Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Tom Cruise shows again why he is still one of the best action stars in Hollywood. Love him or hate him for his personal life, he absolutely shines as Ethan Hunt, point man for the IMF. At 49 years old, he has the body and spirit of someone half his age. He loves to take his shirt off, and loves to do that goofy looking, intense run that seems to happen in all of his movies. However, he owns action at this point. Doing his own stunts including a walk outside the world's highest tower in Dubai, the 2,700 foot tall Burj Khalifa is just another day for Cruise.

In the fourth installment of the MI franchise, Brad Bird takes over the camera from veterans Brian De Palma, John Woo, and most recently, JJ Abrahms. Abrahms tagged along as an executive producer on this film, but Brad Bird is dipping his toes into live action films for the first time, having worked with Pixar on films such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille. He hits it out of the park on this one, and will be working behind the camera for as long as he wants from here on out.

The story is as irrelevant as any of the other MI films, but the gadgets, action sequences, and secret agent infiltration scenes create a palpable tension as the clock keeps ticking down and sweat beads form as their discovery is constantly imminent. There's something about a rogue mercenary trying to set off a nuclear device, and a renewed cold war. It really doesn't matter though. When you see a film like this, you want to be wowed, and the unbelievable scenarios that come up are slightly realistic, but completely extravagant at the same time. It's pure cinematic bliss.

Ethan Hunt's team is brilliantly assembled, with Simon Pegg as the comic relief (an not overly done), Paula Patton as the sizzling female agent with a vendetta, and Jeremy Renner as the mysterious analyst with a secret. There is a nice balanced performance by all, but the spotlight shines on Hunt. Each supporting cast member plays his or her part nicely, and they all exhibit particular strengths that complement each other.

There is speculation that Renner is readying up to take over the franchise, but I don't buy that. He's taking over as a new character in a spinoff to the Jason Bourne franchise starting this upcoming summer, and I see Cruise coming back at least once more as Agent Hunt. He seems to relish the action, and let's be honest, with the reviews it's getting and the box office draw, Cruise and Abrams would be stupid not to shoot another one. Bird would obviously be the ideal director.

There are so many action scenes packed into this, that they had to do a little montage beforehand to explain the entire plot of the film. What works is that there were probably six or seven different scenes that happen in rapid succession, just non-stop from start to finish. The end of the film is a bit unbelievable (come on, can you hold it against them?) and compared with the action in the first half, the second half doesn't quite live up to the expectation, but these are petty complaints.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to see MI: Ghost Protocol before its run in IMAX is over. It's the best action film of the year, which makes me scratch my head why it was released Christmas and not 4th of July. Either way, well worth the trip to the theatre. 10/10.

Young Adult

The reteaming of Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman leads to a dark comedy starring the gorgeous and talented Charlize Theron as a narcissistic, alcoholic, and depressed young adult fiction writer who is caught up in her fictional drama and returns to her small Minnesota town to wreck the marriage of her old high school flame.

It has the sharp wit of Juno, and the sad, pseudo-sympathetic tone of Up in the Air, Young Adult takes on a bit more of the awkward edge, focusing on embarrassing broken social mores and the aging realization of a life that peaked with the fleeting hyperbole of high school popularity.

Charlize Theron is great in the spotlight. Constantly drinking, primping, and carrying the arrogant attitude that she is better than everyone around her, all the while making the viewer cringe at her lack of self-awareness. The film culminates in a great scene of public humiliation, but Theron's Mavis Gary is unaware that she is the one who looks like an idiot. It is very Rachel Getting Married, and is a great punctuation mark on her absurd quest for an impossible life.

What makes Young Adult work is that the character has depth considering how shallow she is. What I mean is that beneath the veneer of confidence and callousness is a frightened, insecure woman. She uses her sexuality as a cover, and in a rather touching climax to the film, she opens up to an old acquaintance who she demeaned in high school (played surprisingly well by Patton Oswalt).

The old flame, Buddy, played by Patrick Wilson, is a happy-go-lucky guy with a wife and a kid, who just seems oblivious to the ruse that Mavis is trying to play. Wilson doesn't seem to have much range, but plays the everyman with ease. He'll be sharing screen time with Theron again in this summer's Prometheus, which should be quite a trip.

Jason Reitman has certainly carved his niche. The dark romantic melocomedy. He's establishing himself as a bonafide artist, surpassing his father's legacy of comic fluff (expect a revival as Ghostbusters III is on the table). He is destined for a long career in directing, and will win himself an Oscar or more by the time he gives up the camera.

Diablo Cody, who exploded on the scene as the stripper-turned-writer of Juno, has redeemed herself from the debacle that was Jennifer's Body (you can't blame her for trying) and proved that she isn't just a flash in the pan. She has a lot of material to share, and teaming with Sam Raimi in the Evil Dead remake might be a genius move over the next couple of years.

Overall, the film hit a nerve for anyone who's thought about going back to old high school relationships. It grabs onto the coattails of the Facebook generation and kicks it up a notch with the fuel of alcohol, OCD, depression, and a bit of outer beauty. An entertaining film for sure, but brace yourself for a bit of a melancholy ride. 7/10.

