The Avengers – Age of Ultron: Still Good But A Step Back

Director (Joss Whedon) has followed up his classic 2012 The Avengers with a good but not great sequel. While it still has much of what made the first film so strong, the timing and execution just aren’t quite there, making this film feel messier and less engaging than its predecessor.

Premise: When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner begin their Ultron project, their peaceful plans backfire. Result: Avengers in full force but the film is not nearly as good as expected.

The old gang is back: Tony Stark/ Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/ Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Steve Rodgers / Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Clint Barton/ Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and a recovered Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) now together facing the remnants of H.Y.D.R.A. with some added foes in Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).

But there is truly no greater foe than Ultron (James Spader), Stark’s creation intended to protect humanity – a task it takes all too seriously. Believing that humans and their nature are the true sources of evil in this world and ultimately must be protected from themselves, Ultron undertakes a major campaign of catastrophic proportions. With an army of adaptive clones, Ultron pushes the team to the brink.

Foxcatcher: Very Creepy. Very Good. Not Great.

It took director Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote) a decade to finally make Foxcatcher. Unable to secure funds (astoundingly) after Capote, Foxcatcher was an off-and-on project for Miller, collecting dust and unknown actors upon a shadowy, cinematic shelf (Miller cast Tatum early because he was –ironically- unknown at the time). But Moneyball and a stellar cast allowed the film to finally come to the screen, and for the most part, audiences can be thankful.

Premise: Wrestler Mark Schultz and millionaire John du Pont, collaborate in training for the 1988 games in Seoul – a relationship that ultimately leads to tragic results. Result: A strong, elegant film that ebbs and flows, making a lesser impact than one would expect.

Miller works with writers E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman to deliver an adaptation of the true, sensational tragedy that works on slow-burn from moment one. The film follows Mark Shultz (Channing Tatum) through a miserable existence; an Olympian and former Gold Medalist, Shultz wanders through life with none of the glory we associate with Gold today. Instead, Miller delivers audience’s stark scenes of low-grade humiliation, reminiscent of The Wrestler and The Fighter, where a once glorious athlete slowly succumbs to a moistened, insidious sense of betrayal.

Thanks For Sharing: Not Having Sex Has Never Been This Fun!

Writer/director Stuart Blumberg has delivered one of the more complete, more heart-felt comedies of the year.  With an all-start cast, all-star performances and a fantastic script, Thanks for Sharing easily exceeds expectations.

Premise: Three men deal with the challenges of sex addition. Result: A brilliant, thoroughly entertaining film that far more than we hoped.

If there are any rules in the arts, discussion of addiction of any sort is typically a “downer.”  Many films choose to live their entire life simply within the sadness, angst, depression and ultimate darkness that addiction brings.  Audiences understand this and often embrace it (think: Requiem for a Dream, Flight, Leaving Las Vegas, etc.)  But films that choose to also explore the comedic side of the equation are fewer and far riskier.

Fortunately, Thanks for Sharing is an utter triumph in this regard, blending tragedy and comedy, strength and vulnerability in effective, memorable ways. Even more impressive is that this film focuses on sex addiction, a far more taboo, often misunderstood and misdiagnosed disease.

Focused on the lives of three struggling sex addicts linked to one another through sponsorship and fledgling friendship, Adam (Mark Ruffalo), Mike (Tim Robbins), and Neil (Josh Gad) must explore the limits to their own power and perseverance over an affliction that threatens their Love and lives.

Adam, armed with 5-year sobriety, must finally face Love once more and explore sexuality when he meets the beautiful and sexually daring Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow).  Mike must confront his own demons as he deals with his past and the family – wife Katie (Joely Richardson) and son Danny (Patrick Fugit) – that demand it.  And Neil must stabilize his life as he searches for transcendence with fellow newcomer Dede (Pink).

All three story lines are magnificent and mesmerizing, mixing humor and pain in equal parts to help audiences fully connect to these characters, root for them and feel for them.  Their journeys are not easy by any means and much of the time, observers will cringe with mortified expectation.

And while some story lines may border on predictability, when taken as an exhilarating whole, a single poignant narrative that explores the darker side of lives that choose to live, audiences cannot help but connect, no matter how foreign the subject.

Of course, there are a few misses in the mix: the lack of depth to the relationship between Neil and his mother Roberta (Carol Kane) is one of the most obvious of those squandered opportunities. Another may be the need for more development between Mike and Danny, which is one of the more intriguing story lines. But as a whole, the film fortunately delivers on most of what should be expected and often exceeds those expectations.

The acting, across the board is phenomenal.  Ruffalo is great as the awkward Adam who just can’t quite catch that break.  Robbins is in his element as the seemingly bi-polar Mike, fostering an equal share of love and dark secrets in those eyes.  Gad is perhaps the show stealer – he is a complete, mercurial character from beginning to end demonstrating tremendous range while also doing what he does best – comedy.

