Gideon58's Reviews

LUCY
The 2014 spectacle Lucy is an intriguing premise that sadly gets buried behind a lot of cinematic smoke and mirrors that consistently challenge viewer attention span.

The film stars Scarlett Johanssen as a young woman in Taiwan who inadvertently finds herself involved with some powerful drug dealers who force her to be a drug mule by placing the drugs in her stomach surgically, but the effects that this drug have on our heroine after she attempts to remove them are something she can't explain, rationalize, or escape from.

Director screenwriter Luc Besson (The Fifth Element; The Professional) has taken an interesting idea for a movie and given us an overblown and over stylized story beyond the realm of true entertainment value and into the territory of muddled confusion and occasional boredom.

Virgin cinematic territory is definitely approached here where the scientific fact that human beings only utilize ten percent of their brain capacity and what would happen if they used more than that is explored. Once the drug has been removed from Lucy's body, it is revealed that her brain is working at 20% capacity and that the growth has not stopped so she seeks help from a renowned scientist who specializes in the study of the brain (Morgan Freeman).

This film alienates the viewer from jump by setting the story in Taiwan and forcing the viewer to deal with a lot of characters who don't speak English, which adds an appropriate tension to Lucy's story in some places, making her seem more alone in this, but most of the time, it was just an annoyance that added to the confusion of what was going on. The story offers connection to evolution and what is happening to Lucy that seem to slow down the story and though a connection is eventually provided, it just takes a little too long to get there. Johanssen presents an initially interesting character who eventually disappears in a cloud of fancy editing and visual effects. There's a lot of technical expertise involved in the execution of this story, sadly the story and its entertainment value are sacrificed in the process.

DAZED AND CONFUSED
Richard Linklater, the creative force behind the Oscar-winning Boyhood had already proved his ability to tell a compelling and entertaining story onscreen with a 1993 sleeper called Dazed and Confused a stylishly fun re-working of films like American Graffiti and Fast Times at Ridgemont High that stands on its own thanks to some smart writing and a charismatic young cast.

The film opens on the last day of school at fictional Lee High School in 1976 and the multiple storylines are triggered by two separate events: the returning senior members of the football team have all been asked to sign a conduct contract for next year forbidding the use of alcohol and drugs and the idealistic quarterback is balking at signing such a contract. Also the big end of school party being thrown by one of the students is abruptly cancelled when the kid throwing the party gets busted because the beer kegs were delivered before his parents left for the weekend.

These two separate events are the springboard for our introduction to all of the characters we would expect from such a story. As you can imagine, we meet the geeks and the stoners but the look at class separation is taken to an even more detailed way than in previous films. Films like this have often looked at the class separation between geeks and stoners, brainiacs and delinquents, but this story takes an incisive look at a separation that has rarely been explored before: the separation between freshmen and seniors. We meet a group of senior football players who are inexplicably hassling a young freshman equipped with squash paddles, but then the young freshman finds an unexpected opportunity to bond with the seniors, leaving his freshman buddies in the dust, a story move that takes this movie in a fresh and unforeseen direction. We even meet siblings dealing with the fact that they are beginning to be part of the same social circle.

Director and screenwriter Linklater not only displays an uncanny instinct on teen angst in the 1970's (pretty sure some character in this movie is a version of Linklater), but an imaginative eye with the camera that adds a sophistication to the proceedings I really didn't see coming. Linklater must also be applauded for absolutely breathtaking attention to period detail...this is one period piece where everything that's going on in the film makes you feel the year that the beginning of the film announces. There was absolutely nothing 1993 about this film, which is such a rarity. Loved the drive-in marquee in one scene advertising the 1976 film Family Plot.

Linklater has also employed an impressive ensemble cast that serve Linklater's vision and always remain in the framework of this often intricate story. Several actors are observed here early in their careers and some who took lesser roles sensing what a special project this was going to be. There is standout work here from Jason London as the quarterback, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp and future Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, in a real star turn as the former Lee dropout who hasn't grown up, a contemporary rendering of Arthur Fonzarelli or John Milne. A richly entertaining comedy that never talks down to its audience and never fails to entertain.

