The Experiment (2010) - 3 stars out of 10

The Experiment (2010) - 3 stars out of 10

"The Experiment" is an interesting story that lacks one important factor: "Why?"  I understand that the writers felt that the evolving human behavior would better be on display if the reason for this experiment was enshrouded in mystery, but by the end of the film it would be so much more satisfying to know why these men had to endure this test.  They hint at why but without a satisfactory answer in the end, it just feels like a waste of time.  If nothing else, this film gave me a good excuse to research the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment.  This movie is very farfetched but it was a lot more interesting with supplementary YouTube clips that relate this to what actually happened in 1971.  Forest Whitaker's acting is incredibly refined and he builds a lot of passive intensity through his transformation, but he is hindered by his character (who isn't very interesting).  I know what this film was going for but the "Twelve Angry Men anonymity" falls flat when the human element of the experiment escalates too fast for our emotions to keep up.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape - 8 stars out of 10

What's Eating Gilbert Grape - 8 stars out of 10

I have been hearing about "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" for years but this was far from what I expected.  This is a very honest film about the trials of a dysfunctional family who cannot escape their tiny Iowa town.  Johnny Depp plays the titular role and serves as the hub around which the subplots connect.  The story is interesting in that Gilbert could escape his circumstances and take care of any one of his burdens, but it is the combination of these issues that keeps him tied down.  The setting is pretty bland (as it needs to be) so the empathy for Depp is what creates an emotional attachment to the story.  The main hardship is his mentally retarded brother, Arnie.  Gilbert is the only one that can actually control Arnie and the burden of being his main caretaker makes it difficult for Gilbert to have his own life.  Arnie is played by Leonardo DiCaprio in an absolutely inspired performance.  We rave about DiCaprio's acting today but this makes it easy to see that his masterful acting is nothing new.  His Oscar-nominated performance (which really should have been a win) is reason enough to see this film.  His tics and speech are precise and chilling, almost difficult to watch at times because they are so realistic.  The second issue is his mother, morbidly obese and requiring constant care from her children.  Like DiCaprio, she is difficult to watch at times, especially when kids dare each other to look into her window to get a look at her and subsequently mock her.  Next is Gilbert's loyalty to his job at a family-run grocery store that is being put out of business by a chain store.  This is one of the only sources of comedy, along with John C. Reilly's obsession with the soon-to-arrive "Burger Barn."  As if this wasn't enough, he falls in love with a girl who is temporarily stranded in the town and will leave soon.  This is one of the only instances in film history where the actor (Depp) looks amazing with long hair and his love interest (Juliette Lewis) looks amazing with a butch cut.  You could shave Depp's head and make a wig for Lewis, but it wouldn't look nearly as good.  The final issue is the older woman who is trying to have an affair with Gilbert.  I always enjoy Mary Steenburgen and she looks great in this film, but it was a little disturbing to see her in this role.  The film is a lot of drama and doesn't have a lot of feel-good content, not even at the end.  But the story, a snapshot of hardship, ends with perseverance and leaves a sense of hope for the future.

Saturday Night Fever - 4 stars out of 10

Saturday Night Fever - 4 stars out of 10

“Saturday Night Fever” is an important film.  Not because the story is particularly interesting or the characters are particularly deep, but because it chronicles the dance style and subculture of the 1970’s.  It is a time machine that transports us to this vivid period in American history and allows us to experience a true piece of Americana.  Unfortunately, the excessive strong language and rape-content ruined the film for me.  Admittedly, I did not live through this era so maybe the questionable content of this film is necessary to painting an accurate picture but from my modern perspective, it just seems like the writers were just trying to add some grit to make this dance film more macho.  Everything that is dance is great.  Everything that isn’t… isn’t.  I love the BeeGee’s music and especially the disco arrangements of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Night on Bare Mountain and the dance sequences are stunning.  At a few points, you have to question whether it is legal for anybody onscreen to be a better dancer than John Travolta because he is just that impressive.  In spite of its high points, the plot becomes tiresome when people bark like dogs in restaurants and there are awkward arguments around the dinner table.  It is as if I understand the statement that the writers were trying to make but there is too great of a schism between dance mania and pointless existence.  The final few scenes sealed this film's fate for me as the movie undergoes a complete depart from the dance/love story and focus on drugs, rape, and a cheesy ending that portrays this serious subject matter in a way that merely turns into melodrama.

