[Review: IN THEATRES] THANKS FOR SHARING (6/10)

Uneven, messy, yet an interesting examination of addiction, Stuart Blumberg’s Thanks for Sharing is a Mark Ruffalo-led ensemble comedy about a group of sex addicts in recovery. Ruffalo plays Adam, a green packaging executive who has gone five years without sex or masturbation – and he’s not even married!! (Zing!) He’s mentor is Mike (Tim Robbins), who lives with Katie (Joely Richardson) – Mike; we learn had quite an abusive past. His son, Danny, also a recovering addict played by Patrick Fugit re-enters his life leading to that age old paradox: father and son hate each other because deep down they’re very much a like. 

Josh Gad and Alecia Moore (P!nk) play new comers (I just said..….oh, nevermind, I’ll keep this a family blog) – Neil and Dede. Neil is a self-destructive med student with a strange relationship with his mom (played by Carol Kane), he enjoys touching and looking at anything and everything. Dede feels like having sex instead of dealing with her problems. The goal of the group therapy is not to live like a monk as Robins tells Ruffalo, but to remain faithful – no sex outside of a committed relationship and no masturbation.

Ruffalo can’t trust himself, he carries a flip phone that’s not capable of sexting or web, has an assistant who puts parental blocker on his laptop, and asks hotels to remove the TV from his room. Unfortunately for him he meets the lovely Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow in a very sexy role) and they engage in a very real romance. Somehow though, the film doesn’t quite gel – Josh Gad is perhaps a little too over the top even if I have no doubt his performance and character is inspired by actual research into sex addiction.

Still Blumberg keeps an interesting and light touch: perhaps at times the tone gets away from him. The arcs of each story are a tad all over the place and while this material is rich it perhaps could use a little more focus. The performances are all quite good including Ruffalo and Paltrow who are excellent together. Patrick Fugit and Tim Robins work well as father and son and I enjoyed P!nk in her first role, she’s perfectly cast.

 

Thanks for Sharing has smart and useful moments – it turns out all addiction is a like, it’s a disease. Redemption is found even if it’s a tad artificial and the story beats all play as predicted including moments of relapse. An awareness of film’s construction and how it plays as it’s showing is a problem – great movies kind of just wash over you. Thanks for Sharing is more mature and thoughtful than many films currently in general release, but it feels a little too neat for a movie this smart.  

Screening: Dipson Eastern Hills

[Review: IN THEATRES] PRISONERS (8/10)

Prisoners walks a fine line: on one hand it’s a handsomely directed thriller that cares more about character development than big action set pieces. It offers one action sequence towards the end, in the snow, so well done and thrilling that it alone makes for a satisfying twist. The film is written by Aaron Guzikowski has a few required twists, turns and surprises. In its late third and forth act it feels like a little bit of a tug-of-war, throwing in a few dark surprises that feel a wee bit out of place with the first and second acts. The film is otherwise, mostly, masterfully constructed by Denis Villeneuve, who tacks the subject of violence with the fine (often emotional) detail that no doubt served him well in his past career as an entomologist. He previously directed the Oscar-nominated Incendies, along with Polytechnique and Maelstrom. 

His first Hollywood effort is anything but Hollywood. It opens simple enough – two families share Christmas dinner – the Dovers (Hugh Jackman and Maria Bello) and the Birchs (Terrence Howard and Viola Davis). Their two young daughters go missing and after they try their best to locate them, Detective Loki is called in (Jake Gyllenhaal). The police hold the only suspect in the case, Alex Jones (Paul Dano) who is mentally challenged but able to drive a beat-up, very creepy camper. When Jones is released and quells something ominous to Keller Dover (Jackman), Keller takes the law into his own hands, holding Jones hostage.

And here’s where the film engages in a tug-of-war with itself: skillfully crafted with a brain in its head the film s more and more violent until its final twists. While the trailer gives away the story up until the point when it starts to grow darker there’s an awful lot of interesting material here. Running just over 2 ½ hours the film is constantly engaging full of white-knuckle moments and top-notch performances by Jackman, Dano and Gyllenhaal. While the story gives us a few, shall we say, rabbit holes to fall into the efficient thriller features a decent amount of pay off – trust the audience is smart enough to follow the film Villeneuve often cuts around the big hero moments, remaining in full control.

Another star of the film is Roger Deakins’ beautiful cinematography, which is perfectly matched with Villeneuve’s direction. Prisoners is mostly a satisfying experience with several really great scenes. Some moments don’t quite work as well, but then again most films aren’t this skillful.

