Dustin Levell

Like a Bad ‘Law & Order,’ ‘Righteous Kill’ With Al Pacino, Robert De Niro Lacks ‘Heat’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:13:52 -0700

Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Last fall, Francis Ford Coppola made the comment that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro (along with Jack Nicholson) had lost their ambition. Coppola essentially said they have been phoning in their performances and picking safer movies. “Righteous Kill” could be the case study to that argument.

Left to right: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in “Righteous Kill”.
Photo credit: Righteous Productions, Inc.

You have Pacino and De Niro together again. They’re both playing a cop, which is a role they’ve both done time and time again. You give them a script from Russell Gewirtz (who scribed the amazing film “Inside Man”). What could go wrong? As “Righteous Kill” proves, apparently many things.

Trilby Glover in “Righteous Kill”.
Photo credit: Righteous Productions, Inc.

Officers “Turk” (Robert De Niro) and “Rooster” (Al Pacino) are partners who have each been with the New York Police Department for 30 years. Their latest case is to catch a serial killer offing the criminals the justice system has let slip through the cracks.

Each serial murder is accompanied with a poem detailing the offenses committed by these lowlifes and why their murder is (sigh) “righteous”. Fellow detectives played by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg (yes, the older brother of Mark Wahlberg) are also on the case along with Carla Gugino.

She portrays a sexy and sassy officer who’s sleeping with Turk. The story is told as a flashback that’s narrated by video confession by Robert De Niro’s character.

That means you either immediately know he’s the killer or you’ve got a wild twist coming at the end. The story follows most of the murders leading up to the confession and Turk and Rooster’s dedication to serving the public. De Niro’s Turk is a no-nonsense, short-tempered detective.

Carla Gugino in “Righteous Kill”.
Photo credit: Righteous Productions, Inc.

Pacino plays the always calm and wise-cracking partner, Rooster, which makes them the classic buddy-cop dream team. Pacino – who does find his way into comedy as much as De Niro has – does deliver some funny lines. Of all the cop dramas about serial killers, “Righteous Kill” is the funniest.

To get lost in what passes as action when you have two men in their late 60s in the lead, though, you really have to turn on your suspension of disbelief.

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View our full, high-resolution “Righteous Kill” image gallery.

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You can’t ask yourself questions like “How are two people this old still on active duty?” or “Would the police really have that much trouble putting together suspects when the connection is so obvious?” or “Why did that woman from the first act show up at the softball field an hour into the movie just to ask a question about Turk’s daughter who was never mentioned until now?”

The plot of this film – with its superfluous characters and unsuccessful twists – feels like a bad episode of “Law & Order”.

If Coppola is right and Pacino and De Niro are just phoning it in, then that means Pacino and De Niro not even trying are still pretty great actors. If it was any other two wrinkly old men trying to sell this story, “Rightous Kill” might actually be a front runner for the Razzies.

Pacino and De Niro seem to make this schlock palatable, but for everyone thinking this is going to be the next “Heat,” you’re going to be left burnt.

“Righteous Kill,” which stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, Trilby Glover, Carla Gugino and 50 Cent, opened everywhere on Sept. 12, 2008.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

Jules Verne’s ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ With Brendan Fraser Stars Film’s 3-D Effects

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:59:06 -0700

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Jules Verne’s classic 1864 science-fiction novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth” has been adapted well in excess of a dozen times into films, radio and stage plays along with several made-for-TV movies and video games. It has even been adapted into two amusement-park rides.

So what new approach is taken with the Brendan Fraser 2008 remake of “Journey to the Center of Earth”? Well, 3-D glasses. Also, it isn’t so much an adaptation of the book but a very weak narrative film that uses action sequences from the book to make for cool, 3-D effects.

Brendan Fraser stars as Trevor in New Line Cinema’s release of Eric Brevig’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth”.
Photo credit: Sebastian Raymond, New Line Cinema

Trevor (Brendan Fraser) is a volcanology professor at a college where he’s about lose his research lab. His sister-in-law drops off his nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson), to spend 10 days with Trevor. Sean’s mother also drops off a box of items left behind by his late father.