Ghost Dad - 2 stars out of 10

Ghost Dad - 2 stars out of 10

"Ghost Dad" has been hated by many and loved by few, but I didn't think that it was all that bad.  It wasn't good, but it wasn't all that bad.  Bill Cosby's name doesn't exactly line up with the term "dark comedy" but, aside from the taxi ride that awkwardly combines a sinister Satanist with jokey dialogue, Cosby's comedy managed to work in this unusual setting.  My largest complaint is that the film doesn't have a target audience.  It is difficult to justify this being a family film with some of its frightening elements and brief strong language but it definitely would not be the first choice for a young couple's date night.  The other thing that bothered me was the casting of the eldest daughter, Diane.  When she first appears onscreen, it is difficult to distinguish whether she is his wife or his high school-age daughter.  Upon further investigation, Kimberly Russell was 25 years old when she played this role so this makes sense.  I'm torn on the choice because she puts forth the most enjoyable performance in the film, but she was not a believable 17-year-old.  The entire Sir Edith subplot also bothered me, never explaining how Cosby ended up in London or how he was sent back, or why this guy has the power to control that, or how he eventually finds them, or how this is relevant to the story aside from explaining what happens when he began to flicker... As I write this review, my rating for the film is progressively dropping.  While we're at it, why does Diane suddenly decide that she wants to be a ghost?  And why didn't they develop the plot with his love interest at all?  And how does the Satanist survive the car crash?  My goodness, this movie IS terrible!  Some of the special effects and the humor in the life insurance physical sequence save this film from receiving my lowest rating, but I didn't realize how awful this was until I finally started to dissect it.  Even the taglines of the movie posters should have been a giveaway: "America's Favorite Dad in a SPIRITED Comedy!" and "Bill Cosby as you've never seen him before... invisible."  My childhood memories of this film have been dashed - it really is all that bad!

Love Actually - 9 stars out of 10

Love Actually - 9 stars out of 10

"Love Actually" is a great romantic movie whose concept of intertwining stories has often been imitated ("Valentine's Day", "New Year's Eve") but rarely executed with this much success.  It is a perfect blend of comedy, drama, cute moments, and valuable lessons.  These ten London love stories are separated enough that they are believable but related loosely enough that they can all believably culminate in the end.  This film is unique because each love story displays a different side of love.  Whether it is love at first sight, an unspoken love from a distance, the love between a father and his son, the love for a departed spouse, lust over a younger woman, or a sister taking care of her sick brother, every facet of love is explored.  The ensemble cast was perfectly distributed.  Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Billy Nighy, Laura Linney, LIAM NEESON - need I say more?  Lúcia Moniz and Martine McCutcheon are the perfect love interests (and make it easy to pick my two favorite love stories), while Rowan Atkinson is the perfect comic relief in a cameo that brilliantly suits his personality.  Meanwhile, Emma Thompson taps into an emotional side beyond any of the other all stars.  "Love Actually" has those moments that you'll never forget, like when Andrew Lincoln shows Keira Knightley the wedding video or silently explains everything with his signs and when everything works out to the Beach Boy's "God Only Knows," you will surely have chills (and maybe a few tears of happiness).  I love that the film's opening narrative about seeing love in an airport terminal becomes unexpectedly significant at the end in an "Oh yeah!!!!" sort of way.  The film has some trashy stuff (nudity and some f-words) but if you can get past those, this will become a great "watch whenever I'm lonely" movie.

Birdmen: The Original Dream of Flight - 6 stars out of 10

Birdmen: The Original Dream of Flight - 6 stars out of 10 

“Birdmen: The Original Dream of Flight” is a visual experience that brings the first-person perspective of BASE jumping to those of us who will never be brave enough (or willing to risk our lives) to experience it.  The documentary provides a decent history of man’s attempts to fly but quickly gets to wingsuit flyers.  Most interesting is the dedication of these BASE jumpers and their acknowledgement that every jump could easily end in death.  While the content was not anything earth-shattering, the first-person views of the jumps along the sides of mountains, over towns, and through canyons make it worth watching.

Parker (2013) - 4 stars out of 10

Parker (2013) - 4 stars out of 10 

“Parker” is pretty much what you expect from a Jason Statham action film.  His character is really cool, he’s being pursued by a hott girl, and he kicks butt in the end.  Probably the best part of the film comes early on when Statham is introduced as a nice guy who only steals from those who can afford it, but will destroy anyone that does not do what he says.  The story kept me interested enough to keep watching and find out what happened in the end, but some of the acting was so bad (particularly the gang that he’s hunting down) that it was tough to stomach at times.  I was glad to see that this was more than a “save the victim, kill the bad guys” film, with a fairly complex heist plot (times two) that was well thought out.  It isn’t “Ocean’s Eleven,” but it created an interesting subplot to Statham’s killing spree.  The blood was a bit overdone, particularly the knife through the hand and several injuries that characters unreasonably survived.  Jennifer Lopez, she was pretty unacceptable.  With performances like “Selina” on her resume, this was a large step down.  I am annoyed that they found some lame excuse to make her strip down to her underwear (just because she’s J-Lo) and the only thing that she added to the story was that dumb character that spoils the hero’s plan by doing some boneheaded thing at the end.  “Parker” is a below-average action film that is fun to watch but won’t do much for your absorption of good film content.