Reviews by The Cineast

Everything Must Go falls into the Indie comedy category, throwing Will Ferrell into the mix, playing a 40 year old guy just fired from his corporate job. He got payed very well, and has a lot of cash in his bank account. That is until he finds out his wife locked it, denying anymore transactions to come through. On top of that, all the locks to his home have been changed, including the garage. She wants him out, forcing him to camp out on his front lawn, and later having no other choice but to sell his stuff.

Now, to really enjoy this, you'll have to be one of those movie-goers into dark comedy, and a relatively depressing one at that. All the humor is dry, not set-up, and fires out of nowhere, making this film pretty interesting. Seeing Will Ferrell in a "more" serious role took some getting used to. Yes, he was the lead man in Stranger than Fiction, but excluding that, he's generally an immature and raunchy character in his movies. However, he fits this particular role pretty well. His dialogue is very different, as he plays a depressed man with nothing left to live for. He's still funny in a sense though. That just goes to prove my personal opinion, that he indeed cannot disappoint audiences, no matter the film. Bad, or good. Nick than decides to put all his belongings up, in a yard sale. He meets a "business" partner too, in a young kid in the neighborhood, who rides his bike all day. The two form a delightful friendship, showing one of the few bright spots in this film. It's a bit emotional at times, and makes "Everything Must Go" actually minorly meaningful.

The characters are pretty limited, probably what the director was going for though, showing the fact that Nick (Ferrell) has completely drifted away from social situations, his friends etc. and really just given up on his life. Everything Must Go is rather original for a lot of the duration, until he finds a new reason to continue living, in his pregnant neighbor, played by Rebecca Hall. It isn't that she doesn't perform well, she does. It's just that everything from there is very formulaic, and the story takes no new directions. Nick and his neighbor meet and greet, talk a lot more in the coming days, and eventually realize they need each other as friends, forming a close bond. That scenario is structured alright to an extent, but ultimately results in a general and overused plot device. It's enjoyable enough, just very Blah.

Albeit rather by-the-books, Everything Must Go is a fun little film to watch. Will Ferrell drives it home with his darkly funny and charming character, and for him alone I would recommend this flick. It's a nice time passer, but don't go in expecting anything out of the ordinary.

6.4/10

Just the 3rd film conceived by the Coen brothers, Miller’s Crossing was just the beginning of what is now quite a legendary career for these two. Like almost every film of theirs, Miller’s Crossing is a unique and obscure flick, with a lot of interesting twists and some quirky dialogue. The Coen’s thrive on those unique aspects, portraying each of them to near perfection each time around. They have had a few misses in their career, but the majority are hits, in a big way, succeeding at the utmost level. Miller’s Crossing is definitely no exception, and near the top of the list for the brothers, probably only behind No Country for Old Men and Fargo.

Set back in the Prohibition era 1920’s, Miller’s Crossing focuses on pretty much every character with depth, but chooses two specific groups most of the duration; the gangs, that happen to be rivals. The twist? It isn’t a spoiler, but the main character (Byrne) is working for both of them, and actually switching back and forth between the two. It had similarities to The Departed, except all parties were aware of his presence throughout. He’s his own rat, working individually to milk all he can from each crime boss, double crossing his “friends’ left and right. Gabriel Byrne is truly an excellent actor, and this his best role I’ve witnessed. The Usual Suspects is another film to note, as he does well there too. The film then progresses to more double crossing, lies, and a bravura of plot twists mainly shot with a sense of humor behind it, making it a black comedy, but still managing to take itself seriously when it matters most. The violence portrayed within isn’t fully believable, more or so like a cartoon at some points, with very predictable punches being thrown, and each one knocking the opposing man great distances. However, seeing as it’s set back in the 20’s may explain that. It may bother some, but I highly enjoyed it, finding it very beneficial for what the film was going for.

Grade-A cinematography in this one, showing the big green forest located near “Miller’s Crossing”, glowing in the day, foggy in the night, and the gorgeous locations throughout the whole movie, just beautiful stuff. That alone should make this film worth watching. If I were to show film students an example of how shooting locations should be done, Miller’s Crossing would be near the top of the list.

Miller’s Crossing is only for the more mature audiences. Those who look at other aspects of filmmaking other than the obvious entertainment value and such will admire this. Each deep and meaningful film-making technique is portrayed great in this flick, and those who are not film buffs may not find this useful. Personally, I think it’s a masterpiece, and one of the greatest crime/thrillers ever made.

