Fantasic Mr.Fox

"Fantastic Mr.Fox"
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson.
Grade: B

Wes Anderson has stuck to his vision and created another entertaining, if not thoroughly engaging film. While his better films reside in the first half of his career, Mr. Fox is certainly an upgrade over the emotionally tepid, "The Darjeeling Limited." This is Anderson's first go around with animation, and it results in a nice, and delightful fit.

George Clooney, who is appearing in almost everything these days, voices Mr.Fox, the cunning and witty husband to Mrs.Fox, who is voiced fittingly by Meryl Streep. Their angst ridden young son Ash, is voiced by Jason Schwartzman, an Anderson regular. As we are first introduced, these three are living in a pleasant and suitable tree that is in close proximity to three nasty and intolerable farmers who all own different goods that interests Mr.Fox. Fox looks to formulate heist plans to infiltrate the farmers land.

Mr. Fox's goal is to outsmart and outmaneuver his 3 neighbors, while trying not to put his family and friends in danger. Anderson creates maps and title cards to show the proximity of Fox and his neighbors. The cat and mouse game gets remains witty, but slowly stalls out as the film goes on. The dialogue is laugh to yourself throughout, but that's obviously what Anderson is going for. The biggest strength the film possesses is it's detailed and lush visuals.

Without going further, Mr. Fox is George Clooney, they're the same person. Anderson did a great job with the casting. Clooney brings his quick witted snappy comments, and his charm to the role, as Streep plays his disapproving, yet loving wife. The family are angst ridden, and striving for more, especially the un-coordinated Ash who can't live up to the hype of his athletic cousin Kristofferson who Mr. Fox admires. Anderson presents the family, plot, and all of the episodic events in his usual storytelling manor, this is clever, yet repetitive.

The animation is what makes the film appealing. Anderson litters each frame with minute and impressive detail to enhance his vision. While the film is PG, it certainly appeals to all audiences, much in the same vein as many other animated films this year. It appears that Anderson has sacrificed very little, as the film is trademark Anderson.

Many other Anderson usual's appear, including Bill Murray voicing a badger, Willem Dafoe as a villainous rat, and Owen Wilson as a gym-teacher. While Anderson certainly does his best to cross his style of film-making with animation, the film stalls at certain points and loses it's sudden charm which is laid on thick and convincingly in the first half.

I'm not sure whether Anderson is growing as a film-maker, but this different approach can't hurt his career, which needed an immediate boost. While Mr.Fox isn't as good as it's title says, it possesses enough wit, charm, and surprises for any age to admire. While the material is harmlessly adapted, it feels more light than forgettable by the time the film ends.

George Washington

"George Washington"
Starring: Donald Holden, Curtis Cotton III, Paul Schneider, Candace Evanofski
Grade: B+

David Gordon Green's debut film evokes much of the same stylistic choices as legendary auteur Terence Malick. While Green is certainly influenced by Malick, Green brings his own aesthetic choices to the table. The film centers around young adolescents in a run down Southern town. It's Summer, and a young boy named Buddy has just had his heart broken by Nasia, who's a year younger than Buddy, but is looking for a more mature man. Nasia narrates the film, admiring her friends and the way they live, express, and remain mysterious. This particular Summer will change all of them.

George is the hero of the film, he has a disorder in which his head is very delicate, much like a baby's. He can't go into water, but saves a young kid one day from drowning. While this occurs about halfway through the film, it could have taken place at any other moment and felt just as true. The narrative weaves in and out of the daily occurrences of these kids. Most of the time they're doing nothing, but that's sort of the point. Green looks to capture the everyday nothingness of this Summer, but as these characters grow they'll realize how memorable this Summer was.

One day, something happens, it doesn't take place as a plot twist, but as something natural and inevitable. The film goes on in the same manner, but the loss of innocence and the realization of guilt rings true with the viewer. These types of films are my favorite, there is no trace of plot, but many ideas and plentiful scenes. Green has such a keen eye for the beauty among the broken. The film is littered with gorgeous, elegiac images that speak the most to the influence of Malick. What also stands out is the how Green's narrative switches gears on a dime, dropping in on minor characters to the most important at any time.

This film reminds me of a more recent film I watched called "Ballast." Both films were debut's for there directors that convey poor youths experiencing life's mysterious and hardships through run down social climates. I don't know what attracts me to these type of films, but both were excellent in there attempts to make it's viewer feel as if they lived among these kids, and felt what they felt.

The Ice Storm

"The Ice Storm"
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Sigourney Weaver, Elijah Wood
Grade: B+

Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm" is a prime example of an American film. The film chronicles the Thanksgiving festivities of two upper middle class families in Connecticut during the Watergate scandal, which is ever present on TV's in the background of more than a few scenes.

