, and his colleagues to be familiar reminders of who he is.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) opens the proceedings in the midst of a mission in Turkey. A computer drive has been stolen, containing the names of all the British Mi6 agency spies assigned by M (Judi Dench), who are undercover all over the world. After a classic chase, which includes rooftop motorcycling and railroad hopping, Bond is the victim of friendly fire and disappears.

The Spy Who Came in From the Couch: Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘Skyfall’
Photo credit: Sony Pictures

M comes under fire after that incident, and at the same time the agency becomes victimized by a series of terrorist attacks. The danger that London experiences through these attacks puts the agency’s relevance into question, especially from Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), an official from the Prime Minister’s office. When Bond reappears, he is put back into the field to find the terrorist, who turns out to be Silva (Javier Bardem), a computer hacker genius with former ties to Mi6. It’s old school spy techniques versus the modern world. Does James Bond still belong?

The relevance question is intriguing, especially in the context of James Bond at the movies for 50 years. The world was a very different place in 1962, and although the enemies were nasty, their motives were lucid and ideological. The modern enemies are more random, with ways and means that have less clear goals. “Skyfall” avoids all that and focuses on a more personal evil, which makes it less of a direct chapter in the James Bond lore, and more of a transitional and psychological duet between villain and spy.

The characters are going through group therapy by way of these incidences, because all will come out the other side with new realities. Bond is especially put through the ringer, with a literal resurrection to different path. Even his famous womanizing is called into question – don’t worry it still occurs – but it seems more random and isolating. In 1962, the hook-ups were seen as sophisticating, in “Skyfall” they are presented as the Freudian implications of a lost soul.

Bardem as Silva is a well worn villain, and his performance is key to protecting the Bond legacy. There is nothing new about a wicked computer hacker, even one who has the world at his fingertips. It’s Silva’s personal connection to M – obviously they’re not Facebook friends – that brings the whole spy world into question in a modern society. This theme is overriding in the film, brought into prime example with the gadgets expert named Q (Ben Whishaw), now achingly young and outfitting Bond with much less, that does more.

Delicious: Javier Bardem as Silva in ‘Skyfall’
Photo credit: Sony Pictures

There are a couple problems with the film. It takes too long to build, and there is too much therapist/psycho analysis mumbo-jumbo to get through. There is almost an symbolic expectation that if Silva disappears, everyone else will fade away with him. Is this Bond or Oz? And the gunfire is as random as usual. Whether it’s a handgun, an automatic weapon or a bazooka, the main characters manage to dodge the bullets, or at the worse it’s only a flesh wound. Nobody dodges better.

This film also calls into question, is James Bond the ultimate man’s man? Or is it the nerdy Q, isolated in a safe room with his computers, cooly pulling down several million a year as a cyber world expert. Who would you sleep with, given a world gone mad?

“Skyfall” opens everywhere November 9th. Featuring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris and Albert Finney. Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. Directed by Sam Mendes. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Peddles Clichés in ‘Premium Rush’

PatrickMcD — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:45:50 -0400

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – We’re looking for cowboy heroes in America, and a new film contends that the urban bike messenger could represent that long lost persona. This unlikely theory is the basis for “Premium Rush,” and it features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Aasif Mandvi and Dania Ramirez.

The life of a bike messenger in this film involves a parallel universe of the adrenaline junkie riding the plane, nobly following a code that is unwavering to money, authority and the laws of gravity. “Premium Rush” is riddled with archetypes like the twitchy dispatcher, the over-competitive rival, the wise old messenger and the hates-him-until-she-loves-him relationship. Actor Michael Shannon adds a bit of weirdness to the conventional story, but it’s not enough to overcome the soft narrative veneer that pretends to be high octane. It may be the first high octane film that has the ability to induce sleep.

Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is first introduced flying through the air on his way down to a kiss with the pavement. His messenger bike has just been smashed by a New York City vehicle, and he is shown in slow motion about to experience the fall. The story then reverses itself, to expose how he got in this predicament, and who is involved in it. When you live fast on the streets of NYC with no braking system, something is bound to happen. And what happens had to do with a peculiar delivery.

Man Versus Traffic: Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in ‘Premium Rush’
Photo credit: Sarah Shatz for Columbia Pictures

Wilee is given the assignment by his dispatcher Raj (Aasif Mandvi) to deliver an envelope from a college on one side of New York City to Chinatown on the other side, 90 minutes away. He is stopped in that pursuit by Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon), who turns out to be a desperate NYC cop. He needs what is in the envelope, and chases Wilee virtually through the city. To make matters worse, Wilee is being harassed by his rival Manny (Wolé Parks), and is on the outs with his girlfriend Vanessa (Dania Ramirez).