10.0/10

Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis stand side by side in this romantic comedy, directed by Will Gluck. Friends with Benefits was released nearly the same time as No Strings Attached, which was based around the exact same premise. Two close friends attempting to make their relationship strictly sexual without any strings attached. No coupling, or anything boyfriend/girlfriend related. Hollywood continues to dish out piles of doo-doo left and right, with not even a hint of originality. It seems every year at least a few lazy rom-coms are released, it's become a tradition in Hollywood, and looks as if it won't come to an end anytime soon.

"Benefits" suffers from that same disease, but somehow Kunis and Timberlake manage to light up the screen enough with their enjoyable chemistry, that it results in an above-average flick. "No Strings Attached" was released this year as well, based on the exact same premise as this one. Unfortunately, "Benefits" is just a notch worse than it's counterpart. The Kunis/Timberlake duo seems more down-to-earth than a lot of other rom-com couples as of late, something a lot of modern day movies lack. I'm growing somewhat of a liking for Timberlake, he's been taking on some reasonable roles in the past few years, and I enjoyed every one of them. He has definitely matured as an actor, going from a 90's pop-star sensation, to a much more developed and devoted big screen performer. I can see him involved in some large films in the future. He still has some work to do, though. Kunis I've always had a celebrity crush on. She's down-right beautiful, and can act very well. Her recent film Black Swan hit it big at both the office, and the Oscars, as she was nominated for best supporting actress.

While this flick lacks really any substance whatsoever, and the material is lazier than a pot-head on a couch, it makes up for with a great spark from the leads, who throw some witty dialogue back and forth, and honestly make a very cute couple. It works with it's low standard plot devices, and manages to put together an enjoyable enough romantic comedy for the summer vacation students to enjoy.

Fair warning though: it's nearly a 100 minute cliche. However, in terms of a by the books comedy, "Friends with Benefits" succeeds, barely.

6.3/10

Just Go with It is Dennis Dugan's most recent film as a director. You may know him for making such films as I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry and Grownups, all based around the same raunchy and unintelligent premise. He actually made a really good movie back in '99 called Big Daddy, which I find to Sandler's best work. He directs Similar to Judd Apatow, but the results are nowhere near as enjoyable. "Chuck and Larry" I happened to enjoy, mainly because of Kevin James. I also have kind of a soft spot for "Grownups" plainly because it's packed full of some good actors who all have pretty solid chemistry together. Even if that aspect wasn't good, it's the fact that they all let themselves go, as if the whole film is improvised. Not bad at all.

Dugan does do silly relatively well, but Just Go with It fails to provide good reasoning for the ridiculous jokes and situations. As usual, I enjoyed some of Sandler's bits. He is and probably always will be, a very funny guy. His acting seems to come so naturally. Having said that, the rest of the cast was, with the exception of Nick Swardson, just downright no good. I had never seen Decker (Palmer) in a film prior to this, and found out that if she wasn't so good looking, she probably wouldn't have much of a career. Aniston misfires quite often with all of her lines seeming so dull and unnecessary. She's a very attractive older woman, but in this specific film she didn't impress me. (with her acting, that is) Like I said before, Swardson has some funny moments, but otherwise his character isn't up to par.

I never really enjoyed watching little children act, and this particular movie just presses that issue even more. The two kids had some good dialogue, and they were cute, but they also annoyed the crap out of me. Though, they were pretty key in order for Sandler's plan to work out.

The story isn't anything I've seen before, and rather fresh. Sandler plays a womanizer, who after being completely humiliated at a wedding many years prior, resorts to being "fake" married, so it will never happen again. His desire to pick up as many women as possible is also quite outrageous. Very similar to Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, Charlie from Two and a half men, or even Dane Cook in Good Luck Chuck. Whereas Sandler is actually pretending to be married. I know, it's a sad state of affairs when a man must resort to that.

That's all, Until one day at a beach party he meets Palmer, a very attractive blondie who could easily be mistaken for a model. It's a very cliched meet and greet, but what should I have expected? She seems to fit perfectly with his current life, and drags him out of his bachelor lifestyle. Meanwhile he's fighting feelings for his co-worker, (Aniston) and dancing between which girl is best for him. Nicole Kidman shares a couple scenes, but I honestly could've gone without. Heidi Montag has a short cameo, dressed in some skimpy clothing. All the by-the-book scenarios just bring this film down, and if it wasn't for a couple pretty funny performances from Sandler and Swardson, this would be a COMPLETE bomb. Dennis Dugan is a solid director, who makes movies for much more immature audiences, which is sometimes a good thing, but this is one of those surefire hit and miss comedies

For the most part Just Go with It is fun to watch. That is if you care nothing for substance. It's a good rainy day flick, but ultimately rots into a cliche ridden/generic rom-com.

