Summer Review #2 -- The Ugly Truth

The battle of the sexes has been favorite romantic comedy fodder ever since Tracy first laid eyes on Hepburn, and here it is again, at the extreme of extremes. This time, the battle turns into war and, lest I should sound like a tagline for a non-existent 300 sequel, let me assure you that it is nowhere as bloody; however, there is no doubt in my mind that this kind of conflict is always messier. TV producer Abby (Katherine Heigl) has no luck in love, mostly due to her own neuroses. She does not demand perfection; she merely wants a certain type, likes, dislikes and habits that can be found on a list she brings to dates. Yup, Abby is a low-maintenance gal if ever there was one. After an awkward conversation with sexist cable host Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), she discovers that he is her network's newest employee, brought in to revive ratings with his show, in which he dishes on men and women using terms straight from your nearest cave and crude innuendos that would put strip clubs to shame. Witnessing her troubles, Mike offers to help Abby seduce her newest crush and, after spending some quality time with her former nemesis, she starts seeing him in a new light. The movie is brimming with clichés -- cynical female protagonist, idealist best friend, money shots of scenic weekend getaways -- and the only way I can try and justify their presence is by considering the possible aim of the three women screenwriters to turn these stereotypical concepts upside down and maybe even lampoon them, which never happens. The movie starts out with so many over-the-top scenes, that satire appears to be the only direction the movie can take, but the writing just lingers on, piling on slapstick and tacking on a recycled ending. The good aspect of the movie is the leads' amazing chemistry, which is a rarity in recent romcoms, and which manages to shine through the often tepid writing and acting. Heigl has already shown comedy potential with the otherwise bleak 27 Dresses, but she does not possess that effortless effervescence that Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts, to name obvious examples, are famous for. She does her best, but tries too hard; still, she is very adept at physical gags and has flair for self-deprecating fun. Butler displays good timing and raw charm, but I do wish he would get a chance to flaunt his talents in a more sophisticated genre movie. Nevertheless, the two actors are the best part of the film, with Butler's manly charisma complimenting Heigl's prim-and-proper-and-prissy demeanor. They are the ones who make the characters' misadventures endearing, leaving us wanting a screenplay that does justice to their genuine connection. As it turns out, the truth is not very ugly, and is actually a pretty funny affair; however, it is tarnished by witless jokes and sporadic truisms, not relying nearly enough on the already hilarious basics of the battle before going into a full-fledged war.

6/10

Weekly Review -- Sci-fi... without the sci or fi

Push (2009) -- A great science-fiction thriller is hard to come by these days. I am talking edge-of-the-millennium greatness, in the vein of a bleak futuristic mystery like Minority Report or a subtle philosophical allegory like Sunshine. Unfortunately, Push belongs to neither of these categories, while cheapening its entertainment value by leaving its own ideas high and dry. Nick Gant (Chris Evans) lives a quiet life in Hong Kong, making money by running gambling cons. He is what is known as a a Mover, occasionally using his dormant telekinetic talents and trying to steer clear of the Division, a covert government agency that murdered his father -- also a telekinetic -- ten years earlier. When Nick comes across Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning), a Watcher who sees the future, she enlists him to help her find a powerful Pusher, Kira Hudson (Camilla Belle), a girl whose mind "pushes" thoughts into other people's. The two need to make sure that the Division does not find Kira first, since the agency plans to use her for testing purposes. However, their road is paved with complications and the Division is a ruthless opponent... The plot sounded interesting, the trailer looked awesome, for lack of a better word, and most the cast are usually not associated with bad projects. So, what gives? The movie is almost incomprehensible, moving from flashbacks to bits of characters' histories, from the past to the future, making us feel as though we are running a marathon and not watching an exciting movie. The dialogue has a lot of potential, revealing some unique things about the characters, but the surface is barely scratched and all of the different personalities never explored. This omission is particularly frustrating when it comes to scenes featuring Hook Waters (Cliff Curtis), a Shifter who uses his mind to change the appearance of objects, and Teresa Stowe (Maggie Siff), a Stitcher who can heal and wound people at will. These two psychics make quite an impression in every scene they are in, partly due to Curtis' aura of clout and Siff's seductive siren demeanor, and it is too bad that the screenwriters do not delve deeper into their backgrounds. The dialogue is also the only interesting part of the screenplay, since the rest of it pushes -- oh, yes, pun intended -- and pulls in all directions, not all of them logical. With their incredible abilities, two of the most powerful psychics end up fighting mano-a-mano? What was the point of the underdeveloped Pon family? Why tease with intriguing supporting players if we were never going to get to learn more about them? The myriad unripe plot lines are wrapped up in and seeping out of one another at such speed, you would need a filing cabinet to separate all the layers, yet you would still be hard-pressed to create a cohesive whole. The acting is mostly adequate, with Fanning, Curtis and Djimon Hounsou being the standouts; nevertheless, their inventiveness is lost within the half-baked screenplay. Although Push is far from a good movie, it is not a complete miss. You should give it a shot when tempted, if only for the cool concept that somehow manages to squander its own superpower -- the one to impress the audience.

5/10

Weekly Review -- Creeping up...

