Saturday, March 17, 2007

Premonition

I wish I would've had a premonition that this movie would suck donkey balls. Then maybe I would not have wasted my time with it.

Premonition stars Sandra Bullock (Crash) and Julian McMahon (Fantastic Four, Nip/Tuck) as Jim and Linda Hanson, a married couple with two daughters. Soon after we meet the family, Linda is informed that Jim has been killed in an auto accident. The rest of the movie plays like a morbid version of Groundhog Day. One day Linda wakes up and Jim's dead, the next day he's alive. She tries to glean clues about what happend, and each day that passes reveals a new little wrinkle. Sound provocative? It's not; it's bullshit. Linda pays a visit to a priest, and he gives her some cryptic spiel about premonitions, reciting a history lesson of other quackpots who've seen the future. The problem is that it's never revealed why Linda had the premonition. It's not to change the future or to right some wrong...the whole thing is just pointless. I do think that the basic premise of the movie is interesting, and I like movies that deal with fate, spirituality, and destiny - but this was just LOUSY. I would suggest Frequency in lieu of Premonition. Even last year's Deja Vu was better than this.

I Think I Love My Wife

This is Chris Rock's latest directorial effort, a take-off of his popular stand-up routine where he laments married life. To quote Rock, you can either be "single and lonely or married and bored."

The movie follows Rock's character Richard Cooper, a successful investment banker with a lovely wife and two adorable kids. Richard's wife is a good one, but he finds himself bored with the mundane aspects of married life. His wife wears "granny panties," and the sex is virtually nonexistent. Enter Nikki Tru, played by Kerry Washinton (Ray, She Hate Me), the ex-girlfriend of one of Richard's old friends. It seems Nikki needs an employment reference and decides to pay Richard an unannounced visit for a letter of recommendation. It's obvious from the start that Nikki is nothing but trouble. She's everything that Richard's wife Brenda (Gina Torres of Alias) is not: sexy and adventurous. She has him p-whipped without even giving him the "p." The movie follows Richard's efforts to remain on the straight and narrow in the face of temptation. In his heart Richard is a good man; he just needs to spice up his marriage. He ultimately realizes what's most important in life and manages to get his priorities in order. This is only after Nikki gets him completely discombobulated. Is that a word? I've always wondered if that was really a word. What's the opposite. Is it combobulated? What does that mean?

I Think I love My Wife is humourous at best and mildly entertaining at worst. It has an indie feel, which is kind of a good thing. It falters at points, and certain parts of the story don't make sense. One scene in particular seems like it should have been part of a dream sequence, but Richard reacts as if it takes place in reality. And another thing, are we supposed to believe that Kerry Washington is hot for Chris Rock??? I mean, come on. I love Chris Rock as much as the next person -- the man is a comedic genius; but he's one step from Pookie in New Jack City. His lips looked so cracked at one point I was like "damn!" But hey, that's why they call it the movies, right? Because you get to see some shit that would never happen in real life.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

300

Wow...300 was a feast for the eyes and the most visually decadent movie I've seen in a long time. Based on the graphic novels of Frank Miller (Sin City), the movie tells the story of 300 undermanned, outmatched Spartans who valiantly sacrificed their lives in The Battle of Thermopylae.

In the ancient times of Greek battle, the soldiers of Sparta were the bravest, most fearless warriors in the world. They were bred for combat, preparing for war soon after taking their first steps. It is this innate heroism that fuels 300 Spartans and their King Leonidas in war against mighty Persia. When Xerxes, the king of Persia, demands that Sparta submit to him, Sparta refuses. The gauntlet has been laid, and the only alternative is war. Despite the odds, the Spartans manage to slay many Persian soldiers. Unfortunately their victory is merely a moral one, as valor ultimately succumbs to manpower.

300 is straightforward in its storytelling, and a welcomed departure from other period movies that have had more convoluted historical underpinnings. The movie focuses on one battle. We know who's fighting and we know their motivation. We can also surmise the result, but the treat lies in getting there. The battle scenes are choreographed wonderfully, and the cinematography is something to behold. 300 will appeal mostly to men due to its violence, but women are in for a pleasant surprise with the myriad of scantily clad Spartans, particularly King Leonidas, played by actor Gerard Butler. I watched a television program about the making of 300, and each one of the male actors was whipped into impeccable physical condition. They looked like warriors in every sense of the word, literally dropping to the floor to perform push-ups between takes. It pays off, as they all look like they could tear a person to shreds with their bare hands. So on that note, 300 is a movie that will oddly appeal to men and women equally, if the girls can get past the violence (it's not too bad). It's been said that 300 is as revoulutionary and groundbreaking as The Matrix. I wouldn't dare go that far, but its unique sensuality makes it a movie worth seeing.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Zodiac

Zodiac is the dramatization of the true events surrounding one of America's most infamous serial murderers, The Zodiac Killer. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead, Donnie Darko) as Robert Graysmith, the San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist who remains obsessed with the case long after the police have resigned themselves to defeat. Graysmith becomes involved in the case when the killer begins to send taunting letters to police through the local newspapers.

The movie begins on July 4, 1969(?), on lover's lane in the city of Vallejo, California. A young couple has parked in a secluded area, talking quietly. A set of headlights temporarily blinds their vehicle from the rear. Pausing nervously, they wonder aloud about their visitor. The boy is apprehensive. Just as their tension begins to mount, the car leaves as quickly as it arrived. Their conversation resumes. Now the car returns and blocks their escape. The driver exits and approaches their vehicle, aiming a bright flashlight. The boy thinks it's a police offer, and begins to explain. Before he can complete his sentence, POP! The stranger is firing shots into the vehicle, the girl is screaming. When the stranger leaves, the girl is dead and the boy will be the one of the few witnesses to see the Zodiac and live to tell about it. It is this chilling opening sequence that introduces us to the Zodiac Killer, a man who wantonly terrorized the Bay area from approximately 1969-1975.

Directed by David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club), Zodiac is one part police procedural and one part murder mystery. At a lenghthy 2 1/2 hours, the movie is not without its slow moments, but for the most part it manages to hold your attention. This is due in large part to the aforementioned opening scene, as well as different murder scenes interspersed throughout the first half. The movie stalls when it lingers too much on the minutiae of the policework. Which brings me to Mark Ruffalo (Collateral), a highly regarded actor who has yet to impress me. He is adequate as Detective David Toschi, and certainly attractive, but his delivery was a bit too understated, in my opinion. He and Gyllenhaal were both so soft-spoken in Zodiac that it started to annoy me. Anyway, Zodiac is not without its listless moments, but it picks up once Gyllenhaal's character gets more involved in uncovering the killer's identity. I also enjoyed the introduction of different suspects, each of them plausible in their own way. Robert Downey Jr. is also featured as Paul Avery, a Chronicle reporter who becomes consumed with the case, only to succumb to that obsession, ending up a washed-up alcoholic.

Fincher captures the time period in dark fashion, using the same muted, orange-tinged hue found in Se7en. Zodiac doesn't compare to his previous gems, but it is a solid addition to his body of work. Gyllenhaal isn't exactly a revelation, but he's an amazing actor and I bet if I saw the real Robert Graysmith I would see that he nailed the performance. I think fans of Fincher and/or Gyllenhaal should check out Zodiac off GP. It was interesting, if nothing else -- even though my eyelids got heavy once or twice.