The Bang, Marry, Kill, 2014 Orgy: Kevin Smith, Christopher Nolan, The Farrelly Brothers and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Hey, weirdo. What’s up?

I’m trying out a lazy method of delivering information to the reader by talking to myself.

I’d say you’re off to a bad start.

Me too. I also reviewed four Directors this year via movieMixology’s Bang, Marry, Kill segment. Each right before they released new movies into theaters, in a disgusting attempt to piggy-back site clicks off their work.

Neat, which Directors? I don’t read your site.

Kevin Smith, Christopher Nolan, The Farrelly Brothers and Paul Thomas Anderson.

So now you’re going to review Tusk, Interstellar, Dumb & Dumber To and Inherent Vice?

Interstellar: AN AWE-INSPIRING FILM with many, many little problems…

Writer/director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) along with co-writer Jonathan Nolan, offer audiences one of the more intense, stunning films in recent memories. Yet, despite its beauty, Interstellar is wrought with issues that, although troubling, must be overlooked to truly enjoy the film.

Premise: Earth explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to find a potentially habitable planet that will sustain humanity as time on Earth is running out. Result: A powerful and visually stunning film that is very good, but not quite great.

The film begins with a series of quick expository segments from the anonymous elderly recounting the Earth’s transition to degenerating wasteland.   Dust storms, ruined crops, decimated populations, are covered and intended to paint the Earth as a wasteland no longer suitable for humans. It is the twilight of Hope in our world.

But Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), an ex-NASA pilot, needs to hope for his children, Tom and Murph, his Father in Law Donald (John Lithgow), and the people around him near Nowheresville, America. And through a strange stroke of transcendent power, he and his daughter reach a top-secret facility that will alter their lives forever.

Bang, Marry, Kill: Christopher Nolan

Laz’s View

What are the odds? The next director on Bang, Marry, Kill has a movie coming out this week.

Must be a coincidence!

Subject: Christopher Nolan

See? You keep making that face. Stop it!

Birth date: Exactly one year after Barbra Streisand opened for Liberace at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

Occupation: Part-time writer, director and producer. Full-time IMAX stockholder, snappy dresser and stuffy-looking British person.

Psychic Spoilers: Fifty Shades of Grey, Interstellar, Dracula Untold

Laz’s View

*** Before I begin. To the people who told me that I should have included Sex Tape in my date movie articles… Look, I can take pain. Even Tim-Burton-remake levels of pain! But I already included The Other Woman in part 1, and I’d rather sniff Brett Ratner’s fingers after shrimp with Olivia Munn, than endure more than one dose of the Diaz per year.

Last year was The Counsellor with an ex and her family. Nothing says “get to know my elderly, retired parents” like watching Cameron Diaz dry-hump a car filled with tigers.

Good times, good times…***

So the purpose of this article is to prove to all of you that I am psychic. Yes, psychic!

Just by watching movie trailers alone, I can predict not only the film’s plot, but of the larger cultural impact they will have on the world. Some of you may think I’m just stating the obvious based on tired stereotypes and predictable clichés. To you I say, a magician never reveals his secrets.

Also, shut up!

Man of Steel: Fun and Entertaining But Still Not Great

Director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) was tasked with quite a burden: continue the legacy of a classic story beloved by millions while also acknowledging the failure of the franchise’s most recent attempt in 2006.  The good news for Snyder is that he most certainly made a more entertaining and far more interesting film than its predecessor.  The bad news is that Snyder, while delivering a good movie, failed to make it great.

Premise: The reimaged origins of Superman. Result: An entertaining, interesting film that resets the franchise with some success but still leaving much to work on for future installments.

Snyder’s vision, along with writer David S. Goyer and to a certain extent producer Christopher Nolan, begins on Krypton, now thrust into utter chaos as several elements boil over: there is Jor-El’s (Russell Crowe) plea and reproach before the high council whose short-sightedness has literally destabilized the planet; and also impending rebellion, that of General Zod (Michael Shannon), a Kryptonian meant to defend his people at all costs.

Ultimately, Jor-El and his wife Lora Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) plot to save their world in the only way they know how: to send their newly born son Kal-El to the distant Earth.  While the story is not altogether new, Snyder does a wonderful job of imagining Krypton, creating a visually stimulating and intriguing reality that will keep viewers glued to the screen.

Yet, there are some early cracks as well: the dialogue is mediocre at best while even the amazing visuals sometimes seem like some intergalactic Mad Libs with all sorts of robots and creatures and buildings that seem grafted from endless other platforms. This ultimately sets the dual tone for the film: stunning with its successes and startling with its flaws.

