Duplicity

After the fourth plot twist in Duplicity, my head was spinning, but I kinda liked it. From writer/director Tony Gilroy of Michael Clayton fame, Duplicity is a big, classic, movie star movie. And it has a nice political/spy twist to boot.

I guess I've never really thought Julia Roberts was a great actress so much as she is a great movie star. That's not to say that she didn't deserve her Oscar (although that's highly debatable, given her competition that year). But she's got her appeal, and she handily carries this film along with Clive Owen, another actor who continues to climb on my ladder o' respectability. The two previously worked together in Closer, but Duplicity allows them to shine for exactly what they are: pretty movie stars that know how to get the job done and have a good time doing it. Luckily, all that fun shines through and translates to the audience.

It's a different kind of film compared to those of late. It's not cynically funny, it's not full of pop culture references, and it certainly does not have a simple plot. Duplicity is intelligent, fast-paced, humorous, and rather pleasant. Like a warm blanket on a rainy day. Roberts is Claire Stenwick, and ex-CIA agent who works for Burkett and Randle, but she is really a corporate spy for B&R's rival company Equikrom. Meanwhile, Ray Koval (Owen) is an ex-MI6 agent who also works for Equikrom. Or does he? He and Claire become involved, things get complicated, plot twists abound. And that's about all I'm willing to reveal. No spoilers here.

The film also features excellent and hilarious turns from Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson as the CEO's of the two firms. As corporate competitors, the two constantly try to one-up each other, playing with millions of dollars and skirting their ethics in the process. Theirs is the subplot that reveals more about the message of the film than the main plot is able to do. Gilroy may be going for satire here, but he may also be hinting at a bigger problem with capitalism and the corporate world in general (that's Hollywood for you!).

Either way, Roberts and Owen steal the show, and you'll be glad you could visit with them. Duplicity is a good ride, despite the growing convolution. It all makes sense in the end, though. So if you're scratching your head after the one hour mark, just look at Julia's mouth. I think it's bigger than last time I saw it, but it's still a symbol of grand old Hollywood star power. And isn't that really what this movie is all about?

VERDICT:
I can't tell you not to see this movie. Really, I enjoyed it quite a bit. If you're a fan of the political thriller (with a taste of humor), the excitement of plot twisty movies, or just the magnetism of Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, I recommend seeing Duplicity. It's a fun time, and it's a hell of a relief to see a movie that's not caught up in its own irony for once. 8/10

Watchmen

More and more, I am of the opinion that viral marketing = bad movie. As you know, Watchmen has been touted since last summer as "the next great graphic novel adaptation." And when I say touted, I mean advertised out the wazoo for weeks upon months.

Unfortunately, the hype was a little much, and if people are looking for 300-level excitement, this movie will sorely disappoint. Not only was the film weaker than weak, it was at times downright difficult to watch. The film (and graphic novel) certainly has a philosophy to espouse, but it takes - get ready - two hours and forty minutes to make its point. And when the movie finally does come in for a landing, you are not breathless, shocked, curious, [insert any synonym of "awed" here]. In fact, you're probably asleep by the end of the film. Because when its violence isn't making you squirm in your seat and cover your face, its tedium and verbosity are making you yawn and check your watch.

The Watchmen are a group of superheroes who are really more like vigilantes. They have no superpowers, depending instead on their BAMFish qualities to take down the bad guys. They exist in a - brace yourself - dystopian alternate America in 1985. Nixon is still President (neat?), cars can fly (k?), and crime is rampant (surprise!). One of them, The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is murdered, and the film's premise follows Rohrschach (Jackie Earle Haley) as he attempts to solve the murder. Rohrschach believes someone is out to kill all the existing Watchmen, who have been banned from fighting crime. No one knows the real identities of the former crime fighters, for they were always masked. The mystery is: How did someone discover The Comedian's true identity? Is his murder related at all to his Watchman status? What the hell is going on?

Anyway, we also meet Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), and Dr. Manhattan('s penis) (Billy Crudup)('s CGI-enhanced penis). Dr. Manhattan, the only Watchman with real superpowers, survived a freak accident that left him indestructable, blue, emotionless, shapeshifting, time-stopping, everything else awesome, and naked. He is, in fact, nude for almost the entire film, which I didn't mind so much, except that I don't know how the film's target market (young men) felt when they saw an enormous blue penis swinging around for the duration. It's ever-present, almost surreal, never sexual, and always comical. Trust me, by the end, you'll be laughing everytime Dr. Manhattan('s penis) appears on screen.