There is nothing new in this film, and it relies almost solely on Michael Shannon’s obsessive performance as the pursuing cop. He is the highlight, chewing scenery and making hay out of otherwise common dialogue. He practically attacks the words he is given, and functions as a scene stealer as the film jumps back and forth in the timeline to explain the consequences of Wilee’s epic crash. Shannon is a force of nature as a performer and proves here that he can elevate the starchiest of screenplays.

And speaking of the screenplay – by director David Koepp and John Kamps – the promotion of the bike messenger into secular saint is about as dumb as making a cowboy the same way (whoops). Okay, we need heroes, but all the bike messenger personalities are ultra-fueled and kind of phony. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Wilee is supposedly two credits away from a law degree, but chooses the adventures of the street race because “he doesn’t want to wear a suit.” The dispatcher, as practiced by Aasif Mandvi of “The Daily Show,” is the movie type – all cynical and above-it-all, until he’s called upon to make things right. It’s a more subtle take on the angry police bureaucrat who fires the heroic shot at the end. And yes, there is wise old bike messenger, who functions as a greek chorus (“take heed”) and exists so it can be pointed out that he is old and wise.

Besides Shannon, there are a few touches that generate some heat, but are separate from the golly-gee-whiz nobility of the film’s overall mission. Director Knoepp has a good eye for atmosphere, and uses some interesting parts of New York City in which to put the messengers. The use of high angle shots of the city to show the bike routes, and the point-of-view options for avoiding crashes – with strategic and illustrative arrows – were clever. Also despite the randomness of their relationship, Gordon-Levitt and newcomer Dania Ramirez had some chemistry, and worked well together when they needed to team up.

Recycled Romance: Wilee and Vanessa (Dania Ramirez) in ‘Premium Rush’
Photo credit: Sarah Shatz for Columbia Pictures

There was a recent short film done in Chicago called “Faster,” focusing on the adventures of a bike messenger in the city. But the main character in that scenario was a broke, frustrated day jobber who had to deal with the working class hive minders who hated their jobs as well. That is our world…not some contrived urban adventure about the noble warriors of the messenger class. No matter how romantically they are portrayed, they still are not suppose to ride on the sidewalks.

What the soundtrack needed was a song that touts the savior aspects of the bike messenger, like the cowboys. “Oh give me a home, where the pedestrians roam, where the cabs and the car doors do….LOOK OUT!”

“Premium Rush,” opens everywhere on August 24th. Featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Aasif Mandvi, Dania Ramirez, Wolé Parks and Jamie Chung.. Screenplay by David Koepp and John Kamps. Directed by David Koepp. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones Elevate ‘Hope Springs’

PatrickMcD — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:29:16 -0400

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – It can be argued that Meryl Streep is in the most fruitful period in her long and illustrious career, at least as far as the variety of character parts she has undertaken. She co-stars in “Hope Springs” with Tommy Lee Jones, as a mousy Omaha wife who is looking for a change in her marriage.

Streep does an artful balancing act in the film, because she does love her husband, but is desperate to make a change in how they meander into their 31st anniversary. She again is the most notable performance, playing a generally shy woman who is risking a lot to assert herself. The story is a bit choppy and cloying at times, and unfortunately relies on a star system predictability, but still manages to entertain simply through the performances of the two strong lead actors.

Kay (Meryl Streep) has a routine in her Omaha, Nebraska household. She and her husband Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are empty nesters, and now sleep in separate rooms. She makes the same breakfast for him every morning, they discuss the same topics – what will be for dinner that evening – and Jones returns each evening from his job as a tax accountant to fall asleep in front of the TV. The sameness of this existence is taking a toll on Kay.

Kay (Meryl Streep) Contemplates Her Next Move in ‘Hope Springs’
Photo credit: Barry Wetcher for Columbia Pictures

She suggests a marriage counselor named Dr. Feld (Steve Carell), and the couple must travel to a coastal city in Maine to have a week long session with him. Arnold resists at first, but when Kay defiantly says she will go no matter what, he decides to accompany her. What transpires is frank discussion over marital and sexual circumstances that have long been buried, and the consequence of their actions will begin a new evolution in their relationship.

It’s wonderful just to observe Meryl Streep, in the way she embraces her character and works out how to communicate a person like Kay. Many of the elements of the Kay persona is not in the screenplay, but in the way Streep carries herself and in the hesitation in Kay’s manner, she reveals the desperate wife. It’s a pleasure to watch those tics, and observe the slow blossoming of a archetype American couple through Kay’s actions.

Tommy Lee Jones is a bit more in his “movie character” – think tough and plain talking – which makes his marital and sexual confessions all the more contrary. Breaking routines of many years, especially in a marriage, is a monumental task. The Arnold character is not conducive to this change, and it is fascinating to see how his personality tries different tactics, even when the result it may not be the right step. In many ways, it’s one of Jones’s bravest roles.