Agree with you on the excellent Heaven Can Wait and Dazed and Confused, and also the mediocre Lucy.

I've been on the border line over watching Lucy or not? I thought Lucy was an alien who absorbed her sex partners? Is that a different movie?

Glad you liked Dazed and Confused I reviewed it and gave it the exact same rating.

No, that's not Lucy, but honestly, Citizen, if I were you, I wouldn't even bother with Lucy...as far as I'm concerned, 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

MARS ATTACKS!
The endlessly imaginative directorial eye of Tim Burton, superb production values, and an impressive all-star cast make the 1996 satire Mars Attacks! solid comic entertainment and one of Burton's most underrated films.

In this affectionate salute to 1950's film classics like The Day the Earth Stood Still and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the United States finds itself under attack from Martians who insist that they come in peace, but are just yanking earth's chain and end up destroying anything in their path.

The story is told through the eyes of a disparate group of characters and how they are affected by the attacks: Of course, we meet the President (Jack Nicholson), the First Lady (Glenn Close), and the First Daughter (Natalie Portman), who all have different views on the attack, not to mention the mixed messages the Prez is getting on handling the situation from the smarmy White House Press Secretary (Martin Short) and a gung-ho Army General (Rod Steiger). We also meet a former boxer (Jim Brown) working as a side show attraction in Vegas trying to get back to his ex (Pam Grier) and his sons; a greedy millionaire (also Nicholson) and his ditzy wife (Annette Bening), who is initially thrilled by the aliens' arrival, a noted scientist (Pierce Brosnan) and a talk show hostess (Sarah Jessica Parker); a pair of trailer trash brothers (Jack Black, Lukas Haas), oh, and Tom Jones.

Burton really knocked it out of the park with this expensive and expertly mounted satire that tells a hysterically funny story that manifests itself on one very clever comic bit, the fact that the aliens keep saying that they're coming in peace and that they are totally lying. Burton manages to take this very premise and present it with the proper respect to the long gone films that he's saluting here. And I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I was also impressed by the special effects employed here, which are partially state of the art and partially semi-cheesy looking, giving the film an authentic 1950's feel that was pretty hard to resist.

With all the attention Burton gives to the production values, he still manages to get some solid performances from his cast, especially Nicholson, who beautifully underplays as the President, and Brown, who seems to be doing a lampoon of the films he did early in his career, but his stone-faced delivery was perfect for this kind of satire. Bening and Steiger also make the most of their screentime and a huge bouquet to the gifted Danny Elfman for his brilliant music. For fans of the director and of the genre being saluted here, this is a must.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Stylish and intense direction, a compelling, multi-layered story, and a terrific ensemble cast combine to make The Usual Suspects one of the best films of 1995.

This story-within-a-story-within-a-story-within-a-story opens with us meeting Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) a disgraced ex-cop turned criminal on a ship dying from a gunshot wound whose death is sealed with a couple of more bullets from an unknown assailant. We then see the ship set on fire and explode. The story then flashes back to an unusual police lineup that includes Keaton, McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Fenster (Benicio Del Toro), Hockney (Kevin Pollak), and the enigmatic crippled Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) who allegedly have been brought in to be questioned regarding a truck hijacking, but we know this can't be the case since when a lineup is usually done, it's always done with the perp and strangers who have nothing to do with the case. We watch as this odd quintet of criminals are brought together for other work and then learn that everything they have gotten wrapped up in has been orchestrated by a criminal mastermind named Kayser Sose, who has a final assignment for them involving a 91 million dollar cocaine shipment out of which they may or may not come out alive.

Director Bryan Singer, whose only other work I have seen is the sadly mediocre 2007 adventure Superman Returns proves that at one time he was an expert at mounting the complex Oscar winning screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie that definitely has a Tarantino influence to it (not surprising since Pulp Fiction had just changed the crime drama forever a year earlier) but remains an independent story that brilliantly lays out as three stories that eventually whittle down to one offering just enough red herrings to pique viewer curiosity and demand complete viewer attention that is rewarded.