5.9/10

A Dutchman on his way to Morocco for food charity, is kidnapped by a group of terrorists.

Ryan Phillipe is the lead man in this low budget thriller directed by Laurence Malkin, and released back in 2006. It's a direct-to-DVD release that didn't have the opportunity to hit cinemas. This is one of many films I have seen as of late that have flown under the radar, and actually turned out to be very good.

After seeing Breach (2007) with the lead role also going to Phillipe, I really got a feel for how good of an actor he is. He's not of the tough guy persona. Size, bad-ass attitude and what not, but more so a very intellectually sound man. (in his films) With Five Fingers, your introduced to a foreign character, a Dutchman with an accent I don't hear much. It was a little odd from Phillipe, but I got used to it. On his way to Morocco for a food charity type of deal, he's kidnapped by two Moroccan terrorists, and taken to what appears to be an abandoned warehouse. We are then introduced to the head of the group, who happens to be good ol' Lawrence Fishburne. While this may not be his best performance, it sure was good.

What happens from there on may bore viewers with very small attention spans, but then again maybe not. It's a whole lot of interrogation tactics, a chess match, and then more talking. That's exactly what I was expecting, so I enjoyed the conversations very much. The chemistry between the two of them was enthralling and a joy to watch, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what in the heck the protagonist was going to in order to escape his situation. The terrorists also torture him a little bit, attempting to reveal his true identity.

Five Fingers is a pretty basic movie with good acting and some pretty sharp dialogue. It also packs one of the most clever film endings I've seen in awhile. Not all movie-goers will find this flick very useful, but for those of you who enjoy this type, then have fun! take it for what it is, and don't let it fly under your radar.

7.3/10

Paul, a U.S. contractor working in Iraq, wakes up in a coffin after being ambushed by soldiers, with only a lighter and a cell phone.

*SPOILERS*

Will he get out in time?

Buried falls into a very rare breed of the horror/thriller genre: being buried alive. While that sounds very limited, it does very well for what room it does have. Slashers occasionally scare the crap out of me, as well as mockumentaries etc and etc, but the one thing thing that scares me more than anything in this whole entire world, while it may not be a very realistic fear, is being trapped underground with absolutely no room to move whatsoever, whether it be in a coffin, or whatever the heck. Anyway, it is probably most human being's worst fear (or should be).




The director at the helm is Rodrigo Cortes. I believe this is his first American made feature length film. He decided to take on quite an intense subject, which was obviously bound to put some fear into quite a good amount of the viewers. The one thing he did so good in this film was make the situation so believable, that it's almost like your watching a homemade tape of one man's attempt to survive such a terrifying event. The music is also very limited, with the occasional heart-wrenching beat that really makes it a pretty scary experience. In my opinion, the soundtrack was excellent. Nowadays, films seem so cliche ridden that you might as well just watch the same thriller again and again. However, with Cortes' Buried you can pretty much send all the annoying cliches out the window. Each scene has a purpose, and is all building up to a very horrifying climax. The point being, for movie-goers that are sick of the same old bull-shit, you are in for a nice refreshing experience filled with, frankly, quite a few new and exciting elements.




Having said that, Buried isn't all enjoyable. In fact, there are few pretty annoying aspects. For example, Most of the people he (Ryan Reynolds) contacts, are not very helpful. They seem not to understand where he's coming from, and are just flat out ignorant. I believe he should have, and could have been given a lot more assistance. Another thing is the story, which is a tad ridiculous if you ask me. I mean, how in the hell is a man trapped many feet underground, not to mention in a coffin, supposed to get a shit ton of money somehow transferred to his kidnapper? I don't know, it just seemed a little over the top for my liking. However. It is good for entertainment value though. Not all things in film have to be realistic, right?

