Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven) is a Las Vegas magician; actually, he's the best in Vegas. Like any good Vegas act (or so Hollywood would have you believe) he's tied to the mob. Unfortunately, being a magician doesn't make you a good mobster. It's here that the story begins: Buddy "Aces" Israel got in over his head and is now working out a deal with the F.B.I. Holed up in a hotel penthouse in Lake Tahoe, Buddy's trying to lay low until the deal goes through and he enters the witness protection program.
As you might have guessed, the mob is not happy about this. Buddy now has a price on his head of one million dollars, for his death and his heart. The feds (Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta...no, seriously) learn of the hit and desperately try to get to Tahoe to save their star witness. At the end of the first act, the feds aren't the only ones who want to get to Buddy. Throw in some ex-cop bounty hunters (Ben Affleck, et al.), two sexy female assassins (Alicia Keys is one), at least three "professional" killers from around the globe, and three skinhead rednecks and you've got yourself a hitman/woman extravaganza.
What I didn't like: Acting-wise, Andy Garcia's accent was confusing (I don't know, maybe that's the way he really talks). As for the movie, itself, it seems as though Writer/director (Joe Carnahan) had a list of "cool things to do in a movie" and dumped the list into this movie. You're left with a leap or two in believability and a fair share of choppiness.
What I liked: There were a lot of "cool things to do in a movie." I'm sorry. I'm a sucker for it. I'm not talking about your conventional "shoot 'em up" b.s. ("Wow, aliens just blew up the White House, I hope Will Smith can save us" or "how many clips did it take John McClane to kill that guy?") I won't go so far as to say they're gimmicks, just interesting scenarios played out over the entire movie that leave you wondering "why hasn't that been in a movie yet?" A decidedly good effort by an okay director. Acting-wise, I like Jeremy Piven. He's great in this one. Whether he's a college dean, a frathouse guru, a car salesman, or a coked-up magician/amateur mobster he always does a great job.
I really enjoyed how the movie progresses. Each character is given their fair share of exposition. At the end of the first act you have no idea who to follow. Throughout the movie the focus is continually changing. The downside of this is that the resolution lacked...everything. I didn't care what happened because, when it came to it, I was too busy wondering what was happening with the other story-lines.
Watch for: great scenes, taken individually. The drive-by shooting, a kid on too much aderol, cleaning up prostitutes, an elevator fire-fight, Jason Bateman. Jason Bateman plays the epitome of the sleazy, self loathing lawyer. Brilliant.
Okay, fine, you're an actor award: Ryan Reynolds. Not bad, buddy. With this movie you've gone a long way towards divorcing yourself from Dean Cook. That's right, they're two different people. Weird, I know.
You should see this movie if: 1. you like shoot 'em ups but you're looking for something with a bit more involved. 2. you think anyone can be an assassin, provided they're crazy enough. 3. you've got this one idea for a great scene in an action/comedy movie but don't know how to convey it to a writer/director; look no further.
Take home message: if you work for the F.B.I. and you are being shot at on the 6th floor from a sniper in a building across the street on the 12th floor, don't shoot back.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
"Who is Cletus Tout?"
He’s not Christian Slater’s character, an unlucky con-man sent to jail for forgery. He’s not Richard Dreyfus’s character, Micah Donnelly, an incarcerated aging magician who orchestrates an escape from jail with Trevor Finch (Slater). In exchange for helping him escape, Donnelly is giving Trevor a cut of the diamonds he stole, stashed, and was subsequently arrested for. Trevor’s side of the deal is to do what he does best: provide fake documents so each can start spending their fortunes with new identities. To do this, they enlist the help of Dr. Savian (Billy Connolly), a doctor at the morgue who provides Trevor with all of the information needed to assume a dead person’s identity.