There is a scary underlying theme throughout this film regarding the power of this Kayser Sose...I found it a little stomach churning the number of people who were clearly under this guy's thumb who never met him. not to mention the terror he inflicted on his victims (a staggering body count is mounted here), one stool pigeon refers to his final encounter with him as "looking into the eyes of the devil." Once again, a character's impact is manifested through other characters' descriptions and limited backstory to maximum effect.

Singer's ensemble cast delivers the goods, everyone serving the story as they should. Giancarlo Esposito, Dan Hedaya, and especially Chazz Palminteri are quite effective as the cops trying to get to the bottom of this ugly story and Byrne has rarely been better as Keaton. Also loved Del Toro's flashy turn as Fenster and needless to say Kevin Spacey's Oscar winning performance as Verbal Kint is a one-man acting class. Production values are first rate, with special nods to film editing, sound, production design, and John Ottman's evocative music. A once in a lifetime crime drama that is inspired by dramas of the past but definitely has a life of its own.

I love Mars Attacks!

I liked your review of Dazed and Confused much more than the movie.

__________________
.
If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

Me too....what a fun and clever movie. They don't make em like that anymore

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)
The recent passing of Jerry Lewis gave the 1963 comedy The Nutty Professor a bump up on my watchlist. There is a school of thought that this film is Jerry's masterpiece and somehow I never managed to fit it into my viewing schedule. The film does provide laughs, but frankly, I think Lewis has done better work.

Lewis co-wrote and directed this comedy in which he plays Professor Julian Kelp. a nerdy and lonely college professor who is on the verge of losing his job after yet another explosion in his lab. Julian's loneliness and the unrequited crush he has on one of his students, one Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens) prompt him to concoct a potion that turns him into a womanizing stud named Buddy Love, who fascinates Stella and every other female on the campus, even though Buddy is an arrogant jerk.

Unfortunately, Buddy Love's appearances are limited and Julian has no control over when he will return to his nerdy self and is not happy that Stella is fascinated with Buddy but won't give Julian the time of day. Julian takes advantage of his limited time as Buddy until it is suggested that Buddy perform at the prom and Julian be a chaperone, forcing Julian and Buddy to be at the same place at the same time.

Lewis and co-screenwriter Bill Richmond do make some interesting choices that probably connect with the story's underlying theme that we should be happy with who we are and that even pretty people have problems. I thought it was an interesting story choice that Buddy is made to look like kind of a jerk and yet, Julian still seems to cherish his time as Buddy and works feverishly to have more control over his creation, even if he is kind of an ass. There's also a suspension of disbelief that is involved with this story that was kind of hard to get behind, specifically dealing with the character of Stella. Buddy doesn't look so completely different from Julian that some suspicion should have been aroused and it seems like Stella suspects what's going on in one scene and doesn't have a clue in the next, which made it kind of hard to invest in the story. There is another school of thought that the Buddy Love character is based on Dean Martin, but you be the judge.

The film does allow Lewis to display his penchant for physical comedy and, more specifically, the physicality involved in creating these two characters, who really are radically opposite even if they do look alike. The detail Lewis puts into establishing the nervous Nelly that is Julian is impressive...watch him in the first scene where he is called into the Dean's office or the scene at the gym. There were few actors who challenged their bodies in their work as frequently as Jerry Lewis did.

Stella Stevens is a vivacious leading lady and Del Moore was also very funny as the dean. but the film doesn't really provide the laughs that it should. Of course, Eddie Murphy re-thought this film in 1996, but it was interesting seeing the genesis of that film, which has some funny stuff, but I think Jerry has made funnier movies.

ROMEO + JULIET (1996)
Baz Luhrmann did his own flashy re-thinking of The Great Gatsby back in 2013, but long before that, he took on Shakespeare with his eye-popping interpretation of Romeo + Juliet, the ultimate story of star-crossed lovers that Luhrmann made palatable for the masses thanks to a contemporary setting, an impressive cast, and Luhrmann's accustomed cinematic razzle dazzle.