Pink (as Alecia Moore) is surprisingly great and adds a certain edginess to the film mainly because she is a relative newcomer to the medium.  We never know what to expect from her which is exhilarating, and more so when she delivers.  Paltrow and Richardson are active veterans in this film and you can read their pain and pleasure on their faces – this film would not have been the same without them.

Although, it is a wonder how much better an already great film could have been with just one or two more lines from Kane – (note to anyone else making movies ever:  HIRE CAROL KANE! For anything! Just do it!)

In the end, Thanks for Sharing is one of the better films of the year.  It was entertaining from moment one and backed by a great script, powerful direction and a notable cast that delivers top-flight performances, it is sure not to disappoint!

Rating: 8 – An expensive red wine and juicy steak

Now You See Me: A Unique Thriller Worth Seeing

Director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, Clash of the Titans) has produced one of the more enjoyable films of the early summer, using magic in this thriller to entice audiences.  While the film is far from perfect and has a few notable misses, it is fun, interesting and exhilarating from start to finish.

Premise: Four independent magicians unite to form The Four Horsemen, a new magic act that appears to have some seriously criminal implications. Result: A fun crime thriller with a unique magical spin that is sure to delight all the way through.

The fundamental premise of Now You See Me is that magic, if nothing else, is entertainment.  But hidden in this entertainment, this joy brought to observers, is a certain power, as magic is also, at its heart, the art of trickery and audience manipulation.

It is these two concepts that pervade this story, introducing four magicians, each at a different stage in their lives and careers: J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), an acclaimed magician on the world scene; Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Atlas’ former love interest and assistant who terrifies audiences with death-defying stunts; Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), a former hypnotism juggernaut who has somewhat fallen from grace in recent years; and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), a novice who is still too unaccomplished to use his skill for more than petty theft.

But all four are brought together by some mysterious agent who introduces them to a plan that was “designed long ago.”  Quickly audiences are transported to a year later, where the motley crew has transformed into The Four Horsemen, an astounding magic act financed by insurance czar Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and stalked by notorious magic-debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). It is here that they begin their true magical journey, robbing a bank in Paris as one of their great illusions.

Instantly, the “crime” goes Federal, bringing in FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and InterPol agent Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent) to figure out just how these Horsemen robbed the bank. And yet even as they interrogate the suspects and attempt the same with Bradley, there is never the sense that they or other high profile agents like Fuller (Michael Kelly) and Evans (Common) are ever any closer than many steps behind.

Instead, the four magicians simply become more powerful, leveling several more fascinating targets through some really intriguing acts.  This all amidst a hapless Rhodes and company who appear genuinely out matched throughout; but rather than detract from the film, it simply elevates the excitement of these characters and their amazing feats.

It should also be noted that audiences will also take extreme delight from Bradley’s explanations of the truth behind the magic, transforming the film from a series of unexplained events into a crime thriller with delightful twists and turns, some which importantly, even Bradley cannot explain. Audiences inadvertently play the contradictory roles of wide-awed children and incredulous adults as they are both thrilled by the magic but wish to uncover the mystery it in its own right.

Add in some entertaining car chases and an extremely memorable “magic” fight scene between Rhodes and Wilder and the film successfully lands the punches needed to keep audiences invested.

Of course, the film does have a few weaknesses.  First, Rhodes comes off more as a moronic cop than a genuine FBI agent – while this ultimately is explained, it could have been delivered with a bit less scenery chewing.

Additionally, the introduction of The Eye, doubts about Dray, and several other plot lines are only partially explained, leaving a certain sense of unfinished business.  This is particularly evident in the film’s resolution: while it is an extremely enjoyable twist overall, it is delivered poorly, lingering a bit too long in the realm of over-dramatization.

Fortunately, the performances in the film hit their respective marks.  Harrelson’s performance is most consistently the funniest and most memorable, but Fisher, Franco and Eisenberg all hold their own (this is a film where Eisenberg’s one character works again).

Ruffalo is fairy consistent throughout although there are a few too many valleys that shadow the performance. Laurent is good as always although her mysterious demeanor never really pays off in this film; she is almost too mysterious for the eventual outcome. Freeman and Caine are each quite effective, as would be expected, and their back-and-forth is delightful.

Ultimately, Now You See Me is a pleasure for fans of magic, crime thrillers, or exciting mysteries.  While the result somehow seems a bit rushed and possibly too light for the build-up, it still leaves a strong impression.

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

The Avengers: The Best Film in the Marvel Series By Far!

Director Joss Whedon (Serenity) has successfully created with The Avengers a film that answers a much pondered question: could the quirky creative survive the tremendous pressure to build on the long-term Marvel cash cow? With several mega blockbusters in its history (Thor, Iron Man 1 & 2, Captain America: The First Avenger) and several more planned, it was essential that The Avengers succeed.  And with jam-packed action, an exciting plot and plenty of laughs, succeed this film does.