Unfortunately for Trevor, his dead man’s name, Cletus Tout, has gotten into some trouble with the mob (hence, Tout’s untimely death-by-fire). When the mob hears the man they thought was dead is really alive (albeit a different man), they send out the expert, Critical Jim (Tim Allen). Without spoiling anything, mistaken identity, death, romance, jewels, nosy neighbors, and homing pigeons round out this “not-too-bad” movie.
What I didn’t like: No depth or development. Fortunately, most of the characters are archetypal (bumbling mob hit men, a mob based out of…..drumrolllllllll…an Italian restaurant!!!, criminals-with-hearts-of-gold, a quirky morgue attendant, etc.) so the lack of character depth isn’t a total loss. Additionally several key features of the plot are shaky (e.g., their escape from prison is as ridiculous as how the diamonds are stolen, and my personal favorite – homing pigeons only go one way….think about it.)
What I liked: There are only slight departures from these formulaic characters. These departures are distinctly the best part of this movie. For example, bumbling mob hit men have a hilarious dialogue in a coffee shop about the movie “Deliverance.” Nosy neighbor is RuPaul. etc.
Watch for: Quirky hit man, Critical Jim. He’s the prime example of how a little goes a long way in redeeming this movie. Critical Jim, so-named because of his incessant critique of everything, is not your typical assassin. You’ve seen this character before, John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd in “Grosse Point Blank,” James Gandolfini in “The Mexican,” actually…James Gandolfini in “Get Shorty,” hmm. And like Chili Palmer in “Get Shorty,” Critical Jim is a movie lover. He thinks that most of life should be scripted as a good movie is scripted. The majority of the movie unfolds as a story told to Critical Jim by Trevor while Critical Jim is …well, being critical of it, as any movie critic would do. It provides the important twist to an otherwise bland crime story.
Fast Forward Award: A montage about making fake documents.
You should see this movie if: 1. You like crime comedies/movies with a twist, especially movies that are about movies. 2. You’ve seen enough Christian Slater movies that you won’t be disappointed if he’s not great in this one either. 3. You like seeing a bare minimum of Richard Dreyfus in a movie.
Take home message: Make sure your fake identity isn’t in deeper than you are.
Unfortunately for Trevor, his dead man’s name, Cletus Tout, has gotten into some trouble with the mob (hence, Tout’s untimely death-by-fire). When the mob hears the man they thought was dead is really alive (albeit a different man), they send out the expert, Critical Jim (Tim Allen). Without spoiling anything, mistaken identity, death, romance, jewels, nosy neighbors, and homing pigeons round out this “not-too-bad” movie.
What I didn’t like: No depth or development. Fortunately, most of the characters are archetypal (bumbling mob hit men, a mob based out of…..drumrolllllllll…an Italian restaurant!!!, criminals-with-hearts-of-gold, a quirky morgue attendant, etc.) so the lack of character depth isn’t a total loss. Additionally several key features of the plot are shaky (e.g., their escape from prison is as ridiculous as how the diamonds are stolen, and my personal favorite – homing pigeons only go one way….think about it.)
What I liked: There are only slight departures from these formulaic characters. These departures are distinctly the best part of this movie. For example, bumbling mob hit men have a hilarious dialogue in a coffee shop about the movie “Deliverance.” Nosy neighbor is RuPaul. etc.
Watch for: Quirky hit man, Critical Jim. He’s the prime example of how a little goes a long way in redeeming this movie. Critical Jim, so-named because of his incessant critique of everything, is not your typical assassin. You’ve seen this character before, John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd in “Grosse Point Blank,” James Gandolfini in “The Mexican,” actually…James Gandolfini in “Get Shorty,” hmm. And like Chili Palmer in “Get Shorty,” Critical Jim is a movie lover. He thinks that most of life should be scripted as a good movie is scripted. The majority of the movie unfolds as a story told to Critical Jim by Trevor while Critical Jim is …well, being critical of it, as any movie critic would do. It provides the important twist to an otherwise bland crime story.
Fast Forward Award: A montage about making fake documents.