As the film progresses, audiences are introduced to the life of our Kal-El, or as he is known on Earth, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), via a series of flashbacks.  We know he has an adoptive family in Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane) who have raised him, protected him and also restrained him; he will bring greatness to the world, his father explains…but not yet!  Essentially, he communicates, “Stay in the closet!  The world isn’t ready!” Apparently Superman is just an extraterrestrial Anderson Cooper.

Nevertheless, we follow Clark through a life of morose wandering until one day a discovery is made that will change his life, that of acclaimed journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams), and ultimately the world. This discovery has immediate consequences; it is not long before Zod and his minions, including the terrifying Faora-Ul (Antje Traue) reach Earth and wreak all sorts of havoc.

The rest of the film depicts the clash between the old world represented by Zod and his one track mind and the new world represented by Clark, our Man of Steel, who is better and in some ways more human than the inhabitants of the world he protects.  There are plenty of fantastic fight scenes and a good evolution for our protagonist as he faces off against an enemy that would otherwise be invincible.

There is also some interesting explanation of Kryptonian power from Snyder and Goyer which keeps audiences on their toes as the implications of gravity, radiation and so forth have very real implications for the plot.

The acting in the film is relatively strong across the board as Cavill does a good job of tweaking our understanding of the great Superman, who under his watch, has become a brooding, darker figure that plays well into a modern hero.  It also doesn’t hurt that he is somehow superhuman in appearance, looking chiseled from Mount Olympus.

Traue for her part is exquisite as the villainous #2.  Traue’s Faora-Ul is everything you would expect from a monster – cool, collected, ruthless and every time she speaks viewers will cringe and smirk, a staggering feat.

Crowe is quite strong as Jor-El throughout and Zurer makes us long for more on screen Lora. And Christopher Meloni as Col. Nathan Hardy as well as Laurence Fishburne as Lois Lane’s boss, Perry White, both manage to keep viewers interested throughout.

There are a few misses however.  While Lane is good as mamma Kent,  Costner, as brilliant as he typically is, feels suffocated in this role, a poorly sketched caricature that seems defined more as stubborn than wise.  And Adams, while another brilliant actress, just somehow seems wrong for Lois Lane from moment one.  It is not as much what decisions she makes with this character, but those which she doesn’t, leaving the character feeling like a woman who should be interesting, but simply isn’t.

Shannon is perhaps the most surprising disappointment.  It is hard to find a Shannon performance these days that is not infused with grit, emotion and genius.  However, his General Zod is saddled by weak and sometimes absurd dialogue that seems to vex the actor, making him feel miscast in the role.  While Shannon certainly settles into the role eventually, the juxtaposition of his Zod to Traue’s Faora-Ul makes us wonder what could have been.

Ultimately, Man of Steel has a feel of a Batman Begins with a tough break.  In hindsight, the original of Nolan’s trilogy is by far the weakest but at the time was such a reinvention as to completely exceed all expectations.  Man of Steel has that feel, of a good film that will be dwarfed by its sequels, only without the good fortune of taking us by surprise (Nolan’s association with this film burdened it with exceedingly high expectations.)

It should also be noted that the resolution of this film, while controversial, should not ruin it for anyone.  A decision was actively made to make Kal-El a being who above all else will save Earth, even if it means actions that might seem to conflict with what fans may think of his limitations. Ultimately, this is a darker Superman, more a Man of Steel, with a complexity that was not always apparent in past iterations.

Overall, Man of Steel is conflicted.  On the one hand there is a relatively good story, better than average acting delivered by a strong cast and plenty of excitement.  It is certainly not a waste of time nor a disappointment. However, there is something still missing in the formula that would make this film really stand the test of time

Rating: 7- A refreshing Champagne that a cute bartender comp’d you!

The Dark Knight Rises: Take Your Bow Mr. Nolan. Take Your Bow.

The Dark Knight Rises marks not only the end of a brilliant trilogy, but serves as a notable milestone in a stunning legacy: born from a comic, grown by brilliant minds (Burton) and squandered by others (Schumacher), now under director Christopher Nolan, the legend lives and breathes and has indeed “risen” to unimagined heights.  Not only does this installment live up to the hype, but ages perfectly, becoming better upon multiple viewings, through a power of brilliant direction, stunning visuals, and a nuanced attention to detail that comes from creators that care as much for the story and its impact as the fans do.

Premise: Eight years later in Gotham, the terrorist mercenary Bane, overwhelms the city, forcing the Dark Knight to resurface to protect a city that had branded him an enemy. Result: A stunning, satisfying film that will live long in fan and non-fan memories alike.

The film begins in a time of peace, many years after the defeat of Gotham’s greatest nemesis The Joker; the city is now lulled into placated submission, dormant with crime at an all-time low.  This result stems mainly from the swift justice brought about by The Dent Act, a somewhat tyrannical law that rises from the legacy of the lionized White Knight Harvey Dent, whose atrocities were kept secret to protect the city, as the Dark Knight took the blame and fled into darkness.