Screening: Dipson Market Arcade, Dipson Flix, Regal Transit, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Hollywood 12, AMC Maple Ridge, Transit Drive In, Regal Elmwood 

[Review: IN THEATRES] IN A WORLD... (7/10)

Written, directed and staring Lake Bell, the Sundance award winning comedy In A World… is set in the unusual, rarely seen and often exclusively an all-boys club world of trailer voice-overs. When great Don Lafontaine known for the phrase “In a World…” passes (told in a spirited credit montage) the phrase is retired, that is until the resurrection of the phrase in ad copy for a new “quad-illogy” – for a quazi-feminist action film called The Amazon Games.

Making use of (likely) several pals in the alternative comedy world, Lake Bell rounds out the cast with some greats including Demetri Martin, Tig Notaro, Nick Offerman, and Ken Marino. Fred Melamed plays Carol’s (Bell) dad – a rival legend who realizes its time to move on, he’s happy living with a sexy groupie, a year younger than Carl – and starts training Marino’s Gustav.

In A World announces the arrival of Lake Bell as alt comic – she’s quite wonderful here as Carol, a geeky women who at 31 is still in the process of finding herself. Early in act one Carol is asked to leave home… so the groupie can move in – she barely makes end meet as a freelance vocal coach – initially teaching Eva Longoria to take a cockney accent. Carol’s unlikely love interest is Louis – played by Demetri Martin, and they share very funny and very sweet scene.

That’s the tone Bell strikes – In A World... is often hilarious, setting up awkward situations that are both funny and in once instance painful. Carol moves into her sister Dani’s apartment (she’s played by Michaela Watkins). Living with the always snacking Moe (Corddry), Carol evokes sister code – asking her to record and collect the voice of a flirtatious client. Carol ultimately redeems herself and the film has a happy ending even with a few detours.

The competition for the trailer for The Amazon Games comes down to three voice over artists: Carol, Gustav, and Sam – but Bell has so much fun along the way (moments I won’t spoil). In A World succeeds while other alternative comedies (including those co-written by Marino) often haven’t for me. Sometimes comedies just simply work – often when they take themselves seriously. Bell first and foremost does – taking risks. Sure at times it’s a little sitcom like – but that’s exactly what this is – situational comedy. I await what she does next as writer/director – Bell, has made a confident, original film.

Screening: Dipson Amherst

[Review: IN THEATRES] THE FAMILY (7/10)

In sort of a lay-up for THE Robert De Niro, The Family is a fun effective time. Playing a gangster from the notorious Manzoni family, he snitches and is placed in witness protection. His family – including wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) son Warren (John D’Leo) and daughter Belle (Dianna Agron) cause so much trouble their FBI liaison Robert (Tommy Lee Jones) is forced to move the family every 90-days. 

Exiled to a quite French hamlet (where everyone apparently speaks English quite well) they try to assimilate dealing with the kinds of cultural consequences you might expect. Warren, following in his father’s footsteps takes to running the school – keeping the bullies and business interests in check after getting a brief ass-kicking. Belle has her sights set on a graduate student, hoping to have a very French kind of fling. Funniest and most problematic of all is mom, Maggie – bringing her expectations to this remote (yet beautiful) little village that looks like something out of Epcot’s World Showcase; she just can’t seem to play nice. Early in the film she blows up a supermarket.

DeNiro’s Fred Blake sets about to write his memoirs, a dangerous feat all considered, which leads the story to it’s a hilarious scene when his expertise is called upon. Much of the funny material early on is you can see in the film’s trailer, however the later behavioral based humor really does work. Directed by master filmmaker Luc Besson the story is injected and edited with great style and energy – reaching almost the level of comedy’s best director Edgar Wright. The transitions alone are masterfully planned, executed and often hilarious.

What I enjoyed most of course are the relationships and DeNiro, as I mentioned this is a bit of a lay-up and here he’s having an awful lot of fun as a stereotypical good-fella (keep that in mind, it surfaces later in a wonderful sequence). The Family is essentially a sitcom; while “executive produced” by the great Martin Scorsese it’s certainly not one of his films (even if its as energetic as one). Enjoyable, light and full of character driven comedy, when The Family works, it works beautifully.

