At long last the television God’s have listened to the prayers of the viewership and given us what we demand: a team up of TV’s comedy extraordinaires Tina Fey and Steve Carell. Finally, Tina and Steve are not divided by their repective shows and commercial breaks. Finally, Liz Lemon can have repartee with Michael Scott. Finally, we can witness great talents building off each other rather than competing with one another. Finally. And the offering of the God’s is “Date Night,” a pretty damn funny screwball comedy.
Admittedly, “Date Night” is not a work of tremendous genius or a comedy that will forever change the course of the genre, but what it does, it does well – namely it makes us laugh. Tina Fey and Steve Carell play Phil and Claire Foster, a married couple who have settled into the tired routines of work, kids, and sleep. For Phil and Claire, the spark of spontaneity that ignites all romance has long since been put out – and they know it, and it scares them. In an attempt to recharge their old flame, they decide abandon their usual routines and head into New York City one night to try a hot new restaurant. When it becomes clear that they will not be seated without a reservation, Phil and Claire take the reservation of a no-show couple, the Tripplehorns.
After a bottle or two of wine, Phil and Claire are approached by two thuggish looking men and are asked to follow them out of the restaurant. Believing the Fosters are the Tripplehorns, the men demand Claire and Phil turn over a flash drive that they know nothing about. This case of mistaken identity sets off a series of actions and escapes that prove to be at once hilarious and fun. We meet the real Tripplehorns, a tough mob boss, and a former client of Claire’s, a security expert named Holbrooke (Mark Wahlberg) who never wears a shirt.
One of “Date Night’s” strengths is its employment of the secondary characters. Too often in comedies, a secondary character will overshadow the stars and usurp the significance of the main action. Here, the supporting actors like Wahlberg, Ray Liota, James Franco, and Mila Kunis are used in superb moderation. None of their characters stays longer than necessary and so they remain as funny as they can possibly be. Perhaps this is the strength of the screenplay by Josh Klausner or the wise comedic discretion of director Shawn Levy, but whatever it is, it works.
“Date Night” also has the funniest car chase I have seen since “The Blues Brothers” (1980).
And then there is Steve and Tina, who, as per usual, are remarkably funny. They know how to balance real emotions with madcap zaniness. It must be hard to do. We believe the Fosters could be real people, a real couple, and that is why the crazy action that follows them on their date night is so funny. I really hope Tina and Steve will be paired up again in a movie. They could be the next Hepburn and Tracey, albeit not lovers (or so we think)…
Rating:
On a scale of one to Casablanca this film is a “The Goonies” (1986)
Rationalization:
You gotta give props to a film that doesn’t stretch itself beyond what it is. “Date Night” is an action comedy that realizes how absurd its action is and yet watches with seriousness. There are no false gimmicks to try and make “Date Night” hipper than it is. We simply have great talents at work here that produce a light comedy that makes us laugh real good. I expected nothing more from “Date Night” than to laugh and feel I had not wasted my two hours. I was not disappointed.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Review:
Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is the director’s first foray into animation and what a fabulous success it is! I will maybe be the first and only one to ever admit such a thing but here I go: I think I liked it better than “Up” (2009). Yes, “Up” is a beautiful and very touching film, a masterpiece of computer animation and a palette of real emotions, but “Fantastic Mr. Fox” has that ‘je ne sais quoi’ that leaves my mind a-flutter after a viewing. Perhaps that ‘je ne sais quoi’ is simply a genuine charisma or maybe its a reassuring quirkiness. Perhaps it’s simply a well fleshed out story with believable anthropomorphic characters. I don’t know really. It just left me with a lot more to think about than most animated films. I loved this film. It is Wes Anderson’s best since “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001).
Based on the children’s book by Roald Dahl “Fantastic Mr. Fox” spins the tale of Mr. Fox (George Clooney), a natural born chicken thief who is persuaded by his wife, Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) to leave behind his life of crime. Several years later though, Mr. Fox is feeling that itch to burglarize again. In his new scheme he involves opossum Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky) and his capable nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson). He plans to rob three mean farmers, Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. All the while he is keeping his reactivated life of crime a secret from his disapproving wife and his odd ball son Ash (Jason Schwartzman).