Left to right: Brendan Fraser stars as Trevor, Anita Briem stars as Hannah and Josh Hutcherson stars as Sean in New Line Cinema’s release of Eric Brevig’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth”.
Photo credit: Sebastian Raymond, New Line Cinema

In it, Trevor finds a copy of Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” with notes from his brother and lab partner. Deciphering the notations, Trevor believes the correlation between the seismic readings he has found in his lab and the notes in the book mean something.

That’s why he and Sean travel to Iceland where Trevor’s brother went missing to investigate. There they meet a guide, Hannah (Anita Briem), who’s the daughter of another Verne follower and scientist.

She leads them into a cave where they begin to discover that everything Verne wrote seems to be fact. All of the personalities of these characters seem thrown together quickly and without enough depth.

The narrative itself feels like a forced way to do things that take place in Verne’s novel without actually doing a literal adaptation. The story, which is credited to three writers (Michael Weiss, Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin) along with Jules Verne, seems like one of those 40-minute films you watch in IMAX at a museum that’s chock full of science facts.

Left to right: Anita Briem stars as Hannah, Brendan Fraser stars as Trevor and Josh Hutcherson stars as Sean in New Line Cinema’s release of Eric Brevig’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth”.
Photo credit: Sebastian Raymond, New Line Cinema

Since the film is released for the regular multiplex cinemas, the cheesy and dramatic scenes and corny laugh lines are almost groan worthy. Luckily, these are few and far between to make room for the film’s strongest assets: the action and use of 3-D imagery.

The best thing to be say for “Journey to the Center of the Earth” is that it’s completely self-aware of what it is.

In a time when every “kid” film tries to speak on two levels to not alienate adults, this film seems to make no attempt at being anything more complex than a “PG”-rated, action-adventure movie.

There’s no attempt to make the characters overly sexual, to include bad slapstick violence or to use spicy language. If you have young kids, you could do no better for a good, clean summer movie than these fun-packed 92 minutes.

The character of Hannah is especially interesting because she’s portrayed as weak damsel in distress who finds safety in Frazer’s big and muscular arms. Briem’s character transforms “Grrrl Power” into a bright, funny and strong woman, which is something that’s not portrayed enough in movies for kids.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “Journey to the Center of the Earth” image gallery.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Dustin Levell.

But the real star of this film is its 3-D effects, which were created by the new RealD Cinema format.

Gone are the days of glasses that are red and blue. Those days have been replaced by stylish, clear-tinted spectacles. The film itself could almost be seen as a 92-minute product pitch to make more 3-D movies. This is a gimmick that hasn’t caught on since the fad hit in the 1950s.

Fans of the book or one of the other many remakes of “Journey to the Center of the Earth” shouldn’t look to this film to do anything that really highlights Verne’s masterpiece.

However, families wanting to see something light this summer while avoiding more aggressive films like “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” or “Hancock” could find some solace at the movies with this picture. People uninterested is seeing Brendan Fraser run from dinosaurs, though, can wait until Aug. 1, 2008 when he’ll be running from mummified corpses in “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”.

“Journey to the Center of the Earth,” which stars Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem, opened everywhere on July 11, 2008.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Definitely, Maybe’ Borrows From Successful Romantic Comedies, Adds Fresh Hook

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:05:05 -0700

CHICAGO – The makers of “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill” know how to do romantic comedy that doesn’t somehow fall into the trap of a formulaic chick flick like “27 Dresses”. “Definitely, Maybe,” which is their latest effort, on the other hand isn’t particularly original and really isn’t very funny.

Isla Fisher in “Definitely, Maybe”.
Photo credit: IMDb

That said, the picture still feels fresh and doesn’t do anything overly cutesy that will elicit groans from the reluctant boyfriends who will be dragged to the film this weekend. So long as you pick a comfortable seat, you’ll have an enjoyable two hours.

