REVIEW: Contagion

MOVIE
Contagion

CAST
Matt Damon,
Lawrence Fishburne

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
September 9, 2011

DIRECTOR
Steven Soderbergh

STUDIO
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 46 minutes




STARS
***






REVIEW:

It seems that I only come into contact with other critics when I make a comment on Facebook or YouTube that they backlash at.  This happened to me first back into July, when I came in contact with the great Roger Ebert.  He had given the movie 'Zookeeper' three stars out of four, enjoying the movie.  Having not seen the movie yet, I made a comment on Facebook about the review, which became a mini conversation between us two.  The same thing happened yesterday (9/9/11) when I came into contact with Ebert's former TV co-host Richard Roeper.  He had reviewed both of this weekend's new releases 'Warrior' and 'Contagion,' enjoying the latter between the two. (Yeah, 'Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star' also comes out this weekend, but nobodies really going to see it.)  I hadn't seen 'Contagion' yet, so of course without thinking I make a dumb move and call 'Contagion' just a "germ movie" on his YouTube video page, to which he responds.  These two critics probably don't remember me, and they could probably care less about me, but still, they responded.

I knew I had to check this movie out as soon as I could, so I went to the earliest show on the Saturday morning on 9/10 and see if this movie was worthy of the 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.  Let me just say now that the movie was good.  Not a great movie as some had thought, but it is a well executed movie with more mystery than horror.  Think of 'Contagion' this way: if 'Valentine's Day' had good actors, and the plot was about a deadly virus spreading worldwide rather than dumb holiday romances, then you have this movie.  This is an indie drama/mystery disguised as a big budget end of the world thriller.  This movie will definitely find an audience, but I don't think that this will appeal to the average moviegoer.  You have to keep your mind thinking and remembering that there's six different main characters in six different locations worldwide.  There are people in this movie who you see for about 5 minutes and are absent for another 45 minutes, in which you completely forget that they're in the movie.  While it may be slow and have some rough patches in its 106 minute length, 'Contagion' has enough of a mysterious feel to make a solid recommendation.  Steven Soderbergh is a good director, which makes me want to watch the 'Oceans' franchise now more than ever. 

We all know the plot to this movie: a virus spreads around the world, and people are trying to survive.  It's like the zombie apocalypse when those humans aren't even dead yet.  It's a typical virus story with a somewhat predictable outcome.  For some reason, I wasn't scared of this movie at all.  Sure, something like this could happen in real life, but I just wasn't that terrified of this movie.  I wanted something that could scare the crap out of me every time I see it, like 'The Exorcist' chick, or Heath Ledger's Joker from 'The Dark Knight,' for example.  I wanted to see something that would make me sick to my stomach and give me that strong terror from within.  What you could call this movie is weird and gross.  When the people with the disease die, their mouths foam up and their lips turn to crisp.  During an autopsy scene, you see them get into a dead body's head, and you see them peel the scalp back.  Other than these disgusting traits, the movie isn't gross or scary at all.  This movie was like a two hour long 'Law & Order' episode with great actors dealing with a terrible disease.  Speaking of the actors, they all were pretty good in this movie, even though most of them were in the movie for approx. 20-30 minutes each.

The obvious focus of the movie when you watch the trailer is Matt Damon's character.  Damon plays Mitch, the guy who's wife (Paltrow) and step son are suddenly infected by the mysterious disease and die because of it, while he is supposedly immune from the virus.  For the entire movie, he is trying to protect his daughter from the disease, even if that means house arrest.  If my memory serves me right, Matt Damon was the only character in this movie who was isolated from everyone else, other than Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Winslet in one scene.  Damon's performance wasn't bad, but director Soderbergh could have made his role just about as small as Paltrow's character, or just written things that had something to do with the government's attempt to cure the disease.  The final scene involving Damon and his daughter in my opinion was highly unnecessary, and could have easily been cut from the movie to give the ending a bit of a bang instead of a light boom. 

The ensemble as a whole was all good, but there was very little screen time for all of the ladies for the movie.  Yes, I am including Kate Winslet in this sentence, as her role in the movie lasted 15-20 minutes.  Coltillard is in the movie for about 10 minutes, and Paltrow is just the guinea pig of the whole film, actually having screen time with Damon for less than 5 minutes, where the rest of the movie has her seen in pictures and security tapes.  Lawrence Fishburne plays the government official keeping everything under wraps, and Jude Law is the blogger chasing him to find out the truth.  These are the typical characters in an "end of the world/conspiracy" movie, and to me it is something that has been getting old ever since the 2009 disaster flick '2012.'  The cast as a whole are all very good actors, but they got stuck in an end of the world movie where things may or may not have a happy ending.

