The Act of Killing - 7 stars out of 10

The Act of Killing - 7 stars out of 10

“The Act of Killing” is an incredibly honest look into the warped perspective of death squad members from the Indonesian killings of 1965-66.  It is almost unbelievable that these friendly, personable men could have once been the sadistic killing machines that they describe.  Rather than focusing on Indonesia’s political climate, this film tells the story of men like Anwar Congo, whose face is filled with pride as he describes the methods that he used to murder over 1000 innocent people.  The film moves slowly but reveals the necessary information for everything to come into focus as Congo begins to understand the terror that his victims endured as they were tortured and killed.  The filming of this documentary took place over the course of six years and the result is a true transformation.  We are always impressed when actors portray the transformation of a fictional character on the screen, but “The Act of Killing” documents the life-shattering realization of a real man.  I don’t fully understand why documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer decided to give these men the resources to film dramatic scenes that depict their memories and feelings about the killings, but I believe the end result is deeper than what Oppenheimer had hoped for.  The damage to Congo’s psyche becomes clear as these men recreate his surrealist nightmares, but the real poignancy arrives when he has to act out the part of the victim and is suddenly struck by the horror of what he did 40 years earlier.  The final two scenes are beyond comprehension, first as he sits in stunned silence, hoping that the memories of the killings will never return, and finally as he revisits the place where he killed most of his victims.  At the beginning of the film, he visited this place and described the murders with pride, but now the thought of his actions makes him physically ill.  It is difficult to watch the struggle of this man but that’s what makes “The Act of Killing” a revelation of the humanity that is lost by the enforcers of genocide.

Nine Dead - 6 stars out of 10

Nine Dead - 6 stars out of 10

“Nine Dead” was an obviously-low-budget-but-surprisingly-good -film-whose-gripping-story-will-keep-you-on-edge-until-the-end!  Nine diverse strangers are put in a room together and one is killed every ten minutes until they figure out their mutual link – awesome concept.  While the cinematography and some of the acting (William Lee Scott) were below industry standards, this film’s intelligent design makes money a non-factor.  The script places 95% of the story in one room (a la “12 Angry Men”) and, since the mystery reveals itself with excellent pacing and a few twists, the dialogue easily kept my interest for 80 minutes.  Let’s be clear, I am not comparing this to “12 Angry Man” in quality, merely in concept.  It is definitely one of those films that make it difficult to look away because you want to try to solve the mystery in real time with the characters on-screen.  While it is impossible to predict the answer to the question “Why are you all here,” the solution is beyond satisfactory.   The format of the script allows each character an opportunity to deliver an impassioned monologue of confession and most of the actors are successful.  However, there is an elephant in the room and we need to call it like it is: Melissa Joan Hart’s mother (Paula Hart) produced this film as a vehicle to get her daughter back into the spotlight.  The family affair even included younger sister Emily in a brief (and poorly acted) appearance as a stripper.  While Melissa acts very well, she becomes the center of the story a bit too much which takes away from our sense that they all equal in their guilt and helplessness.  Still, my only issues with the film are personal preferences.  I did not care for the last 3 minutes.  I would have preferred an ambiguous cutaway that made us fill in the blanks at the climax at the film, rather than the slow movement towards a resolution that kills the momentum.   Also, it’s a shame that they threw the f-word around so much.  Most of the violence is implied and this could be a great PG-13 thriller for teens without the excessive language.  This is probably an only-watch-it-once film, but that single viewing will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you feel as helpless as the nine victims in that room.

Despicable Me 2 - 7 stars out of 10

Despicable Me 2 - 7 stars out of 10

You knew that it would be tough to make a sequel to “Despicable Me.”  I respect the writers for concluding the first film the right way instead of creating loose ends to set up a sequel, and they did the best that they could to create a fresh follow-up.  The thing that I love about these films are the visual gags and slapstick humor that are so reminiscent of Looney Tunes.  I adore the sophistication of Pixar animated films but this series is great if you want to laugh as a family.  I think that the largest failure of this movie is the shifting of focus from the girls to the minions.  I think the minions are really funny but too much of them turns into cheap humor.  The relationship between Gru and the girls gives the first film that emotional edge that brings tears to your eyes, but that facet of the film was lost with an excessive amount of minions and the new focus on Gru’s dating life.  Still, the essence of the film’s comedy is captured with the image of a man in a wrestling mask with TNT strapped to him while skysurfing a shark into an active volcano.  The voice acting (and accent) of Steve Carell continues to be excellent while the addition of Lucy (and the type-casting of Kristen Wiig as her voice) adds a new layer of laughs.  I also love Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, who may be my favorite character of the entire series.  “Despicable Me 2” loses some of the sentimentality of its predecessor but still makes for a laugh-out-loud experience with great sight gags and one-liners.

The Talented Mr. Ripley - 7 stars out of 10

The Talented Mr. Ripley - 7 stars out of 10

“The Talented Mr. Ripley” is one of the films that got me interested in “real movies.”  It was during that phase in high school when I began to shy away from Adam Sandler comedies and discovered the sophistication of films like “The Silence of the Lambs.”  While this certainly is not Matt Damon’s finest performance, his character transformation (literally and figuratively) is a must-see for every movie fan.  The filmmakers could have opted to tell this story in modern times but instead, they make great use of the 1950’s atmosphere in which the original novel was written.  The jazz is hot, the Italian countryside is vivid, and while the story drags on at points, it will take you down a path that you never see coming.  The thing that keeps me coming back to this film is the strong qualities of each character, particularly the softspokenness of Damon, the fickle-mindedness of Jude Law, and the extreme arrogance of Philip Seymour Hoffman.  These polarizing characteristics work against each other to create the moments that will leave your jaw on the floor.  Once the unexpected truth about Tom Ripley is revealed, the movie turns itself on its head and is sure to have you fascinated.  Between the unpredictability of the story and the strong acting (which includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Jack Davenport), you won’t be able to help smiling at the darkest moments of the film.