Frank: Pretty Strange But Pretty Great

Director Lenny Abrahamson, along with writers Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan, delivers one of the most peculiar films in recent memory. Based on the true story of Frank Sidebottom and captured for the screen by his actual bandmate Jon Ronson, this film forces audiences to contemplate mental illness, marginal but powerful music, stability and acceptance while wrapping the story in a deep layer of dark humor.

Premise: Wanna-be musician Jon, discovers he’s in over his head when he joins an eccentric band led by the mysterious Frank. Result: A mixture of complex ingredients, this is a strong film that is funny and ripe with emotion.

Frank is likely to take many observers out of their comfort zones. It begins with Jon Burroughs (Domhnall Gleeson), an ordinary office worker, floundering as a start-up song writer. Inadvertently, he stumbles upon a band with an unpronounceable name led by Frank (Michael Fassbender), a man in a papier-mâché head that he never takes off. Ever! He has a certificate.

Non-Stop: Taken 2 on a Plane but Less Interesting

Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Unkonwn)  has delivered a sometimes exciting, but ultimately flimsy film with his latest Neeson-fest, Non-Stop.  Essentially, he provides audiences with a film we have already seen, albeit a more claustrophobic setting, and while there are a few exhilarating moments, the film falls largely flat.

Premise: An air marshal springs into action after receiving a series of text messages that threatens passengers unless the airline transfers $150 million into an off-shore account. Result: A feisty, but less compelling version of Neeson’s bad-ass-self floundering under a much weaker script, with ultimately horrifying results.

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) has a problem.  No, not his hardly hidden alcoholism or his recent bout with his boss, although sure, those might come back to haunt him later <cough, cough>.  Marks is confronted with the possibility of terrorism aboard his aircraft; what’s worse, he is the target as the flight’s air marshal.

His terror quickly rubs off on incidental flight-mate Jen Summers (Julianne Moore) and flight attendant Nancy (Michelle Dockery).  It appears as if someone has managed to crack the code to his secure phone and proceeds to threaten passengers.  As the threats are realized, Marks is also confronted by some strange conspiracy to discredit and, in fact, frame him for the assault.

12 Years a Slave: A Stunning, Unforgettable Story with a Deep Impact

Director Steve McQueen ((Shame)) has taken the personal nightmare of freeman turned slave turned freeman Solomon Northrup and made a masterpiece.  The film relies heavily on some stunning performances by an astounding cast but it is its ability to deeply affect audiences and move them to action that will be its lasting legacy.

Premise: The long forgotten tale of Solon Northrup, free Northern man sold into slavery prior to the Civil War. Result: Sunning direction and performances elevate this film to classic, not-to-be forgotten status.

Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a freeman living in upstate New York, was a world-class fiddler raising an upstanding family, is one day introduced to entrepreneur’s Brown (Scoot McNairy) and Hamilton (Taran Killam) who convince him to accompany them to Washington, D.C. There he was to join a brief series of shows (something like a upscale carnival) and make some notable money in just a few short nights.

But they fool him and instead rob him of his identity and hand him over to slavers like Burch (Christopher Berry) who board him onto a ship to Louisiana along with other “new” slaves like Eliza (Adepero Oduye) and her children. From the first moment audiences witness this betrayal, there is a certain insipid horror that will fester deep within, a burgeoning rage that will grow more powerful as the film staggers onward.

Argo: A Historical Journey That Is Now Accepting Reservations at the Edge of Your Seat!

Director Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone, The Town) has continued his unbroken streak of delivering exhilarating, emotional dramas with his latest film, Argo. Based on a true story declassified in 1997, Argo delivers deep characters, a rich plot and keeps observers on the edge of their seats for all 120 minutes.

Premise: At the advent of the Iranian revolution, a CIA ‘exfiltration’ specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans stranded after the embassy invasion. Result: A heart-pounding thrill ride that will keep audiences involved throughout and wanting more by the film’s end.

The film follows the CIAs covert responses to the Iran Hostage crisis at the end of the 1970s.  While the US appeared incapable of doing much of anything to save the hostages that were kept in the embassy, there was a side story around six Americans who managed to escape.  Given protection by the Ambassador of Canada Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), it came upon the CIA to determine how much, if any, aid would be provided to these six men and women: Bob Anders (Tate Donovan), Mark (Christopher Denham) and Cora Lijek (Clea DuVall), Joe (Scoot McNairy) and Kathy Stafford (Kerry Bishé), and Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane).

