RBR: Don Jon

Truth be told, I did not rent this one from Redbox because it's not available on Redbox yet. I actually used a service called MGO, which is an individual online rental service that gave you two free rentals upon initial registration.

As for the film, this is the writing and directing debut for Joseph Gordon Levitt, who also stars in the film as a young guido who has an affinity for online pornography. While he has no difficulty meeting and sleeping with women, he prefers watching the porn because he is more easily able to "lose himself" when watching it than he can when being with a woman. For him watching pornography is just as much of his daily routine as going to the gym, cleaning his apartment or going to church. This creates a problem, however, when he begins to date the beautiful Barbara (Scarlet Johanson). She finds it disgusting and wants him to focus only on her. The films sets up a lot of intriguing storylines beyond the tension the Jon's habit has on his relationship. There's an emotionally unstable woman (Julianne Moore) who befriends Jon at the night class he is taking. There's Jon's parents (Tony Danza and Glenn Headley) who always seem to fight and Jon's sister (Brie Larson), who never stops playing on her phone. As I watched I kept waiting for the payoff to these characters and their issues but it never really goes anywhere. I was hoping that the story would have something to say about the ubiquity of pornography and the reason people can become addicted to it. Instead it settles for a romantic comedy conclusion that the character seemed to rail against earlier in the film. The cast here is extremely likeable and Levitt shows some promise as a director, but on the whole Don Jon left me unsatisfied. If I had wanted that, I could have just watched actual porn instead. Rating: *** 1/2

2013 Fall Movie Preview (September)

I know this is a little later than when I normally do this, but I'll be looking at the major movies coming out for the remainder of this year over the next few days. There looks to be some good stuff, so let's get right to it.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 (September 27)
Plot: "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" picks up where Sony Pictures Animation's mouth-watering comedy left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention -- a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes. But Flint soon learns that his invention survived and is now creating food-animals - "foodimals!" Flint and his friends embark on a dangerously delicious mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheespiders and other foodimals to save the world again!

Quick thoughts: I'll admit that I was only lukewarm on the first Cloudy movie, but the story is based on a clever idea. When the first trailer came out a few months ago, I legitimately laughed at some of the clever word play and 'foodimals' that they came up with. The kids will not doubt eat this one up, but let's hope that this sequel serves up a bit more for the adults as well.


DON JON (September 27)
Plot: Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to "pull" a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn't compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she's determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Quick thoughts: I'll admit the film's plot doesn't scream mainstream audience, but the fact the Gordon-Levitt wrote and directed this film has me intrigued. He has been able to show a good amount of range on-screen, now we'll see if he has the same success behind the camera as well. The film has already played at some film festivals and has earned good buzz so this may become an unlikely success.


HELL BABY (September 6)
Plot: Rob Corddry ("Children's Hospital," "Hot Tub Time Machine") and Leslie Bibb ("Iron Man") star in "Hell Baby," a horror comedy about an expectant couple forced to enlist the help of the Vatican's elite exorcism team after they move into a haunted fixer-upper in New Orleans. The hilariously zany feature directing debut of writing-acting duo Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon ("Night at The Museum," "Reno 911!: Miami"), "Hell Baby" also stars Keegan Michael Key ("Key and Peele," "Due Date"), Michael Ian Black ("This Is 40"), Riki Lindhome ("Million Dollar Baby"), Rob Huebel ("Children's Hospital," "The Descendants") and Paul Scheer ("The League").

Quick thoughts: We have already seen the horror genre played for laughs several times this year, but I'm hoping the talent behind this film is enough to have it rise above those other mediocre efforts. Lennon and Garant have proven with Reno 911 that they now how to mine comedy out of more serious material. Just like with Cloudy, I found myself laughing a lot at the trailer, so I'm hopeful that translates well when seeing the full length film.


RUSH (September 20)
Plot: Two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind," "Frost/Nixon"), teams once again with fellow two-time Academy Award nominee, writer Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon," "The Queen"), on "Rush," a spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The epic action-drama stars Chris Hemsworth ("The Avengers") as the charismatic Englishman James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl ("Inglourious Basterds") as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the Grand Prix racetrack epitomized the contrast between these two extraordinary characters, a distinction reflected in their private lives.