Now for the violence. Watchmen contains more than its share of graphic, graphic violence. Unnecessarily gross, exaggerated, and gory. Wanna see a person explode? This movie's for you. How about a man getting his arms cut off with a table saw? Buy a ticket. Subtle, this movie is not. Heavy on the blood, this movie totally is. I'll give the filmmakers one thing: they embrace the gore factor wholeheartedly.

The characters run the emotional gamut from A to B. Dr. Manhattan('s penis) has no human qualities anymore, other than his physical form. The Comedian, at one point, carelessly murders his pregnant girlfriend because she needs his help with the baby. Rohrschach speaks with a Batman growl that betrays no character. Basically, the film rests on Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II, who try hard (and engage in a ridiculously lengthy and graphic sex scene that could easily fit into a pornographic film), but never really lift this baby off the ground.

I don't know who would really enjoy this film. Action mongers will be left needing a little more. Those looking for a human story will be highly disappointed. Young male audiences will be uncomfortable and forced to make fun of Dr. Manhattan('s penis) with their buddies to stave off the insecurity. Who's left? Only those that have been duped by this film's deceptive marketing. Judging by the opening weekend numbers, I'd say the marketing department pretty much saved this film from flopping on the deck like a dying fish. And like that fish, you'll be gasping for air by the time nearly three hours of your life have passed you by.

VERDICT:
There's really not much left to say. Overall, Watchmen fails on every level. Its philosophy is tired, its plot is sluggish and excessive, its characters are perhaps too flawed. In the end, you'll probably want your money back. I know I did. I strongly recommend using your time more productively. The film: 5/10. Dr. Manhattan's penis: I'm guessing 9" or 10".

Weekend in Review: February 27 - March 1, 2009

Looks like a plethora of horrible, horrible films were released this week. The two (count 'em, two) major releases were both flops with critics AND audiences. The others were just trifles not even worth mentioning.


Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience was the highest debut, but it only managed to squeeze out a paltry $12.7 million. That's saying a lot, considering the fact that Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, which also flopped with critics, is still #1 in its second week. Sorry Jonas Brothers. I guess there aren't enough tweens in the world to save your event movie. (I can only hope this means the Jonas Brothers are losing relevance.)



Speaking of lost relevance, the other major release (did I say "major"?) was Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Yeah. I'm guessing you didn't even know this was a movie. The title itself seems to date the film in the mid-nineties, so the fact that it is a 2009 release completely baffles me. Why not make a film version of a more modern, more popular video game instead? Chun-Li couldn't even eke out $5 million, and it's EXTREMELY difficult to receive a 00% on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Kristin Kreuk of Smallville and Neutrogena fame, I'm pretty sure this one died before the cameras started rolling.



Coming Soon:
An overview of the upcoming releases for this week. Anyone anxious to see if all that viral Watchmen marketing will pay off? We're about to find out.

If You Learn Anything From the Oscars...

...it's that you should see at least a few of the movies that won acclaim last night. Here's the rundown of movies worth paying for.

1) Slumdog Millionaire. It won 8 awards last night, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, etc. etc. It's also currently at 94% on RottenTomatoes. Plus, I believe it has grossed over $100 million worldwide at this point. That, folks, makes it a blockbuster. And for good reason. See it.

2) Milk. If Hollywood loves anything, it's a good political message film. But Milk is more than that. It's a portrait of a hero - not a hero who wears a rubber suit and fights a made-up, bank robbing villain - but a hero who starts from nothing and turns a cause into a crusade. Winning statues for Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Original Screenplay, this is the year's second most inspirational film (see: above).

3) The Dark Knight. Speaking of rubber suits and villains, if you are one of the, oh, dozen or so people on this planet who has NOT seen The Dark Knight, I'd say you should probably hit the video store pretty soon. As a testament to its brilliance, the film has become the second-highest grossing film in history, recently passing the $1 billion mark but still a distant second to Titanic. Still, I've long held the belief that this movie is just short of perfection in filmmaking. So seriously, if you haven't seen it, I must ask...why the hell not?

Considering the fact that Slumdog Millionaire won one-third (8/24) of the possible Oscar categories last night, I'd say that it's THE film to see if you haven't already...or hell, even if you have seen it, see it again. But the other major films that won, which may or may not be worth your time, are listed below.