Ryan Reynolds plays Will Hayes: the quintessential Manhattan advertising executive. His hectic life gets a little crazier when he’s served with divorce papers.

On top of that, he learns his 10-year-old daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin from “Little Miss Sunshine”), just started sex education in school. She begins asking questions about why his parents can’t stay together and wonders about her father’s romantic history, which leads him to tell the story of the women in his life since the early 1990s.

In most romantic comedies, you know Meg Ryan will be getting together with Tom Hanks in the final scene and you just have to hold on for the ride. “Definitely, Maybe” seems to borrow from TV’s “How I Met Your Mother” and doesn’t immediately reveal who Maya’s mother is or why that woman is divorcing Will.

Adding to that, the viewer knows – despite what happiness comes about in the flashbacks – the character is ultimately going to have to deal with the impending divorce before the movie ends. It’s the elements of mystery mixed with underlying depressing tone set at the beginning that makes this movie more emotionally involved than your run-of-the-mill Valentine’s Day release.

Elizabeth Banks and Ryan Reynolds in “Definitely, Maybe”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Ryan Reynolds is solid and it’s his goofy, lovable looks that sell what would possibly be a dull script. Isla Fisher from “Wedding Crashers” sparkles in every one of her scenes.

Fisher, who is about two seconds from being a box-office draw on her own right, shares the billing for this film with the equally beautiful and gifted Elizabeth Banks and Rachel Weisz.

Kevin Kline plays Weisz’s father: an opinionated, old writer complaining about the state of everything in society.

The film was penned and directed by lovey-dovey film veteran Adam Brooks. Brooks can be credited for “French Kiss” and “Practical Magic” and blamed for “Wimbledon” and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason”. Most of the elements of this picture feel strongly borrowed from other successful romances.

The locations in the upper west side of New York bring back memories of “You’ve Got Mail” and “Serendipity”. His creative jobs in advertising and politics remind you of “What Women Want” and “When Harry Met Sally”. The soundtrack of Will’s life even includes Badly Drawn Boy, who was last featured on the big screen accompanying another manboy in “About a Boy”.

What makes or breaks a romantic comedy is the ending. While the “Definitely, Maybe” finale doesn’t tread any new ground, it comes across warm without feeling hokey. In the genre that has a spectrum ranging from “Sweetest Thing” to “Annie Hall,” this film clearly falls into the more intelligent side.

The picture makes for a nice Valentine’s Day date that won’t leave the men emasculated. “Definitely, Maybe” gives an enjoyable experience that the audience can walk away from not thinking they’ve found another guilty-pleasure film.

“Definitely, Maybe” opened on Feb. 14, 2008.

Click here for our full “Definitely, Maybe” image gallery!

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’ Taps Best of Must-See TV Kings of Comedy

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:41:14 -0700

CHICAGO – The makers of “Scary Movie,” “Date Movie” and “Epic Movie” should be kicking themselves right now for never thinking to make “Musical Bio-Pic Movie”.

John C. Reilly in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Writer and director Jake Kasdan and producer and writer Judd Apatow have beaten them to the punch with “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”.

The duo, who collaborated on some of the funniest TV shows network television has cancelled (“Freaks and Geeks,” “Undeclared”), lampoon the entire genre of the true-story biographical movies and fall nothing short of brilliant all the while.

The entire “Walk Hard” narrative is told as a flashback before late-in-life fictional music legend Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) takes the stage. His band mate and frequent drug pusher, Sam (Tim Meadows), tells a stagehand: “Dewey Cox must rethink his entire life before he plays.”

Jenna Fischer and John C. Reilly in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”.
Photo credit: IMDb
A direct send-up of “Ray,” Cox’s troubled past stems from the day as a youth he cut his music prodigy of a brother in half during a playful machete duel. The top half us his dying brother’s last request is for Dewey to be twice as great for both of them.

