As a society, we have a fascination with death and dying, however we rarely talk to each other about with any sobriety. Hollywood has dealt with this taboo subject in many films i.e. "The Hereafter", "Ghost", "What Dreams May Come", and even in some wacky comedies such as "Heaven Can Wait". What's interesting is the fact that people watch these films and afterwards go on with their lives in a 'business as usual' mindset instead of pursuing a real meaning to it. I don't know if "If I Stay" will promote any such discussions with people after viewing this, but it can certainly remind us of a subject we need to ponder ever so often in our lives.
Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) thought the hardest decision she would ever face would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Julliard playing the cello or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Jamie Blackley). But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything in an instant, and now her own life, being in a coma, hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death in an out-of-body situation for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future, but her ultimate fate as well. Her life turning on a dime, as it can with anyone, changes drastically in ways that she couldn't even imagine.
Others to round out the cast are Mireille Enos as Kat, Mia's mom, Joshua Leonard as Denny, Mia's dad, Liana Liberato as Kim, Mia's best friend, Stacy Keach as Gramps, Mia's grandfather, Gabrielle Rose as Gran, Mia's grandmother, Jakob Davies as Teddy, Mia's young brother, Ali Milner as Liz, Aisha Hinds as Nurse Ramirez and Lauren Lee Smith as Willow.
This was directed with earnestness by R.J. Cutler ("A Perfect Candidate" (Documentary) '96, "The September Issue" (Documentary) '09, "The Ordained" (TV movie) '13, "The World According to Dick Cheney" (Documentary) '13) plus a ton of TV. This guy is obviously, according to his resume, a documentarian which is interesting that he was able or willing to go out on that proverbial branch and, heaven forbid, think outside the box. For this alone I have to give this guy much credit and not stay in that comfort zone that so many filmmakers gravitate toward. And on top on everything, he's not a bad director of commercial films. It was written by Shauna Cross based on the novel by Gayle Forman, and this is where the trouble with this film ensues. As aforementioned, it's a life/death related film, and I believe the problem is that Cross jumped from one scene to the next in non-sequential order. Films of past have done this, but with a purpose as one realizes by the end of the film. The difference here is this film could have been written in sequential or non and the end product would have been the same. If the end of a film is dependent on how or what order the screenplay is written, the non-sequential approach will excel, otherwise it's really better to just stick to a more traditional approach perhaps with a twist or two later in the film. The chemistry between the lovelorn couple was very effective as was the supporting cast.
If this film teaches us anything it is that how important are our priorities when something tragic happens in our lives? Are we ready or able to 'switch gears' and have the emotional ability to reassess, or will we just fall apart because we cannot deal with 'plan B'?
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: PG-13 104mins.
Espionage films have been a main staple genre that Hollywood can depend on for a number of decades, so it's no wonder that yet another spy flick would come crawling out from out of the woodwork. Hey, there have been so many novelists which these films have been based such as Tom Clancy, John Forsyth, John Le Carre, and the like, that it has been so easy to keep up that conveyor system to keep churning them out. As with "The November Man", this is one more to add to Hollywood's belt notch.
Code named 'The November Man' Peter Devereaux (Pierce Brosnan) is a lethal and highly trained ex-CIA agent, who has been enjoying a quiet life in Switzerland. He is retired because of a botched mission in 2008 with his then protégé, David Mason (Luke Lacey). When Devereaux is lured out of retirement by colleague Hanley (Bill Smitrovich) five years later, for one last mission which is to protect valuable witness Alice Fournier (Olga Kurylenko), he soon uncovers that this assignment marks him a target of his former friend and CIA protégé Mason. With growing suspicions of a mole in the agency, there is no one Devereaux can trust, no rules and no holds barred. This is the ultimate cat and mouse game set in a world of international espionage.
Others to round out the cast are Lazar Ristovski as Arkady Federov, Russian president elect, Eliza Taylor as Sarah, Mason's neighbor, Amila Terzimehic as Alexa, Russian assassin, Will Patton as Perry Weinstein, Devereaux's boss, Patrick Kennedy as Edgar Simpson, investigative reporter, Caterina Scorsone as Celia, a CIA agent, Ben Willens as Agent Jones, Akie Kotabe as Meyers, Mediha Musliovic as Natalia Ulanova and Milos Timotijevic as Federov's Chief of Staff.