The one and final thing I have to say about this film is about the ending. After all the work and energy Paul puts into escaping. All the calls, the attempts to break free, and so forth, he ends up getting screwed, totally screwed. I won't say Exactly what happens, but it's one of the most depressing endings, if not the most, in my movie watching career. That, right there almost completely ruined the film for me. you, as a viewer, keep getting these signs of hope that maybe, just maybe Paul can get out alive, and from my perspective, that qualifies as a big disappointment.

If not for the claustrophobic eeriness, great acting from Reynolds, and the intense sequences of helplessness and fear, this movie wouldn't really be worthy of a watch.

6.5/10

"I'm puttin this whole town in my rear view"

a long-time thief tries to manage his personal relationship with a bank manager, as well as an FBI agent aiming to track him and his crew down.

The Town Directed by, and starring Ben Affleck, is the second installment in his directorial career, and focuses on a group of Boston thieves. Like Gone baby gone, this film takes place within a very similar location; Boston, Ma. The two movies are very similar in their vibe, character development, darkness, and grittiness. However, unlike his previous installment, The Town focuses a little more on violence, and is much faster paced. I give Affleck credit for mixing in the perfect amount of bloodshed, while co-existing perfect storytelling, and giving the audience emotions towards each character. I give the nod to "The Town", but not by a whole lot.



You can tell right from the get-go that Doug has done this for awhile, and is also facing some life issues, doing his best to cope with them. His counter-part Jim seems to have the same thing going on, however he was a completely different way of coping with them. Throughout the film one can't help but notice he's the most violent of the group, and that's how he deals with his emotions. being locked up for several years made him a darker person, which incorporates into his character, showing it on screen very well. He's like Doug's wing man, always prepared to do the dirty work. There's a scene in the film showing a good amount of violence involving those two. A good beat down, but I won't spoil it. The scene goes to show how good of a friend James really is when it all comes down to it, and how violent both characters can be when necessary.

You'll notice a lot of similarities from The Departed, as well as some other films like Heat, and Pride and glory. "The Town" is more emotionally attached, and features some prime supporting actors. Clair Keesy, played by Rebecca Hall, is MacRay's love interest after the first heist shown in the film. Their connection is great, and I couldn't have picked a better actress for the part. She plays a critical roll in the movie, adding more tension to what could happen. Meanwhile, the clan are being tracked down by FBI agent Adam Frawley, played by an excellent actor in Jon Hamm (Mad Men). He is a top contender for an Oscar nominee, along with most of the other cast members. i didn't realize how good of an actor he was until this film, seeing as I never Watched Mad Men. Another actress in which I've never seen on screen, Blake Lively, plays Jim Coughlin's sister Krista. She actually shocked me as a great actress, playing a cracked up drug dealer, and also Doug's ex-girlfriend. Chris Cooper is on screen for mere minutes, but does well as usual, Portraying Doug's jailed father.






The Town features some of the best action sequences I've ever witnessed on screen. Unlike other scrawny action films out there, these power packed scenes are realistic, and not overly dramatic. I find them more entertaining then the majority of other action packed films. They're as top notch as you'll find anywhere. Added to that are the tense and suspenseful heist moments that are played out to perfection, keeping you at the edge of your seat, anxiously anticipating their next move.

The Town Doesn't exactly show a whole lot of anything we haven't seen before, but it portrays all it's elements to near perfection, and shows why this genre should continue.

I love other heist movies in Hollywood, like The "Ocean's" Series, and Inside Man, but The Town brings that to the table x2, with a superb mix of character's emotions,and a crime grittiness that just makes this film worth owning, and most definitely in the running with some of the greatest crime films ever. (not to mention, the masks they wore were pretty awesome, and now one of my favorites)

This is by the far the best film to come out in 2010 (I haven't seen Inception yet). If any other pictures come out this year and top it, I will be amazed. Do yourself a favor and go watch this movie.

Ben Affleck is now a director to be reckoned with!

9.8/10

"Pretta, pretta, pretta, pretta good!"

Larry David; the co-creator of Seinfeld, stars in this witty,awkward, and over the top hilarious comedy about everyday life from his point of view, and the silly yet very relatable circumstances he catches himself in. You will find no other shows like this.

I know many people expected this to be like Seinfeld, due to the fact that David co-created it, but this show is really on a whole different dimension. It's completely unlike it, and tons better from my point of view. Seinfeld was at times unrealistic, and not always funny. (Still a classic) Whereas Curb your enthusiasm constantly delivers laugh after laugh, while still managing to be very realistic. I think one of the reasons I really love this show is because of that. Every comedic mishap can easily be seen happening in real life, and will probably have you saying "I know what you mean" in your head. The whole entire show is also unscripted, which is very impressive, seeing how great this cast does.