Dewey must spend his whole life never getting respect from his father who constantly returns to remind us that “the wrong kid died”.

John C. Reilly in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”.
Photo credit: IMDb
At the age of 14, Dewey sets off on his musical career with his teenage bride, Edith, who is played by Kristen Wiig. On the road, he has a Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash romance with his backup singer, Darlene, who is played by Jenna Fischer.

Award-winning, Chicago-native actor John C. Reilly – who is best known for roles as a pathetic cuckold in movies like “The Hours,” “Chicago” and “The Good Girl” – redefined himself as a comedic actor in 2006’s “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”.

John C. Reilly in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”.
Photo credit: IMDb
In “Walk Hard,” Reilly takes the lead and steers every scene with impeccable comedic instincts as if he’s channeling Will Farrell. Even when Reilly wasn’t hitting, the rest of the cast reads like the who’s hot in comedy 2007 edition.

Not only did Apatow run through his personal Rolodex, but he also tapped some of the Frat Pack and most of NBC’s Thursday must-see TV lineup. Moviegoers who are expecting comedy in the vein of “The 40 Year-Old-Virgin” or “Knocked Up” are in for a surprise.

The film plays more like “Airplane!” with quick one-liners and snappy puns. It even goes as far to call itself out by having Reilly verbalize his age throughout the film despite looking consistently the same.

John C. Reilly performing in Chicago in Dewey Cox character on Dec. 6, 2007.
Photo credit: Joseph Mohan for Pitchfork
It slices through the formula built by biographical blockbusters (“Does Dewey seem a little down to you?” “Of course he is! This is middle-period Dewey where he’s dark and reflective.”) At times, it even feels like a VH-1 “Behind the Music”.

The year 2007 has been stellar for Apatow and comedies in general. “Walk Hard” is an excellent way to go out with a bang. Comedy “A”-listers and brilliant satire make for the perfect combination. “Walk Hard” is a spot-on spoof that sings at a hilarious pitch.

“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” opened on Dec. 21, 2007.
By Dustin Levell
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

On ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’: Alviiiiiiiiiiiiiiin? More Like Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch!

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:38:18 -0700

CHICAGO – Thanks to live action and computer-generated animation, we’ve brought to life “Underdog,” “Transformers,” “The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle” and both “Scooby-Doo” and “Garfield” twice.

Jason Lee in “Alvin and the Chipmunks”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Hollywood has decided to continually take popular Saturday-morning cartoons and remake them into awkward and unsettling major motion pictures that leave viewers wondering where the charm from these lovable characters went.

With “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” it’s as if the capitalistic ventures of entertainment and the development of new technology have joined forces to ruin my childhood memories. With Tim Hill – the director of “Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties” – at the helm, you know it’s in trouble.

Alvin and his two brothers (Theodore and Simon) are high-pitched, fast-talking chipmunks who live with a middle-aged bachelor named David Seville (Jason Lee).

The trio – voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney – are mischievous and the source of stress to Seville who treats them like surrogate sons. When it is discovered that the chipmunks have pop-star talent, Seville acts as their manager.

Justin Long plays the voice of Alvin in “Alvin and the Chipmunks”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Music producer Ian (David Cross) stops at nothing to exploit the boys. He even goes so far as to try lip syncing after touring hurts their voices.

The idea that Lee (“Clerks II,” “Dogma”) would take the role is curious. After hiding behind the voice of summer flop “Underdog,” money seems the only explanation as to why he would take a similar family friendly role so soon and even go as far to shave his bread and butter: his iconic “My Name Is Earl” mustache.

He seems bored and uninterested as he chases around computer-animated rodents. Even the trademark “Alviiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!” yell seems half-hearted.

At the same time, Cross as Ian seems overreaching and irritating. Cross – who has in his standup act chastised actors for choosing to be in bad movies – has given up his right to judge. Between “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and a guest-starring role on “Law & Order” in 2006, Cross is clearly just trying to cash a paycheck.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks”.
Photo credit: IMDb
That’s not to say any of the actors in the film seemed to sign on for artistic reasons. What seems ironic is that the character Ian is supposed to be a villain exemplifying a greedy and self-serving music industry.