Screening: AMC Maple Ridge, Regal Elmwood, Regal Walden Galleria, Regal Quaker Crossing, Dipson Flix, Regal Transit, Regal Hollywood 12, Transit Drive-In

[Review: IN THEATRES] INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED (7/10)

A charming comedy from Mexico, Instructions Not Included is a fable wrapped in a sitcom with an awful lot of heart (and a little raunchy). This PG-13 rated comedy I think appeals to all – perhaps at times it tries a little too hard but I had a smile on my face the whole time. Staring and directed by Eugenio Derbez, Instructions Not Included is the story of an Acapulco playboy Valentine (Derbez). Conditioned by his father to be brave from a young age, he’s lead the life of a player – bedding beautiful women every night of the week – sometimes two at once. Eventually this life catches up with him, he’s bored and then Julie (Jessica Lindsey) drops off little Maggie, his “daughter”.

It takes a village but Valentine has not time for that – he finds a photograph of Julie taken in LA and sets off to return Maggie to her. When Maggie edges too close to a pool Valentine jumps in to save her, luckily in front of a Hollywood producer, Frank Ryan (Daniel Raymont) and he’s quickly offered a job as a stuntman. Eight years passes and Maggie has grown into an extraordinary bi-lingual young lady, played by Loreto Peralta in a star-making role. A wonderful, tender portrait of this little family, we see the sacrifices Valentine makes for Maggie including jumping from 13 stories to save face (in a messy translation/negotiation situation). Julie ultimately comes back into the picture, now a successful lawyer in New York City, in a domestic partnership with Renee (Alessandra Rosaldo). The film touches upon multiple issues including the US-Mexico border (although this film makes it easier to cross than the US-Canada border - - it speeds past realism) and same sex parents who are accepted even if Julie isn’t from the get go the most likable.

The film progress beyond what you think it is, deeper if not emotionally manipulative like a fable. From the title sequence you know what you are getting. The direction is high energy, employing a lot of tricks I’ve seen used in Bollywood (more than Hollywood) but the film is delightfully upbeat and spirited throughout, given what we know once all the clues come together. Effective and likable, it’s no wonder this movie has been a big box office hit – cracking the top 5 on less than 400 screens, it’s expanded to Regal Elmwood (it was number 3 last weekend). Worth seeking out if you’re in the mood for an entertaining, light sitcom and aren’t afraid of subtitles.

Screening: Regal Elmwood

[Review: IN THEATRES] ELYSIUM (7/10)

Special effects guru turned writer-director Neill Blomkamp returns with Elysium, a stunning and effective social-sci-fi thriller staring Matt Damon as Max. Max is born, or perhaps banished on Planet Earth. Those born into wealth and power reside on Elysium, protected by Delacourt, the feisty and defiant minister of defense (played by Jodie Foster). The film is a smart, if not perhaps too obvious allegory for the US-Mexico relationship – a relationship we barely see living on our border (unless your at the Galleria on a Canadian holiday – then you see boxes and boxes of products our nei


ghbors to the north are hiding from their government upon return).

Max has been in love with Frey (Alice Braga as an adult) for his whole life – she’s a beautiful nurse on Planet Earth whose daughter is chronically ill. On Elysium there’s a cure for everything via one of those med beds we saw in that the abortion scene in last summer’s Prometheus.

Max is exposed to radiation at this job (he works on a drone assembly line) and is pretty much living on borrowed time, allowing him to take a risk – working for a cartel who traffics in undocumented transport to Elysium. Hardliner Delacourt launches strikes on the undocumented (the film’s choice of words, not mine) much to the objections of Elysium president Patel (Faran Tahir).

The film’s visuals are brilliant – Blomkamp is a master of mixing realism (including handheld camera work) and special effects – here working with more money than he had on District 9. Elysium is a beautiful luxury paradise – the kind of place us working class stiffs can maybe only get away to once in a life time. Interestingly they all speak French and English on Elysium while back on earth (in LA) the language is English and Spanish.

Yes, the commentary is laid on a bit thick – but thankfully a smart summer action movie with brains and balls – it’s about something! Pacific Rim was as exhilarating as a game of Rock-Em-Sock-Em robots: here is an action movie that’s not subtle but it brings the issue of economic inequality into focus. Blomkamp’s District 9’s allegory was based in South African history, while this time around he’s exploring US-Mexico relations and underground economies (often on earth using a handheld style that recalls the visceral visuals of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s classic Mexican thriller Amores Perros).