The basic story from Dahl’s beloved book is maintained in the film, but Anderson in his typical fashion of writing and filming, infuses a lot of humorous eccentricities and style into the story. For instance, Mr. Fox’s nephew Kristofferson (who is not in Dahl’s book) regularly meditates. In a moment where his cousin Ash insults him, Krisofferson withholds his anger and states, “I am going to go meditate for half an hour.” Most writers would have had Kristofferson blow up in an angry fit, or have him cry and run off; how rare, and how specific, to have a character with such faculty over his emotions (especially in a cartoon). Its moments like this that makes “Fantastic Mr. Fox” sparkle.
The animation is also superb and lends itself well to the story. It is stop motion animation - the best (i.e. most fitting) stop motion I have seen since “A Nightmare Before Christmas” (1994). The detail is effervescent. I love a scene in which one of the farmers, digging through the Fox’s layer finds a landscape painting by Mrs. Fox. He holds it up and regards it with such antipathy. If a real person found a landscape painting by a fox they’d be baffled and amazed.
And ultimately, I love the sense of melancholy that runs throughout the movie. It’s very grownup at heart. All of Wes Anderson’s movies are very funny but very melancholy. There’s great sadness behind a lot of his funniest characters. Here, Meryl Streep provides the true melancholia of the film. She is at a loss to change her husband’s ways and she knows it.
I like that this film does not shy away from adult humor. There are cigarettes, alcohol, knife fights, cussing, and serious questions of identity. I found myself very moved the film and wanting to buy it right away. That so rarely happens.
Rating:
On a scale of one to Casablanca this film is a “Roman Holiday” (1953)
Rationalization:
“Roman Holiday” (1953) is a film I have always respected for not giving us the easy, expected ending. Instead it gives us the right ending and so the rest of the story is rendered more significant. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is similar. I respect it for going way above and beyond what it could have been. Some other director or writer would have given us a straight rendition of Dahl’s story but Wes Anderson dares to take the right liberties with it. He breathes new and original life into his characters and so too breathes life into anyone who watches this film.
Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is the director’s first foray into animation and what a fabulous success it is! I will maybe be the first and only one to ever admit such a thing but here I go: I think I liked it better than “Up” (2009). Yes, “Up” is a beautiful and very touching film, a masterpiece of computer animation and a palette of real emotions, but “Fantastic Mr. Fox” has that ‘je ne sais quoi’ that leaves my mind a-flutter after a viewing. Perhaps that ‘je ne sais quoi’ is simply a genuine charisma or maybe its a reassuring quirkiness. Perhaps it’s simply a well fleshed out story with believable anthropomorphic characters. I don’t know really. It just left me with a lot more to think about than most animated films. I loved this film. It is Wes Anderson’s best since “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001).
Based on the children’s book by Roald Dahl “Fantastic Mr. Fox” spins the tale of Mr. Fox (George Clooney), a natural born chicken thief who is persuaded by his wife, Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) to leave behind his life of crime. Several years later though, Mr. Fox is feeling that itch to burglarize again. In his new scheme he involves opossum Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky) and his capable nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson). He plans to rob three mean farmers, Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. All the while he is keeping his reactivated life of crime a secret from his disapproving wife and his odd ball son Ash (Jason Schwartzman).
The basic story from Dahl’s beloved book is maintained in the film, but Anderson in his typical fashion of writing and filming, infuses a lot of humorous eccentricities and style into the story. For instance, Mr. Fox’s nephew Kristofferson (who is not in Dahl’s book) regularly meditates. In a moment where his cousin Ash insults him, Krisofferson withholds his anger and states, “I am going to go meditate for half an hour.” Most writers would have had Kristofferson blow up in an angry fit, or have him cry and run off; how rare, and how specific, to have a character with such faculty over his emotions (especially in a cartoon). Its moments like this that makes “Fantastic Mr. Fox” sparkle.