The movie doesn’t seem self-aware that it is a 90-minute commercial for the soundtrack and countless other merchandizing and marketing tie-ins. These aren’t your daddy’s chipmunks. The pop icons sing with microphone headsets and do everything from speed metal to hip-hop.

I wonder if Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (who voiced the original hits “Witch Doctor” and “The Christmas Song”) would be proud of the new direction. There isn’t any musical number that comes close to “Girls of Rock & Roll” from 1987’s “The Chipmunk Adventure”.

I hope I imagined the freestyling during “Witch Doctor”. The most insulting factor is they try to update the characters with slang like “sup playa” and “yo DJ”. This sort of dialogue is offensive to a select group of people: humans with IQs over 38.

Obviously having just rolled out to get the family business during the holidays, Alvin still manages to feel uninspired. The cute and endearing moments in the picture are far and few between. A novelty act created decades ago suddenly really feels like it has been overplayed within the film’s first 20 minutes.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks” opened on Dec. 14, 2007.
By Dustin Levell
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ Searches Soul, Comes Up Half Full

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:10:00 -0700

CHICAGO – In 2000’s “High Fidelity,” John Cusack mused: “I’ve read books like … ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ and I think I’ve understood them. They’re about girls, right?”

Giovanna Mezzogiorno stars as Fermina Daza in “Love in the Time of Cholera”.
Photo credit: Daniel Daza, New Line Cinema
The following year, Cusack’s character in “Serendipity” chases a missed love connection fueled in part by Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s novel.

After years in the making, director Mike Newell brings “Love in the Time of Cholera” to the big screen. The end result would make even Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack’s character in 1989’s “Say Anything…”) put down the boom box and rethink his kickboxing career.

In “Love in the Time of Cholera,” Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) is a prominent doctor who has become one of the most respected members of society as he enters his twilight years.

When he falls from a ladder and dies, his widow – Fermina Daza (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) – is met with a surprise guest at the wake: her sweetheart (Florentino Ariza) from her teenage years (played by Javier Bardem).

Benjamin Bratt stars as Juvenal Urbino and Giovanna Mezzogiorno
stars as Fermina Daza in “Love in the Time of Cholera”.
Photo credit: Daniel Daza, New Line Cinema
There, he repeats the vow of eternal love and fidelity he made more than 50 years earlier. The film then starts from the beginning of the courtship and follows each member of the lover’s triangle from childhood to old age.

Structurally, the film follows the story of the novel to a fine point without changing the through line of any of the three central characters as it clumsily hops from scene to scene.

Unfortunately, the thoroughness screenwriter Ronald Harwood executed for the main lovers spanning more than half a century left little time to flesh out the supporting characters.

The family, friends and lovers who fill out the peripheral of Márquez’s novel are what really accent the self-indulgent obsessions of Ariza, Daza and Urbino.

Unax Ugalde stars as the young Florentino in “Love in the Time of Cholera”.
Photo credit: Daniel Daza, New Line Cinema
Without the full attention to the supporting characters’ function in the story, Daza seems less like the tormented hopeless romantic and more of a glib womanizer with stalker tendencies.

His cute, wry remarks are humorous and refreshing.

Meanwhile, they make the eternal turmoil of his soul less believable. The supporting cast of Liev Schrieber, Hector Elizondo and especially John Lequizamo give every scene new life in what would otherwise be a slow, sad love affair.

Shot primarily in Cartagena, Columbia, the beautiful scenery adds much to the film’s recipe for romance. The soundtrack composed by Antonio Pinto enriches every frame of the picture and highlights the nuances of emotion of the characters.

Giovanna Mezzogiorno stars as Fermina Daza in “Love in the Time of Cholera”.
Photo credit: Daniel Daza, New Line Cinema
Márquez himself convinced pop star Shakira to contribute two songs to the picture. Her contemporary and polished voice, though, sounds out of place in this period piece.