My Week With Marilyn

There have been many reiterations of Marilyn Monroe throughout the years, but the iconoclast simply can't be replicated very easily, despite what Hugh Hefner thinks. Michelle Williams is simply mesmerizing as the buxom beauty, and embodies the darker, more fragile side of the woman who captured so many hearts. For the most famous star in the world, she manages to make you actually feel sorry for her by the end of the film.

My Week With Marilyn chronicles the filming of the movie The Prince and the Showgirl, which conveniently led to both Monroe's, and Sir Laurence Olivier's most critically acclaimed work over the subsequent years. The narration is through the eyes of young starstruck Colin Clark, who served as the third assistant director, and wrote the documentary titled The Prince, the Showgirl and Me in 2004.

Without Williams, this film would be nothing more than a British feel-good biopic, but with her, it is magical. The look, the voice, and the mannerisms do more than just show the star working on her craft and yearning for love; she transforms herself into the captivating enigma, and illuminates the screen in verisimilitude.

The rest of the cast blends into the background with the exception of Kenneth Branagh, who plays Olivier, and Dame Judi Dench, who plays Sybil Thorndike, a veteran, yet kind and understanding support for Monroe on set.

The film spans the filming of the Prince and the Showgirl, and at first take, we are taken aback by the behavior of Marilyn; forgetting her lines, showing up late, and basically being a living, breathing nightmare for Olivier in his quest to become a highly regarded film director.

As it progresses however, we see another side of Monroe. One that is quite tender and evokes empathy. She was not a happy and healthy woman. She was the epitome of what every man wanted, and she lived that burden as long as she possibly could, but all she ever really wanted was to genuinely be loved, and it was impossible for her to find that.

Williams will add a third Oscar nomination to her credit for her portrayal. It is absolutely brilliant. She stands a very good chance of winning at this point as well, but you always have to look out for Meryl Streep (the Iron Lady). This film was a great choice for her, and is in line with edgy, difficult roles, for which she is becoming accustomed. It has taken me some time, but I'm on the Michelle Williams bandwagon, and feel she's one of the best actresses out there. Her work last year in Blue Valentine was painfully authentic. I look forward to her future work very much.

Despite the conveyance of such strong emotional turmoil, mostly below the surface, this is a pretty upbeat film with much simplicity. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but don't see much in terms of Oscar buzz except for Williams and perhaps a bone to Branagh if the competition doesn't edge him out. If you're a fan of Hollywood history and sex symbols, this is a must see. 8/10.

The Descendants

Maybe the theme of The Descendants came a little too close and too soon, but the story of a family coping with the impending death of their matriarch is touching and emotional with just the right amount of levity to make it very entertaining but not too despondent.

there is definitely a melancholy feel to Alexander Payne's first full length feature since the critically acclaimed Sideways. He paints a very real picture without delving too deeply in the intricacies of the relationships. Everything remains very cursory, but it doesn't diminish the quality of the story whatsoever. Let me explain. George Clooney's character, Matt King, and his two daughters played by Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller are thrown into the grieving process when their wife and mother has a sudden accident, leaving her in a fatal coma. They haven't had quite enough time to fully comprehend the finality of things, so each of them are at different stages; denial, anger, and depression.

Clooney is a wealthy descendant of Hawaiian property owners, and he is going through a large scale deal that would make all of the members of the extended family extremely rich, but would destroy the history and legacy of the family in the process. The timing of this deal is unfortunate at best, as his wife is just days from her own death, but the situation brings him closer to his two girls, and they all manage to cope in their own ways.

This film has generated considerable buzz, and from all angles is a legitimate Oscar contender. The film, Clooney, Payne, and Woodley will more than likely earn nominations in their respective categories, but I'm not sure there is enough substance beyond the reflective sincerity of the story. Clooney continues to prove that he is one of the best actors around, generating tears and laughs on demand, but more impressive is his choice of films. Syriana, Michael Clayton, Up in the Air, and now this all in the last six years. He chooses strong characters and really seems to immerse himself in his roles, even if they look easy for him.

Woodley makes a bold impression as his oldest daughter who drops a bombshell on him that both rocks the family, but also makes him reevaluate what's important in his life and reconnects him to his progeny. She will receive the breakthrough attention this year that Haylee Steinfeld did last year as a young actress. The supporting cast is fine, with sparkles by Robert Forster and Matthew Lillard as the father of the dying woman, and her affair.

Set amid the beauty of Oahu, Hawaii, and Kauai, the scenery is beautiful and you can just imagine leading an unremarkable life in a tropical paradise. That is part of the magic of this film. Ordinary People in Paradise is a more appropriate title.

We all go through family tragedies, and experience difficult times when least expected, but The Descendants shows that it's okay to release the emotions that come with those hard times, and accept the emotional release of others. It's a wonderful film paced nicely and there is an unmistakable influence of Payne, with a little hint of Jason Reitman. This may be the future model of the dramedy, and I like it. 9/10.