The casting of Steve Carell as Dr. Feld may be the most perplexing element of the film, as it seems anyone could have played the part, and with Carell’s comic character lurking in the background, his performance seemed pinched. Most likely he took the role to act with Streep and Jones, who wouldn’t want to put that on their resume? But Carell seems so eager to create this nebulous character, that it comes off as one note. Acting with Streep and Jones? Check it off your bucket list, Michael Scott.

Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) and Kay Seek Counsel from Dr. Feld (Steve Carell) in ‘Hope Springs’
Photo credit: Barry Wetcher for Columbia Pictures

Television writer Vanessa Taylor wrote the screenplay, and it comes off a bit choppy, probably due to some editing circumstances. Director David Frankel (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “Marley & Me”) handles the three person counseling sessions fairly well, so they don’t seem stagey, but he has lost the spark that was so apparent in the “Devil” film. His films since then are clean and bright, but have none of the background edge that the fashion world lent him, versus a dog movie, a bird watching movie (“The Big Year” in 2011) and now marriage counseling.

However, this film rises and falls on the fortunes of Streep and Jones, so in this narrative it mostly rises, despite a certain predictability in the end. Besides, when did you ever think you’d see a movie with Meryl Streep simulating a certain carnal act? Talk about your hope springing.

“Hope Springs” opens everywhere August 8th. Featuring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, Jean Smart, Mimi Rogers and Elizabeth Shue. Screenplay by Vanessa Taylor. Directed by David Frankel. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg Pulls Our Chains in ‘That’s My Boy’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:20:33 -0400

Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Adam Sandler is just freaking with us now. His goal is obviously to create the raunchiest, sociopathic and off-putting comedies of all time, and “That’s My Boy” belongs in his Hall of Fame. The A-list cast helps out, including Andy Sandberg, James Caan, Susan Sarandon and Leighton Meester.

The first and most obvious problem is that there are long stretches in the film that have no laughs, but at least it has some laughs, unlike Sandler’s recent “Jack and Jill.” Screenwriter Dave Caspe, who also pens the decent TV sitcom “Happy Endings,” projects some unseemly obsessions through the Sandler character, especially in the sexual realm. It’s an oddball film for sure, paced unevenly by director Sean Anders (screenwriter of the much better raunch comedy, “She’s Out of My League”), and somewhat awkward in its execution. But I predict this film might eventually wear out the DVRs of 15 year-old boys throughout this great nation, as Sandler is their movie patron saint.

Adam Sandler is Donny, who we first meet in 1984 as a 13 year old (Justin Weaver). He’s a middle school playa, and has a hot-for-teacher moment with a Miss McGarricle (the appropriately fetching Eva Amurri Martino, the real-life daughter of Susan Sarandon, who then portrays present-day Miss McGarricle). She sentences Donny to detention, not to punish him, but to reward him with her charms. The affair gets hot and heavy, which results in the teacher’s pregnancy and arrest. This causes some backlash fame for Donny, including a made-for-TV movie.

Andy Samberg (Todd/Han) Shares a Guffaw with Adam Sandler (Donny) ‘That’s My Boy’
Photo credit: Tracy Bennett for Columbia Pictures

Fast forward to the present day, Donny is now a has-been who owes the government 50 grand. His son Han Solo (Andy Samberg), renamed Todd, is getting married and the old man finds out where the ceremony is. In a typical slob-out-of-water moment, Donny raids the festivities to assert his presence in his son’s life. This distresses Todd’s fiancee Jamie (Leighton Meester), her Marine Corp brother Chad (Milo Ventimiglia) and the family priest Father McNally (James Caan), who takes it out with his fists on Todd. Donny is shown to be physically equipped to make a baby, but he’s not morally equipped to be a father.

Sandler does a Boston accent, which should have been retired when “Cheers” went off the air, along with the expression “wicked.” His character is designed to be a lovable goofball, but again – like his drag act as Jill in his previous film – the anti-social behavior would have rational authorities going after him end-of-”Blues-Brothers” style. What remains fascinating in all his films is the blithe acceptance of the supporting characters. No matter what Donny does, there are always rich guys, entourages or hot babes hanging on his every action and word. It’s good to be the king.

Andy Samberg portrays his son, and until he breaks out in the end acts as a straight man. His journey to be more like his Dad is aided by severe and unlikely set-up behavior by the supposedly “good” characters, which doesn’t make the path to Donny all that natural. This is punctuated by Donny pausing in his drinking and self-pleasure to announce that he “loves” his son, even though every action created before that moment would say otherwise. But who needs story sense when Adam Sandler acts like a human bowling ball, Vanilla Ice is in the mix and Samberg flips a bike over a car with two nude fat people. The circus is in town.

There are some funny moments, and it mostly has to do with background scenes such as Jimmy Caan beating the heck out of Andy Samberg. Milo Ventimiglia got some odd notes (no doubt) for his Marine character, but he has a few nice moments, especially with Samberg in the beginning. The fact that Samberg’s character was first named Han Solo elicited a chuckle. And although they are not necessarily funny, Eva Amurri Martino and Susan Sarandon get the nod for finest mother/daughter team-up in recent cinema.