This is directed by one of the best directors of espionage films to date, which is why Roger Donaldson ("The Bounty" '84, "No Way Out" '87, "Cocktail" '88, "Cadillac Man" '90, "The Getaway" '94, "Dante's Peak" '97, "Thirteen Days" 2000, "The Recruit" '03, "The World's Fastest Indian" '05, "The Bank Job" '08, "Seeking Justice" '11) is lured back time and again to direct yet another spy or political oriented film. His work on "No Way Out" was brilliant in that the way he was able to get the lead character played by Kevin Costner, and others for that matter, to exude an extremely caged, frenetic, trapped feeling, kept one riveted to the edge of their seats. This film was very reminiscent of the aforementioned film, because you could see the desperation and trapped feelings these characters were displaying. It was written by Michael Finch and Karl Gajdusek based on the book, "There Are No Spies" by Bill Granger. It was a solid premise and was carried off well, however it was a bit non-cohesive in parts, and a bit choppy. But all in all, this keep moving you in the direction of a very good twist near the end.
As espionage flicks go, this is a very solid one and once you get into the plot of this, the 'cat and mouse' game will be the thing that will keep you on that roller coaster ride until the end credits roll.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: R 108mins.
When times have been hitting people hard, whether financially, unable to land work, emotionally and physically, it's time for Hollywood to produce inspirational films in order to ease one's pain, even if it's only for an hour and a half to a two hour running time. We've seen a plethora of these films, whether based on a true story or not, in recent past: "Soul Surfer", "Courageous", "Heaven is for Real", Million Dollar Arm", "50 to 1", "Son of God", "A Dolphin's Tale", and many more than I could list. So, it is no surprise that when "When the Game Stands Tall" came along that there wouldn't be an audience for which there should be.
Inspired by a true story, this tells the remarkable journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. When the streak is broken, and tragedy strikes the team Coach Lad must teach his players including assistant coach Terry Eidson (Michael Chiklis), Chris Ryan (Alexander Ludwig), Cam Colvin (Ser'Darius Blain), Beaser (Joe Massingill), and Danny Ladouceur (Matthew Daddario), the coach's son--and the entire town--that it's not about how you fall, but how you get back up and who's going to be there to help you get back up. And by this, they all become the victors as they will find out.
Others to round out the cast are Laura Dern as Bev Ladouceur, Bob's wife, Clancy Brown as Mickey Ryan, Chris' overbearing dad, Stephan James as T.K. Kelly, Jessie Usher as Tayshon Lanear, Matthew Frias as Arturo, LaJessie Smith as Jamal, Richard Kohnke as Rick Salinas, Chase Boltin as Manny Gonzales and Gavin Casalegno as Michael Ladouceur, the coach's younger son.
This is directed by Thomas Carter ("Under the Influence" (TV movie) '86, "Swing Kids" '93, "Divas" (TV movie) '95, "Metro" '97, "Bronx County" (TV movie) '98, "Save the Last Dance" '01, "Partners and Crime" (TV movie) '03, "Hitched" (TV movie) '05, "Coach Carter" '05, "Company Town" (TV movie) '06, "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" (TV movie) '09) plus a ton of episodic TV. This guy is clearly into projects which involve a message, and there is definitely a place for these type of films whereas many people need to be reminded of the difference of right and wrong. It certainly can be refreshing in a society that's believes anything goes. He knows just the right emotions that his actors need to emit to bring home that message. It was effectively written by Scott Marshall Smith based on a story by Smith and David Zelon which is based on the book by Neil Hayes. this was a very thought out script and the way in flowed from where the film started which was in 2003, to where it finally ended which was August 2004 was fluid. The characters were distinct and well delineated. Of course, the original source by Hayes didn't hurt in that he gave us all a great deal to think about.
Let's face it, this was based on a true story and not only do these young football players learn something about how we should treat each other, it is with the hope that we, the audience, will learn as well.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG 115mins.
Filmmakers like Woody Allen have been around for so long that their reasoning for making a film has the time to make a complete cycle. Let me explain: when Allen started making films, he was totally into whacky, funny, somewhat weird content and how they were played out. Then as the 1980's rolled in, he started getting a bit more serious, if not more message oriented in his content. Then as the 1990's were coming close to being over, he then shifted to more of his whacky style again, until approximately the mid 2000's, whereas he would go from serious to humorous and back again, sometimes combining drama and comedy as we see in "Magic in the Moonlight".
The year is 1928. Chinese conjuror Wei Ling Soo is the most celebrated magician of his age, but few know that he is the stage persona of Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth), a grouchy and arrogant Englishman with a sky-high opinion of himself and an aversion to phony spiritualists' claims. Stanley goes on a mission to the Cote d'Azur mansion in southern France belonging to the Catledge family: mother Grace (Jacki Weaver), son Brice (Hamish Linklater) and daughter Caroline (Erica Leerhsen). He represents himself as a businessman named Stanley Taplinger in order to debunk the alluring young clairvoyant Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) who is staying there with her mother (Marcia Gay Harden). Sophie arrived at the Catledge villa at the invitation of Grace, who is convinced that Sophie can help her contact her late husband of approximately a year prior, and once there, attracted the attention of Brice, who has fallen for her head over heels. What follows is a series of events that are magical in every sense of the word and send these characters reeling. In the end, the biggest trick this story plays is the one that fools us all.
