Thursday, February 22, 2007

Ghost Rider

Nicholas Cage (The Weather Man, Lord of War) is one of those actors that annoys the hell outta me. I think it's his voice and his mannerisms. I just don't care for him ususally, because when you watch one of his movies you never forget that it's him, and isn't that the point of acting? Anyway, I saw Ghost Rider in spite of Nic Cage and it wasn't half bad.

Based on the Marvel comic character of the same name, Ghost Rider (alter ego of Johnny Blaze) tells the story of a man who made a deal with the devil as a teen to spare his father's life, and now must repay his debt. He must become "the rider," collecting souls for his nefarious one-time benefactor. After dark and in the presence of evil, Johnny Blaze transforms into the rider: a leather-clad skeleton who rides a bad-ass mortorcycle, leaving a trail of flames in his wake. Okay, so the premise is interesting enough, as far as comic heroes go. Both the story and execution were pretty good. The special effects were decent, although let's be real - this isn't Spiderman or Superman. Ghost Rider has more of a lonely, everyman quality to him and the vigilante angle is a good one. Plus, he straight up kills people. No sticky webs to temporarily immobilize the bad guys like Spidey; Ghost Rider sends the dudes to hell. That's pretty cool.

I feel like it's unfair to critique the acting in a movie like this, but I have to give a quick word. It was marginal at best. Cage did a good job of looking alternately forlorn and corny. Eva Mendes plays his girl, and her role has about zero substance. It's nothing. A resume-filler, that's it. Sooo....in conclusion, Ghost Rider is the kind of movie you go see just to kill time or if you're looking for something to do on a random afternoon. I know this isn't exactly a ringing endorsement, but like I said, it wasn't half bad. Unfortunately that also means it was only half good.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Notes on A Scandal

This film was outstanding and is well-deserving of any future accolades, Oscar or otherwise. The acting and writing were superb, and there was never a minute in the film that didn't count for something. Starring Judi Dench (Casino Royale) and Cate Blanchett (Babel), the movie tells the story of a young fresh-faced teacher named Sheba (Blanchett) who begins an illicit tryst with a student - Mary Kay Letourneau style. The film is masterfully narrated by Dench's character Barbara, an older teacher who has taken a shall we say, healthy interest in Sheba. Barbara fluctuates between maternal friendship with Sheba and sexual longing for her. I've never seen Judi Dench in such a role, not that I'm terribly familiar with her work anyway, but still. It was creepy-good. Blanchett, conversely is both sympathetic and repugnant. She is, after all, sleeping with a 15-year old. There's no excusing that, even though the boy is a willing participant. However, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her character when she became the object of Barbara's predatory obsession. Think Single White Female for the AARP crowd.

Notes on A Scandal is the best movie I've seen this year, so far. The performances of the two leads were outstanding. Dench portrayed Barbara as the well-intentioned schoolmarm with a hint of menace lurking beneath the surface. Blanchett is naively selfish, acting without consequence until it's too late. It's been a while since I've seen a movie that wasn't at least mildly disappointing in some fashion. Notes on A Scandal was a refreshing change from the norm, and definitely worth seeing.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Smokin' Aces

I was excited about Smokin’ Aces because this is really my type of movie: fast-paced, frenetic, violent, featuring characters with a singular focus who are hell-bent on carrying out the task at hand. However, I was a tad disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, Smokin’ Aces was a highly entertaining movie overall, it just came across as the product of a poor-man’s Quentin Tarantino. The dialogue was fast and funny, the acting pretty good…but something about the movie felt thrown together. Smokin’ Aces was akin to deciding to make a painting by taking a bunch of paint and throwing it on a blank canvas: some parts will look kinda cool, but others will look like a complete mess.

The cast is an eclectic mix of seasoned and inexperienced actors, from Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) to Alicia Keys. Jeremy Piven of Entourage is featured as the main character, Buddy “Aces” Israel, a washed-up Vegas high-roller turned government snitch. The movie begins with a quick (and I do mean quick) recitation of the plot, making it crystal clear what we’re in for: About a dozen hitmen will attempt to take out Israel before he can sing to the Feds, and a handsome sum will be paid to the victor. Israel doesn’t know about the bounty, but he has holed up in the penthouse suite of a Lake Tahoe hotel, awaiting the specifics of the deal he struck with the government. He’s guarded by Sir Ivy (played by the always-sexy Common), and two other henchmen.

The best thing about Smokin’ Aces was the dialogue; it was hilarious, risqué, off-color, crude, and very authentic. Piven was effective as the pathetic, sleazy Israel, and he actually manages to make him seem sympathetic a time or two. Alicia Keys and Taraji Henson (Baby Boy, Hustle & Flow) nearly steal the show as a pair of sassy assassins. You like that? Sassy assassins? Say that ten times fast. Alright, if you liked Lucky Number Slevin, Domino, or Running Scared (I loved all three), then you will probably enjoy Smokin’ Aces. Just don’t expect it to be as good.