Despite some plot flaws and actors who are used both too little and too much, 'Contagion' is a good fall movie that will probably make a lot of money opening weekend.  With it's intriguing concept and the all star cast within, there is no doubt that this will be the popular film of the weekend.  However in terms of quality, I'd recommend 'Warrior' over this in a heartbeat, and don't even ask me about 'Bucky Larson.'  I don't think this is worth the price of a ticket, let alone the IMAX experience, which to me was a dumb cash grab made by Warner Brothers.  If you must see this movie, do what I do and go to see it at matinee price on a Saturday or Sunday morning.  I may see it again in a couple of years to see if I get a different opinion upon a second viewing at a different age.  But for now, 'Contagion' is good, not great fall movie.  If Richard Roeper is reading this, then I'm saying to him that I still stand on my opinion that 'Warrior' is this weekend's superior movie.  I believe that I would have loved this movie if it was scarier, and more grotesque than what I saw today.  I just found it to be a two hour political mystery that could easily be dubbed as the marriage of 'Valentine's Day' and 'Law & Order.'  To close this lengthy review, I enjoyed 'Contagion,' but you may like it more if you waited for the DVD/Blu-Ray release instead. 



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Drive

Abduction


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Sherlock Holmes:
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The Dark Knight Rises

REVIEW: Warrior

MOVIE
Warrior

CAST
Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
September 9, 2011

DIRECTOR
Gavin O'Conner

STUDIO
Lionsgate

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 20 minutes






STARS
****








REVIEW:

Breaking into the official fall season of film, I officially start it off (not including screenings of September/October films I've already seen) with the new MMA drama 'Warrior.'  'Warrior' is the latest boxing drama to come out onto the scene, so it would be very easy to compare this movie to 'The Fighter,' the other boxing drama that won a few Academy Awards earlier this year.  However comparing this movie to 'Fighter' would be a disgrace to the creators of this flick.  'Warrior' for starters is way better than 'The Fighter.'  The saving point of 'The Fighter' was the incredible acting of Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, as well as a well written, potty mouthed script.  Warrior on the other hand has superb acting, a gripping story, and a feeling that you're right there training and feeling the pain with Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton.  A lot of movies are coming out this fall, but 'Warrior' may be the best one coming out, and it's still early in the game.  There is only one word that can properly describe 'Warrior:' phenomenal.  Warrior is a phenomenal film that with undoubtedly go down as the boxing movie since the original 'Rocky.'  Actually despite being a Philly boy, I'm not much of a fan of 'Rocky.'  So for me, 'Warrior' is the single best boxing movie ever made, and one of the best movies of the entire year.  

Tommy Conlon, a man gone from his family's life for over a decade, and the youngest son of a 1000 day sober father returns home to Pittsburgh in order to do one thing: fight.  He has found out about a huge tournament taking place in Atlantic City, NJ, where the top 16 wrestlers in the world fight for a huge award sum of $5 million, as well as credit for being the toughest wrestler in the world.  Tommy wants his father to train him to win, which he happily does.  Brendan Conlon is a happily married man with two daughters, teaching science at a school in Philadelphia.  Low on money to pay for his house and family, Brendan decides to return to wrestling, being a former pro wrestler, and attempt to win the 5 million dollar prize so his family can have a better life.  But what happens when these two brothers, who are practically on two different worlds come back into eachother's lives' and are forced to fight against eachother rather than stick up for one another?

When most movie goers think of the name Tom Hardy, they think of the only other mainstream movie he was in: 'Inception.'  In that movie he is a sarcastic thief that helps Leonardo DiCaprio pull off the inception mission.  If you enjoyed his performance in that movie, wait until you get a load of Hardy's performance in this movie.  Hardy plays Tommy, the bulk looking brother who's fighting for honor and the money, as well as keeping some secrets from the past 14 years.  Many comic book geeks and Batman fans already know that Hardy is playing the super villain Bane in next year's 'The Dark Knight Rises,' and many of them were skeptic of how this sarcastic man from 'Inception' could pull off such a powerful role.  Even i was curious to see why Chris Nolan chose him to be Batman's new villain.  However after seeing this movie, I can see perfectly why Hardy is the right choice.  His bulkiness and tough/mysterious act in 'Warrior' shows exactly what actors can do if they gain many pounds worth of muscle and just act like an angry tough badass throughout.  This is the official start of a solid career for Hardy, and I could actually see him get some award recognition in the next few months.  However as good as Hardy was, the best role in the movie was Nick Nolte as the sober father of Tommy and Brendan.