Andy Samberg Spars with James Caan in ‘That’s My Boy’
Photo credit: Tracy Bennett for Columbia Pictures

Another thing about Sandler films, there are so many surreal, head-scratching moments, neither funny or outright bad, but just like wow. Easily an editor could cut these scenes together and display them at a contemporary art museum, where they could uncurl Salvador Dali’s thin mustache. There is no use to critical response regarding an Adam Sandler films, just a acknowledgment that he’s “done it again,” and will continue to do so.

I surrender, Adam Sandler, to your superior skills in determining the condition of American humor, because not everyone is going to like the subtle wit of George S. Kaufman or Woody Allen. The loudest laugh from this movie is from Sandler himself, on the way to make a deposit in the bank.

“That’s My Boy” opens everywhere June 15th. Featuring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, James Caan, Vanilla Ice, Milo Ventimiglia, Susan Sarandon, Eva Amurri Martino and Tony Orlando. Screenplay by Dave Caspe. Directed by Sean Anders. Rated “R”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum Have Fun on ‘21 Jump Street’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:58:09 -0400

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – There are various opinions about TV-to-movie remakes, mostly negative. That is why “21 Jump Street,” based on a 1980s TV show, manages some grudging respect. Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, Nick Offerman and Ellie Kemper create some goofy laughs in this farce.

This is not a serious effort to try and recreate the 1980s vibe of the TV show or even attempt to be serious. It is straight out buffoonery, anchored by Hill and Tatum’s absurd police recruit characters. The film also features some killer supporting players, the creme de la cremé of the ironic comedy scene. Although sometimes it veers into action movie mode, and is pretty blithe about the gunplay, Jump Street is a place worth visiting, if only to slip on a banana peel.

Jonah Hill is Schmidt and Channing Tatum is Jenko, newly minted police officers who ran with different crowds back in high school – the nerdy and bookish Schmidt was in contrast to the popular jock Jenko. When they meet again at the police academy they form an unlikely alliance, using what they know best to help each other through the cop training. There first assignment upon graduation is bike patrol in the park, and they overstep their authority during a botched drug bust.

Channing Tatum (Jenko) and Jonah Hill (Schmidt) Flashback to High School in ‘21 Jump Street’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

This gets them a meeting with the inflexible Deputy Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman), who re-assigns them to a new undercover unit, located at – wait for it – 21 Jump Street. There they meet Captain Dickson (Ice Cube), the angry team leader, who briefs Schmidt and Jenko on the finer points of going back to high school, where their youthful looks will hopefully result in infiltrating a drug ring. In rediscovering their past in the present, they learn more about themselves than just procedural police work.

The description was an attempt to keep a straight face while reciting the standard buddy cop scenario, which mimics what the film was doing throughout. This was a comical satire of the straight police action movie or drama, and any inklings of getting back to plot was met with some laughable non-sequitur. The script was co-written by Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) and every raised eyebrow was tinged with a hint of “we’re just joking.”

Most impressive was the gathering of small and large supporting roles that created even more of a surreal atmosphere. Nick Offerman, who through his absurd character Ron Swanson on TV’s “Parks and Recreation,” is building a comic reputation just by showing up. Ellie Kemper (“Bridesmaids”) is a highlight as the teacher-who-has-a-crush-on-a-student, with her ardor toward Tatum’s Jenko. Rob Riggle as Coach Walters is another funny guy just showing up, and Chris Parnell is perfectly officious (as usual) portraying drama teacher Mr. Gordon. They even nod to the TV series, as Holly Robinson Peete revives her Judy Hoffs role, and solves every crime with virtually no recognition. Did anyone know that James Franco had an acting relative? Brother Dave plays a student criminal.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are contrasting bookends as the cop buddies, cutting up through high school again. The flashbacks to their initial HS experience is pretty funny, Hill having an era-appropriate Eminem look, and Tatum getting to show off some comic chops as both the meathead jock and his later incarnation. The duo seemed much more at home with the comedy than the action sequences, which was expected for Hill, not so much for Tatum.

Hot for Student: Ellie Kemper (Ms. Griggs) and Channing Tatum in ‘21 Jump Street’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

There were some moments when the film was unsure whether this wanted to be a comedy or an action picture, but most of the gunplay and chases were cartoonish. Sometimes the weapons use gets a little much, but that’s probably the zany point, and Jonah Hill gets his chance to dance with the happiness of a warm gun. There are some uneven sequences that indicate some choppy and last minute editing, but it’s a comedy so let’s get to the funny parts.

This was more successful than the similarly rebooted “Starsky and Hutch” of a few years back, only because of the right decision to bring it up to date – no cumbersome 1980s references – and to completely deconstruct the high school premise. Quote whore alert! “These newbie cops write their own ticket to hilarity.”