While many bizarre ideas (including sending them bicycles at the border during snow-wrought winter) were floated by agents, it was Tony Mendez (Affleck) who stumbled upon the idea of feigning a film project.  The idea was relatively simple, almost too simple, in theory: fake a film by a Canadian crew and pretend that the six and Mendez are simply surveying Iran for the possible site of the film.  In practice, of course, the plan was anything but fool-proof.

With support from Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston), Mendez uses his contact in Hollywood, John Chambers (John Goodman), to secure an infamous Producer Lester Seigel (Alan Arkin) to establish the legitimacy of this farce.  The film they choose is a script called Argo that involves a space invasion and a desert locale with a palace – Egypt, Istanbul and Iran are selected as “possible sites” and the press carries the bait in typical fashion.

As this plot plays out, Affleck does a superb job of managing thrilling, stressful pacing that literally will keep hearts pumping for every minute and through very scene.  The delivery is stunning, with the proper balancing of humor and horror, while building the appropriate backstories and keeping the significance of story in full view.

While there may be some question as to how closely he held to the original story (after the Toronto Film festival there was reproach by many Canadians for a film they felt minimized their nation’s role in the actions), there is no doubt that Affleck does a superb job communicating the importance of the event in history.

It should be noted that while stirring, the film also carries emotional heft, particularly juxtaposed with current events.  With US-Iran-Israeli relations as fragile as they are today, it will not be difficult for audiences to relate to the troubles on screen.   But Affleck does not rely on possible connections and attitudes audiences might have, but instead establishes unmistakable tone that will instantly create visceral responses within observers.

While the film does not unfairly portray either side (the rage in the Iranians is justified by a smooth, balanced introduction), Americans, in particular, should be able to feel the pulse of patriotism as the film races on; not to be mistaken with blind, frightening jingoism, Affleck manages to take this crisis and have people root for America and the Americans, rather than necessarily against the Iranians.

The acting in the film is one of the key drivers of this indisputable success.  Affleck is great as a cool, collected, determined Mendez, although it seems clear throughout that although Affleck is strong, he will take more compliments as the director than as lead actor.  Cranston, for his part is fantastic, keeping the tension high.  He produces a few stellar one liners that somehow infuse both humor and tension.

Goodman is powerful and realistic, holding his own among roles that might have been brighter than his on paper.  Arkin, for his end, is fantastic, delivering punch after comedic punch and even coining the signature line of the film (which I will exclude here for censoring purposes…)

It should be noted that the rest of the cast, and the hostages in particular are all quite fantastic and keep the theme of the film, cinematic excellence, flowing smoothly.  In particular, McNairy, whose character struggles with guilt, perfectly delivers the emotional quandary his character requires.

In the end, Argo is most certainly Affleck’s best work to date, managing to transform an already interesting tale into a heart-pounding emotional classic. His masterful directorial techniques, a brilliant script, and a stellar cast all come together magically to produce a historical event on screen whose memory will no doubt be renewed in the minds of people around the world.

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

Monsters: An Alien Film That Teaches Us More about Humanity

Gareth Edwards’s brilliant and visually mesmerizing film about creatures that have invaded Earth and humanity’s attempt to survive this supposed invasion, is hardly about aliens at all.  Instead, the audience finds itself following two Americans on a journey through a world that is quite native to Earth, but which many would hardly admit existed.

Premise: Six years after a space probe sent to collect samples crashes to the Earth over Mexico and unleashes a new life form onto inhabitants, two Americans trapped in Mexico attempt to pass through an infected zone hoping to safely return to the US border.  Result: While initially misleading, and for horror fans possibly disappointing, this film is an allegory that causes each of us to rethink the way we see the world.