Ben played by Kevin Kline is married to Elena played by Joan Allen. They've recently dropped out of marriage counseling, and both are on the edge of infidelity. They're two kids played by Tobey Maguire and Christina Ricci are young, curious, and are experimenting with drugs, and the opposite sex. The other family is the Carvers, the parents played by Sigourney Weaver and Henry Czerny. They have two boys, both of whom are interested in Ricci's character.

The film takes place over a long Thanksgiving weekend. The weather is nasty, and as the sins of the parents and kids gets worse, the weather worsens. There is no general plot, but an insight into the infidelities of parents, and struggles of growing up on kids. There are no main characters, but every character has there own dynamic scene where they're spotlighted. This isn't an ensemble drama as it might read like one. "The Ice Storm" exists on many levels. It has a dreary and morbid undercurrent as it goes along, but it's also funny. Consider the scene in which awkward sexual advances are being made by two kids of each the families. A parents walks in, and one of the kids is wearing a Nixon mask.

Ang Lee gets the best out of his actors, Kline and Allen are particularly strong. The kids all hold there own, they're feelings and character developments are just as important as the adults. "The Ice Storm" is a fluid drama at 120 minutes, but there is a late plot development that is maybe too dark for the stories own good. All in all, this is a very good film.

Zombieland

"Zombieland"
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Grade: B

Zombieland exists in the sub-genre of Zombie films, with other films like Shaun of The Dead and Fido coming before this one, Zombieland adds it's own twist and originality to the genre. It plays as a Zombie film survival guide as the lead character stresses many rules as they pop up as text throughout the film. Never go in bathrooms, the importance of cardio when fleeing from Zombies, never being a hero, etc.

Jesse Eisenberg plays Columbus, an anxiety fueled teen who models the actions and expressions of every role Michael Cera has ever played. Eisenburg is a good actor, but his roles can be classified as poor man Michael Cera roles. Columbus tells the audience that most of country has been destroyed in a comic book type Apocalypse manner. While the film certainly isn't bleak, there's humor in the decay of the country.

Columbus soon teams up with an eccentric redneck who has a pension for Twinkies, this man is Tallahassee, played by Woody Harrerlson. They're complete opposites, but mutual survivors of this zombie plague. Tallahassee demonstrates his despise of zombies throughout the film, much to Columbus' disgust. The duo run into a couple of female con-artist sisters played by Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone. The duo becomes a foursome after some small plot twists and don't get along all of a sudden.

The characters each have separate destinations, as Columbus looks to get home, Tallahassee seeks out fresh Twinkies, which serves as a re-occurring and awkward subplot, and the sisters look to find safety in California. The film is fun, scary at times, and breezy at 85 minutes, but the last act suffers from lazy writing and plot conventions. Throughout the film we learn small tidbits about the characters through flashbacks, some of which succeed in being funny, some of which are filler.

There's a great cameo about halfway through that shouldn't be spoiled. Some may guess who it will be at a certain point, but the build up and the outcome of the situation may be the funniest scene of the whole year. More than half of the film is predictable, and while the humor isn't always there, it's fun being in the company of the characters for most of the run-time. Zombieland doesn't represent the best of it's own genre, but there's enough blood, laughs, and gags to serve it's purpose.

The Box

"The Box"
Starring: James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella
Grade: B-

Richard Kelly has had a rocky career thus far. His first film Donnie Darko, was a surprise hit amongst critics, and an even bigger hit amongst fans, the film now ranks as a huge cult classic. His 2nd film, Southland Tales, was a disaster, and ranks as one of the worst films from 2007. Now, Kelly has written and directed The Box. A small scaled Twilight Zone esque thriller which features interesting concepts, and a few good performances.

The film stars James Marsden and Cameron Diaz as Arthur and Norma, a young Virginia couple in the 1970's. They have a son who is old enough to be embarrassed as his mom hugs and kisses him just seconds before the school bus arrives. Norma is a school teacher and Arthur is an up and coming pilot for NASA. One night a package is dropped off on their doorstep. The couple open it and find a wooden box with a red button inside. They don't know what it is, only that a man named Arlington Steward left it for them.

Steward is played by the great Frank Langella, a graceful actor whom appears as a hideous old man in this film. He is dressed in a suit at all times, but bears a hideous burn on his left cheek. The man appears the next day with a proposition, press the button, and the couple will receive $1 million dollars from Steward; the catch, someone, somewhere, will instantly die.

The concept of the box may seem like a cheap plot device stolen from other movies. But, Kelly is too smart and lets the film unfold gradually until the 2nd half where all hell breaks loose in the family's perfect little world. The film carries a bleak and mysterious tone which consistently works throughout. Kelly isn't concerned with building mood, but his score and first half pacing are on point.