I've only seen Nolte in one movie, and heard his voice in another, so I don't have much experience with any of Nolte's work, some of his work I believe garnered him some Oscar nominations.  I can now see from this movie how good of an actor he is when he isn't doing dumb comedies.  This may possibly the single best performance that I have seen by any actor this year.  Nolte's character is only trying to be in both of his son's lives, with one of them refusing to forgive his father from an incident several years previous.  There is a scene involving Nolte and a few bottles of alcohol that was the turning point of the film for me.  The emotions of the character in that particular scene were so chilling, and yet so heartbreaking at the same time.  I will be very surprised if Nolte doesn't get nominated for supporting actor at any major award ceremony this year.  You will be mesmerized by the performance of Hardy and Nolte, but don't think I forgot about Joel Edgerton. 

Edgerton in this movie reminded me a lot of Sam Worthington in 'Avatar' for what I believe are some strong reasons.  First off, Edgerton and Worthington's characters in each movie are fighting to save their families.  They are both involved with very moving family stories that help keep some heart in each film.  Second off, they are both Aussies, so their American accents sound very similar to one another.  When actors try to put on different accents, it's sometimes noticeable that they are trying to make their voice sound different, but it is sometimes good enough that it makes it less annoying than it would be if an American was trying to do an English accent, pulling it off poorly.  Third off, both actors have promising futures ahead of them, with Worthington ahead of the game with films like 'Clash of the Titans' and 'Terminator Salvation.'  Edgerton is actually in a Disney movie next year, entitled 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green,' which actually seems like it could be a solid movie come next year.  Joel Edgerton is very good in this movie, giving off the heart and soul that every movie needs.  If this movie were 'The Fighter,' Edgerton would be Mark Wahlberg, Hardy would be Christian Bale, and Nolte would be a combination of Amy Adams and Melissa Leo if they had a sex change.

In summary, Warrior is a superb sports drama that can appeal to every audience member, even if they have no desire of ever watching wrestling.  The acting is fantastic, the story is moving, and the wrestling is so unbelievable to watch that you can almost feel a wrestler get their shoulder dislocated or sucker punched in the gut.  For a movie being nearly 2 and a half hours, this one just keeps moving along, and the length isn't as noticeable as you would think it would be.  I understand that Lionsgate is doing everything they can to ensure that this movie will be financially successful, including having special sneak preview shows tonight (9/4) at many theaters across the country.  But honestly, I believe that they don't have to do this.  Just from the screenings they had for AMC Stubs members (including me) across the country last Wednesday (8/31) can ensure that this movie will be a huge hit.  I have yet to see 'Contagion' and 'Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star,' the other two new releases for this weekend, but I believe right now that this will be the best movie coming out this weekend.  This is a film that will have you standing up and cheering in your seat.  Yeah, it's one of those movies.  Plus, Peter Gunn (Shia LaBeouf's father in the 'Transformers' movies) is in this, so you know that you will laugh a few times.  If you guys get the chance to, go check out the sneak preview shows of this movie tonight, and comment below with a response.  I want to hear what everyone thought of this movie.  So who will be the champion for this coming weekend?  My early bet is Gavin O'Conner's undoubtedly sublime movie 'Warrior.'  No where is Adrian when you need her...