“21 Jump Street” opens everywhere on March 16th. Featuring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, Ellie Kemper, Nick Offerman, Dave Franco and Chris Parnell. Screenplay by Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Rated “R”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Adam Sandler Sticks to Formula in ‘Jack and Jill’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:37:39 -0500

Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – No one will ever accuse Adam Sandler of not knowing his audience and the reason they keep coming back to his “Happy Madison” genre of films – he delivers the oddball characters, lots of bodily fluids/sounds, physical beatings and the know-it-all straight man. Add the gooey sentiment and out spews the latest, “Jack and Jill.”

There are ardent admirers of the Sandler style, his films are huge successes. Someday he will go to the well once too often, or will get too old to get a shot in the groin, but for now “Jack and Jill” is going up the box office hill. Sandler also has crossed into the movie comic’s go-to character, a dual role as a woman (in drag). There is no nuance as he plays the twins named Jack and Jill, but nobody goes to an Adam Sandler film for subtlety.

Sandler is Jack Sadelstein, a high level (and rich) partner at a Los Angeles advertising firm. With Thanksgiving coming up, he makes his holiday plans, which includes hosting his twin sister from the Bronx, Jill (Sandler, again). There is a wrench in these plans in the form of Dunkin Donuts, one of Jack’s biggest clients. It seems they want to have Al Pacino (playing himself) as the spokesperson for their new “Dunkaccino” (product placement) and Jack is not sure he can make it happen.

It’s Funny Because She Can’t Mow: Adam Sandler as Jill and Eugenio Derbez as Felipe in ‘Jack and Jill’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

When Jill arrives on Thanksgiving, she is an obnoxious lout (surprise!), and excretes many bodily fluids. She also is depressed without a man, and wants to extend her stay to find one. Through a set of circumstances that involves Johnny Depp, Al Pacino develops a crush on her. Pacino tells Jack if he can deliver Jill, he will do the ad for Dunkin Donuts. Regrettably, Jill is also pursued by Jack’s gardener, Felipe (Eugenio Derbez), and this puts everything into a quandary. Hopefully a shot in the groin or Adam Sandler acting desperately inappropriate as Jack or Jill will lift all boats in this situation.

There are funny bits in “Jack and Jill,” it’s impossible to miss with the whole film. But the emphasis is on the word “bits,” because that is where the laughs originate – in tiny, tiny little bits. This simply repeats the formula of previous Sandler films, and any kind of “character” for Jill is lost in her in the role of scapegoat for all the stupid gags. Jill acts like a mental patient, yet everyone loves her. Even Sandler’s goofy vocal effects sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. Literally, screenwriter Steve Koren uses Jill like a rodeo clown or a fart in an elevator, as unseemly a presence as possible.

Al Pacino is fascinating in his role as “Al Pacino.” There must have been several zeroes on that fat paycheck he received, because he was game for almost any type of Sandler-esque frivolity. Maybe his kids, or in his case grandkids, wanted him to do it. Regardless, he sweats like a racehorse going through the mechanics of being Sandler-ized, but also delivers some truly strange stuff, including improper cellphone use and recitation of some old lines from “The Godfather.” There is a point in the film where he wants to destroy a performance that is captured on DVD. He might want to consider taking the same action with this film.

There are Sandler’s stock characters and friends making cameos or quick roles. He convinced Depp, Drew Carey, Norm MacDonald, John McEnroe, Christie Brinkley and Subway’s Jared Fogle to briefly appear. Old SNL pal Tim Meadows plays his ad partner, David Spade truly has a potential career-killing role and oddly Katie Holmes portrays Jack’s wife Erin. Eugenio Derbez adds the stereo in stereotype as the Hispanic gardener, but again the role is so oddball it actually works a bit. There’s that word again, “bit.”

Hoo-Ha?: Al Pacino and Adam Sandler in ‘Jack and Jill’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

Jack and Jill are supposedly twins, and the film even adds testimonials from real twins, but for the most part the connection is never explored. Jill is a prop, given all the heavy lifting of the obnoxious Sandler persona, and besides using the twin element for a stupid secret language and the gooey sentimentalism toward the end, the production might as well had not bothered making them twins.

What makes us laugh is the fingerprint of our perspective, different for everyone. Adam Sandler has struck a nerve in the funny bones of so many filmgoers over the years, and his filmography is so heavily viewed again and again, it’s defies logic to call his films childish, freaky, stupid and unfunny. But I will.

“Jack and Jill” opens everywhere on November 11th. Featuring Adam Sandler, Al Pacino, Tim Meadows, Nick Swardson, Drew Carey, Johnny Depp, Eugenio Derbez and Katie Holmes. Screenplay by Steve Koren, story by Ben Zook. Directed by Dennis Dugan. Rated “PG”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Only the Kiddies Will Connect to ‘The Smurfs’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:41:30 -0400

Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – There is nothing wrong with “The Smurfs” that a thousand volts of electricity couldn’t cure. It is well made, looks good in the optional 3-D and has a competent cast trying their hardest. What it lacks is a spark, either of nostalgia or a fresh update, as it meanders with the seen-it-all-before template.