Fresh and inspired, Elysium is a smart summer movie – perhaps its not a smart, nuanced movie that will inspire scholars to explore, but for the average movie goer its deeper than many films currently screening at your neighborhood Regal Entertainment Group cinema.





Screening: Dipson Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Walden Galleria, AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Flix, Regal Transit Center, Regal Hollywood 12, Transit Drive In, Regal Quaker Crossing.

[Review: IN THEATRES] WE'RE THE MILLERS (6/10)

We’re The Millers is ultimately a sweet comedy with a filthy mind: when it works, it works, when it doesn’t – it’s not exactly boring so much as it’s a misfire. Jason Sudeikis stars as David Clark, a small time Denver pot dealer who works for Brad Gurdlinger (Ed Helms) a guy with too much money. After David is robbed he’s given the opportunity to make good on his debts, transporting a “smidge” of primo product across the border from Mexico.

In order to remain undetected he recruits Kenny (played by British actor Will Poulter) a shy awkward kid, a homeless girl Casey (Emma Roberts) and his neighbor the stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston). So sets in motion this story where things go well (allegedly you can cross the Mexico/USA border without a passport if your in an R.V. – if only things were that easy on the Peace Bridge) at first: filling all available compartments with Grade A grass they head back to the good ol’ US of A. Encountering a few obstacles along with way (including Luis Guzman – always nice to see him again) and the Fitzgeralds. Don (Nick Offerman) is a DEA agent dealing with some sexual frustration with wife Edie (Kathryn Hahn); they have a daughter Melissa (Molly C. Quinn) who develops a sweet relationship with Kenny.

We’re The Millers isn’t without some surprises and a critique of suburban heterosexual norms but ultimately it’s plot is predicable. Perhaps this is what you came for (and a little more, hence a tick above average) but here’s a film where the trailers pretty much tell it all, and they are truthful. If you think your going to like this film, you probably will.

Mrs. Fitzgerald – Hahn – has some of the biggest and most uncomfortable laughs, as that whole sequence works (in fact it’d be great if the whole film was told in a non-linear style opening in one awkward camp sequence) – but Dodgeball director Rawson Marshall Thurber (fantastic name!) keeps the energy level on high, along with the predictability factor.

The cast is effective with Sudeikis getting his first chance to play the lead – he’s funny as a kind of stock character he does well. Aniston also pulls off this role and for Poulter this is a starmaking role, he’s never done this before and he proves he can hold his own against McLovin. All and all We’re The Millers could have been a balls to the wall original comedy, or something deeper than it is (with bigger, unexpected pay offs) but the trains run right on time – efficient, surely – fun, indeed – brilliant, nope.

Screening: Regal Transit, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Walden, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood 12, AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Flix, Dipson Market Arcade, Transit Drive-In

[REVIEW: In Theaters] KINGS OF SUMMER (7/10)

Called a film for the YouTube generation (according to some critic in the film’s trailer), Kings of Summer from Jordan Vogt-Roberts does feel as if it’s cobbled together from several web videos – from the film’s opening (in which all three boys create a symphony on a refinery pipe that cuts through the forest) to individual glimpse into their domestic life (both inside the domestic situation they create and their real home life). The boys Joe (Nick Robinson), Pat (Gabriel Brasso) and Biaggio (Moses Arias) decide to spend a summer in the wild – they dumpster dive to create a sort of tree house in the wild. Thankfully this doesn’t turn as violent as Lord of the Flies,

and is, despite the crushes and heartaches that feel worse when you’re younger, generally good-natured.

Pat busts free from his obnoxious parents (played by Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson) who think they are building character while driving him nuts. In contrast, Joe doesn’t have it much easier – he lives with his overly critical father (played by the one and only Nick Offerman in the kind of role he’s born to do: the jerk who either doesn’t know just how much he hurt others or doesn’t care). Offerman also has some funnier moments once the boys go missing and he’s forced into a character arch.

The Kings of Summer is in general about a bunch of nice kids, its not refined, mature or at times as coherent as it ought to be but what I admire is that its episodic structure allows it to achieve a lot (and also a very little). Based on the film’s stronger elements including its performances and individual scenes, which arrive with an awful lot of painful insight I’m inclined to give it a thumbs up.