Quick thoughts: I can't say that I typically go for a lot of racing movies, but this one has a pedigree behind it that helps it stand out from those others. I typically am very impressive with Ron Howard's films and I'll be interested to see what he brings to the table when it comes to filming the racing scenes. It seems like someone from the Hemsworth family is in every film that comes out these days, but there's no denying that Chris has good charisma and should do well in this daredevil playboy role. If this film meets its potential, it could be a major player come awards season


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Riddick (September 6)
Insidious Chapter 2 (September 13)
A Single Shot (September 20)
Prisoners (September 20)

RBR: Premium Rush

2012 was quite a year for Joseph Gordon Levitt who costarred in blockbusters (The Dark Knight Rises), Oscar contenders (Lincoln) and had a breakout performance in Looper. However, I doubt he's as proud of this film about a bike messenger who's being chased by some bad dudes in the streets of NY. On one hand, I do have to give the film some credit by offering up something different in the action/chase genre. However, watching this film it becomes clear why bikes are not used more often in action films. The first chase scene offers something fresh and new, but it gets tiresome very quickly. The repetitive nature of the bike scenes make this film feel like it's 3 hours long when it's barely half that time in actuality. The director's attempts at playing with the narrative timeline don't help matters and only make the story more muddled. The fact that the film's climax involves a flash mob should tell you everything you need to know about whether or not this film for you. In case it's not clear, this is not the film for me. The lone salvation is Gordon Levitt, who remains a likeable presence on screen despite the lackluster material he has to work with here. Hopefully his other successes in 2012 will allow him to pass over projects like this in the future. Rating: ** 1/2

A brief time of history

On the eve of the innauguration of President Barack Obama's second term as Commander-in-Chief, it seems fitting that I had the opportunity to finally see Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which primarily centers around the start of our 16th President's second term. That is just one of the many parallels that can be drawn between the events of the film and our current day situation in this captivating drama that is currently a heavy favorite to win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

As the title suggests, this film offers a detailed look into a president who's life and actions have taken on mythic proportions in the years since his assassination. The beauty of this film is its ability to provide viewers with a perfect encapsulation of who this man was while only depicting a short period of his existence. Instead of making this a complete life story, Lincoln focuses on the last few months of his life as he furiously worked on having the 13th Amendment passed before the Civil War ended.

The primary reason why this man comes to life is because of the magnificent performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. He fully embodies Lincoln in this performance and displays why he was such a dynamic individual. In his quest to have the Amendment past, we see both his idealism and his ruthlessness. But we also learn how he was a storyteller and a man who could easily captivate an audience with anything he had to say. No matter how long winded any of his speeches were, Day-Lewis' performance holds your attention throughout. You can give this man the Oscar right now, because there was no better acting performance this year. It truly is amazing to see him so seemlessly fall into this character.

The only drawback to such a dynamic performance is that at times, the lesser performance of those on screen with him becomes that much more noticeable. I believe Spielberg makes a mistake in stuffing the screen with so many other famous actors to play the various other key roles. Few, like Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens, are fleshed out, engaging performances. But in most cases, you become too aware of who the actor is without learning or caring about the man he's supposed to be portraying. Similar to what happens when watching an animated film that uses a whole cast of known actors in the voice roles, I watched Lincoln playing 'Spot the celebrity'.

What's interesting about this film is that it is equally about the passage of the 13th Amendment as it is about Lincoln's life. The ramifications of the bill and when and if it could be passed make for one of the most compelling moments in U.S. history. I found a lot of the backstage politicking and covert deals to be fascinating. Some of the film's best scenes involve a group of Republican operatives (which include James Spader and John Hawkes) lobbying Democratic Representatives in hopes of getting them to vote for the Amendment. Similar to a way a lawyer selects a jury, I loved the way these men who study their targets to determine who was most likely to be won over. Everything building to the vote is good drama, but I felt empty by the way Spielberg depicted the passage of the bill and the scenes that followed. It felt like a collection of 'feel-good' Hollywood cliches that did not do justice to the complex nature that its passage created. Perhaps the scenes did not work for me simply because of the problems that our current government has put us in. It's hard in today's world to feel any satisfaction when progress is made knowing that half the country will remain bitterly against any decisions that are made.