REVIEW: Attack the Block

MOVIE
Attack the Block

CAST
John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker

RATING
R

RELEASE
September 2, 2011 (My Area)

DIRECTOR
Joe Cornish

STUDIO
Screen Gems (Sony)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 28 minutes






STARS
****









REVIEW:

You have no idea how much history I have with 'Attack the Block.'  Ever since this movie premiered at SXSW earlier this year, I have been very eager to check it out.  After all, Edgar Wright, the director of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' had faith in the film and produced it. I've been very eager to see this movie, especially since the film screened in Philadelphia in both May and June and I couldn't attend either screening. Then the film opens on July 29 in select cities and the closest place to me was New York City: 2 hours away!  Now Sony finally brings this movie to Cherry Hill, NJ just as my freshman year of high school is about to begin. My dad and I decided to catch the latest showing of it on Friday night, and now here I am. I am very pleased to tell you that if you're down in the end of summer slumps and just want to go see something great to kick off the fall season, then I have found that movie for you! If you like gore, British slang/swearing, weed, or epic killing aliens, then 'Attack the Block' is the must see movie for you.

On a night of celebration in South London, a young woman named Sam is mugged by a group of teenage boys who live in a building called "The Block." During the mugging, a strange meteorite crashes and an alien comes out trying to kill the kids. Scared but brave, the kids kill the alien, but that only makes matters much worse. More aliens come and are killing anything in their path. Now it's up to these South London kids to defend their town and save their neighbors before the aliens attack the block.

In a time when the only movies that are being released are either, sequels, reboots, remakes, or adaptations, it's nice to see a movie that is fully original and fresh. The only other original movies that have come out this past summer were 'Midnight in Paris' and 'Super 8,' though 'Super 8' was more a Spielberg homage than an original concept. It's ironic in some ways that an original story concept was written by a first time director on a minuscule budget with a cast of nobodies. This sci-fi flick proves that all you need is an idea to make a great movie, with special effects and explosions just being an added bonus if used properly.  Quality is more important than flashy CGI effects and awful uses of 3D, and that proof comes from some of this year's more recent duds.  Directors like Michael Bay and Zack Snyder can learn from this movie, as they know how to work the CGI computers, but they can't exactly write great scripts.  Even the gore in this movie, despite looking very cheesy is effective and will gross you out at least once. 

I know that I've been saying this in reviews for many other films, but the teenage cast of nobodies really make this movie.  The lead of the film is Moses, played by newcomer John Boyega.  He is the leader of the group of teenagers who are out to kill the aliens.  This guy is the real heart and soul of the film, and can really carry a film on his own.  Boyega's supporting cast are only there for the comedic element of the film,  and that only enhances the film's enjoyment.  The most well known person in this movie is British comedian Nick Frost, most famous for such films as 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz.'  He plays Ron, a drug dealer who has access to the safest area in the block, which won't be mentioned because it gives away one of the best jokes in the movie.  Another great cast member in the film is Luke Treadaway, who plays the incredibly high, incredibly funny character Brewis.  The best chemistry in the entire movie comes from Ron and Brewis, who are incredibly smart, yet so high it's hard to recognize that.  The rest of the characters, including Jodie Whittaker's Sam and Alex Esmail's pest are all the perfect choices for their roles, each with the right amount of fear, comedic jokes, and swear-filled one liners to satisfy the average moviegoer.

To summarize, 'Attack the Block' is a cinematic experience not worth missing.  It will make you laugh in your seat, it will make you jump out of your seat.  Heck, it will make you feel higher than any of the characters in the film who are smoking weed and just lounging around throughout the 88 minutes of the film.  The aliens in this movie will scare you, even if they're just big ape like monsters with green teeth.  The scenes where they kill numerous humans will gross you out without a doubt.  The slang/English isn't even that hard to understand, that is if you read the slang cheat sheet for the movie.  I have a feeling that this will be one of those movies that gets even better after multiple viewings on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Last year that movie was 'Scott Pilgrim,' and now it's one of my favorite movies!  First time director Joe Cornish has made a film that I guarantee will blow your mind, and I tip my hat to him, along with producer Edgar Wright for having teriffic taste in movies.  You may have to seek this movie out, as I believe it's playing in about 20 cities throughout the country, but it is totally worth the trip and ticket price to see it.  Do yourself a favor citizens of the US, if comedy and horror is your type of shtick, then do yourself a favor: see 'Attack the Block' and become what the media is calling a "Blockhead."  Believe it, bruvs.  Believe.



PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Drive (Red Band)


Saving Private Perez


50/50


Immortals


Sherlock Holmes:
A Game Of Shadows

REWIND REVIEW: The Beaver

MOVIE
The Beaver

CAST
Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
May 13, 2011

DIRECTOR
Jodie Foster

STUDIO
Summit Entertainment

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 31 minutes






STARS
***1/4







REVIEW:

Love him or hate him, Mel Gibson is unquestionably a fantastic actor.  As a Jew myself, I am deeply offended by what he is towards Jews and it hurts that people can still feel this way.  However, I did want to check out his new film 'The Beaver.'  I personally have never seen a Mel Gibson movie before 'The Beaver,' but I can tell just by watching trailers for his movies that he is a sublime actor.  Jodie Foster, a friend of Gibson's apparently wanted to bring his career back and give him a second chance with this movie, and that's exactly what has been done.  I really wanted to check this movie out in theaters because of all of the controversy surrounding it.  But because nobody I knew wanted to go with me to see this film, and the fact it barely did any business at the box office, I had to wait for the home video release to check it out.  I am pleased to tell you that this movie is very dark, a bit disturbing, and all the more very good. 

Mel Gibson gives a spellbinding performance as Walter Black, a depressed man on the verge of suicide who suddenly starts to wear a beaver puppet on his hand, communicating with a British accent through the puppet.  However, as Walter suddenly gets his life back, how long will it be until he himself becomes the beaver puppet?  Gibson gives a performance that was so amazing to watch that you could well believe that Gibson would be this way in reality.  This film can obviously be compared to Gibson's real life troubles, only we wish that he in real life had a puppet on his right hand.  The supporting cast, including the film's director Jodie Foster, Academy Award nominated Jennifer Lawrence, and Anton Yelchin of Star Trek' and 'Fright Night' fame are all great.  It's nice to see this movie not being all about Gibson's problems and let the audience witness the story of Yelchin and Lawrence's relationship blossom, with both characters having problems of their own.  If you want to see how acting is really done, watch this movie and prepare to be amazed.

The story concept will turn off many from watching the film, or just make you cringe while watching it.  The final 20 minutes of the film are especially very disturbing and hard to watch.  I can guarantee that this film may not be for everybody, but it really quite is something of a film if you let your feelings towards Gibson aside and just watch this movie.  Gibson may be an Anti-Semite, but he is very talented.  He should not have been exposed in the way it was, and he should have kept his personal beliefs to himself.  I swear that I don't have a hand up my ass making me say this, I really mean that 'The Beaver' is a gem of a movie, and Mel Gibson is a great actor.  Just see the movie for Jodie Foster's sake.  We all still love her, right?  Anyways, if you get the chance or can put your personal feelings aside, please do yourself a favor and get a load of 'The Beaver.'  See what I did there:  I rhymed, sort of.

REWIND REVIEW: Exporting Raymond

MOVIE
Exporting Raymond

CAST
Phillip Rosenthal

RATING
PG

RELEASE
May 1, 2011 (LIMITED)

DIRECTOR
Phillip Rosenthal

STUDIO
Samuel Goldwyn Films (Sony)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 25 minutes






STARS
**1/2









REVIEW:

On a night where I had nothing to do, my father and I decided to go to Redbox and find something to watch.  I had already seen most of the stuff there, so I decided on getting 'Exporting Raymond,' a documentary from Phil Rosenthal, the creator of the hit TV show, 'Everybody Loves Raymond.'  The original TV show, which ended in 2005 still makes me crack up when a rerun is playing on TBS.  The show basically was 'Married with Children' if the Bundy's were more mil-mannered and their neighbors were their family rather than a crazy couple.  The show was so clever and so relatable to modern audiences that it was hard not to laugh at the jokes.  It seemed that families worldwide could relate to Raymond and his messed up family.  But then, Russia called, and they wanted to do 'Raymond' over there. 

As much as I wanted to love this movie, I just couldn't.  Sure it was funny, but I don't think that it was worthy to win the top award from the Austin Film Festival.  I don't find Rosenthal to be unfunny, but I found this movie to be somewhat dull, with some realistic comedy put into it.  Many I think really enjoyed this documentary, but some didn't and I am one of those few.  Honestly, I just wish I watched a few 'Raymond' episodes instead of seeing this.  This is a film for the big 'Raymond' fans, as well as documentary fans.  This is a film that disappointed me, and I wish it could have been better.  Overall, I just found 'Exporting Raymond' to be an okay movie.  The only time to watch it is if you are really bored or are in the mood for something involving your favorite American family sitcom.  Sony and Rosenthal should not have exported Raymond, because the Russians never even got into the Italian American mood at all.