There is no greater case for true love than the idea of a man who would wait patiently 51 one years, nine months and four days for his soul mate. The story is sweeter than eating a caramel sundae while listening to “Moon River”.

Reading the book would cause even the hardest skeptic to entertain the idea.

Hearing the tale at a bar from a friend would make you rethink your current relationship. While seeing this movie might inspire you to plan a vacation to Latin America, it won’t move you to rethink proposing to your high school sweetheart.

“Love in the Time of Cholera” opened on Nov. 16, 2007.
By Dustin Levell
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

Wily ‘Ira & Abby’ Averts Predictable Hollywood Boy Meets Girl Trap

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:05:03 -0700

CHICAGO – Groucho Marx once said: “Marriage is a wonderful institution … but who wants to live in an institution?” For the romantic and humorously charged “Ira & Abby,” holy matrimony seems a stressful but hilarious adventure.

Jennifer Westfeldt in “Ira & Abby”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Ira Black (Chris Messina) is the be-all archetype for a neurotic New York Jew. He has spent 12 years in psychoanalysis, both of his parents are therapists and he can’t finish anything he starts including his doctorate dissertation to become a licensed therapist.

It’s clear he likes to over think things. When he decides to join a gym, he meets Abby Willoughby (Jennifer Westfeldt): a free spirit in the truest sense of the word.

Within six hours of knowing each another, they decide to tie the knot. From then on, the happy couple gets a crash course in in-laws, infidelity, spotted pasts and every facet of marriage they never would have imagined before.

Jennifer Westfeldt and Chris Messina in “Ira & Abby”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
The chemistry between Messina and Westfeldt works wonderfully. Where most romantic comedies with kooky couples feel either forced or fall flat, “Ira & Abby” only succeeds.

The odd couple seems more like a couple close friends you set all your relationships against. Pair that with Robert Klein and Fred Willard – who play Ira and Abby’s fathers, respectively – and every scene swells with comic possibility.

Fred Willard and Judith Light in “Ira & Abby”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Westfeldt, who penned the “Ira & Abby” script along with 2004’s affectionate “Kissing Jessica Stein,” no doubt drew from her own thoughts on married life. In reality, she has been in a 10-year relationship without saying “I do”.

The story works because it doesn’t fall into the predictable Hollywood happy love story trap where boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy gets girl back.

Instead, most of the viewing pleasure comes from watching people react to extreme situations not unlike common ones people face every day.

Chris Parnell (left), Jennifer Westfeldt and Jason Alexander in “Ira & Abby”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Rather than relying on the crutch of using therapists to explore the protagonist’s thoughts and motivations, Westfield turns the convention on its side by painting the absurd lengths people will go through to find answers to personal problems through psychology.

In the season that has seen such loathsome films as “Good Luck Chuck” and “The Heartbreak Kid,” “Ira & Abby” is remarkable proof that a compelling and funny love story can appear on celluloid.

Straddling the line between whimsical absurdity and heartbreaking reality, the movie delightfully steers the audience to every corner of what it means to be in a committed relationship.

“Ira & Abby” opened in Chicago at Landmark Century Center Cinema on Oct. 19, 2007.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

Message Movie ‘Music Within’ Still Within Fledgling Director Steven Sawalich

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:01:02 -0700

CHICAGO – “Most people go to their graves with their music still inside them,” 19th century poet Oliver Wendell Holmes once said. First-time director Steven Sawalich’s “music” presumably still resides inside him because it doesn’t resound in his “Music Within” message movie.

Ron Livingston in “Music Within”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
The biopic tells the life and struggles that face Richard Pimental as portrayed by “Band of Brothers” star Ron Livingston. Following a rough childhood from a somewhat estranged and mentally ill mother, Pimental finds a talent in public speaking.

After being shunned by a college speech coach, he enlists in the U.S. Army to gain life experience.