Premise: Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. initiatives the Avengers Initiative to help save the Earth from Loki and his army. Result: A thoroughly entertaining, smart, and funny action film that completely exceeds expectations.

Fearing that too much homework might be required for The Avengers is a legitimate concern considering that several comic series and several blockbusters precede it.  However, Whedon manages to make this film an entertaining, exciting film for any observer, whether they are Marvel neophyte or Stan Lee stalker.

While complex in its own way and certainly ripe with hidden meanings that will appease long-term fans, The Avengers boasts a fairly straight-forward premise allows anyone to follow.  The film begins with Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who defeated by his brother Thor (Chris Hemsworth) after his attempt to conquer Asgard (see Thor), has returned to now take Earth, armed with a plan and an alliance with The Chitauri lead by a horror known simply as “The Other” (Alexis Denisof).

His plan is simple, steal the tesseract (See Captain America), a powerful and mysterious energy source, and use it to open a gateway to another dimension, thereby allowing the Chitauri to invade Earth and make hum ruler. Using this source he is transported to Earth, deep within one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s covert fortresses, and begins his slow assault.

His deadly attack nearly kills S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), and several thousand others; and by using his mysterious scepter, Loki manages to also enslave Professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), who had been studying the tesseract, and Clint Barton/ Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who had been defending it.

It is at this assault, and the need to defend Earth from Loki’s villainous plan, that The Avenger Initiative is employed, thereby uniting Tony Stark/ Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rodgers/ Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and more reluctantly Thor and Bruce Banner/ The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).   The group of individuals fails to mesh instantaneously and great destruction and hilarity ensue. The rest of the film focuses on this concept: the slow, painful but deeply satisfying formation of The Avengers as the individuals set aside differences and unite for Good.

The film works on several important levels.  First, it is deeply exciting.  While the film is a terrifying 142 minutes long, the majority of this time will be spent watching the screen, not the clock.  Although not every single moment in the film smells of roses, there is much too much exhilaration to let anyone down for long. The battle scenes, in particular (of which there are plenty), are wonderfully executed, never confusing and deeply thrilling. In fact, the final battle is remarkably similar to the last Transformers film; however, unlike that travesty (See Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Whedon manages to prove that this type of battle is not only possible, but memorable when executed with confidence and competence.

Second, the character stories are wonderfully balanced; while several of these characters literally stood alone at the center of entire films, this film treats them all equally, appropriately favoring The Avengers over any one character or story. This is particularly remarkable since each of the stories and characters is so well crafted that favoring one over another is plausible, even if reproachable.

The film is also incredibly funny.  While an action film at heart, the comedic timing established in this script is spell-binding.  The majority of dialogue is hilariously spot on at exactly the right moments, and when not, there are sufficient visual moments to fill the void.  And speaking of visual, having seen this film in both Standard and 3D, The Avengers serves as an example where 3D actually works.

The casting in this film is perfect. Robert Downey Jr. continues to his streak as the snarky, playboy with the caustic wit but now somehow saved from certain decline into tedium (Iron Man 2 had a few eye-roll moments) by working with this cast.  His wit is challenged and forced to serve as a wedge rather than the whole pie, thereby allowing his arrogance to become endearing rather than obnoxious in the end. Evans, for his part, allows his Captain America alter ego to shine brighter in this film.  Proving impressively that his departure from low grade comedy (remember Fantastic Four 2?  Shiver) in Captain America was no fluke, Evans manages to make his character real, interesting and well-balanced, a quality we look for not only in a hero, but in a leading man.

Ruffalo is another standout.  Latest in a long line of Bruce Banners that fade into oblivion almost as quickly as they came, Ruffalo manages to deliver a new and more intriguing Hulk.  In the greatest surprise, Johansson somehow manages to make the Black Widow interesting, walking a tight-rope between cliché and intrigue and somehow coming out the great acrobat.  Additionally, Renner, Hemsworth, Jackson and Gregg all work wonderfully in this script and manage to keep the action and humor flowing.

Yummmmm! Shwaaarmaaa!

It should also be noted that audiences should stay through the full credits as there are TWO different post-credit scenes. Spoiler Alert (skip this paragraph if you have not seen the film but stay post-credits). The first reveals the true villain in the film in a very interesting scene as The Other talks to his true master.  Evidence clearly points to Thanos as the villain based on The Other’s comment that attacking Earth now would “Court Death” which is a double meaning for anyone who understands Thanos’ obsession with the female personification of Death. Additionally, after the full credits there is a really fun scene involving Shwarma!

Overall, this film is a must see.  Clearly the best Marvel film in the past decade, The Avengers is funny, exciting, energizing and most importantly re-watchable.  This re-watch-ability is essential as we wait eagerly for the sequel.