The film begins with what appears to be a night attack as shadowy giants battle troops in a fit of darkness and chaos while the creatures’ sonorous roars infect the audience with terror.  Shortly after, as daylight breaks, we are introduced to the two protagonists, Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able), daughter of a wealthy media mogul and Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy), a freelance journalist.  Kaulder has been tasked with guiding Ms. Wynden to safety by her Father, a task Kaulder reluctantly accepts.  There is a strange chemistry between the two characters despite Wynden’s impending marriage and this chemistry grows as the film progresses.  This story, and that of Kaulder’s estranged son, are meant to add depth to the characters but never really move beyond filler.

Kaulder’s task appears simple enough: escort Wynden to the coast where she can take a ferry back to the US before the border closes. However, the journey appears ill-fated from the onset: a night-time detour lands them in a small town where we are first introduced not only to the Mexican landscape post-“invasion” but where the poor continue to live in squalid conditions amongst the remnants and wreckage of past battles with the “creatures.” Children are instructed to wear gas masks by cartoons depicting the beings; life, it seems, has adjusted to these “monsters.” With stunning landscapes and remarkable attention to detail in crafting a war-ravaged environment, the audience is slowly and subconsciously seduced by Edwards’ true intentions.

Edwards also works brilliantly to demonstrate the heart of his yet unspoken argument through the passive conflict between Wynden and Kaulder.  What first might be seen as simply surfacing sexual tension is instead found to be an inherent conflict in world view.  Kaulder, unlike Wynden, has come to Mexico without speaking Spanish somehow expecting the world to accommodate him.  Further, after an argument about motives, Kaulder informs Wynden that her Father would pay him $50,000 for a single picture of a child killed by a “monster”.  Wynden, clearly despairing over his cynicism, eventually asks, “Doesn’t that bother you? That you need something bad to happen to profit?” to which he replies simply, “What? Like a doctor?” 

Finally, when the Ferry is reached, scheduled to depart in the morning, the audience is provided with nightly visions of shrines to the lost loved ones of the Port City.  With cartoonish depictions of the creatures on walls accompanied hundreds of candles and pictures of the families that have been killed, at first glance, this would appear to remember those destroyed by the harsh beasts.  But the Spanish words accompanying the images provide a far less clear interpretation: “5,000 Dead” and “What are the Monsters: No Bombing.”  And with brilliant foreshadowing, we hear the bombings in the distance and the wind from the jets overhead extinguishes the candles plunging the shrines into darkness. 

Disaster truly strikes the next day when a drunken Kaulder is robbed losing their passports.  With the last ferry having departed, Wynden is forced to sell her engagement ring for two tickets through the infected zone. As this journey begins, we are provided subtle allusions to Joseph Conrad’s classic novel Heart of Darkness (and its later artistically licensed film adaptation, Apocalypse Now) as their journey takes them up a river.  This river is scarred by the ghosts of battles; bloody ships and rusted wrecks litter the banks and an eerie sense lingers over each frame. 

Soon enough, Wynden and Kaulder begin to realize that this world, the world of Infection, of horrors that have stalked the land for six years, is different than they had previously believed.  They are then taken to see what is meant by “infection” which is the eggs the creatures lay, looking more like fluorescent mushrooms than insidious dangers.  Speaking to their guides, they are informed that the creatures themselves will often keep to themselves, but it is the American planes and the bombings that seem to anger them. 

The remaining journey continues Wynden and Kaulder’s revelation with several thrilling and even frightening scenes.  A “monster” attack on the group leaves these two as the only survivors.  The next morning, the two discover that a family has also been killed in the attack; however, in a sign that something has changed in him, Kaulder covers up the body of the child, rather than take her picture. As they continue their journey, they encounter the creature first-hand in an initially terrifying but ultimately stunning display.  The creatures look like incandescent Octopi mated with Elephants; they are enormous and their calls are awe-inspiring, but hardly terrifying.

This film has several thrilling scenes designed to frighten an audience with no concept of what to expect.  However, this film is not about aliens, although aliens are the allegorical vehicles used to deliver a message.  Largely, each scene of battle and destruction, each shriek of horror, could very easily have taken place without any such aliens.  In fact, each scene is really a reminder of our own world today, ravaged by war, decimated by devastating bombing and carnage.  Here we provided a film where we expect to find terrifying monsters unleashing untold chaos onto the world and yet all along we needed only look in the mirror.

Rating: 8 – An expensive red wine and juicy steak