In a plot lifted directly from Disney’s “Enchanted,” The Smurfs are thrust into New York City and our world, with the same machinations and sidekick help as the Disney princess had when she came to NYC. The silly comedy, plus the good and bad nature of the morality, makes it easy for younger kids to follow, but it lacked the nostalgia candy of the 1980s and ’90s cartoon that their parents most likely desired. And of course, the Smurfs are voiced by celebrities, but for once it’s not too distracting.

The land of the Smurfs exists on another astral plane. The average citizen of their village is three apples tall, wears a cap and are blue in color, plus they are named after their duties or personality (Handy Smurf, Jokey Smurf, etc.). They are mostly male, with the exception being Smurfette (Katy Perry), and have a language that includes the liberal use of the word “smurf” (for example, we smurfed a Smurf). The arch nemesis of the Smurf’s happy home is Gargamel (a hammy Hank Azaria), who because he wants to steal the creature’s blue essence (their magic power), raids the Smurf village and scatters them during a Blue Moon festival.

Six of the Smurfs run away to a mystical and watery portal, that opens up through the spell of the Blue Moon. Smurfette, Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters), Brainy (Fred Armisen), Grouchy (George Lopez), Gutsy (Alan Cumming) and Clumsy (Anton Yelchin) take the plunge and end up in New York City, followed by Gargamel and his cat. The Smurfs hook up with adman Patrick (Neal Patrick Harris) and his wife Grace (Jayma Mays), while Gargamel tracks them to the couple’s apartment.

Blue Rock: Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick with Gutsy, Brainy and Grouchy in ‘The Smurfs’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

Patrick needs to wow his boss Odile (Sofia Vergara) with a new ad campaign he’s creating, and at the same time help the Smurfs get back to their homeland. Gargamel is not far behind, and if he collects enough blue essence he will have powers to rule all worlds. It’s a race against time and the cute antics of the familiar blue crew.

The film looks great and the 3D effect has some interesting moments – the portal would have been right at home in “2001, A Space Odyssey.” The Smurfs frolic seamlessly through both their woodland world and that of New York City, and kudos to Neal Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays for using their imaginations while interacting with the oranges on a stick that later would become the animated Smurfs. The story is kid friendly, too much so, as good remains good and the evil is benign enough not to be too scary.

But there is nothing original in this premise, it is ripped straight from other fish-out-of-water cartoon fantasies and gets wrapped up in a plot that is predictable and boring. The four screenwriters didn’t know what to do with the Smurfs once they got them to New York City, except expound on their characteristics. Therefore, Clumsy is oafish, Grouchy is annoying, Brainy says stupid things and Papa Smurf is strangely gravelly-voiced. Jonathan Winters, who is pushing 90, sounds like his natural vocalizing went through about 1,000 digital filters.

It seemed that the pop culture market for the Smurfs also disappeared about twenty years ago. There was an expectation that maybe this would be some sort of nostalgia festival for their now grown fans, but that was hard to detect around the mechanics of the New York City plot. There were many references to their blueness and the predilection for using “smurf” as a noun and verb in their language, but was that enough to send sentimental shivers down a long lost cartoon spine? It didn’t feel like it.

It has to be difficult to act in films like this. So much puppetry, so much “this will be put in later” and so little emphasis on the human element in the story. Hank Azaria, getting harder to take with each film appearance, practically ties a maiden to the railroad tracks with his villainous take on Gargamel and the portrayal is off. And where the special effects really become noticeable is when the Smurfs cradle in a human hand. They float rather than sit, and the reactions of both Harris and Mays when carrying a Smurf is a bemused, “why am I doing this?”

Smurfing USA: Brainy (Fred Armisen), Gutsy (Alan Cumming) and Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters) in ‘The Smurfs’
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

Basically the whole of Smurfdom comes down to they are blue, and they say “smurf” a lot. What is necessary with this thin sketch is a little more creativity. This movie is fine as an afternoon distraction for a eight year old, but those who have to accompany these younger attendees won’t get anything beyond a few character-driven references (a nod to Dustin Hoffman in “Midnight Cowboy” from Grouchy). It is the Smurfs that are the stars, and their basic personalities are stuck in 1958, the year they were created.

The idea is that the Smurfs go to modern New York City, but why not stick them somewhere in Kansas? Their pure blueness would be more welcome, they wouldn’t have to redeem the jaded urban folk and Grouchy could actually shock somebody.