Opening directly at MovieLand 8, you didn’t have the opportunity to blow the price of a first run movie ticket on this film and that’s okay. For $4 you could do a lot worse and Kings of Summer is a little bit of a retread of summer movies past, but still, if you are looking for the kind of movie that this is (summer fun) it succeeds and does a little more. Where it misses, there are characters that are supposed to be a little more lovable than they are. Perhaps it’s a testament to Nick Offerman that his character is much less a sketch than a fully formed human, while I’m unsure of Moses Arias’ Biaggio, who just happens to be there.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as Toy’s House.

Screening: MovieLand 8

[In Theaters: REVIEW] Despicable Me 2 (7/10)

Who doesn’t love Despicable Me? Certainly not I – the previous film was one of biggest delights of the summer of 2010 and Gru is back for 2013: no objections here. As with all sequels a little of the magic is lost, but in a classic Hollywood move Despicable Me 2 (and the upcoming feature spin off Minions) gives us more of what we liked, here we get more minions: and what weird and wonderful little worker bees they are. They do it all from tending to household matters around Gru’s house (including tending to Gru’s adopted daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes) to running his new legit business – jams. They also later surface in a complete act of subversion performing as The Village People.

Despicable Me 2, like the first one is a rare animated film that’s worth seeing in 3D (now if only that roller coaster ride from the first one was in DBox as well as 3D….although I have some issues with DBox, but those stem from the fact we at the Buffalo Movie Blog see lots of movies) – opening with a heist at the Arctic Circle, Gru (Steve Carell) is called upon by Agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) of the Anti-Villain League (and her boss – Agent Ramsbottom – a perfect Steve Coogan) to investigate a secret chemical that’s gone missing and has been located at a megamall. Gru is sent undercover as the owner of a sweets shop, Bake My Day.

The story progresses pretty much as you may imagine with some nice visual gags, but those damn minions are were the action is at. I almost wish kids movies would just continue with silly gags and forgo the plot (then again that’s all kinds of dangerous – ever see that TV show Family Guy?). Also delightful is Gru’s domestic life – including his stint as Gru-ella, a ferry princess at little Agnes’ birthday. Some of the best gags you’ve seen in the trailers, but there’s more where that came from: director’s Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, along with screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio keep the energy level up for the film’s whole running time right to the closing credits (which contain another great 3D gag like the first one did).

Despicable Me 2 works, even it takes a break from the fun for the plot- and even those moments have some nice visual gags and minions. Those little guys could do anything and I’d have a smile on my face.

Screening: Dipson Market Arcade, AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Walden Galleria, Regal Transit, Regal Hollywood, Transit Drive In, Palace Hamburg

[In Theaters: REVIEW] THE HEAT (4/10)

Paul Feig, how the mighty have fallen. Bridesmaids was an excellent summer comedy that brought Melissa McCarthy to national attention: The Heat is exactly the kind of move Hollywood makes all the time; take what works and do more of it to excess. And speaking of excess – there’s a lot of excessive force: I don’t get why police brutality and excessive force is fodder for comedy – oh because it’s a fat chick doing it - instead of Woody Harrelson? That ain’t right!

Sandra Bullock plays her normal straight edge self, FBI Special Agent Ashburn whose excellent at her job – she’s kept down by the men of course, most of which are both clueless and have no balls. Paul Feig enjoys emasculation as comedy – it’s lazy but truth be told it lands a few laughs. McCarthy plays Shannon Mullins, an officer working the beat in a rough East Boston neighborhood who once arrested her own brother to try to get him help for a drug addiction. Her tactics are rough, including assaulting a family man (a sadly under-used Tony Hale) who was cruising for prostitutes in Mullins hood. She brings in a low-level dealer linked to Ashburn’s investigation and neither one cedes ground going to all sorts of lengths to bring in their perp. These include many ins and outs, through thick and thin the unlikely duo – dubbing themselves “the heat” bond and take on the system.

We’ve seen this before and while The Heat has a few laughs the rhythm and pace are truth be told a little off: its running time is a little too long and Feig is certainly not the action director that Michael Bay is. The screenplay by Katie Dippold hits all the beats you’d expect from this concept with a slight feminist twist. It’s too mainstream to go all the way and risk alienate part of its audience, so where’s the fun in that? The Heat is essentially an R-rated, test marketed to death sitcom by committee: Hollywood does need women in powerful roles, but it doesn't justify just how brainless this movie is.

So here’s the deal: The Heat is exactly the movie you think it will be. You might like it: good for you, here’s some venues that’ll gladly accept your $9-10.50:

Screening: Dipson Market Arcade, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Walden Galleria, Regal Transit, Regal Hollywood 12, Transit Drive In