Larry lives with his wife Cherly (Cheryl Hines), who is a great actress for the role. She has her own type of sense of humor, which a little drier then Larry's, but very much still funny. They argue about dumb things a lot, and it's a blast to watch. His best friend Jeff Green (Jeff Garlin) is in most episodes, and the show wouldn't be quite as good without him. He agrees with Larry on almost everything. He's basically his wing man. Every character on the show plays a huge role in it's success. whether they are annoying, unreasonable, or just not likeable, I still enjoy watching them. What else can I say? I'm hooked! Amazing show! You wont find a funnier and more "close to home" show on TV then this. Sooooo, If you haven't seen it, do so now!

Larry David is a comic genius.

10.0/10

"Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction" is the fifth game in the highly popular Splinter Cell series, and has the main character Sam Fisher solving the mystery of his daughter's death, while being chased down by his former agency; "Third Echelon". I consider myself a good voice of reason when giving you my opinion on this installation, because I've been a fan of the series since 2001(back when it all began), and played through them all. I most likely wont be the only person to say this, but this game was unnecessary to say the very least. The first three were AMAZING. Nothing topped them back then, and very few games do nowadays. The fourth installment; "Double Agent" was a great game don't get me wrong, but not classic like the previous campaigns. fifty percent of the real Sam Fisher existed in that game.

With all that being said, Conviction is a very well made game filled with good gameplay, and a very good story. However, it completely KILLED the classic Sam Fisher look, and the whole series for that matter. I remember the good old days with Irving Lambert giving Sam orders for the good team. Now, it's Jason Bourne mixed with Jack Bauer, and a little Grand Theft Auto to boost. If the game was called something different I would be fine with it.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is a blast to play at times, and I admit, the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I am saying with sadness: Goodbye Classic Sam, and welcome rugged bad guy Sam. Die Hard Fans of the originals will not be pleased, but will still play this game due to the fact that it is indeed a Splinter Cell game.

7.3/10

A thirty-six year old parking garage attendant, and die hard New York Giants fan must reconsider his life after being beat up by his favorite player.

I have been a huge fan of Patton Oswalt ever since I began watching him on The King Of Queens (1998-2007), as the underdog friend of Doug and the crew getting picked on left and right. He has starred in other things such as Ratatouille(2007), Starsky and Hutch (2004), and has a couple of his own stand-up comedy sketches that have aired on Comedy Central. He is probably one of the funniest icons in Hollywood, but different than any I have ever seen. His jokes are much darker it seems, and the way he portrays himself is so unique. He's like the chubby loser, but he enjoys it, he's comfortable with himself. He has been on Letterman a couple times, along with other late night talk shows, and is a sure fan favorite. You either love him or hate him, nothing in between. He either annoys the heck out of you, or you root for him and he cracks you up. He happens to crack me up, and I root for him big time.

Big Fan is a much different role for Oswalt, playing a thirty-six year old loser still living with his mother, with the small job of a parking garage attendant. He is a self proclaimed New York Giants fanatic as well. I must say, he portrayed it great.

Each night until around one in the morning, Paul (Oswalt), calls his favorite sports radio station, only to talk smack back to his bitter rival Philadelphia Phil. Of course that isn't his real name, just a radio alias. he just happens to be a die hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. The two rant and rave about which team is better, and which will progress as the season goes on. Paul writes down everything he's going to say ahead of time, and does a great job mostly. His best friend (Kevin Corrigan) listens in every night, and congratulates him each time he succeeds in trash talking. I was pleasantly surprised with the way this comedy played out. Nothing cliche, and a lot of new things not seen before. It definitely had it's dark moments to it, and may be classified as a dark comedy to some. I see it as partially one. Each night passes, with nothing new happening for Paul, until one night when He gets the crap beat out if him by his favorite player. He decides whether or not to press charges, because if he does, he won't be able to play. Very engrossing story.

If your looking for an edgy movie, showing Patton Oswalt's dark side, than watch this. But if your looking to laugh a whole lot, this may not be for you, because Oswalt's comedic appeal lacks just a bit. That's one of the only negative aspects, next to the fact that the plot is rushed, and somewhat predictable. A pretty enjoyable movie for the most part.

6.6/10