Susan Hated Literature

Writ & Dir: Emilio Estevez

• Harry Belafonte - Nelson
• Nick Cannon - Dwayne
• Emilio Estevez - Tim Fallon
• Laurence Fishburne - Edward Robinson
• Heather Graham - Angela
• Anthony Hopkins - John Casey
• Helen Hunt - Samantha
• Joshua Jackson - Wade
• Ashton Kutcher - Fisher
• William H. Macy - Paul
• Demi Moore - Virginia Fallon
• Freddy Rodríguez - José
• Martin Sheen - Jack
• Christian Slater - Timmons
• Sharon Stone - Miriam
• Jacob Vargas - Miguel
• Elijah Wood - William
• David Krumholtz - Phil

As you can see from that impressive cast list, this is a bit of an ensemble film, which means it runs the risk of the audience not caring about the characters. And I’m afraid it failed. I just didn’t care about any of them.

And the story itself was a whole heap of nothingness. I mean, I’m sure that it may have an impact on people who lived through the time, or for those who are big fans of Bobby Kennedy, but as a film it just didn’t work. It tried far too hard to push through some big message, but ended up coming over as heavy-handed, irrelevant and, to be blunt, crap. The various stories of the different characters are un-engaging. The acting is all fine, but the characters themselves are pointless. Pointless and boring. I kept hoping for it to end.

What did work was the insertion of clips of RFK, but to be honest, while I liked watching them I found it impossible to actually listen to anything that Bobby was saying. Maybe it was because I was so bored with the film, I don’t know.

Maybe it is because I don’t know anything about Bobby Kennedy, but this film did nothing but make me yawn. Then again, the film isn’t really about Bobby, it is about the people of the time and the affect he had on them. Everyone seemed to love him, or at least everyone in the film did, considering the fact that he got assassinated I’m sure someone must have disliked him. The film is a snapshot of one day in these various people’s lives, but that is it, there is nothing to focus on, or think about, or engage with. I just didn’t care about anything that happened.

Sure the ending works, but not because you care about any of the characters, but simply because it is people getting shot and panicking in a realistic manner. And of course because you know that this is all based on the truth.

Final verdict? Don’t bother with it. It’s crap.

IMDb | Cinematical | Edward Copeland on Film | Black Sheep Reviews

Tags: 1960s, 2 Stars, Anthony Hopkins, Ashton Kutcher, assassin, Bobby, Bobby Kennedy, Bored Now!, Christian Slater, David Krumholtz, Demi Moore, Elijah Wood, Emilio Estevez, ensemble cast, Freddy Rodríguez, Harry Belafonte, Heather Graham, Helen Hunt, Jacob Vargas, Joshua Jackson, Laurence Fishbourne, Martin Sheen, Nick Cannon, politics, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy

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Write & dir: David Ayer

• Christian Bale - Jim David
• Freddy Rodríguez - Mike Alvarez
• Tammy Trull - Marta
• Eva Longoria - Sylvia

I’m not all that sure how to describe this film. If you’ve seen Training Day you may have a general idea of the tone; gritty and violent. But this isn’t about corrupt cops, although Bale’s character, Jim does aspire to “serve his country� in that role. Jim is an ex-soldier, a veteran, and the film opens on one of his dreams as he flashes back to a night battle and bloodshed.

His best friend, Mike, is supposed to be looking for a job, with Jim driving him around the city so he can deliver his CVs. Then Jim discovers that the L.A police department regrets to inform him he no longer meets their criteria. Or some other phrase that means he is out. And he is not happy. Cue an anger attack as he sits in the car waiting for the lights to change, and then he almost assaults the driver of the car waiting next to him

Well adjusted, and the type you’d like as your neighbourhood cop… somehow I doubt it.

Because of this disapointment Jim decides he needs to get fucked up. He’s been living pure since he began to apply for police jobs, but he doesn’t need to any longer. And so we get to see a day of drugs and drink and guns. And let’s not forget calling Mike’s “old lady� and pretending to be arranging interviews, pretending that Mike’s spent his time wisely instead of drinking and robbing drug dealers.

All through this Bale plays a thoroughly dislikable character. He is rude, sexist, violent, uncaring, and clearly has issues. But at the same time he is somehow charming. The bad boy with the vulnerable side maybe? One of those characters you know you it’d be horrible to actually know, but on screen you can almost see the positives. An asshole, there is no doubt, but an asshole that could be more.