The Reader (Best Actress - Kate Winslet; so glad she finally won, for she is her generation's finest actress) A lot has already been made of this being 2008's requisite Holocaust film, and it is indeed quite heavy. I would recommend it only for Winslet's performance, which is by all accounts magnificent.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Best Supporting Actress - Penélope Cruz) I'm afraid I have no opinion here. I still haven't seen this film. Woody Allen's films became chores to watch long ago, with the exception of Match Point. I'm sure Cruz did a fine job, though, and from what I hear, the film itself is fairly enjoyable. Perhaps I'll check it out soon.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects) 2008's bridesmaid nominee only won 3 of its 13 nominations. My guess is that it's much too similar to Forrest Gump and because "Slumdog Fever" took over late in the game. Still, it's quite an achievement all around. *Warning: This film will take up 3 hours of your life.*

WALL·E (Best Animated Feature) Another charming Pixar film (see my detailed review). If you haven't seen the magic, get to it fast.

So that's it. It's been quite some time since I've posted up here, and I promise I'm getting back to it. It's been a busy 8 months, but I'm revved up again!

WALL·E

While watching WALL·E, I realized that the robots were more human than the humans. This is definitely a message movie, brought to you by none other than your friendly Pixar studio. Taking place somewhere around 800 years in the future, the film presents us with an Earth so polluted, so dried out, so carelessly left behind, that the Sun's rays struggle through the satellites and the yellow haze that encircle the globe. Skyscrapers of garbage rise side-by-side with city skyscrapers. It is a desolate, depressing sight. Not a human can be found. But before we humans skidaddled, we were thoughtful enough to leave machines to clean up our mess. And that is when we meet WALL·E, a Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-class.

WALL·E's job is to scrape up heaps of garbage, compress them into large cubes, and then dispose of them in the neatest and cleanest way possible. In this case, he builds the aformentioned garbage skyscrapers. Every day, he dutifully cleans up the desolate area, usually bringing along his cockroach friend to keep him company. He carries a lunch box, not for food, but to collect items that he finds interesting (I particularly appreciated when he found a diamond ring in its case, disposed of the ring, and kept the velvet case instead). When he is done for the day, he returns to his "home," which is some sort of garbage truck. His nightly regimen includes studying his collected items and watching old musicals, listening to their love songs and studying their human behavior. All the while, you get the feeling that he is hopelessly and sadly alone.

But machines don't have emotions...right? Well, if not, WALL·E certainly gives the impression that he does. He is so easily relatable, and even if he completely lacks emotions, his solitude is palpable. Once the reconnaissance robot EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) shows up, WALL·E seems to be genuinely joyful that he has a companion. EVE's mission is to search for life on Earth, and as she does, she and WALL·E form a bond that is manifestly and beautifully human. It's one of the sweetest, most touching screen romances that I've ever seen. And I know that sounds crazy.

The contrast comes when WALL·E and EVE return to the space station where all mankind now resides. People are brainwashed, enormously fat, and can not even walk. They travel around the ship in floating chairs, with interactive screens in front of their faces at all times, while advertisements from Buy N Large, the corporation responsible for both Earth's pollution and bringing humans into space, are fed through speakers. Yes, like I said, Pixar is making a statement about capitalism.

But beyond that, it's an adventure movie with a heart and a soul. I challenge anyone to keep a dry eye when WALL·E nurses an unresponsive EVE. Or when EVE thinks she has lost WALL·E forever. It's amazing that we can so easily grow to care for these two characters, who have no real faces or human voices. The comedy of the movie usually comes at the expense of the humans, who you shouldn't give up on too quickly. Though the messages of the film are cautionary, the film also allows a chance for redemption. Also of note: the space ship's main robot character is remarkably similar to HAL 9000 of 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Listen closely for that films theme music.) Disney/Pixar is warning us, indeed.

VERDICT:
WALL·E is a fascinating and touching movie, with very little dialogue, that portrays the most basic human emotions: love, loneliness, fear, happiness, and sadness. I'll be honest with you - I jerked a tear or two in some of the film's more emotional scenes. WALL·E is a Disney character for the ages - a true hero who chases love and ultimately helps out the human race. Disney/Pixar provides yet another example of why their films always appear to be superior: because these characters, no matter how mechanical, are able to speak to the audience's hearts and minds...a feat that too many filmmakers have replaced with hollow action and cheap sentimentality.

So should you spend your money? I would say that, with this movie, you can't go wrong. 9/10