Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: In 2008, a young, up and coming Wall Street trader (Shia LaBeouf) loses his mentor (Frank Langella) and then gets taken for a ride by competing would-be replacements (Michael Douglas, Josh Brolin).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Eli Wallach, Susan Sarandon, Frank Langella, Austin Pendleton, John Bedford Lloyd, Vanessa Ferlito, John Buffalo Mailer

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I almost loved this movie, but the ending didn't make sense, and then I realized that if I hadn't seen the documentary Inside Job two days before, many parts of the middle wouldn't have made sense either.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Surprisingly, not at all.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Surprisingly, but not at the end.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Carey Mulligan gives us a plethora of Oscar worthy moments.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I was so glad they figured out how to fit in a cameo by Charlie Sheen. The Oliver Stone cameo, on the other hand, jolted my concentration right out of the movie. I don't even think I could tell you what that scene was about. All I know is there was supposed to be a sex joke in it. I didn't laugh. I was too busy getting over the fact that Stone favored himself over the lead character in the shot. Clearly, he finds himself exceedingly attractive.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The slickest thing about this movie is Gordon Gekko's hair. And for as much as Oliver Stone's random psychedelic cutaways added to the look and feel of Natural Born Killers, that's how much they distract from the look and feel of Wall Street. I would even go so far as to say that some of his choices look remarkably amateurish.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This script would have been so much more insightful if it had been written before the crash of 2008. As it is now, characters go around acting like they're so smart for telling us what's going to happen in the future, when their future is already in our past. I could've predicted the crash under those circumstances, too.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/wall-street-money-never-sleeps/38914/trailers

Back To Top

Fame

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Remake of the 1980 musical about a group of kids who attend New York's High School for the Performing Arts.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Kay Panabaker, Walter Perez, Naturi Naughton, Asher Book, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Kristy Flores, Paul McGill, Paul Iacono, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, and Cody Longo. And as their supervisors: Kelsey Grammer, Charles S. Dutton, Bebe Neuwirth, Megan Mullally, Debbie Allen.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. More than anything this movie will make you long to see the original, partly because the nostalgic element is completely missed in the new version, and partly so you can find out if it was equally as trite as this one, and the only reason you didn't notice was because back then, you were too young to know better.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not so much. Unless, like me, you have an adorable 6 year old boy sitting next to you, making peanut gallery comments like, "That song was beautiful!" And, "I like the lion!" Which refers to the MGM lion that roars at the beginning of the movie.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I was on the verge of tears for a non-continuous 30% of the film. It was completely unjustifiable, and most likely had nothing to do with the content. Maybe it was hormones.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They wrote a lot of new songs in their efforts to update this piece to present day sensibilities, but in all their efforts, the only song that really moves you is the one they kept from the original, "Out Here on My Own." And I'm pretty sure that won't qualify as Best Original Song.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The one reason this is worth seeing is that you will have the opportunity to feel like you've discovered some great new talent. In particular, Naturi Naughton, who sings like a next generation Mary J. Blige, and Asher Book, whose vocal stylings make you hope he will fall in love with you. On the other hand, Kherington Payne-- who I just found out was a winner on "So You Think You Can Dance?"-- is not nearly as good a dancer as the extras who are playing backup dancers to her lead. The professional dancers surrounding her hit each move with a sharpness and precision, that make Kherington look like she was discovered on a reality show... This is just more proof, that when America votes, they get second tier stars.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Using lots of long lenses with action in the foreground doesn't make the story any more engrossing, and sometimes, you find yourself actually getting a little impatient with the scenes, as you wonder if anything interesting is going to happen once the director is done indulging himself in his own sense of beautifulness.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: A lot of the conflict is completely illogical, as kids fight with their parents over things their parents would never fight them for. Plus there are times when the dialogue seems either generic and predictable, or simply unnecessary.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: After opening on an elaborate audition montage, it's hard to imagine how the majority of the main characters got into the school, with auditions that are sometimes humiliating, and shouldn't have garnered much more than a "Don't call us, we'll call you."

