Green Room

Every so often, a film comes along that knocks your socks off. It is usually a fresh film maker, a debut creation, and something that blends the suspenseful simplicity of steady-cam pans, bare strains of music just inching the viewer toward a reaction, and raw, understated acting. It is a piece of art. Well, Jeremy Saulnier’s 2013 gem “Blue Ruin” fits that description. His sophomore effort, “Green Room” not so much.

It’s not that it was poorly done or even a bad movie, it just lacks the magic that an unexpected critically acclaimed piece of work has. There is too much pressure to perform on a follow-up with a larger budget, bigger named actors, and a compelling story. Just ask Neil Blomkamp or Duncan Jones.

“Green Room” follows an amateur punk rock quartet on their final dimes. They reluctantly accept a shady gig in the back woods of Oregon, only to find out it is a Nazi skinhead bar led by the adorable Patrick Stewart. There has been much praise for his performance out of type, but I’m here to tell you that he lacks the screen time, dialogue, or action to warrant that praise. He does a fine job, but I would call it just average, and moreover, a wasted opportunity to play a memorably despicable villain.

Anyhow, the quartet stumble into a series of unfortunate situations, and they must fight their way back to civilization. The film preys on the ordinary fears much in the way that Eli Roth has done with his gore porn variety (“Hostel”, “Green Inferno”). It is a voyeuristic glimpse of torture and violence which compounds the tension and fear, and that is where the film goes a bit off the rails.

The suspense, music, direction, acting, and even dialogue are fantastic up until the blood begins to flow. It gets really dark, really quickly and the violence tends to dilute the artistic integrity of the film. Anton Yelchin plays Pat, the bass guitarist and moral compass of the group, but as the situation becomes direr, he devolves into a primal beast himself, which is fascinating, but doesn’t entirely fit the tone of the first half hour of the film.

Macon Blair (“Blue Ruin”) is tremendous as Gabe, the manager of the Nazi bar. He effortlessly conveys his discomfort, his doubt, his fear, and his own conflicted morality as he finds himself embroiled in a situation beyond his control.

What made the film difficult to admire was how although the methods of the skinheads’ angry violence make sense when the conclusion finally comes, it is nonetheless disturbing and unnecessary. Dogs, box cutters, shotguns, and machetes. Jeremy Saulnier clearly wanted to shock audiences with this effort, and he definitely accomplished that. It is visceral, gritty, and most importantly, creepy. Very creepy.

I’m not much of a punk rock fan, but I can appreciate this story. I can appreciate just about any original story for its effort. What disappointed me most was how much buzz has been surrounding Patrick Stewart’s character. It simply wasn’t anything close to what I was hoping to experience.

This experience definitely delivers a jolt of panic and claustrophobia. If you choose to see what the buzz is about, maybe skip the popcorn; the violence will wrench your gut and make you nauseated. It will definitely satisfy the gore junkies out there though, and might even impress them with the creative use of makeup and prosthetics, but to say it is gratuitous would be an understatement. Come for the buzz, enjoy the story, and leave feeling a little bit ickier on the inside. 6/10.

Midnight Special

Brilliantly simple yet thought-provoking, Midnight Special is a low budget sci-fi film by recently impressive up and coming writer/director Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter). Like many great sci-fi films, the fiction element is transparent from the beginning. A young boy has mysterious powers that are worshiped by a cult, protected by his father, and hunted by the NSA. It isn't until the climax that we discover the source of these powers, but like many high quality predecessors, the ending is not disappointing, it is truly clever.

Led by understated performances by Michael Shannon (protective father) and Adam Driver (curious NSA analyst), the casting is sharp with young Jaeden Lieberher as the oracle and cause of national security fervor. Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, and Sam Shepherd round out the supporting cast, but the film is truly a journey of a father and son. They have a vague destination of both place and time, but the beauty is that it never really matters. The child is a misunderstood pariah, and his danger and power isn't conveyed until the very end.

I am becoming more and more impressed by originality over eye candy. Especially when it comes to science fiction. Like 10 Cloverfield Lane earlier this year, the low budget approach lets the effects and magic take a back seat to character studies and a very ponderous idea about our very existentialism. Keeping the audience in suspense is underrated, and there is a disheartening movement for films to overshare the plot points in the trailers. Admittedly hard to resist, you often know more about the film before stepping foot in the theatre than you wish you did. Midnight Special shares just enough to know that this is a special kid. Like K-Pax or ET, the wonderment is what makes it special and memorable.

I would recommend this film to any science fiction fan. It carries many of the hallmarks of great story-telling and although there is little fanfare or even special effects, it is sharp and poignant. 8/10.

The Huntsman: Winter's War

A fairy tale world where two royal sisters are fractured by tragedy, and one runs off, heartbroken, to live in a cold, icy kingdom. Wasn’t that the plot of “Frozen”? Well, it’s the plot of “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” too. Who says Hollywood isn’t coming up with any original stories? Oh, that’s right, I did.