Shakespeare's most famous work was brought to the screen three times prior to this version. Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard played the young lovers in 1936. Laurence Harvey and Susan Shentall inherited the roles in 1954 and in 1968, utilizing casting closest to Shakespeare's vision of the characters, Franco Zeffirelli cast 17 year old Leonard Whiting and 15 year old Olivia Hussey as the lovers. The story was also re-thought as a Broadway musical in 1955 called West Side Story, which came to the screen in 1961. Luhrmann scores casting Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, who appear age appropriate for the roles, as the young loves kept apart by the long standing feud between their families, not to mention that both have been promised to others, but from their first accidental meeting, it's love at first sight and these young people decide that nothing, not even their families, will keep them apart.

Major cajones are required to put your own interpretation to Shakespeare, but lack of cajones has never been an issue with Baz Luhrman. What Luhrmann has done here with the aid of screenwriter Craig Pearce, is to retain Shakespeare's original dialogue but that's where all resemblance to previous versions of the story ends. Luhrmann has chosen to set the story in the present in Florida and immediately establishes the feud between the two families by opening the story with an intimidating shot of the city skyline with two tall skyscrapers in the center, one with the name "Montague" on it and the other with the name "Capulet", a very effective tool in letting the audience know that these two families are enemies and have been for a long time. Not to mention the bloody gun battle between the Capulet and Montague gangs that bring to mind the Jets and Sharks in West Side Story.

The other thing that Luhrmann does is break down Shakespeare's dialogue, making it more accessible to contemporary audiences by making sure that his actors know exactly what's going on at all times, and what the actors don't give us is provided by Luhrmann's very busy camera...that does a surprisingly efficient job of making the audience understand anything that might be fuzzy in the dialogue. whether it is the way characters react to each other or the pacing of the individual scenes, almost to the point of comic relief...rarely have I seen such effective use of the fast motion camera, used to maximum effect during the preparations for the Capulet party and with Lady Capulet's frantic dealings with her daughter.

With all the attention to visual trappings, Luhrmann still manages to get some compelling performances from his cast. DiCaprio and Danes make charismatic lovers who we care about from the first moment they lay eyes on each other from opposite sides of a fish tank (one of my favorite moments in the film, sensitively filmed). They receive solid support from Harold Perrineau as Mercutio, Miriam Margoyles as the Nurse, John Leguizamo as Tybalt, and Diane Venora steals every scene she's in as Lady Capulet. Since it's Baz Luhrmann we're talking about here, needless to say the production values are nothing short of superb. The film features often dizzying camera work, film editing, art direction, and, of course, costumes. If you've always been a little gun-shy about Shakespeare, you might want to give this version a try.

RUMBLE FISH
Stylish, imaginative direction and some charismatic performances are the primary attractions of an artsy entry from 1983 called Rumble Fish that has definitely been influenced by some classic films of the past but definitely stands on its own as an original piece of cinema to be pondered and ultimately applauded.

Set during the late 1970's in a tight knit industrial town, this is the story of Rusty James (Matt Dillon), the unspoken leader of a small posse of thugs in town who laments the slow and methodic death of street gangs due to drugs but still has a loyal following who is reunited with his older brother known as the Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Roarke) who was a gangleader during its heyday and has recently returned to town after spending several years in California. The film slowly introduces these siblings who have been severely damaged by their alcoholic father (Dennis Hopper) and the mother who deserted them when they were toddlers, though they are in denial about it. It becomes clear that Rusty James worships his older brother and wants to be just like him and Motorcycle Boy is terrified that this might be exactly what is happening.

Based on a novel by SE Hinton, who also wrote The Outsiders, this film, co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola was actually directed at the same time as The Outsiders with Matt Dillon again assuming leading man duties, but that's pretty much where the resemblance between this film and The Outsiders ends. The Outsiders is told in a straightforward realistic vein, but Coppola takes a much more stylized approach here, telling a story that is rich with unconventional symbolism and a stark blend of realistic drama and idealistic fantasy that seems appropriate for the angry teen angst drama that is presented here. The film almost seems to be an answer to The Outsiders, a film that dealt directly with street gangs as opposed to this film, which seems to deal with the death of same. Coppola uses some very effective tools to display this cultural shock and its effect on these brothers and those in their orbit...there is a repeated image of smoke everywhere throughout the film, seeming to symbolize the end of one lifestyle in preparation for another that these kids might not be really ready for.