”The Smurfs” opens everywhere on July 29th. Featuring Neal Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Tim Gunn, and the voices of Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Katy Perry, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Kenan Thompson and Paul Reubens. Screenplay by J. David Stern, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick and David Ronn. Directed by Raja Gosnell. Rated “PG”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Cameron Diaz Commits Sin of Boredom in ‘Bad Teacher’

PatrickMcD — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 07:59:49 -0400

Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – If you’re going to be bad, be bad. But this is mainstream Hollywood “product,” starring Cameron Diaz, and while the concept of the new film “Bad Teacher” had promise, it eventually fell down on the weight of happy resolutions and the worse mortal sin for a comedy…it was dull.

Director Jake Kasdan, who has been much more interesting in previous films (”Zero Effect,” “Orange County,” “The TV Set”) gets bogged down with a passive aggressive script, by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, and wastes a pretty talented comic cast. The ensemble gamely tries to deliver some wooden material and despite some individual moments, can’t deliver the overall goodness of the “badness.”

Cameron Diaz is middle school teacher Elizabeth Halsey, who is leaving her job at the John Adams academy, somewhere in Illinois (near Chicago, but never spelled out). She is off to marry her rich fiancé and live the glamorous life she thinks she deserves. Her happiness turns to shock when her sugar daddy dumps her, and the former teacher is now forced to go back to John Adams with no prospects, except the weak notion that if she gets a boob job the right rich guy will come her way.

Elizabeth hates her teaching life now, especially since she is right across the hall from super-educator Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch) and can’t relate to fellow teachers Lynn (Phyllis Smith from TV’s “The Office”) and Russell (Jason Segel). The tide turns a bit when a new substitute named Scott (Justin Timberlake) is revealed to be from a wealthy family. Elizabeth and Amy suddenly become rivals for the same man, and the situation escalates when the bad teacher seems to be losing out to the good teacher.

Cameron Diaz as Elizabeth is About to Make a Point in ‘Bad Teacher’
Photo credit: Gemma Lamana for Columbia Pictures

As the academic year rolls along, Elizabeth keeps saving for her plastic surgery, the randy gym teacher Russell keeps pining after her charms and Principal Wally Snur (John Michael Higgins) struggles to make sense of it all. To misquote Bill Murray from “Tootsie,” that is one nutty schoolhouse.

In the tradition of “Bad Lieutenant,” screenwriters Stupnitsky and Eisenberg tried to concoct the same atmosphere for a learning institution, but can’t pull the trigger. Cameron Diaz is willing to be bad, smoking pot and generally screwing her classroom out of a decent education, but in the end gets to make her transition to “good egg” without the benefit of any decent form of redemption. The script feels rewritten from a harsher form, to accommodate the sudden luck of interest from Diaz for the role, and the gathering of a talented comic actor cast. What may have been a killer satire becomes a forced exercise in movie star marketing.

Everyone in the cast have been better elsewhere, and this film will be a detriment to their resumes. Jason Segal, sitcom star and the disciple of Judd Apatow, was absent as the randy gym coach and is given the thankless job of being on the sidelines waiting for Diaz to come around. Justin Timberlake, one of Diaz’s real life ex-lovers, gets to uncomfortably reenact their past, with a weird dry humping scene that had a TMZ-style vibe. Phyllis Smith is essentially reworking her role as Phyllis on The Office, and comes off best, especially in the scenes when she’s trying to be cool like the Bad Teacher but ends up contradicting herself.

Lucy Punch played an odd role. In many ways, she is “hotter” than her rival Cameron Diaz as portrayed in the film, but the plot circumstances of the rivalry means she will eventually lose out, and she becomes a whipping post for some very tired bits (not the old oozing rash gag!). Punch has screen appeal and obvious comic talent, this script chose to squelch what could have been a more interesting character, just to make Cameron look less bad. Who cares?

As mentioned, Cameron Diaz was willing to take on a persona of complete anti-social behavior and had some moments of anti-society that were enjoyable. But as soon as she strips down to Daisy Duke shorts and starts playing sexpot at a school car wash, the anarchistic atmosphere switches to a call-the-cops scenario. She is blunt regarding what she wants (money, attention) yet vague regarding any other emotion. She wants to help out her class nerd by telling him about real life, but ends up pulling a stunt that would most likely result in a mug shot. Anarchy is a sharp-edged narrative device, and Bad Teacher falls on the sword.

Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel (Russell) and Justin Timberlake (Scott) in ‘Bad Teacher’
Photo credit: Gemma Lamana for Columbia Pictures

Comedies that have stellar funny people in the cast but cannot deliver proves that one hundred percent of great laugh films start with a decent script. The director then can take that decent script and tweak it to allow the talent to comedically shine. In Bad Teacher, the script had potential but was obviously watered down to fit a certain movie star image. In this case, the production should have taken a chance as an independent film, discovering new talent who truly want to be bad all the way.

This film is also part of a this summer’s trend (see “Bridesmaids”) for women to join the parade of R-rated subversiveness, usually reserved for the guys. Well, dammit, let’s get down to some R-rated action, not some dishwater dry humping from a famous ex-couple reliving in art what they couldn’t get right in real life.