You should see this movie if: 1. You like crime comedies/movies with a twist, especially movies that are about movies. 2. You’ve seen enough Christian Slater movies that you won’t be disappointed if he’s not great in this one either. 3. You like seeing a bare minimum of Richard Dreyfus in a movie.
Take home message: Make sure your fake identity isn’t in deeper than you are.
Pick a movie
I like movies. That’s about it. I don’t have any formal education in cinematography. I can’t comment on how a “shot is framed” or why it makes this director great. I do appreciate the technical side of movies and movie-making. For me, it’s the stories; the characters, the plots, the subplots, the situations. The locations, soundtrack, and shots are all just icing on the cake.
I’m not a snob for genres: e.g., I’m not scared to walk out of a rental store with a horror film, a French documentary, and a spaghetti western in hand. However, I won’t deny my tendency to grab movies with grifters, magicians, geniuses, con artists, pool hustlers, maniacs, loners, rebels, and big invisible white rabbits. All of that aside, with such little discretion as to topic or genre the question of “how do I pick out a movie?” should be addressed. Some people can pick out a great movie. Some can’t. I’ve known both. I’ve been both. I don’t know what some people see in an inconspicuous movie box that tells them, correctly, “this looks like a good movie.” Similarly, I am constantly amazed at the crap people carry out of the movie store, myself included. What is interesting is that both of these sets of people go into a movie store with the same goal – to get that good movie. Yet only one succeeds. How do they do it? What’s their secret? Why can’t I pick out a great movie every time?!
For the last two years I lived next to a 99 cent rental movie store. What it taught me was that, for a buck a movie, who cares what you carry out? Besides, movies are great! Although the 99 cent store has passed along and I’m forced to shell out a bit more, I still enjoy taking home the rotten egg as much as I enjoy picking a great movie. With practice, I now can usually detect the stinker within the first 15 minutes.
In this sense, picking out a movie is easy for me. I walk into a movie store, spend a couple of minutes reading the backs of the boxes, think about them, get eight in my hand and whittle it down to two or three. I never worry about balancing my palate or making it a “themed” night. Just movies. The one rule I follow is that I never go straight to the new releases.
So, here it goes, a blog about movies. Some are good, some are bad. All were found the same way. Enjoy.
I’m not a snob for genres: e.g., I’m not scared to walk out of a rental store with a horror film, a French documentary, and a spaghetti western in hand. However, I won’t deny my tendency to grab movies with grifters, magicians, geniuses, con artists, pool hustlers, maniacs, loners, rebels, and big invisible white rabbits. All of that aside, with such little discretion as to topic or genre the question of “how do I pick out a movie?” should be addressed. Some people can pick out a great movie. Some can’t. I’ve known both. I’ve been both. I don’t know what some people see in an inconspicuous movie box that tells them, correctly, “this looks like a good movie.” Similarly, I am constantly amazed at the crap people carry out of the movie store, myself included. What is interesting is that both of these sets of people go into a movie store with the same goal – to get that good movie. Yet only one succeeds. How do they do it? What’s their secret? Why can’t I pick out a great movie every time?!
For the last two years I lived next to a 99 cent rental movie store. What it taught me was that, for a buck a movie, who cares what you carry out? Besides, movies are great! Although the 99 cent store has passed along and I’m forced to shell out a bit more, I still enjoy taking home the rotten egg as much as I enjoy picking a great movie. With practice, I now can usually detect the stinker within the first 15 minutes.
In this sense, picking out a movie is easy for me. I walk into a movie store, spend a couple of minutes reading the backs of the boxes, think about them, get eight in my hand and whittle it down to two or three. I never worry about balancing my palate or making it a “themed” night. Just movies. The one rule I follow is that I never go straight to the new releases.
So, here it goes, a blog about movies. Some are good, some are bad. All were found the same way. Enjoy.
Monday, April 30, 2007
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