Others to round out the cast are Jeremy Shamos as George, Catherine McCormack as Olivia, Stanley's fiancé and Peter Wollasch as Stage Manager.
The writing and directing is, of course, by the incomparable Woody Allen ("Take the Money and Run" '69, "Bananas" '71, "Sleeper" '73, "Annie Hall" '77, "Manhattan" '79, "Broadway Danny Rose" '84, "Hannah and Her Sisters" '86, "Crimes and Misdemeanors" '89, "Manhattan Murder Mystery" '93, "Bullets Over Broadway" '94, "Deconstructing Harry" '97, "Sweet and Lowdown" '99, "Small Time Crooks" 2000, "Hollywood Ending" '02, "Match Point" '05, "Scoop" '06, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" '08, "Whatever Works" '09, "Midnight in Paris" '11, "Blue Jasmine" '13) plus many more. Of late, Allen hasn't actually starred in his films, and I believe it's a good thing in that writing and directing IS his niche. He knows when good actors come along and knows who is going to right for a given part, but this doesn't mean he can necessarily act. In his heyday, his roles really fit his persona, however with creating a number a films that don't entail that persona he does, he knows to stay out from in front of the camera to behind. Films like "Take the Money and Run" and "Small Time Crooks"-- his being in those films worked because his persona was utilized perfectly, whereas "Match Point" or "Midnight in Paris" he would've been a disaster in those. He's an actor's director, make no mistake about that.
In this film, it gets a bit slow at approximately half way through, but be patient, this is actually purposed--don't ask me why or it would spoil the film for you. Suffice it to say, there is a twist in this that you will not see coming. So even though the writing may seem bogged down, it's a ploy to deceive you
Whether you're an Allen fan or not, there is something for everyone in this. Just be careful, because the slight of hand will catch you by surprise.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 97mins.
Franchises. Has Hollywood really become that huge money-making machine we see way too often via through so many franchises that are created? Seems like if a film does well (I mean financially), then it's time to do it again, not for art sake as much as for profit sake. And since people also seem to be into the 'series' mindset, I don't see the popularity in franchises waning any time soon. I'm sure this is why "The Expendables 3" will surely make even more money.
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Doc (Wesley Snipes) and the rest of the team come face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill... or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables-- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members recruiting, through his buddy, Bonaparte (Kelsey Grammer), Smilee (Kellan Lutz), Luna (Ronda Rousey), Thorn (Greg Powell) and Mars (Victor Ortiz). It is through these individuals who are younger, faster, and more tech-saavy that Barney feels can help him to get the job done. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style vs. high-tech expertise in The Expendables' most personal battle yet.
Others to round out the cast are Antonio Banderas as Galgo, Jet Li as Yin Yang, Dolph Lundgren as Gunnar Jensen, Randy Couture as Toll Road, Terry Crews as Caesar, Harrison Ford as Drummer, Arnold Scwarzenegger as Trench, Robert Davi as Goran Vata and Ivan Kostadinov as Krug.
Even though he has only one other feature film to his credit, "Red Hill" '10, Patrick Hughes is a director to contend with. His ability to mix passion, humor with the usual degree of masculine comraderie is truly played out well here. He could be the next John McTiernan (Die Hard films) or John G. Avildsen (some of the Rocky films). It was written by Stallone, Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt based on a story by Stallone which is based on characters created by David Callaham. Considering there were as many as three writers involved, it was surprisingly written well--albeit not great, but not bad. It was just a bit too predictable, however, there were a few places where one would be waiting for the next obvious move, and it would go a slightly different way. The best thing was seeing all these actions stars--both past and present mixing it up in one film which made this formulaic film work. The stunt work coupled with the editing was also well implemented. Oh, and not to worry all you guys out there, there has already been an "Expendables 4" announced. What a shock! Not!!
Certainly if you like action films, this franchise is the king of them and you will be in action heaven, but even if you're not, it still has talent in the stunt work and editing that will take you on the ride of your life. Hasta la vista, baby!
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: PG-13 124mins.
Is it that post-apocalyptic films are so grim because they make our society look good as is, or does someone know something we others don't know? Either they are very grim as in "The Book of Eli" or as seemingly palatable with an underlying grimness as with "Elysium", and anywhere in between. So now we have "The Giver" laid before us to dissect so as to let us know what's coming or to warn us lest we fall into the same trap.