”Bad Teacher” opens everywhere on June 24th. Featuring Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, Justin Timberlake, Phyllis Smith and John Michael Higgins. Screenplay by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, directed by Jake Kasdan. Rated “R”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon in Gloriously Romantic ‘How Do You Know’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:41:49 -0500

Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Writer/Director James L. Brooks has been producing prime entertainment for nearly 50 years now, and proves he has not lost a step in ‘How Do You Know.’ This film of love, loss, power and especially romance is a great showcase for the talents of Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and the great Jack Nicholson.

The beauty of How Do You Know is in its simplicity, a basic love triangle in the will-she-or-won’t-she mode, but placed in a modern setting where the stakes are higher, where money and power is a seducing tool, and the relationship between a father and son may actually overcome the obvious love connection between a couple of very distracted adults.

Reese Witherspoon convincingly plays a woman softball player named Lisa, one who has achieved gold medal status at the Olympics. Her anticipation is that she will be named to the American team once again, despite her advanced age of 31 years. She also has just started dating a major league baseball pitcher named Matty (Owen Wilson), and serious sparks are flying between them.

Paul Rudd is George, a decent fellow with a high profile job in the law firm of his father Charles (Jack Nicholson). He receives a strange summons from the federal government, accusing the firm he is now directing of high level malfeasance. Confused at first, it turns out that George has been picked to take the fall for the entire operation, having to do with some shady dealings his father pursued. He is given the status of ghost, as the firm cannot legally support him. To make matters worst, his girlfriend dumps him because of his troubles.

This is the point where Lisa and George meet. On the day that Lisa finds out she won’t make the Olympic softball team, and George has literally run away from his father, they decide to follow through on a long ago set-up blind date. It goes quite badly, but not so bad as they make a bit of a connection. Lisa goes on to pursue her budding relationship with the pitcher Matty, and to her surprise he offers that they should live together.

So Grows the Twig: Jack Nicholson as Charles the Father and Paul Rudd as George the Son in ‘How Do You Know’
Photo credit: © Columbia Pictures

This is the scenario and these are the complications as the love triangle begins. George seeks out Lisa, who isn’t sure about Matty and leans on George during her confusion. George must decide if he is going to take punishment for his father’s actions. Although the title of the film may sound cryptic, all of the main cast is trying to answer the question, “how do you know?”

There is a mature reflectiveness in this narrative that makes all the characters, even though they are a bit high concept, work at a superior level. Most impressive, believe it or not, is Owen Wilson as Matty, who totally gets the rather subtle machinations of a bounder like his million dollar pitcher role, which I’m sure is not too far off from millionaire movie star. He was willing to expose the general nature of getting-everything-you-want quite effectively, and this is his strongest performance in years. In fact, it is a bit deceptive. It seems like a typical “Owen Wilson” persona, but it ends up being so much more.

The other players in the love triangle, Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd, have a nice chemistry that is palpable even through their problematic circumstances. Rudd is downtrodden without being completely out, which makes his characterization blessedly delicate. He holds his own against the scene stealing of Mr. Nicholson, and has a nice moment when a proper accusation must be rendered against his father. Witherspoon plays a somewhat cloudy person after being cut from the team, and most of the film she impressively works her way out from underneath it.

The old pro Jack Nicholson has some fine, even “Jack” moments in How Do You Know. At the twilight of his long career he still has a presence, still reaches for character nuances and still has the famous smile. He is the comfort food in this narrative, flitting about the lovers like a persistent flea and overseeing the proceedings as if he were Zeus, if Zeus were slightly corrupt. He relishes the role, and it shines through.

The script and direction of James L. Brooks hearkens back to his glory days of “Terms of Endearment.” Although all the characters are on a pretty big stage in life (financier, lawyer, Olympic champion, pitcher) they are human, and wear their humanity as best they can. Background characters like legal adviser Ron (Mark Linn-Baker), the psychiatrist (Tony Shalhoub) and especially Annie (George’s assistant, played by Kathryn Hahn) become almost like love fairies to the triangle, giving actionable support in small but amazing doses. This is what Brooks does best, he creates empathetic human beings who are seekers of truth and in this case, love.

This is an unabashedly romantic picture, but the romance is not sticky sweet, it’s based more on risk taking against long and seemingly impossible odds. The lure of material comfort, the loyalty of single father and the crushing defeat of losing everything are not situations against which to begin a coupling, but somehow this type of passionate backdrop ups the ante on romance.

One of the nice old fashion devices in this film is the use of a bus, where journeys are made if the characters decide to ride. The vehicle comes at opportune and inopportune moments, symbolic of the choices that need to be made. As the old rhyme says, “get on the bus, Gus.”

”How Do I Know” opens everywhere December 17th. Featuring Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Tony Shaloub, Kathryn Hahn, Mark Linn-Baker and Jack Nicholson. Written and directed by James L. Brooks. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com