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/fame/30945/trailers

Back To Top

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a subway train gets hijacked, a central control dispatcher (Denzel Washington) finds himself getting a crash course in hostage negotiations.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, Victor Gojcaj, John Turturro, James Gandolfini, Michael Rispoli, Ramon Rodriguez, Aunjanue Ellis, John Benjamin Hickey, Alex Kaluzhsky, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Katherine Sigismund, Jake Siciliano, Gary Basaraba

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's a fast paced Hollywood-style thriller, with a pinch of action, and as usual, this time it gets personal!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's not quite as funny as it thinks it is, but every once in a while, one of those clever comebacks you'd only hear in a studio movie doesn't sound cliche.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is one part that's pretty moving, where we find out Denzel's backstory, and surprisingly, it's nowhere near the end.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Denzel Washington film involving hostages and taking place in one day to come out this year. (I've watched the movies you pick, Denzel, and I'm onto you.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It's like a smörgåsbord of top professionals doing what they do best: be badass.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Tony Scott never stops moving the camera. So even though you're watching two guys in static locations talking on the phone, (by which I mean walkie-talkies), you feel like you're watching a non-stop action-filled roller coaster ride.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I didn't find any flaws in it. And if you've been reading my blog you know that's saying something.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/taking%20of%20pelham%20123/trailers

Back To Top

Knowing

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A scientist (Nicolas Cage) gets his hands on a series of numbers that has been buried underground for the last 50 years, and realizes that it is a pattern predicting all the major death inducing accidents that have happened since then... Only the list isn't done yet, and the next major disaster is coming tomorrow.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, D.G. Maloney, Lara Robinson, Nadia Townsend, Ben Mendelsohn

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. What a great premise! What would you do if you knew in advance that something bad would happen? Could you find a way to stop it? Would knowing make you feel more relaxed, or more stressed out? Would you take full advantage of your last hours on Earth if you knew the end was near? These are all interesting questions, most of which are not addressed in the film... And then the aliens come.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: By the end, I was laughing a lot inside my head.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: And crying inside my head, too, about how they took such an interesting opportunity to explore the hypothetical questions that have been on all of our minds since we developed analytical thinking skills in the second grade, and instead of mining it for gold, they mined it for human manure.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Let's start with the Most Illogical Character Choices Ever! Award. Everything that a normal, logical person would do if faced with these circumstances, Nicolas Cage does the opposite of... But at least his character is consistent.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I always enjoy Nicolas Cage when he plays off-beat characters like in Adaptation, Raising Arizona and Valley Girl. Likewise I regularly find him over the top and annoying in this schmaltzy stuff where he tries to be an action hero. Rose Byrne looks a lot like Jennifer Connelly, so that was confusing me. But the kids are pretty good.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing is the primary reason why this movie stays exciting, even during the scenes that defy all reason. The musical score and the sweeping shots of Cage running add a level of thrill-ride that clearly rises above anything that would have been described on the written page.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It seems to be going for some sort of faith-based message, but I couldn't tell which faith it was attempting to kowtow to. First, it leans toward preaching that there is a Heaven... And then the aliens come.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/knowing/32271/trailers

Back To Top

Milk

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of the first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), and how he pioneered the gay civil rights movement in San Francisco in the 70s.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, Alison Pill, Lucas Grabeel, Victor Garber, Denis O'Hare, Joseph Cross, Howard Rosenman, Brandon Boyce, Kelvin Yu, Stephen Spinella, Anita Bryant

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This movie about political actions which took place 30 years ago couldn't be more timely today, as we juxtapose the election of our first Black president with the overturning of the ruling that gays have the right to marry. The parallels between that time and this one make you question how much progress we've really made, all while feeling inspired about how far we've come. I'm so confused...