The film blends human morality with sci-fi, NASA, bloody noses, prosthetic feet, creepy banquet waiters, Christmas, awful 70's wallpaper, and whatever else Kelly has thrown at the audience. While the film wasn't made for the performances, Marsden contributes a credible role to his filmography, with Langella playing a sinister mystery man. Diaz is serviceable, but feels slightly miscast. The film may stumble at times, exposing the jumbled narrative, but Kelly's vision is held intact until the final minutes. The Box is a mildly entertaining head-scratcher, which stands as the year's biggest guilty pleasure.

The Men Who Stare at Goats

"The Men Who Stare at Goats"
Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey
Grade: C-

With all of the talent surrounding this political satire, one would think a moderately good, if not great final product could be produced. This is not the case with Goats, which runs at 90 minutes, feels too long by 10-15 minutes. One could question that the script and ideas portrayed on the film are too shallow, or even not executed right to warrant a good film. But why not, the talented actors alone should be enough to make a solid comedy, something doesn't add up here.

Ewan McGregor plays Bob, a divorced journalist who wants to cover something important and groundbreaking to gain back the respect of his wife, whom has left him for a less than suitable man. Bob stumbles upon a secret military uniform that was based out of Fort Bragg in the 60's in which soldiers were trained and taught to become "Jedi Warriors." Not only did McGregor himself play a Jedi in Star Wars, but the lame inside joke between the filmmakers and the audience serves no one.

While in Kuwait looking for a story, Bob stumbles upon Lyn Cassidy, played by a world weary George Clooney, in what looks to be a role Clooney could have played in 2 weeks. Lyn lets Bob in on all of the secrets and traits of the soldiers that were trained under Bill Django, played by Jeff Bridges in the film's most playful and humorous role. Django is a pony-tailed hippie who Bridges plays like a version of his former self from The Big Lebowski.

Lyn and Bob eventually up in Iraq where the story loses all momentum and any credibility, especially in the final act. Most of the little humor comes from flashbacks told by Len, showing his past training, and the ways in which the Jedi Warriors were taught and trained. Kevin Spacey shows up mid-film as a straight-laced soldier, who despises Lyn and Django. They're paths meet again in the muddled and sloppy final act.

The film directed by Grant Heslov, a close friend of Clooney, is un-even, and unfocused throughout. The film's tone is one note the whole way through, and it takes zero risks. The satire proves to be less than credible, with the actors looking bored at every turn. The film looked liked it could have been fun to make, but in this case that doesn't translate into a good film

Paranormal Activity

"Paranormal Activity"
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
Grade: C+

Maybe if I would have seen this movie months before anyone, I would have bought into the hype. Much like the Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity borrows much of the same technique and tone. Non-actors portraying an event with no explanation, only the horrific aftermath.

The film follows a young twenty something couple who live in an enormous house. I'm not sure what else we learn about them other than their professions and the horrible demonic spirit that haunts them. The film is shot on a hand held camera, and most of the suspense occurs last at night as we view the couple in there room via a camera on a tri-pod. The hours fast-forward, and then slow down when it catches something spooky, or the characters hear something; a door shutting, a light turning on, etc.

The film runs about 90 minutes, and the novelty wears off about 45 minutes into the film. The actors are serviceable, but that's not what the movie is going for. Much of the tone and aesthetic stems from the YouTube generation, where filming anything can get you noticed. While this film certainly has true origins, it may inspire other films like this, as this film was made for a meager $11,000.

The main problem with the film is that most of the scares and jolts are shown in the trailer. The best parts come in the last 10-15 minutes, but by then it doesn't matter. While the last shot will payoff most audiences, it's a cheap trick that follows the previous 85 minutes that constantly tease us.

I certainly didn't hate the movie, I even bought into it more and more as it went along. I think it plays better as a rental, or a midnight movie rather than a good theater experience. After all, most of my audience was laughing, and making obnoxious comments; never a good mixture with a mild letdown of a movie.

Paris, Texas

"Paris, Texas"
Starring: Harry Dean Stanton
Grade: B+/A-

The 1984 winner of the top prize at Cannes has been hiding from me. I recently watched it and discovered how good, if not great, a film it is. The protagonist is a lonely, thin, worn down drifter who is wandering in a Mexican desert as the film opens. The protagonist is Travis, a lonely man who is estranged from his wife and young son Hunter who is now taken care of by his brother and wife.

The film examines Travis' re-integration into society and the rekindling relationship by he and his young son. Travis is searching for more, he seeks redemption with his lost wife he doesn't know the whereabouts of. The film plays best as a road picture, the photography captures elegant cities, landscapes, and borders. All of the performances are top notch, each actor relays human emotion, especially Travis, who looks to seal old wounds.

Paris, Texas is unlike anything I've ever seen, I didn't think much of it at first, but it slowly brought me into it's world, and then devastated me. A haunting picture from start to finish.