The story also presents some some really damaged characters who really aren't aware of how damaged they are, making them all the more interesting. I loved Steve (Vincent Spano) a friend of Rusty James who is conflicted with what being Rusty's friend involves and what he believes is right. Patty (Diane Lane, another Outsiders refugee) is the perennial good girl who is attracted to Rusty's soul but can't live with who the guy is on the outside. The Motorcycle Boy is consistently fascinating, established immediately as someone who once ruled the streets but wants nothing more than to escape that reputation though he's willing to utilize it to protect Rusty James at any cost. This character is what Tony in West Side Story should have been, one of several classic films that flashed through this reviewer's mind during this film, though there is nothing but loving and thoughtful influence and homage happening here. The film contains just enough sex, violence, and graphic language to attract contemporary audiences but it still manages to do nothing but serve the story and Coppola's vision.

Dillon gives one of his strongest performances as Rusty James and Mickey Roarke beautifully underplays as his older brother. Few actors do alcoholic bums better than the late Dennis Hopper did and Lane was an attractive leading lady. Mention should also be made of William Smith as a sinister cop and Diana Scarwid as a heroine junkie who is obsessed with Motorcycle Boy. Coppola also found work for nephew Nicolas Cage and daughter Sofia here as one of Rusty's boys and Lane's kid sister, respectively. The film is shot in exquisite black and white and features some stylish cinematography, film editing, and sound. A big bouquet as well to The Police's Stewart Copeland for his moody and evocative music score. A winner.

I just finished reading your excellent review of Rumble Fish I wasn't sure you'd like it, but it sounds like you did! Loved what you wrote about it. It's a film that would only get better with repeat viewings.

Another one I watched after reading your review Citizen...I loved it and I totally agree that it probably gets better with repeat viewings.

A real treat to watch. Even when the comedy drags the energy makes it entertaining. Nice review!

That is Under the Skin which has a lot of fans here. I didn't care for it but I'm interested in seeing it again. It's not something that I would think to recommend to you.

Thanks, now I remember reading about Under the Skin, and yeah I was iffy if I was going to watch it or not.

RULES DON'T APPLY
Hollywood legend Warren Beatty was the producer, director and co-writer of 2016's Rules Don't Apply, an overblown and rambling epic that attempts to provide biographical elements to a conventional love story but the final product never really gels.

Back in 1993, Martin Scorsese gave us The Aviator, a solid biopic looking at the life and career of the enigmatic Howard Hughes. Rules Don't Apply appears to initially come off as a similar look at the billionaire from another angle, as the story eventually focuses on two people whose lives becomes intertwined because of separate connections to Hughes. Frank Forbes is a grounded young man who has been hired to be a driver for Hughes and Marla Mabrey is a former beauty queen who has been brought to Hollywood by Hughes for a screentest (along with 25 other young wannabe starlets). The story finds these two people having their lives completely manipulated by someone they have, at the beginning of the story, never met.

Beatty is an Oscar winning producer, writer, and director who knows how to mount an epic (Reds), a love story (Heaven Can Wait), and a biopic (Bugsy) but really misses the boat here, primarily due to a screenplay by himself and Bo Goldman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) that vacillates between two different stories and only one of them really holds interest for the viewer. Even though it was done better in The Aviator, the look at Howard Hughes this film provides is its most entertaining aspect, thanks to a quietly brilliant performance by the star, even if his ego gets in the way a bit...Beatty's vanity shines through in this production, primarily in projecting his fear of aging. All of Beatty's scenes are poorly lit making it hard to see the actor's expressive face and making it difficult to invest in the really terrific performance he gives. The film opens with the world waiting for a phone call from Hughes, who has drifted into dementia and we wonder is the story going to really commit to the theory that Hughes was crazy. The answer to that would be a big yes and Beatty's performance is unapologetic and fascinating presenting a character whose mental faculties are fading, despite his complete denial about it. Though it was interesting that all the screentime that was devoted to Hughes being a germaphobe in The Aviator wasn't even addressed here.

