The Ides of March Review (2011)

Director: George Clooney
Writers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, & Beau Willimon
Genre: Political thriller/Drama


3.5 cookies
Glass of milk - The cast (specifically, Ryan Gosling)

Politics. Politics. Politics. You got to love politics. And when a story about politics is told with the craft and precision that George Clooney brings to the table, in his fourth film as a director, the result is a tightly packed, crisply plotted thriller of a film. While it never necessarily reaches the soaring heights of importance it could have, it is still tremendously entertaining, and one of the best and  best-acted films of the year.

Before I get to the plot, let me just say that The Ides of March is essentially an acting all star game. In the NBA, you have Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Nowitzki, and Durant. In The Ides of March, the starting lineup is Gosling, Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giametti, and Marissa Tomei, with Evan Rachel Wood and Jeffrey Wright coming off the bench. The cast is so good in this movie that it even gets distracting at points – it’s almost like each actor wants to hit the game winning shot.

In the end, while all the actors involved score in double digits, it’s Gosling who hits the buzzer beater. Already establishing 2011 as the best year of his career in the fantastic Crazy Stupid Love, and the gritty Drive, Gosling continues his winning streak, and cool streak, as the young, assistant  presidential campaign manager Stephen Myers.

The story tips off as Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) is in a fierce political battle to win the Ohio Democratic primary as it could be the key for him to get the Democratic nomination for President. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays his campaign manager, and Gosling plays Hoffman’s assistant, who firmly believes that Morris could actually bring positive change to America if elected President. But soon, things start to slip out of control as betrayal, sex, and corruption enter into the fray. The film is essentially a morality tale about how far people will go to get what they want, and that even the best of us can be corrupted. Gosling’s character is at the center of it all.

The liberal Clooney provides us with a darkly cynical view of America’s politics – it’ll be interesting to see how much he’s involved with campaigning during the 2012 election. If you want to feel good about the people running our country, this is not the movie for you. If you’re interested in the art of lying, The Ides of March is essentially a study on the subject.

The twists and turns are unpredictable and come quickly once the story gets going – you never know exactly who to root for because just when you think one thing, something will happen to make you think differently. There are no heroes in this movie, after all it’s about politics.

Now, this isn’t the masterpiece it may look like on the surface. With a lesser cast and a director not as skilled as Clooney, Ides could have easily come off as a schlocky political melodrama. Fortunately, the cast is stellar and Clooney is a solid filmmaker, so the movie works if you go in expecting an  intelligent and entertaining 100 minutes, that could spur a good conversation about American politics.

It’s fun, it’s smart, it’s satisfying – your money will be well spent. 

Martha Marcy May Marlene Review (2011)

Director: Sean Durkin

Writer: Sean Durkin

Genre: Thriller/Drama

3.5 cookies

Glass of milk - Elizabeth Olsen

I have the privilege of being able to attend an eight-week film series this fall, where I will see a new movie each week, before it is released in theaters. Plus, at the screenings, there is often a Q & A session after the film, with someone involved with the movie such as a director, writer, actor, etc. If anyone is interested, the series is called New York Film Critics Host Coming Attractions. For the first week of this film series I saw the remarkable Sundance Film Festival hit Martha Marcy May Marlene. The guests at the screening were director Sean Durkin, and actors Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes.

            You may not have heard about this movie yet, but oh you will. Opening in New York and Los Angeles on October 21, before it expands to a nationwide release, Martha Marcy May Marlene (say that three times fast) has already taken the indie film world by storm, and is set to wreck havoc on audiences across the country.

            Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley, plays Martha, in the kind of role that creates a star. Before long, Elizabeth Olsen will be the Olsen sister, as she gives a transcendent performance worthy of all the hype it's been getting, and should receive an Oscar nomination from the Academy.  Talk about a breakout role; this role will do double for Olsen what Juno did for Ellen Page.

            The story begins with Martha escaping, one morning, from an abusive cult in upstate New York to live with her estranged sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and her sister’s new husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy). As Martha attempts to re-assimilate to normal life, after two years in the cult, she is increasingly haunted by disturbing memories and behaves in strange and inappropriate ways. The film flashes back and forth between Martha’s time in the cult and the time after her escape, while the two timelines often merge together, creating a sense of paranoia and insanity, on the part of Martha.