I also should point out that while the film primarily focuses on Lincoln's efforts to get this Amendment passes, Spielberg also makes the decision to include scenes of the troubles in Lincoln's home life. Namely, the tension that's creates by his son's (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) desire to join the military. Each of these scenes feel forced and underdeveloped and frankly added nothing to my appreciation for who Lincoln was. I have a feeling my reaction toward him would be the same if those scenes had been excised from the film.

While there are no doubt history buffs who will want to see this regardless, truly the draw of this film is Day-Lewis' performance. It is truly mesmerizing and worth the price of admission alone. Whatever flaws the film otherwise has, can be forgotten when you this actor truly embody our 16th President. This is not my favorite film of the year, but I have no problem with it being in the discussion as one of the year's best. This is a thought-provoking film that will no doubt spur discussion both of the events depicted in the film and the comparisons that can be made to today's political scene. If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out - it's worth every penny. Grade: B+

Beat the clock

The words 'time travel' can evoke a wide array of emotions in people. Some marvel at the thought of being able to into the past or future. Others who have seen movies depicting such science fiction know the narrative and linear headaches such an undertaking can produce.

In Looper, the latest film from director Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), both the wonder and frustration associated with travelling through time are on full display. The plot is not the easiest to explain, but I'll give it my best shot. The film is set in the not so distant future where time travel hasn't been invented but eventually will. In the film's future where time travel does exist, murder is forbidden, so people are sent to the past to be 'eliminated'. They are killed by 'loopers', a hired group of individuals who are informed of where their time travelling target is set to arrive so that they can be immediately killed.

One of the interesting things about the film is that eventually all loopers will kill off their future self. The film centers around one of these loopers named Joe, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Problems arise when he is unable to kill his future self, played by Bruce Willis (Gordon-Levitt went through extensive makeup in order to come off as a reasonably younger version of Willis). Willis' escape not only creates the possibility of timeline alteration, but puts Gordon-Levitt's life in danger as his mob boss (played fantastically in a small role by Jeff Daniels) wants him killed now as well.

At this point, the film appears to set itself up as an interesting chase picture. However, instead of going that conventional route, we learn that Willis has some big plans now that he is in the past that send the film in a whole new direction. Without going into too much detail on it, it creates a plot twist that I wasn't expecting and one that I'm not entirely sure I appreciate.

What I can divulge is that while on his quest to hunt down his future self, Gordon-Levitt comes across a young mother (played by Emily Blunt) living on a Kansas farm. Despite playing a role that you would not expect from her, Blunt delivers a captivating performance and proves to be a great addition to the film. But the role her and her son play in the story is one that I was at best, confused by, and at worst, greatly disturbed seeing unfold.

As the film shifts towards Willis' plan, the film also slows down considerably. This is a move that I don't have a problem with in theory. I can appreciate when a director wants to let their story breathe and allow for characters to develop. The problem with that shift in this film is that it leaves the viewer too much time to begin asking questions and poking holes in the time travel rules that were established in the faster-paced first half of the film.

I will credit Johnson, however, for imbuing the film with a unique visual style. Choosing a location like Kansas to set this film feels fresh and interesting. He also creatively weaves symobolism throughout the film that helps establish what he's trying to say with this admittedly difficult to follow story. I've seen each of Johnson's films so far and while each of them have their flaws, it's clear that he has some distinct talents that separate him from most other directors.

Looper was one of my most anticipated films this year, so I may be judging it harder than it deserves. There's plenty to like about this film and I applaud those involved for trying to create something new and engaging. Ultimately, though I can't help but feel let down by its unexpected narrative shift and unresolved subplots. I may find though that my criticisms may soften if I watch the film again. While time travel doesn't exist for us yet, thanks to the beauty of home video we have the ability to go into the past and watch films like these over and over again in hopes of discovering something new each time. Grade: B+

Presidential order

Here's your first look at Daniel Day-Lewis as Honest Abe in the upcoming Steven Spielberg historical drama, Lincoln

2012 Fall Movie Preview (September)

This week I'll be looking at the top films I'm looking forward to over the next four months as well as identifying some other big releases set to come out soon.