Due to a close-range explosion, he returns to the U.S. almost completely deaf. After personal hardships and seeing the struggle of friends and fellow vets, Pimental becomes a champion of rights for Americans with disabilities.

Melissa George, Michael Sheen (middle) and Ron Livingston in “Music Within”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Like most films that are based on a true story and designed to inspire audiences, “Music Within” often feels hyper-saturated emotionally. Up until Pimental goes off to war, the film relies on voice-over as exposition.

Couple this with stories of being orphaned and 1960s classic rock music and it feels like watching an episode of “The Wonder Years” narrated by Charles Dickens. The film relies heavily on the same songs you hear in pictures depicting that time period to fill the void on ascribing emotions to scenes the script can’t deliver.

While all the actors are exceptional in their roles, there never seems to be genuine connection between the characters.

Ron Livingston in “Music Within”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Pimental’s relationship between wheelchair-bound Art Honeyman (played beautifully by Michael Sheen) and post-traumatic alcoholic and Vietnam vet Mike Stolz (Yul Vazquez) never really connects. The love story between Pimental and Christine (Melissa George) feels overreached.

Fortunately, the dry humor that made Livingston a fan favorite in “Office Space” helps keep the film moving along. What’s curiously missing from the movie is more work from actors with disabilities.

For a film based on the era leading up to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and a film that hits you so hard over the head with the message that people with disabilities are no different than anyone else, the picture is light on disabled actors.

Ron Livingston in “Music Within”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
The claim that the disabled should have a stronger presence in film – one that Christopher Reeve championed so heavily in his later years – would work masterfully in this film. Leslie Nielsen, who lives with hearing impairment and serves as president to the Better Hearing Institute (BHI), notably plays a small role as a doctor.

While viewing this movie is a pleasant way to spend a couple hours, you won’t leave feeling inspired or with better insight on the life of a disabled person.

Biographies are created about people who have stories and lives that need to be remembered. Richard Pimental is definitely one of these people. Unfortunately, “Music Within” is a film that inside a year’s time you will likely forget you ever saw.

“Music Within” opened on Oct. 26, 2007.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

In ‘Gone Baby Gone’ Directorial Debut, Ben Affleck Matures Into Polished Auteur

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:01:23 -0700

CHICAGO – It wasn’t that long ago when Ben Affleck was an unknown. Fortune eventually smiled upon him and along came quality performances in independents and an Academy Award for screenwriting.

Ben Affleck (left) and brother Casey Affleck on Oct. 10, 2007 at the
Chicago International Film Festival premiere of “Gone Baby Gone”.
Photo by Adam Fendelman of HollywoodChicago.com
Then came “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and a series of nauseating tabloid stories involving something called “Bennifer”. Affleck’s public image as either a true filmmaker or a hack is riding heavily on his directorial debut of “Gone Baby Gone”.

Without fail, he falls easily into the category of true talent. Following the path that fellow actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood did with “Mystic River,” Affleck elevated a crime thriller by author Dennis Lehane to the big screen.

Unlike directors and actors like Eastwood, Spike Lee, Woody Allen and even close friend Kevin Smith, Affleck resided solely behind the camera and instead cast brother Casey Affleck in the film’s principal role.

Casey Affleck in “Gone Baby Gone”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Most people will watch “Gone Baby Gone” to see if Ben Affleck is capable in the director’s chair. Moreover, he declares his rightful place as an auteur with his own artistic vision and storytelling ability.

Simplifying the complex maze of corruption that is Lehane’s fourth novel in a series on Boston detectives, “Gone Baby Gone” follows Patrick Kenzie’s (Casey Affleck) private investigation into the disappearance of an adorable, 4-year-old girl from a white-trash addict (Amy Ryan).

She won’t be winning the mother-of-the-year award any time soon. Kenzie gets cooperation from the Boston Police Department and plays an outsider who only can rely on help from his partner and girlfriend (played remarkably by Michelle Monaghan).