Written by a paradigm of a screenplay raconteur, Evan Spiliotopolous (no fewer than 10 straight to DVD Disney sequels, “Wanted 2”, the recent “Hercules” reboot, the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast” reboot, the upcoming “Charlie’s Angels” reboot). The man is a writer of absolute garbage recycled material. Color me green with envy, what a brilliant gig. This is where this film falls flat on its face. The story is dreck. It is illusory to be considered a love story, when it is nothing more than a fantastic opportunity to dramatically expand a fairy tale renaissance with nearly unlimited creative control (see “Maleficent”). It could be summed up in mere sentences, which even in this genre is a bit disappointing.

This film is sort of a pre/sequel to the original “Snow White and the Huntsman” of 2012. It shows the back story of the Queen sisters and their estrangement, then fast-forwards straight past the 2012 film and picks up in the land of Snow White, conveniently keeping her out of the picture. The Huntsman’s origins are discovered and the Queen sisters feud, leading up to an inevitable showdown. That’s really about it. It’s hard to know who to root for when Chris Hemsworth’s smile is truly the only charming part of the movie.

Hemsworth reprises his role as the Huntsman in this grim Snow White spinoff with Jessica Chastain as his love, the Huntress. Snow herself is nowhere to be found (thankfully), saving us the agony of seeing two hours of Kristen Stewart doing anything, but I just couldn’t get behind his character carrying a film of this nature. Enter the dueling queens, Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt. They ooze overacting in this one, with dramatically enunciated speeches and tearful glances everywhere. Jessica Chastain joins the fray as Hemsworth’s true love, although it’s never quite the groovy kind of love that drives a more well-done vehicle effectively.

I did enjoy certain aspects of this film. For starters, it knows the limitations of its own solemnity. There is adequate comic relief, mostly from the dwarves (typical) and the mood is never too ominous or inappropriate for a mature target audience. It is treated like a fantasy film that is essentially eye candy, and not anything more, and that’s where it hits the mark. The visual effects are top-notch and stunning with a perfect amount of creature placement and liquid metal melting mirror magic that is just plain cool to watch. Charlize relishes this opportunity, and although her screen time is limited, most of her scenes are morph-tastic. And they chose to keep Kristen Stewart out of the mix.

It should come as no surprise that the director, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan is an award winning visual effects veteran, and iconic costume designer Colleen Atwood was behind the intricately created ensembles. I would estimate that this film will make the shortlist in these categories when awards season rolls around, and it is well-deserved.

The pacing is far too slow for my liking though, and there is a genuinely noticeable attempt to channel Peter Jackson with an epic and sweeping universe. It’s just not that kind of movie however. It’s unapologetically a live action “Frozen” for adults.

If you like Snow White, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Chris Hemsworth, you will definitely enjoy this film. If you detest Kristen Stewart as an actress, you will appreciate her absence. If you were a huge “Lord of the Rings” fan, you might like some of the similarities, and if you’re a film critic with an eye for effects and costume design, you will notice the exceptional work done. Otherwise, the film kind of sucks. 5/10.

Everybody Wants Some!!

The message is so urgent that it warrants two exclamation marks, but the statement is never fully clarified. What does everybody want? Is it beer? There is plenty. Sex? Enough to go around. Shenanigans and competitive hijinks? Probably. Sports? Very little. My guess is that the film title is a reference to college nostalgia. It is a trip down memory lane, much like “Dazed and Confused” was back in 1993, even for those who were born long after the era. It’s a period piece much like “Animal House” or “Almost Famous” where for two hours you might enjoy going back in time, if only for a moment.

The film is a fun trip back to 1980 where we follow a college freshman baseball player on his first weekend on campus during the days leading up to the start of the school year. Never before has so much partying been packed into three days, but somehow it is partially believable. Freshman pitcher Jake (Blake Jenner) plays a fantasy version of Richard Linklater as he learns the ways of the cool jocks at a baseball frat house somewhere in nondescript Texas. It’s full of drinking, drugs, sex, quirkily unbelievable characters, and college freshmen with inspiring and remarkable confidence with the ladies. They are the elite of America’s national pastime. Big fish that are jumping from a little pond to a much larger pond, and they are more than game for the challenge.

Dubbed the spiritual sequel to 1993’s epic 1970’s high school journey “Dazed and Confused”, it is less a sequel, and more of an attempt to relive a slightly later period of time in writer/director Richard Linklater’s youth. Conveniently set four years later, Jake is an older, wiser version of Wiley Wiggins, who played Mitch in “Dazed”. Baseball is his golden ticket, and he excels at playing the jock card with a coolness that is unfortunately not at all believable.