There is a certain amount of repetition in the middle of the film. Violence and drinking, drug-taking and drinking, then a little more violence. This causes the middle section to lose some focus and coherence, and it starts to drag a little. And at just under two hours the film does seem a little long, however I can see the purpose behind the repetition. It really establishes the bond between Jim and Mike, between Mike and Sylvia, and the differences, the mood swings and rages that are part of Jim.

Watching the audience must know that it can’t end well. But despite the foreboding the nature of the ending is still somewhat of a shock. And it does redeem the middle section. I can’t recommend it unreservedly, but it does deserve to be seen. Possibly just to witness Bale’s acting; he has an ability to truly inhabit a character. In The Machinist he took it to physical limits, here is is excellent as Jim, a character that seems to be two opposing people in the one body. There is the rage filled being, prepared to kill anyone, pop pop and move on, just like in the army. Don’t think about it. And yet he is also a friend who cares about Mike, a man who loves his girlfriend. In another actor either aspect could have been over played, but Bale is utterly convincing.

IMDb | DarkMatters | Movie Reviews for Greedy Capitalist Bastards

Tags: 1916 Rising, 8 Stars, Christian Bale, crime, David Ayer, Eva Longoria, Freddy Rodríguez, great acting, gritty, Harsh Times, police, ptsd, Tammy Trull, violent

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Writ & dir: M. Night Shyamalan

• Paul Giamatti - Cleveland Heep
• Bryce Dallas Howard - Story
• Jeffrey Wright - Mr. Dury
• Bob Balaban - Mr. Farber
• Sarita Choudhury - Anna Ran
• Cindy Cheung - Young Soon
• Freddy Rodríguez - Reggie

This is an odd film. A very odd film.

Ever since The Sixth Sense Shyamalan has been known as the “twist guy” for his film endings; I don’t think that is a fair description. And while you can say that Unbreakable, Signs and The Village all had twists to their endings, the twists weren’t all that important. The films were stories about people, truth, and finding out who you are. The Lady in the water continues in this vein, but at the same time it is a very different type of film. As Shyamalan has said, it is a bedtime story. A fairy tale, for children. So it is, of course, going to be more simplistic and yet at the same time it is more complicated than that.

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Tags: 8 Stars, Bob Balaban, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cindy Cheung, drama, faerie, Freddy Rodríguez, humour, Jeffrey Wright, Lady in the Water, M. Night Shyamalan, nymph, Paul Giamatti, Sarita Choudhury, sff, simplistic, weird

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Dir: Wolfgang Petersen
Writ: Mark Protosevich & novel by Paul Gallico

• Kurt Russell - Robert Ramsey
• Josh Lucas - Dylan Johns
• Richard Dreyfuss - Richard Nelson
• Jacinda Barrett - Maggie James

You know this was a surprisingly entertaining film. Okay, so the plot was wafer-thin, and the characters not so defined, and the opening shot of the boat incredibly boring, but ignore all that and instead enjoy the multiple deaths, the explosions, and possibly the world’s worst actor. Well maybe in other roles Andre Braugher isn’t too bad, I don’t know, I haven’t seen him in anything, but in his role as Captain he is totally unbelievable and deserves his fate for his lack of ability to deliver a line.

But back to the fun nonsense, because that is what this film is all about. Wondering who will make it, and who won’t. And more importantly how won’t they. Now the death count of the “core group” isn’t as high as a horror film, because this isn’t horror, it is a disaster movie, but there is still plenty of stunts and death along the way.

You know the plot right? Big ship, starts to sink, small band determined to fight their way out. A task made more difficult because the boat has been turned upside down by the rogue wave that hit them.

Fun, pointless and funny, although I’m not sure if they meant to be, I’d recommend this film for some totally mindless entertainment.

IMDb | Film School Rejects | The Man Blog | Samizdisandat

Tags: 4 Stars, action, based on book, based on previous film, crap, disaster, Freddy Rodríguez, Jacinda Barrett, Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Mark Protosevich, mindless fun, Paul Gallico, Poseidon, Richard Dreyfuss, special effects, Wolfgang Petersen

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