            The film’s quadruple M title comes from the name Martha is given when she joins the cult, which is Marcy May. The fourth M, Marlene, is another name that all female members of the cult must use when dealing with the outside world. The man responsible for bestowing the ‘Marcy May’ title upon Martha is the cult’s eerily creepy and sinister, yet somehow inviting leader, Patrick. The great character actor, John Hawkes, who was nominated for an Oscar for last year’s Winter’s Bone gives a chilling performance as the demented cult leader. In one scene, he serenades the cult with a song called “Marcy’s Song,” and Durkin allows Hawkes to play the whole song through on his accoustic guitar, which gives the audience a perfect sense of what this character is like, and what Marcy means to him; Hawkes nails this scene.

            As Martha begins to act more and more strangely at home with her sister and brother-in-law, the flashbacks become increasingly disturbing, as we witness sexual and violent acts that Martha was forced to experience during her time in the cult. This is certainly not an easy film to watch, and you may find it necessary to turn your head from the screen at certain points. Don’t go to Martha expecting to walk out feeling like rainbows and lollipops; if a color could describe a movie, Martha would be black.

            That being said, I loved about ninety percent of this movie. Durkin has crafted a brilliant thriller that gets under your skin, and makes you watch actively – meaning, you have to do some thinking during this movie. There are even certain scenes that almost reach masterpiece quality. That’s why the ending is so frustrating.

(Spoiler Alert, kind of)

            There will be much discussed about the ending to Martha, and I don’t want to give too much away, but remember the ending to The Sopranos? The packed theater I was in gave a collective “Ahhhh!!!” as the screen went dark and I don’t think this “Ah,” was a good thing. I didn’t get why the movie had to end the way it did right after I saw it, and I still don’t get it why it ended the way it did, as I write this review three days later. An ending can either completely kill a movie or completely make it – in the case of Martha, the ending definitely didn’t help.

            After the Q & A session, I had the chance to go up to Durkin and I asked him why he chose the ending. His only response was, “Whatever questions the audience have, Martha has as well.” Maybe I’m just not smart enough, but I still don’t get the ending. It felt like a cop out.

            Regardless, Marthy Marcy May Marlene is a truly amazing movie and one that I highly recommend. And judge the ending for yourself – maybe I’m just stupid – I don’t think so though.

            Also, being able to meet the director, as well as Elizabeth Olsen (who’s only 22!) and John Hawkes was awesome. They were all really friendly and cool. In real life, Hawkes is not like his character at all, and Olsen is certainly no Martha, Marcy May, or Marlene. 

Cookie Clip of the Week: The Social Network (2010)

Possibly my favorite scene from my favorite movie of last year; Eduardo's dance is better than anything you'll see in the Footloose remake this weekend...

Pizza in the Movies

I recently got my first job as a pizza delivery guy for Sparkie's Pizza (give me a good tip, please). No, I didn't get this job because I was inspired by Jesse Eisenberg in 30 Minutes or Less (Well, I kinda did). Anyway, In honor of my newly achieved employment I've decided to take a look back at my two favorite moments from  the movies, dealing with pizza.

Home Alone (1990)

When I was 10, I thought this scene was the funniest thing ever.  Now I realize that Macaulay Culkin was actually a huge asshole. First of all, he only tips the delivery guy 20 cents! This poor delivery guy has to drive in the snow, days before Christmas, and all Culkin gives him is 20 measly cents! That's ridiculous, and plain wrong. Second, joking about shooting at the delivery guy is immoral and sick. After police and taxi drivers, pizza delivery is the third highest occupation where it is most likely you will get murdered on the job. For Culkin to joke about putting a pizza delivery guy in danger is deranged. Looking back on this scene now, I think that Culkin deserved to lose his family, and I wish the robbers won at the end, instead of this sick little kid having a happy ending.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

"Learnin' about Cuba and havin' some food."

I don't think there is even a debate that this scene is the greatest pizza scene in the long and illustrious history of cinema. Who hasn't dreamed of having the bravado that Sean Penn's famous character Spicoli has here, to order a pizza to class? The pizza delivery guy in this scene is priceless; he seems to be having a classic 'my life sucks' moment as he drops in on a high school class to deliver a pizza in front of a bunch of giggling kids. Then, Spicoli's face as Mr. Hand, hands out the pizza to everyone is almost uneasy to look at, it's so funny. He seems to have an expression of horror, mixed with rage, with a tinge of sadness. Penn shouldn't have won his Oscar for Milk, he should have won it for Fast Times.