Now, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) languishes in shadow, with a broken body and broken spirit, the true legacy of past events.  Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) also has hit his nadir, agonizing over his decision, wondering if the ends did in fact justify the means.

But both need wait no longer, as a devilishly clever and complex plan is being hatched by the greatest threat to Gotham yet, brought by the terrifying masked mercenary Bane (Tom Hardy) and his accomplices.  Complete with chilling visage and eerie voice that resembles the output of Voldemort and Darth Vadar dropped in a blender, his plans as head of League of Shadows rest on carrying out what Ra’s Al Ghul began in Batman Begins some many years ago.

Scene after scene brings with it deeper intrigue and astounding visuals, building excitement with new, interesting characters like Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), all who demand the audience’s complete attention.  Of course, old friends are still around like Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Alfred (Michael Caine) as well as more minor, sometimes rightly forgettable characters like Foley (Matthew Modine) and Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), who serve to advance the plot but little else. But in the end, this is necessary, as there is so much to keep audiences occupied that anything else added to the mix might be cruel and unusual.

The ultimate plot of the film stems from The Dark Knight coming out of certain retirement to defeat Bane and his army.  But Bane is much too clever, and anticipates every move eventually luring Batman and the city into trap after trap.  It is little help that Selina Kyle, the stealth and uber-intriguing “cat” burglar, keeps everyone’s attention long enough for the insidious play to take effect.

The film itself is beautiful with notable cinematography that casts a dark and almost melancholy tone while being strangely alluring. It is also fast paced, moving from scene to scene dexterously, always keeping audiences on their toes, ever-engaged and thrilled.  The battle sequences are also quite impressive: the use of the Bat is enthralling as well as the other “Bat Toys” and most importantly, clashes with Bane are exciting and hypnotic, in particular, an initial clash between the two that will leave audiences terrified.

Kyle, herself, demands as much attention, working as a powerful, resourceful and cunning quasi-villain who ebbs and flows from temptress to foil with remarkable skill; playing with audience emotions, she acts as a lightning rod for treachery and sympathy, both coexisting perfectly in a mortal enigma.

The remainder of the film rests on several essential events: the possible destruction of Batman, the capture of Gotham, and the testing of Wayne, Kyle and all key characters in their resolve.  And with each scene, the plot thickens and as the true mystery reveals itself, layer after layer peeled away by an anxious audience, the resolution offers a sweet reward buffered by constant, non-stop excitement and smart filmmaking.

Gordon-Levitt, Hardy and Cotillard prove once again why Nolan continues to cast them in his films, if for different reasons.  Gordon-Levitt is wonderful as up-and-coming detective that helps reinvigorate the police, and demonstrating the broad range of emotions required to keep his character relevant and growing.

Cotillard is also fantastic, proving that female characters do not need to be explosive like Hathaway’s Kyle to control the on-screen events; like she does time and time again since La Vie En Rose, Cotillard glows on screen, delivers line after line as if only she were made to deliver them, and with an elegance few possess.  She keeps audiences watching intently enough to make eventual developments plausible and realistic.

And Hardy is absolutely terrifying as Bane: his strange accent -once audiences acclimate to his intense, bizarre cadence- is perfectly chilling and his management of nuance through his voice and eyes -considering much of his face is hidden for the entirety of the film- is a marvel.

Of course, not all goes perfectly in the Nolan Universe.  His seemingly eternal Achilles Heel is comparably poor sound mixing, where background music or explosions obliterate dialogue; this becomes increasingly problematic with Bane, who is difficult to understand in the best of conditions (note: this is somewhat remedied by avoiding IMAX in favor of regular viewing).  Additionally, his bizarre affection for character mumbling is at some moments both irritating and distracting; with a film this action-packed, moments of diversion are luxurious that are ill-afforded.

There are also some bizarre continuity issues: for example, the Wall Street scene, considering the NYSE closes at 430p -and it certainly did not appear that this was even the case- why the subsequent chase scene occurs at night is an utter mystery. Additionally, a few lines border on hokey or ignore how actual people speak, but largely this can be overlooked by a broader understanding of the script, where issues were minimal.

Nevertheless, the ultimate resolution of the film and then of the series are both respectively fantastic.  The film winds down as the city, having been purposefully tormented for months, is now meeting its final moments as a catastrophic event looms.  It is during this crucible that truths and twists are heaped onto viewers as they sit transfixed by the sheer intensity of events.  And the final moments in the film not only serve to close the series in a satisfying manner, but also manage to provide hope, however bleak, a central theme in the film and the trilogy.