Where the film fails to connect is with what I believe is a fictionalized romance between young Frank and Marla. We all knew of Hughes' affairs with Katharine Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Jean Harlow, etc., what made Beatty think a story of Hughes mistreating a fictional character would be more interesting? It also smacked of cliche to make Marla this seriously religious virgin who doesn't drink or do anything bad, yet her life's ambition is to be a movie star? The character of Frank wasn't that interesting either. For some odd reason, this character is presented as being very religious too. He and Hughes meet for the first time and sit down to eat a burger and fries and Frank says a blessing before eating which gets an odd look from Hughes and I can't say I blame him.

The Frank and Marla story doesn't get any help from the lifeless performances of Alden Ehrenreich and Lily Collins as Frank and Marla. Matthew Broderick and Martin Sheen are solid as Hughes staffers and veterans like Candice Bergen, Oliver Platt, Alec Baldwin, and Paul Sorvino are wasted in pointless cameos, though Mrs. Beatty, Annette Bening, does shine in her few opening scenes as Marla's mother. Serious Warren Beatty fans might want to give it a look, otherwise...watch The Aviator instead.

NIGHT SHIFT
Nearly forgotten from 1982, Night Shift was a rather cliched comedy that was one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts and put a young actor named Michael Keaton on the map but really hasn't aged well.

This is the story of Chuck (Henry Winkler), a milquetoast morgue attendant who has recently been switched to nights at work and been saddled with an obnoxious man/child named Bill (Keaton) as his new partner who gets the idea of them running a prostitution ring out of the morgue. The idea is born when a pimp is murdered and brought into the morgue and it is revealed that one of his girls, Belinda (Shelley Long) lives in Chuck's building.

This film was pretty much the genesis of the Ron Howard/Brian Grazer/Lowell Ganz/Baboloo Mandel production company, who would later collaborate on films like Splash, Gung Ho, and The Grinch and this film definitely shows promise, but it also shows that these guys were still trying to find their footing as filmmakers. The screenplay by Ganz and Mandel is just a little too antiseptic considering the subject matter and employs every tired joke about prostitution ever used in a movie. A prostitution ring being run out of a morgue after the murder of a pimp? This film should have been a lot raunchier than it is, though as a novice director, I'm sure Howard had to make a lot of concessions to get this film made at all and it shows. I have never seen Times Square look so clean and shiny nor have I seen more prostitutes who look like Beverly Hills socialites.

Howard does show some of his future directorial style and ability to create striking cinematic images...the slow motion shot of the kid making the basket while the pimp is being thrown out a window simultaneously about to go through the basket as well is seriously stylish and shows that this is a director to watch.

Howard does show some skill where casting is concerned though...casting his Happy Days co-star in a role that is the polar opposite of Arthur Fonzarelli was inspired and totally works...Winkler quietly and effectively underplays the least showiest role in the story but never allows anyone to blow him off the screen either. Shelley Long is charming as Belinda, though I never really buy her as this hardened Manhattan hooker...her perfect hair, clothes, and diction just made it hard for me to take her seriously and the word "pimp" just sounded foreign coming out of her mouth. But what this movie really has going for it and makes it worth watching is the 100 mega-watt comic tour-de-force performance by Michael Keaton that provided the only consistent laughs here. Keaton is a one-man comedy class here and makes the rest of this comedy look like it works better than it really does.

Howard has also packed this film with a plethora of once and future stars, including a very early appearance by Oscar winner Kevin Costner as a boy at a frat party, Vincent Schiavelli as a delivery boy, Richard Belzer as a murderous thug, and of his course, his little brother Clint. If you don't blink, you might even catch Howard's wife, Cheryl, in a brief cameo. With a little more realistic screenplay and some more on target casting, this could have been a minor classic, but Keaton alone makes it worth a look.