Cookie Clip of the Week: Wayne's World (1992)

In honor of the start of the NHL season...

50/50 (2011) Review

Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer: Will Reiser
Genre: Dramedy


4 cookies
Glass of milk - Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Glass of milk - Will Reiser

50/50 is a movie where the main character is diagnosed with cancer, forced to endure chemotherapy, has his girlfriend cheat on him, and eventually has to have life threatening surgery. It is also a movie where Seth Rogen gets to refer to a girl as a ‘C-word’ (which prompted the entire audience to clap and cheer), smoke and drink excessively, and make various attempts at getting laid. The genius of 50/50, written by cancer survivor Will Reiser and directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness), is how perfectly both sides of this film coincide. The title, 50/50, refers to the odds of survival that our protagonist, Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), faces when diagnosed with cancer but it could also be a reference to the two prevailing emotional reactions you will have during this film: 50 percent hilarious, 50 percent heartbreaking.

            The story, based off Reiser’s own experiences, begins when Adam is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after seeing a doctor due to back pains. His hot but bitchy girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) pretends to be supportive at first, but is in fact the complete opposite. His mother, (played brilliantly by Angelica Huston), completely freaks out, smothering Adam to the point where Adam doesn’t even want to return her calls. And his hospital assigned therapist (Anna Kendrick) is completely unprepared to deal with Adam’s problems, as he is only her third patient ever. This leaves Adam’s best friend Kyle, (Seth Rogen, essentially playing a version of himself), who supports Adam but often acts completely selfish using Adam’s cancer to score chicks for himself.

            But the characters all have much more depth than what we originally see, except for Adam’s girlfriend, who is simply a bitch. The script is miraculous, as Reiser is able to let the audience into Adam’s life and get to know the people that inhabit it.

            The supporting players wouldn’t matter though, were it not for the utterly impeccable lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. No performance has been better in 2011, and no performance will be. No superlatives can accurately describe just how good Gordon-Levitt is in 50/50, as he takes the movie into greatness territory, putting the film on his back and soaring with it; he’s in almost every scene. If there was any justice in this world Gordon-Levitt would be in serious contention for an Oscar, but since the Academy only gives Best Actor Oscars to people playing famous dead guys, he’s not even a lock for a nomination. Dear Academy members, Joseph Gordon-Levitt deserves gold for his performance in 50/50!

            Seth Rogen plays one of the most complex characters of his career (though it’s still a distinctly Rogen-esque role, meaning lots of cursing and drugs). Coming off mostly as a self-absorbed jerk of a friend, Rogen is really playing a character that doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings, and thus resorts to building a façade and acting like an immature idiot. Many of the film’s great scenes involve the back and forth banter between Adam and Kyle, and there is no way you can’t laugh out loud, whenever Rogen is onscreen.

            This is a film that could have easily veered into Lifetime Original Movie territory, but Levine is able to steer the story to a perfect balance so that it always feel real. Sure, there may be one too many shots of Adam sitting on a bus as sad music plays, but somehow even that didn’t bother me, like it would in many other movies.

            During his chemotherapy sessions, Adam befriends two other cancer patients played by Matt Frewer and the legendary Phillip Baker Hall (Magnolia), and the few scenes they share absolutely confirm that 50/50 is a no bullshit approach to cancer.

            Angelica Huston deserves Oscar consideration for her role as Adam’s mother, adding huge emotional depth to her character in the short amount of screen time she has. And Anna Kendrick, who was an Oscar nominee for her performance in Up in the Air, is…really pretty, but also really good at making us believe in the interesting therapist/patient relationship she builds with Adam.

            The cinematography avoids falling into the standard sit-com traps, which helps us be a part of the story, instead of watching it from afar. Plus, a good soundtrack and the unique Seattle setting add to the pure enjoyment I had watching this movie. At only 99 minutes, I wish that it were longer.

            50/50 will make you laugh one minute, cry the next minute, and then laugh again. Now that it’s autumn and the studios are releasing all their Oscar movies, there are many good movies to see, but if you only get to see one, you should see this. It’s my favorite movie of the year so far. 50/50 is phenomenal.