In the end, The Dark Knight Rises is an extremely strong, exhilarating and enjoyable film.  Considering the intense pressure of expectation that followed the previous film, Rises required a brilliant cast, a nuanced, detailed script, stunning visuals, exciting events and a holistic control that made the overall feel of the film a triumph.  Despite a few errors, Nolan delivered on this expectation a film that is fantastic on first viewing, and even better with time.

Rating: 9 – An expensive red wine and juicy steak that someone else is paying for and where you don’t have to put out

Inception: Wonderful, But Almost Too Smart For Its Own Good!

Following The Dark Knight and the incessant fan-love adoration and critical acclaim it brought, Christopher Nolan couldn’t wait to set his attention to his next film, Inception.  The film continues his trend of creating riveting cinema with a unique perspective.

Premise: Thieves capable of entering the human mind through dream invasion are confronted with their most difficult challenge yet: Inception.  Result: Donnie Darko on steroids, this film rivets and intrigues while also requiring not only a second and third viewing, but also a steno-pad, a text book, a study group, and a three-credit college class to fundamentally understand its premise.

This is a strong film with an absorbing, unique argument.  Nolan writes and directs Inception and is supremely guilty of taking monumental risks…however, it appears in today’s world of directing, no one has greater pay-offs.  Every scene is thrilling, either for its superb action sequences that push us to the edges of our seats or for the poignant emotionally charged or intellectually gripping scenes that moved a clever and powerful plot.

Nolan uses confusion as a weapon in this film, but as any master will, he uses it largely without the audience’s awareness.  The film begins with scenes that are not meant to make any sense: the audience is a passive observer with little beyond slack-jawed curiosity, like a hillbilly at an art gallery or anyone at anything starring Tom Green.  But we are deeply intrigued, knowing that a director as good as Nolan will not dangle scenes in front of us without their inevitable reappearance later, suddenly transformed into thought-provoking outcomes.  The film continues this rapid sequence of bewildering rivets where the audience realizes they have been tricked, but this knowledge lends itself to more confusion, all the while drawing us in closer as we realize Nolan has put together an idea so unique and well orchestrated that we can’t help but watch.

This “premise” is dream manipulation: a world where the military has developed a technology capable of allowing others to enter and influence the dream sequences of targets and “extract” information from the inner-most recesses of their minds.  Of course, the film is called Inception, not Extraction, and thus Inception is introduced to Cobb (the ever-fabulous Leonardo DiCaprio) as a means to return to his family.  Cobb is the self-proclaimed best extractor, and is keenly aware that Inception is possible.  So he puts together a team of Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Eames (Tom Hardy), and Yusuf (Delep Rao) along with neophyte turned dream architecture diva Ariadne (Ellen Page.)  We heart this team not only for their collectively well-written lines or fantastic cast chemistry or just overall sophisticated sexiness…well, really mostly for those things. Hardy is a master at the subtle dry jab; Gordon-Levitt (who, in all honesty, is typically better than this script allows) has at least one great fight scene, and Page is able to demonstrate her lack of Juno-esque singular dimension, owning this character with all the nuance it will allow.

There are ostensibly two competing plot-lines in the film: the supposed caper, as described above, and the ever-evolving baggage Cobb harbors for his deceased wife Mal (Marion Cotillard).  As the film evolves, the plot-lines dance in spirals, intermingling, casting shadows here and there to perplex the audience, and in doing so largely thrill.  Fascinating and fecund concepts are introduced such as dreams within dreams within dreams, and time across these dream worlds, and the concept of ideas and the human mind’s ability to recognize their origins. 

Nolan crafts a brilliant storyline but in some ways, too brilliant for the medium.  The premise he develops – the twists within twists within twists – are probably too much for audiences with such limited exposure to the story.  A book, for instance, would allow the reader to re-read, review, re-think; in the film, we watch and if any point is missed, Nolan’s point is lost.  Additionally, the film, at times, appears as if it is being shown incorrectly to general audiences, where instead, it should have been shown to “sleep” professors or super geeks who are experts in the ideas presented and thus capable of fully following the film to its logical terminus. 

It all becomes harrowing, much like sitting down to a table of experienced gamers as they play out a game of Dungeons and Dragons and trying to understand anything at all; to them, the rules are simple due to experience and so bending them or finding loopholes is now not only allowable but required to keep it interesting – to them.  There is almost an inside knowledge required that most people wouldn’t ever have access to.  Nolan attempts to handle this with long, dry scenes where characters attempt explanations that both hinder the pace of the film and flirt with being “a little too late.” In this case, having the audience not know what is coming isn’t necessarily good if they don’t even know what is happening now; ultimately, the mystification takes an edge off the curve balls.

Overall, this film is fantastic and lives up to the hype.  It is intelligent, interesting and riveting – qualities that few directors can manage effectively.  But sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.  Even in our dreams.

Rating: 8 – An expensive red wine and juicy steak