This is a post-apocalypticfilm in the future after 'The Ruin' focused on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, colorless world of conformity and contentment whereas society's memories have been erased for the sake of peace and tranquility. This is a society where they are polite, never lie even if they seem like robots. But as the children become of age, they are given their position in life. Jonas turns out to be special and is given the honorable 'Receiver of Memories' position and is then tutored by The Giver (Jeff Bridges) who is the sole keeper of all the community's memories. As he teaches Jonas about the memories, Jonas quickly discovers the dark and deadly truths of his community's secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined-- a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all-- a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. But he must succeed in escaping the clutches of the Chief Elder (Meryl Streep) and her henchmen to obtain this task.
Others to round out the cast are Alexander Skarsgard as Father, Katie Holmes as Mother, Odeya Rush as Fiona, Cameron Monaghan as Asher, Taylor Swift as Rosemary and Emma Tremblay as Lilly.
This was directed by veteran director Phillip Noyce ("Backroads" '77, "Heatwave" '82, "Dead Calm" '89, "Patriot Games" '92, "Clear and Present Danger" '94, "The Saint" '97, "The Bone Collector" '99, "Rabbit-Proof Fence" '02, "The Quiet American" '02, "Catch a Fire" '06, "Salt" '10, "Americana" (TV movie) '12, "Mary and Martha" (TV movie) '13) plus others. This guy is a consummate pro one can bank on to see how he get his actors to emit just the right amount of emotion, or lack of, to make you believe that these actors are the characters they are playing. Of course it doesn't hurt to have Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep to show these emotions to make one think this way. The writing was by Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide based on the book by Lois Lowry. Even though this has a little "Divergent" in it, with a bit "Pleasantville" thrown in, and has the Utopian backdrop of "Elysium", this premise, in how it was handled, was one of the best stories based on a young adult novel I have seen to date. Brenton Twaites as Jonas gave a very believable performance and will definitely receive more work. If this film teaches us anything, it is that we must have choices in order to make definitive decisions in our lives. We must experience the pain, pleasure, happiness, joy, heartache, and sadness in order to keep us 'in check' and to help us stay as well-rounded individuals. If others dictate our very thoughts and emotions, we become mere robots who have no purpose that become void of what humanity is supposed to be.
This is good, because it brings that message all too well that we need to hear all the while entertaining us with good acting and some neat visual effects--hey, this is the future.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 97mins.
If anyone had told me a couple of years ago that I would be seeing a film version of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", I would have said they were crazy. After seeing this version, they should have left well enough alone by keeping it in animated form.
Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers, Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Leonardo (Pete Ploszek and voiced by Johnny Knoxville), and Donatello (Jeremy Howard) rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles only after intense training from their master, Splinter (Danny Woodburn and voiced by Tony Shalhoub) teaching them all he knows of martial arts. The turtles must work with fearless reporter April O'Neil (Megan Fox) and her cameraman Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett) to save the city and unravel Shredder's diabolical plan.
Others to round out the cast are William Fichtner as Eric Sacks, Whoopi Goldberg as Bernadette Thompson, April's boss, Minae Noji as Karai, Abby Elliott as Taylor and Madison Mason as Councilman.
This was adequately directed by Jonathan Liebesman ("Darkness Falls" '03, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" '06, "The Killing Room" '09, "Battle Los Angeles" '11, "Wrath of the Titans" '12). Interestingly, this guy chose a comedy (which this basically is) for a project in which to attempt. Considering his resume, which mostly represents the dark side of humanity, this is not the project he should've delved into. The real culprit here is the writing ,or lack thereof, which is by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, and Evan Daugherty based on The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman.
It is amazing that it took as many as three writers to come up with a plot that is as old as dirt itself. This premise has been produced a bazillion times, and even though I realize this is a fantastical, big-budget, high adrenaline, multi visual effects flick, it should still have some sort of interesting premise to work from. Actually, the real star here is ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), which created the nifty, seamless visual effects. If these effects were not part of this production, there would not have been a film. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible film--there were some funny and interesting moments in this, but the overdone premise mixed with adequate acting and directing made this unremarkable. The recent "Guardians of the Galaxy" may have had a familiar premise, but its development of characters, fast paced directing, and how the premise was handled made that film rock! Take note writers.
Certainly if you have to see this, it best be on the large screen, if for no other reason than to take in those brilliant visual effects all rolled up into a neat 3D format. Cowabunga man!
Out of 4 Stars: 2 Rated: PG-13 101mins.
As a society, we have a fascination with death and dying, however we rarely talk to each other about with any sobriety. Hollywood has dealt with this taboo subject in many films i.e. "The Hereafter", "Ghost", "What Dreams May Come", and even in some wacky comedies such as "Heaven Can Wait". What's interesting is the fact that people watch these films and afterwards go on with their lives in a 'business as usual' mindset instead of pursuing a real meaning to it. I don't know if "If I Stay" will promote any such discussions with people after viewing this, but it can certainly remind us of a subject we need to ponder ever so often in our lives.