The animation is also superb and lends itself well to the story. It is stop motion animation - the best (i.e. most fitting) stop motion I have seen since “A Nightmare Before Christmas” (1994). The detail is effervescent. I love a scene in which one of the farmers, digging through the Fox’s layer finds a landscape painting by Mrs. Fox. He holds it up and regards it with such antipathy. If a real person found a landscape painting by a fox they’d be baffled and amazed.
And ultimately, I love the sense of melancholy that runs throughout the movie. It’s very grownup at heart. All of Wes Anderson’s movies are very funny but very melancholy. There’s great sadness behind a lot of his funniest characters. Here, Meryl Streep provides the true melancholia of the film. She is at a loss to change her husband’s ways and she knows it.
I like that this film does not shy away from adult humor. There are cigarettes, alcohol, knife fights, cussing, and serious questions of identity. I found myself very moved the film and wanting to buy it right away. That so rarely happens.
Rating:
On a scale of one to Casablanca this film is a “Roman Holiday” (1953)
Rationalization:
“Roman Holiday” (1953) is a film I have always respected for not giving us the easy, expected ending. Instead it gives us the right ending and so the rest of the story is rendered more significant. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is similar. I respect it for going way above and beyond what it could have been. Some other director or writer would have given us a straight rendition of Dahl’s story but Wes Anderson dares to take the right liberties with it. He breathes new and original life into his characters and so too breathes life into anyone who watches this film.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Review:
Like “Snakes on a Plane” (2006) and “Citizen Kane” (1941) before it, “Hot Tub Time Machine” delivers exactly what the title promises. It’s a zany comedy that tries to be no holds bar but doesn’t quite succeed on the level I wanted it to succeed. Yes, it’s actually pretty funny. I found myself laughing a good deal. But at the end of the day, it felt a little underdeveloped. Perhaps the best part of this movie is in fact the title. The second best part would probably be the fact that someone thought up the rediculous concept of a hot tub time machine. But really, when you think about it, why is a hot tub time machine more ridiculous than a DeLorean time machine? Actually, who am I kidding? It’s way more ridiculous.
So on to the story. Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Webber) and Lou (Rob Corddry) in the 1980s were best friends partying it up at the hottest ski lodge ever. In their adult lives they have drifted apart and become unhappy, unsuccessful bores. Adam is a down and out insurance salesman. Nick has given up his dreams of becoming a famous musician to work at a salon for dogs and Lou has become an alcoholic divorcee. One night during a drunken rock out in his garage, Lou accidentally gives himself carbon monoxide poisoning. Thinking this was a suicide attempt, his doctor’s recommend that Adam and Nick keep an eye on Lou. And so, Adam, Nick, and Lou, accompanied by Adam’s dorky nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) head back up to that ski lodge from their lost youth to bond and cheer each other up. When they arrive though they find that the lodge has not been kept up over the years. It is a musty old place with a one armed bellboy. Even the hot tub has a dead opossum in it.
But nevertheless, the four men decide to get plastered in the hot tub and as tends to happen when you get drunk in a hot tub, they get transported back in time. And so begins the age old foibles of time travel. They realize they cannot alter anything; They must break up with the same girls they broke up with in the past, they must get into the same fights, the same hook ups. But this of course turns out to be a hard roster to follow, especially since Adam, Nick, and Lou know how their lives turn out if they relive their past in the same way.
Some of the ensuing hilarity is purely excellent. I especially liked Nick’s inappropriate phone call to his nine-year old wife. But some of scenarios and jokes didn’t quite work for me. In a movie called “Hot Tub Time Machine” you should be going for broke. There should be nothing redemptive or reassuring about the situation. That’s why I like the movies “Caddyshack” (1980) and “Stripes” (1982) which are in a similar spirit as “Hot Tub” but never move to restore the lives of their characters.