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

The Kid’s Are All Right: Much Better Than All Right, But Not Necessarily All That!

Lisa Cholodenko directs a powerful cast in a unique and emotionally charged drama that questions boundaries.  She successfully applies a powerful script to riveting performances from a deep, talented cast although she is never able to take this film beyond just pretty good.

Premise: Two children, raised by a lesbian couple and conceived by artificial insemination, contact their birth father bringing him into their family life. Result: A powerful drama about true love in a family gets close to deeply emotional, but just comes short of great.

There is much that went right with this drama.  The premise, while not necessarily unique in modern society (two lesbians, sperm donors, subsequent children), is certainly unique in film.  Then, Cholodenko builds on the unique premise by constructing nuanced characters that instantly grab our attention. 

With stunning performances from veteran actresses Annette Benning and Julianne Moore who play polar opposite women in the central couple (Nic and Jules, respectively) there is palpable tension and love on screen.  We sense instantly that these women have chosen to spend their lives together, constantly ebbing from unspoken actions of love and devotion, to rumblings of agitation and frustration.  Add their children Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) complete with their teenage angst and confusion, and we have a very real family scraping by, day after day, on screen.  This is not a movie family, but a family we can identify with, one we can imagine living next door.

The central plot rests on Joni turning 18, and with this, an opportunity.  While Joni is not the catalyst (her Brother Lazer is) she is of age to request to know their “father” (aka “The Sperm Donor”).   And so they reach out to this “Donor” who turns out to be Paul (ingeniously played by Mark Ruffalo), a Peter-Pan-like restaurant owner who speaks with a laid back confidence that simultaneously endears and repulses (think James Franco meets Shaggy.) Joni and Lazer meet him and each has differing opinions at first, but each ultimately seeks to incorporate him into their lives.

 The reason Paul is able to slither into their lives is largely based on circumstances.  Anyone with family members knows that typically, these are the creatures evidently designed to trample on your very last nerve incessantly and with impunity.  So Paul is an escape from the ethereal “send out the good vibes” Jules and the “I’m going to passive-aggressively micro-manage your life” Nic, who incidentally are also having marital troubles of their own.  This perfect storm of familial stress rolls over the land washing away boundaries and gusting away all sense of stability.

Paul becomes the “Hot Dad” and lives dangerously on motorcycles and the “Cool Dad” you can beat on the basketball court and, ultimately, the object of desire for one spouse who feels emotionally frozen out of her own marriage.  Jules and Paul, who seem to share some cosmic wavelength that perhaps only Cheech & Chong can perceive, begin spending more and more time together as he becomes the first and only client of the Jules career path du jour – landscape design.  Eventually, they begin having an affair, which when inter-spliced with Nic’s neuroses and latent alcoholism, is a recipe for on-screen catastrophe.

Eventually Nic does find out and in a very powerful scene that Cholodenko crafts beautifully, we are left in a temporary eye of the storm, metaphorically breathless, just as Nic is literally.  But, eventually comes the inevitable rage and fully anticipated “wound that shall not speak its name.”  Paul and Jules suddenly become the Rosenbergs, vilified to astronomical proportions.  Paul has been deeply changed by his “children” and longs for it as if it filled an emptiness he never knew was there and now suffers endlessly at its sudden absence. We have heartfelt climaxes: one with Joni recounting her suffering to Paul; and another as Jules breaks down into an impromptu catharsis about the hardships of marriage and a love that runs deeper.

The acting is magnetic and the film is powerful and ultimately well worth watching.  But unfortunately, this film suffers from what is not said, rather than what is.  While some films fare better through the cinematic ellipsis, in this film, we are left with too much unresolved, rather than with so much to wonder.  Both Joni and Lazer endure plotlines that add virtually nothing to the film: Joni appears somewhat confused about sex and a friend who is a boy but we never truly understand what is happening or what she is feeling and the resolution is non-existent; Lazer, for his part, appears to have no friends despite being a multi-sport athlete (which I did not think was really possible in America) except for the biggest loser/hooligan ever who disappears from the scene at one point never to be heard from again. Cholodenko seems to want us to infer everything about them, and in doing so, makes them less appealing as characters.

The treatment of Paul is another weakness of the film.  While the character is given significant depth, the virtual ease in which he is eliminated is somewhat disconcerting.  True, he is ultimately a stranger in most ways to them, but the same justification for incessantly incorporating him into their lives – that he is ultimately their biological father – is just as quickly discarded.  This process ends up making Paul’s character seem like nothing more than a plaything or project, like luring home a stray dog or humoring that quasi-frightening urine-soaked nutcase as he sings show tunes on the subway.

This is a powerful film that is deserving of the accolades, particularly for its cast.  One can only hope for more stories like this one in the future; stories that will learn from the mistakes, however few, that were made in this film.

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