HOTEL TRANSLYVANIA (September 28)
Plot: Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free from meddling from the human world. But here's a little known fact about Dracula: he is not only the Prince of Darkness; he is also a dad. Over-protective of his teenage daughter, Mavis, Dracula fabricates tales of elaborate dangers to dissuade her adventurous spirit. As a haven for Mavis, he opens the Hotel Transylvania, where his daughter and some of the world's most famous monsters - Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more - can kick back in safety and peace. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem, but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

Quick thoughts: After a rough stretch of bad movies, Adam Sandler hopes to turn things around in the friendly environment of computer animation. Though the basic story isn't novel (over-protective dad can't let go of his little girl), the setting lends itself to a number of wild and colorful characters. Opening a month before Halloween, this will no doubt be a big hit with kids.


LOOPER (September 28)
Plot: In the futuristic action thriller "Looper," time travel will be invented, but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a 'looper' - a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good, until the day the mob decides to 'close the loop,' sending back Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination. The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson and also stars Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and Jeff Daniels.

Quick thoughts: I took an interest in this film fairly early on and with each preview I've seen or read, it has continued to build. I always appreciate films that come up with novel or unique plots. And you gotta love this cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has already had quite a year and this one might just end up being his best one yet.


THE MASTER (September 14)
Plot: Set in America in the years following World War II, a charismatic intellectual (Philip Seymour Hoffman) launches a faith-based organization and taps a young drifter (Joaquin Phoenix) as his right-hand man. But as the faith begins to gain a fervent following, the onetime vagabond finds himself questioning the belief system he has embraced, and his mentor.

Quick thoughts: This one has really been generating some Oscar buzz, particularly after its first trailer was released. Though still a lot is unclear about this movie, it appears that it will be in some way based on life of Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard. That will no doubt create some controversy. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who also directed There Will Be Blood, this will be if nothing else, captivating.


TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (September 21)
Plot: Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) has been one of the best scouts in baseball for decades, but, despite his efforts to hide it, age is starting to catch up with him. Nevertheless, Gus, who can tell a pitch just by the crack of the bat, refuses to be benched for what may be the final innings of his career. He may not have a choice. The front office of the Atlanta Braves is starting to question his judgment, especially with the country's hottest batting phenom on deck for the draft. The one person who might be able to help is also the one person Gus would never ask: his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), an associate at a high-powered Atlanta law firm whose drive and ambition has put her on the fast track to becoming partner. Against her better judgment, and over Gus's objections, Mickey joins him on his latest scouting trip to North Carolina, jeopardizing her own career to save his. Forced to spend time together for the first time in years, each makes new discoveries, revealing long-held truths about their past and present that could change their future.

Quick thoughts I can't help the fact that I'm a sucker for baseball movies, so I immediately wanted to check this one out. The fact that it features Clint Eastwood in front of the camera for the first time in four years just sweetens the deal. Now that the Cleveland Indians have given up their season, this may be the only good baseball I have to look forward to for the rest of the year. Last year's baseball movie, Moneyball, topped my 'best of' list. I'd have no problem if this accomplished the same feat this year.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
The Words (September 7)
Finding Nemo 3D (September 14)
End of Watch (September 21)
Won't Back Down (September 28)

Into the Knight

A staple in comic book storytelling is to stack the odds against the hero so that it seems impossible for him to come out victorious, only for him to do just that. Director Christopher Nolan was placed into a similar situation when tasked with trying to bring his Batman trilogy to a close. After the success of 2008's The Dark Knight, high expectations were set for the follow-up. When you add in tragic real-life events that create an ominous setting around the film, it seems nearly impossible for the film to be well received and yet like any good hero, he found a way to succeed.

The Dark Knight Rises begins eight years after the events of the previous film. In the wake of Harvey Dent's murder, the streets of Gotham have been cleaned up and Batman has vanished after taking the fall for Dent's death. With the Caped Crusader not needed, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) struggles to find meaning in his life and ends up being a Howard Hughes-esque recluse. Of course, this being Gotham, an evil presence is always lurking somewhere. Enter Bane (Tom Hardy), a man with a metal breathing mask who is hellbent on anarchy and destruction.