In “Hot Tub,” which is a movie rife with cursing, drugs, sex, and delusions, I wish that they had stayed in the 80s longer than one night and that the friends coming to terms with each other element had been complete eradicated. I wish they would just have gotten into crazy trouble and confusion and left it at that. Also, Chevy Chase wasn’t very funny. Yet still, I laughed. If you see “Hot Tub Time Machine” be in a silly mood, and you shall not be let down.
Rating:
On a scale of one to Casablanca this film is a “E La Nave Va” (1986)
Rationalization:
Not to say this movie isn’t good, but I feel that it doesn’t quite know what it is at times; whether it should try to bestow some meaning to the events its depicting or whether it should just be a ridiculous comedy. When I went in to see “Hot Tub Time Machine” I wanted pure irreverence. What I got was a tad deluded.
Like “Snakes on a Plane” (2006) and “Citizen Kane” (1941) before it, “Hot Tub Time Machine” delivers exactly what the title promises. It’s a zany comedy that tries to be no holds bar but doesn’t quite succeed on the level I wanted it to succeed. Yes, it’s actually pretty funny. I found myself laughing a good deal. But at the end of the day, it felt a little underdeveloped. Perhaps the best part of this movie is in fact the title. The second best part would probably be the fact that someone thought up the rediculous concept of a hot tub time machine. But really, when you think about it, why is a hot tub time machine more ridiculous than a DeLorean time machine? Actually, who am I kidding? It’s way more ridiculous.
So on to the story. Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Webber) and Lou (Rob Corddry) in the 1980s were best friends partying it up at the hottest ski lodge ever. In their adult lives they have drifted apart and become unhappy, unsuccessful bores. Adam is a down and out insurance salesman. Nick has given up his dreams of becoming a famous musician to work at a salon for dogs and Lou has become an alcoholic divorcee. One night during a drunken rock out in his garage, Lou accidentally gives himself carbon monoxide poisoning. Thinking this was a suicide attempt, his doctor’s recommend that Adam and Nick keep an eye on Lou. And so, Adam, Nick, and Lou, accompanied by Adam’s dorky nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) head back up to that ski lodge from their lost youth to bond and cheer each other up. When they arrive though they find that the lodge has not been kept up over the years. It is a musty old place with a one armed bellboy. Even the hot tub has a dead opossum in it.
But nevertheless, the four men decide to get plastered in the hot tub and as tends to happen when you get drunk in a hot tub, they get transported back in time. And so begins the age old foibles of time travel. They realize they cannot alter anything; They must break up with the same girls they broke up with in the past, they must get into the same fights, the same hook ups. But this of course turns out to be a hard roster to follow, especially since Adam, Nick, and Lou know how their lives turn out if they relive their past in the same way.
Some of the ensuing hilarity is purely excellent. I especially liked Nick’s inappropriate phone call to his nine-year old wife. But some of scenarios and jokes didn’t quite work for me. In a movie called “Hot Tub Time Machine” you should be going for broke. There should be nothing redemptive or reassuring about the situation. That’s why I like the movies “Caddyshack” (1980) and “Stripes” (1982) which are in a similar spirit as “Hot Tub” but never move to restore the lives of their characters.
In “Hot Tub,” which is a movie rife with cursing, drugs, sex, and delusions, I wish that they had stayed in the 80s longer than one night and that the friends coming to terms with each other element had been complete eradicated. I wish they would just have gotten into crazy trouble and confusion and left it at that. Also, Chevy Chase wasn’t very funny. Yet still, I laughed. If you see “Hot Tub Time Machine” be in a silly mood, and you shall not be let down.
Rating:
On a scale of one to Casablanca this film is a “E La Nave Va” (1986)
Rationalization:
Not to say this movie isn’t good, but I feel that it doesn’t quite know what it is at times; whether it should try to bestow some meaning to the events its depicting or whether it should just be a ridiculous comedy. When I went in to see “Hot Tub Time Machine” I wanted pure irreverence. What I got was a tad deluded.
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