As Lehane’s characters are adapted beautifully for the screen by Ben Affleck and co-writer Aaron Stockard, there are bottomless depths of emotional turmoil to every person in this picture.

Ben Affleck directing “Gone Baby Gone”.
The loss of an innocent girl and Ryan’s portrayal of the crackhead mom you both love and hate make you want to throw things at the screen for such despicable human behavior. Ed Harris plays a local detective and masterfully devours all of his scenes.

Morgan Freeman plays the chief of police just like you think Morgan Freeman would play a police chief.

More than just showing promise, Affleck’s directorial debut promises great things for his future as a filmmaker. More than just your typical detective mystery flick, the film leaves many unanswered ethical questions.

More than so “Mystic River,” “Gone Baby Gone” is a heart-wrenching thriller of people you love to watch but would never want to meet in real life.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

Instead of Seeing ‘Death Sentence,’ I Would Have Welcomed a Death Sentence

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:41:05 -0700

CHICAGO – When an everyday man goes seeking family justice, action-thriller “Death Sentence” teaches us this valuable lesson: Don’t hire Kevin Bacon for a role you wrote for Charles Bronson.

Kevin Bacon in “Death Sentence”.
Photo courtesy of Picturehouse
With “Death Sentence,” James Wan tries to reinvigorate the vengeance film genre à la the 1974 film “Death Wish” starring Bronson. Wan’s interpretation has everything you could want in a “vengeance” movie but none of the characteristics you would find in a “good” movie.

Wan – the mastermind behind the “Saw” franchise – attempts to imbue gore in a weak, two-dimensional story. The whole picture leaves you feeling like you’re watching a bad Steven Seagal movie on the USA Network.

Bacon plays a white-collar vice president with a loving wife (Kelly Preston) and two great kids. You know his life is peachy from the opening montage of home movies showing one son winning trophies and loads of happy family memories.

Garrett Hedlund in “Death Sentence”.
Photo courtesy of Picturehouse
Minutes into the film (publisher’s note: this is known from the trailer), Bacon’s son is murdered before his very eyes at a gas station. About eight gang members burst in to rob the store with one clerk present.

One of the members is forced to kill Bacon’s son to become “made” in the gang. This particular thug slices the innocent 16-year-old’s throat with a machete that I assume he was carrying from a hard day of work in the sugar-cane field.

The murderer gets left behind by his cohorts and arrested. Even with an eye-witness, the district attorney isn’t sure he can convict the man since the murder weapon was magically missing, no blood is on him and there is no surveillance tape.

John Goodman (left) and Garrett Hedlund in “Death Sentence”.
Photo courtesy of Picturehouse
Bacon decides not to testify against the kid and seek his own justice by any means necessary. The means he chooses are contrived and predictable. To not spoil it for you should you decide to see this hack job any way, this desciption is only 15 minutes in.

The rest of the film is back-and-forth violence between the gang and Bacon’s family.

While “Death Wish” author Brian Garfield conceived the story for “Death Sentence,” it feels like the actual screenplay was written and doctored up by at least four different writers. I assume the first two drafts were done by ninth-grade boys.

Kelly Preston in “Death Sentence”.
Photo courtesy of Picturehouse
Though I don’t pretend to know much about gang lifestyle, I then reconcile that fact by not writing screenplays about it.

While Bacon and Preston both seemed to make an honest go at it, the rest of the acting and dialogue made me embarrassed for the actors. John Goodman plays the leader of the gang’s father and clearly the most unneeded role in the film.

Goodman seems to put more acting energy into his Dunkin’ Donuts commercial work, which is arguably a subject closer to his heart.

In the end, more attention was spewed into designing the criminals’ neck tattoos than on a plot and characters. Watching “Death Sentence” felt more like a life sentence, and in prison, they probably show better movies.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

Publisher’s note: This film’s Oscarman rating of 1.0 is currently the lowest rating on HollywoodChicago.com.