While Bane is a new character, we quickly learn that his origins, as well as his motives, are strongly connected to storyline elements established in the first film of this trilogy. Nolan and his brother, who co-wrote the script, do a great job of having characters and themes introduced in Batman Begins come full circle here. This is not to say that this film in any way feels like a retread of the earlier film.

In fact, Bane is not the only fresh face that is part of the crowded cast. Joseph Gordon Levitt plays John Blake, a young cop who becomes allies with Commissioner Gordon (the always terrific Gary Oldman). Though a new character to the Batman universe, he fits right in, thanks in part to a great performance by Gordon Levitt, and in some ways serves as the soul of the film.

One of the most heavily discussed additions to this film was the casting of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Fanboys were quick to complain about this decision, but they couldn't have been more wrong. She nails the character and brings an energy to the screen in each of her scenes. You would have thought that after being wrong about casting Heath Ledger as the Joker, people would learn to trust Nolan's judgment. Though I don't believe any plans are in place, I would have no problem if they wanted to spinoff her character into its own franchise.

Despite all of these characters, the film still centers around Batman, even if he doesn't necessarily have a tremendous amount of screen time. Nolan has always been equally interested in both Batman and Bruce Wayne and in this film, we see that before Batman can truly be back, Bruce Wayne has to come back as well. Those looking for endless scenes of Batman fighting bad guys may not appreciate what they get here, but in doling out those scenes sparingly, we get a much stronger payoff by the end. The last third of the movie is particularly strong. I wasn't exactly sure how things were going to play out, but I loved every minute of it. It's thrilling, exciting, moving, and altogether satisfying.

If there's a criticism to made against the film, I could argue that it's not as 'fun' of a movie, especially in comparison to The Dark Knight. That may not be a fair comparison though given the tonal differences between the two films' villains. Plus, Return of the Jedi offers a valid case as to why it isn't a good idea to close your trilogy on merriment. This is a film that's highly ambitious, especially in trying to tackle topical themes like greed, fear, leadership, civil discontent, and corruption. As much as I liked it, I feel that I and a lot of people will continue to appreciate it more on successive viewings.

Commissioner Gordon said that Batman was not the hero Gotham needed, but the hero they deserved. Fans of this franchise deserved a satisfying conclusion to this story. Thanks to Christopher Nolan and his extraordinary cast, they have gotten just that. Grade: A-

Thrown for a Looper

This made my most anticipated films of 2012 list and now here's our first chance to get a good look at what we can expect in this twisty, time-travelling sci-fi film. Check out the trailer for Looper starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis.

RBR: 50/50

Dealing with a subject like cancer in a film can be difficult. Trying to blend comedy and drama in a film about cancer - even harder. And yet somehow, the people behind 50/50 not only manage to pull it off, but make it look easy in the process. Joseph Gordon-Levitt turns in yet another great performance as Adam, the young man who learns he has a rare form of spinal cancer. Not only does he have to deal with his cancer, he also has to deal with people who are trying to deal with the fact that he has cancer. I really appreicated the insight the film has on interpersonal communication as it relates to this subject. The interactions Adam has with his doctor, his grief counselor (played by Anna Kendrick), his mother (Anjelica Huston), his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), and everyone else in his life feel realistic and illuminating. Sometimes people are the most insensitive when they're trying their hardest to be sensitive. I should also point out that Seth Rogen, who plays Adam's best friend, gives his best performance in years here. He provides some great laughs, yet never belittles the situation or takes you out of the moment. His character is nothing he hasn't played before, yet his personal connection to the story (the film is loosely based on Will Reiser who wrote the film and is a good friend of Rogen's) enables him to be more authentic here. If I had to quibble, it's that I felt the film was a bit short and actually could have expanded more on some of its subplots. That aside, this is a terrific little film with a superb cast that has sadly gotten overlooked this awards season. Even with the heavy subject matter, you would be doing yourself a favor and checking this one out. Rating: **** 1/2