J. Edgar

J. Edgar Hoover was the driving force behind the establishment of the FBI in the early 1920's, and his vision helped the agency grow with forensic science and a national database as the key innovations behind his rise to power. He controlled Washington for nearly 40 years, intimidating Presidents, and taking credit for changing the way we view federal crimes today. He is an inspiring, driven man who is probably better known for being a closet homosexual than anything else. It's a story ripe for film depiction.

Clint Eastwood's latest is a biopic look at one of the most influential crime fighters in the history of the United States. It is delicately put together in a screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, and acted terrifically by Leonardo DiCaprio. It's truly an all star team, but the film doesn't quite take off the way you might expect.

It was a departure from Eastwood's recent critically acclaimed films, and frankly is a bit of a departure from his typical style as well. He seems to be entering the biopic genre with Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, the Changeling, and Invictus recently made, but this seems a bit more overt than those. I miss the late 90's and early 2000's Eastwood films, clearly his prime; The plot twists or pivotal endings after careful development of likable and real characters. The simplicity of dialogue, tone, and music. OK, the music was very much Eastwood. Single piano key strokes in a very deliberate and whimsical manner.

The mood and scope of this film seemed a bit too large for Eastwood, and it showed at times. J. Edgar is a historical epic production, spanning decades with interwining subplots and monumental events and figures. Some of the casting was questionable, but that is another review for another time. Because of the vast time shift, it was necessary to choose between employing other actors, using CGI, or using old-fashioned makeup. Eastwood chose the latter, and it never quite seemed real enough for me. It reminded me of Johnny Knoxville of Jackass fame when he dons the old man suit, and that's not a good thing. Particularly, Armie Hammer's makeup was atrocious. His actions seemed almost comedic and satiric rather than biographical.

I had very high hopes for this film, and was impressed with how much respect and restraint exuded from the film. With so much rumor and supposition as to the demeanor, the agenda, and the personal sexual proclivities of the enigmatic man, he was portrayed in a very positive light despite his flaws or eccentricities.

For his part, DiCaprio did a very nice job which should garner an Oscar nomination this year. The rest of the cast was simply mediocre, and blurred into the background, even the much hyped Armie Hammer who played Clyde Tolson, Hoover's alleged unrequited gay lover. I appreciate the story for what it was, but it was not overwhelmingly well-done or fantastic.

Eastwood hasn't publicly stated his intentions for future projects, but I am always game for watching a film he has made. At this stage of his career, any film may be his last, and I appreciate the honesty and Hollywood magic that his movies seem to hold. An American filmmaking icon to say the least.

I would actually consider passing on this one, unless you have a burning interest in American history, DiCaprio films, or the justice system. Fortunately for me, I do have an interest in all 3 of them, so I give it 8/10.

The Thing

The requel (That's right, I invented the word for remake/prequel) to the 1982 John Carpenter classic of the same name is rife with next generation creature effects, but the story can't decide if it's a prequel, or a remake. The story follows the exact same formula as the 1982 gem, but throws a not-so-convincing Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and an underwhelming Joel Edgerton in the lead roles. Kurt Russell they are not.

The story takes place showing the events leading up to Carpenter's version, with a mysterious craft and creature found in the barren wastelands of Antarctica. A team of researchers extricate the creature, and celebrate the scientific find, all the while oblivious to the fact that it is malicious by nature. It thaws and wreaks havoc on the research base until the onus of responsibility to prevent its total global annihilation falls on one woman. A paleontologist. Pretty much your standard creature flick.

The film climaxes much like its predecessor, but you can tell that they are trying to be clever and original. There are not-so-subtle hints at foreshadowing earlier on in the film, and you might miss them, but there was absolutely no surprise. Unfortunately, the final scene plays out in your mind about 30 seconds before it hits the screen. Total letdown.

The cast is mostly Scandinavian, and they look like the rough and tumble bunch that joined Kurt nearly 30 years ago. The one bright spot is Eric Christian Olsen, who I really like as an actor. He can't be taken too seriously, but has underrated comic chops. His demise is particularly chilling in an otherwise unimpressive array of gruesome special effects deaths.

The fun of the film isn't quite as present as it should. The "ten little indians" story where nobody knows who to trust, and everyone dies one by one, but you just don't know when or by whom doesn't quite hold weight because you just don't really care that much as a viewer. There are a few jumpy moments (intentional), but this film is about money and action more than fear and science fiction.

Winstead tries a bit too hard to channel her inner Sigourney Weaver, but she simply fails. Edgerton, who was so great in Warrior, doesn't do much of anything with his role as the helicopter pilot who gets sucked into the fray.

Kudos to the visual effects team, who create one nasty monster, and who put some disturbing images up on the screen. Shame on the writers, however, for destroying a perfectly ripe franchise opportunity.

As a huge fan of the Carpenter version, I was disappointed in the lack of originality to the new rendition. There are so many areas of opportunity with this franchise, and with new technology, I was really expecting quite a bit more than I got.

It's a fun way to spend an hour and a half, but it doesn't live up to its legacy, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone other than a Carpenter fan or someone who truly appreciates creature flicks. 5/10.