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Put a bunch of gay guys in a room together for two hours, and something is bound to make you laugh.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you don't know how this story goes, your chance of tears is high. Likewise, if you're a bigot, a Nazi, a skinhead, a member of the KKK, or any other organization based on hate and segregation (yes, I'm talking about right-wing fundamentalist Christians), you may also cry, but for a whole different set of reasons.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Sean Penn's portrayal of the gay supervisor makes you want to look for him in the race for Oscar-- or even in a gay bar near you.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Playing gay seems to come a little too naturally to most of these actors. It's almost like they've waited their whole lives for a chance to come out of the closet for these roles. I'd especially like to congratulate Lucas Grabeel of High School Musical fame, who without changing his performance from one movie to the next, fits right into this group of men coming up and coming out in the Castro... Which brings me back to my long standing theory, that fans shouldn't be so surprised when they find out that their favorite actors are secretly gay. Most of our biggest celebrities started out doing theater in high school. And everyone remembers the nickname male theater geeks were donned with in high school. So why do they think that just because they grew up and became sexy and famous that would change? Now, I'm not saying all actors are gay... Just most of them.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Ah, Gus Van Sant, we have such a tumultuous relationship, you and I. While I don't hate your work on the movies you don't write (like this one), I can't help but still get annoyed at all the gratuitous male bodies that are featured so deliberately in your films, as if their sole purpose is so you can ask hot young men to take off their clothes, without having to seem like the pervert that I'm starting to think you are. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a nice bit of eye candy in my films, and in this film about the gay 70s, it's actually quite appropriate.   But I can't help but be reminded of the similar images from your past films (like Paranoid Park, Last Days, and Elephant), where the shirtlessness of some 16-year-old unknown actor seemed pre-meditavely orchestrated  for the sole purpose of exploitation by a man in a position of power.  Like the boy who cried wolf, it now lessens my ability to enjoy the perfect curves of a James Franco or Diego Luna, but especially of Josh Brolin, for whom the shirtless scene seems totally out of character-- he is, after all, the voice of conservatism in the film-- and his shirtlessness took me out of it.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The writer manages to circumvent many of the usual trappings of a biopic, by encasing the narrative in a narration that is delivered by Harvey Milk into a Dictaphone, and also by focusing only on the parts of the story that need to be told to move the plot along and get the political points across.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: I don't often get a chance to share anything personal about myself in this blog, but in this case I must. I was raised in the Castro, and Harvey Milk ran my district. I was very young, and Milk's campaign signs in all the neighborhood windows formed my first recollection of what it meant to vote and have elections. Milk shopped at our supermarket, and we bought film at his camera store, and when I saw him, I told him that my Daddy voted for him. As a young child, I was very proud that my Daddy would vote for a man with such a cool name. I could only have been prouder if his name had been Chocolate Milk.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/milk/32261/trailers

Back To Top

The Visitor

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When a college professor (Richard Jenkins) returns to his apartment in New York, after an extended stay in Connecticut, he finds a couple of illegal immigrants living there, and they form an unlikely friendship.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, Haim Abbass, Richard Kind, Michael Cumpsty

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is one of those films that people will love if they bring to it the right kind of personal baggage. Those who aren't at one of those deep and pensive phases of life will find it interesting, but a little slow.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, the pauses, the pacing, and the reaction shots incite sympathetic laughter.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It probably should, but it probably won't.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This is the kind of movie that the Independent Spirit Awards go crazy for... If only it had more famous stars.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Richard Jenkins comes off like an old pro. Haaz Sleiman has a charm and a smile that jump off the screen and into your lap. But Danai Gurira, with an undeniable beauty, and lips twice the size of Angelina Jolie's, has two moments in the film where she's supposed to cry, but isn't able to muster the necessary tears.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The most interesting looking shots are in the B-roll, which are often shot by the Assistant Director. But considering the highly independent nature of the film, I'm going to give the director the benefit of the doubt, and assume he couldn't afford to pay anyone else to get those shots for him.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Small but original, and potentially uplifting, depending on where you're at in your personal life. Much of the character arcs take place in the subtext.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: The hand-made jewelry that the character called Zainab makes is hot!

Back To Top