The Unborn (2009) -- There will never be a time when audiences grow tired of films involving the occult. Ghosts, demons and other apparitions, mixed in with a little paranoia and disbelief, can turn a movie into a suspense goldmine of subjects that captivate the imagination. David S. Goyer's The Unborn does deliver in terms of scares; however, it falls flat in terms of detail and, occasionally, logic. Strange things are happening to student Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman). She is having nightmares about dead infants and a mysterious little boy who seems to be following her, she is seeing things that should not exist and, to top it off, her eyes are eerily changing color. Through research and consultations with a Holocaust survivor (Jane Alexander), Casey comes to understand that a curse has been haunting her family for decades and seeks out a rabbi's (Gary Oldman) assistance. If she does not beat the curse, she dies, but how does one stop the unimaginable? Having seen the previews, I figured that any movie starring Gary Oldman and two of the "Dexter" cast cannot be bad. Well, it is not, but it does not the top of the genre pile make, either. For starters, I both liked and disliked the Holocaust element. The evil committed during this period represents one of the most shocking examples of human depravity and, on a philosophical level, it is clear why this tragedy is plausible as a cause for cosmic revenge. However, therein lies the problem. This event does not need to serve as a supportive device in a fictional narrative, when its historical significance is undeniable. It does not stem from the realm of the paranormal; it is real life and fear itself that does not need to be blended into a cinematic haunting, since it is haunting enough. This part of the screenplay reminded me of the unnecessary September 11 references in Final Destination 3, although The Unborn does put its history into a comprehensible context. Still... I digress. Some parts of the movie make no sense. For example, where is Casey's father during the ordeal? One would think that a parent would kind of, sort of, maybe like to be informed if their child was possessed and getting an exorcism. Just maybe. Also, the family that Casey babysat for do not prompt an investigation into a death that occurs only a few days after she had been in their house, nor do they look into the strange behavior of their older child. These plot lines could have been explored further, possibly contributing to the screenplay, which is not a complex one. The writing becomes pretty repetitive after the first 45 minutes, focusing mostly on Casey's terror instead of using the interesting concept to delve into its themes without reservations. I loved the ending, which I thought was one of the strongest parts of the film, making us question many of the events that previously took place. As far as acting goes, I have yet to see Oldman give a bad performance, and The Unborn is no different. His subtle portrayal of the conflicted rabbi makes me wish that the movie was richer. Yustman is convincing as the bewilderingly tortured Casey, while Idris Elba has a nice turn as a helpful Catholic priest. The locations, from mansions to asylums to cathedrals, are appropriate for the creepy proceedings -- showing but not revealing, open yet secretive, always a few steps beyond the approachable. This movie is a fright fest that guarantees plenty of jumps; what it does not guarantee, unfortunately, is a layered story that analyzes its intriguing topic to the core.

6/10

Summer Review #1 -- Terminator Salvation

One of the most anticipated movies of the year, the latest installment in the Terminator franchise explores the very future that the entire saga stems from. It takes us to the world that the past films have only alluded to -- the actual war between humans and Skynet, the malevolent computer system that caused a nuclear holocaust a little over a decade earlier. It also takes us to John Connor ascending the ranks on the way to his prophecized role as leader of the resistance, allowing us to find out just what kind of soldier he has turned out to be. The upside of the movie are its action and depictions of Skynet; however, too much action and too many depictions of Skynet also represent the downside, coming at the cost of the story and character development much too often.

John Connor (Christian Bale) is not the first character we encounter; rather, it is Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) who, after having been on death row, wakes up in an obliterated California years later and starts piecing back his fragmented memories, meeting jaded young warrior Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) along the way. In the meantime, Connor is mostly dealing with the post-nuclear society's political hierarchy, often clashing with hardliner General Ashdown (Michael Ironside) and his military comrades. Throughout it all, he has the unwavering support of his small faction of soldiers, including wife Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard), right hand man Barnes (Common) and pilot Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood). After learning about Skynet's latest operations and about Ashdown's plan to destroy the system at the cost of human lives, Connor and his team decide to go against the orders, but they do not expect the upcoming turn of events...

I never would have pegged McG as the director to continue the franchise, and the film proves that he was unprepared for the task. The first half introduces the characters with a lot of potential. Of course, everyone wants to find out about the adult Connor; Wright is a mystery waiting to be unraveled; and Williams seems to have some secrets of her own. Unfortunately, the second half is mostly action-oriented, leaving humans in the dust. The effects are exciting -- explosions rock, planes clash, fires burn, Skynet machines are bigger and meaner -- but they are nothing we have not seen before. The first two Terminator movies were impeccable in striking just the right balance between charting human relationships and fusing them with innovative action. The latest one seems lost in its gleeful desire to show off cool toys, rather than a well written and directed movie.

Contrary to the choice of director, I thought that casting Bale as Connor was the perfect decision. Bale possesses a quiet-yet-commanding quality that we could already sense in Terminator 2's Connor and which we have seen in the actor's numerous startling performances, starting with Empire of the Sun and ending with The Dark Knight. Still, the lightweight screenplay relegates Connor to secondary player, mostly due to the unexplored connection between the way he sees himself and the way his team members regard him; indeed, the most emotional scenes are the ones in which a despondent Connor listens to his mother's fading voice on a derelict tape recorder. It is Wright who manages to overshadow Connor in the heroism department and it is Worthington who manages to outact Bale. He displays endearing roughness as Wright, a character whose desperation at redeeming himself turns him inadvertently into something that his worst nightmares could not have conjured up. Yelchin's Reese is a picture of honour and survival instinct; we can see why he is the one chosen by Connor to go back in time and save his mother's life. The supporting cast are not given much to do, although Bloodgood commands quiet intensity as Williams and Jane Alexander is gracefully authoritative as head of a ragtag group of scavengers.

Terminator Salvation is a noble attempt to continue the saga and a pretty competent action movie in its own right. Regrettably, its enthusiasm is mostly focused on its visuals, losing sight of the mythology that precedes them.

6/10