I liked the spunk of this film. It’s a fun comedy that has genuine hints of period nostalgia. Richard Linklater is a master of capturing the time and mood of his films, but he falls flat with dialogue and character development. This film is more of an attempt to reimagine “Dazed” than a sequel and I don’t share the other critics’ raving praise. Is it a fun 1980’s comedy? Absolutely. Are these characters destined to be iconic cult classics? Absolutely not. Glen Powell may be the only notable actor as Finn, the senior who serves as the sort of ringleader of the happy-go-lucky vibe of the film. Tyler Hoechlin plays the gruffer professional prospect, McReynolds. The yang to Finn’s Yin. They are an ensemble of characters that are a pretty entertaining troupe, but lack any sort of individual depth. There isn’t a Matthew McConaughey or Ben Affleck in the bunch. No Cole Hauser or Adam Goldberg.

I enjoyed the tone and spirit of this film immensely. I’m a sucker for youthful party flicks, they bring me back to my own wild years back in the late 1990’s. I couldn’t get behind the platitude of the genre however. Zoey Deutch plays Beverly, a freshman who is too hot, too mature, and too willing to hook up with Jake to be taken seriously. It’s really just too fantastic of a weekend and becomes more fantasy than historical fiction.

I did appreciate the effort put forth in this project however, and I can fully appreciate the actors’ craft in taking on roles of this nature. They probably had to get bad haircuts, grow mustaches, and drink a lot of cheap beer to prepare. Rough life. It’s not the masterpiece for which it was seemingly intended, but it is a passion project that pays off in the long run. If you go into it looking for some good old fashioned 1980’s comedy, it’s a really good time. If you’re looking for something deeper, you will be disappointed. 7/10.

Hardcore Henry

Anyone who has played a first-person shooter video game knows the drill: You are introduced to the objective through a video narrative, then you are set loose to explore, kill, maim, and upgrade your weapons. Then there is a short break in the action with another video narrative, then the violence continues. “Hardcore Henry” is essentially a first-person shooter video game, but unfortunately, the viewer has no control over the absurdity that explodes like one of Gallagher’s watermelons all over the screen.

After a pretty clever intro montage that is stylized like a James Bond sequence, only full of slow-motion acts of gratuitous violence, Henry wakes up in a lab. Unable to speak, the nodding of the camera makes it seem as if we, the audience are Henry. Pretty cool idea, but it devolves quickly. We are given a quick explanation of his situation, but it truly isn’t enough to explain some of the more grandiose sci-fi ideas attached to the story, and frankly, I didn’t even care to learn more. I came for the stunt work, the Go-Pro perspective, and some martial arts. I wasn’t disappointed in that regard.

Henry is basically a lab-created Robocop, but he’s not a cop, and we never see anything more than his tattooed arms and his blood-splattered white tennis shoes. We never learn anything about his past, or his personality, and he never gains a voice. He handles weapons like a pro however, and follows the narrative prompts of his guide, Jimmy (Sharlto Copley) who is honestly the only truly redeeming part of the film. Jimmy continues to show up time and time again in different forms, and what begins as a head-scratching experience is explained by the end, although to call it ridiculous and disappointing would be an understatement.

Henry’s rampage of super-violence takes him through checkpoint after checkpoint, much like a Call of Duty mission. He plays with no fewer than a dozen different types of weapons throughout the way, expending countless rounds and lobbing grenades like they are candy, cutting through the foot soldiers on his way to rescuing his damsel in distress, and ultimately facing off against his nemesis in the final battle.

The antagonist, Akan (Danila Koslovsky) is a long-haired Russian albino with a non-descript accent, an eerie resemblance to Crispin Glover, and superpowers. We are never filled in on the back story of the powers, and because everything else about this film is ultra-realistic, I was perplexed. Sarcasm. The attempt at first-person realism is thwarted by the abstract half-baked science fiction plot and I left more confused than I probably should have, but it didn’t matter. I got what I paid for.

Novice writer/director Ilya Naishuller takes a page from producer Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”, “Nightwatch”) in this fully-automatic Gatling gun-shredded carnival of carnage. It is nonsense at worst, and is a Russian “Rumble in the Bronx” at best. Let me explain. “Rumble” introduced America to Jackie Chan back in 1995. It was innovative and quirky, and brought Hong Kong action into mainstream Hollywood. “Hardcore Henry” does the same thing with a Russian style. It is definitely something different than the norm and will likely be a trailblazer to a new genre of action (depending on the box office take).

The low point for me was just before the final fight. Henry is surrounded by an army of white-clad clones, all of them looking like Klitchko brothers, indistinguishable from each other. They start to fight, and Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” comes on, completely ruining the song for me from this day on. What was once reserved for eighth grade graduations and inspirational slideshows has been tarnished and will now have me associating Henry shooting, stabbing, and blowing up hundreds of stuntmen with a 1970’s classic rock anthem. Thanks Ilya.

All that said, there is a place for this film. I can admire the originality and ambition. I can admire the range of acting that Sharlto Copley demonstrates. I can admire the vision of the director. That’s about it. Your teenage boys and twenty-something stoners who are adept at video games will love this film. For everyone else, it’s like eating too much Indian food; it’s delicious at the time, but leaves you full of deep regret and indigestion. 3/10.