Funny People

***1/2 Stars

The first 90 minutes or so of Funny People is a four star movie. The last 60 minutes or so of Funny People is a three star movie. Mathematically, this comes out to about a three and a half star movie. Too bad for that last hour.

Now Funny People isn't necessarily too long. The real reason behind why the last 60 minutes has everyone talking is the fact that it's a completely separate film from the first 90 minutes. It's as though Judd Apatow was reaching for the stars, but somehow landed on the moon. To put that in English, Funny People is a very good movie that should be great.

However, Apatow has nothing to be ashamed of here. He should be proud of his ambitious and daring new film that sets the bar for any other aspiring filmmaker living in the Apatow universe. Starring Adam Sandler in his best performance ever, Apatow seems to have created a co-autobiographical story about the real life Sandler and himself. Roommates in college, the two have expressed that the character of George Simmons (played by Sandler) is like a nightmare of what their lives could have been like without their wives and children. Interestingly enough, Simmons's love interest is played by Apatow's wife Leslie Mann, whose kids in the movie are their very own (just like in Knocked Up). With his life and soul literally invested into this project, this is his most mature and thought-provoking film yet.

No one else can play George Simmons other than Adam Sandler. This is his movie. Simmons is a very rich comedian who discovers that he is dying from a rare form on leukemia. He meets a young and upcoming comedian named Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) whom he asks to write jokes for him. Ira immediately accepts, and the two begin a friendship through immature jokes and their relatable profession. Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman are hilarious as Ira's roommates, who provide the nostalgic presences of two well-known actors getting plenty of moments to shine. When Rogen, Hill, and Schwartzmann riff off each other during their scenes together, it's like the feeling of something special happening. Funny People is ahead of its time, and it will likely be cherished as time progresses.

Perhaps this is why people aren't lining up right away to see this. What, did you not want to see drama? Is that it? Well, too bad. Funny People is both a comedy and drama, split right down the middle. Would you rather have everyone play it safe and return to the same old formula? Maybe Sandler is tired of playing the moron. Maybe Seth Rogen lost weight because he wanted to get healthy. Maybe Leslie Mann can actually act instead of just being Judd Apatow's wife. Maybe people should stop complaining about dramatic elements in a comedy (if all you want is a hilarious raunchfest, go see The Hangover again).

Or maybe we should realize that a film is not all about box-office receipts. A $23 million opening for a film like this is an absolute success. I'm not talking about its budget (reportedly around $75 million) but its subject matter. Sandler's three other "dramatic" movies, Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and Spanglish, all underperformed at the box-office. Funny People is the most complex performance of Sandler's career. Perhaps this is another case of bad marketing. Maybe studios should start selling their movies based on what they really are. Perhaps this is why people aren't lining up right away to see this.

Funny People is a film to admire. Apatow is pushing real hard to establish himself as an auteur, and while there are flaws and mishaps along the way, it's also the work of a born filmmaker. We are at an age now where ambition is overlooked and giving into social pressure is acceptable. Apatow, keep doing your thing. And bring your college roommate, your family, and your friends along with you (and maybe Eric Bana once-in-a-while. He's hysterical in this film!) After all, you guys really are funny people.

(500) Days of Summer

**** Stars

(500) Days of Summer is a wonderful experience, one so magical, so absolutely delightful, and so in-touch with human emotions, you’ll swear it’s like witnessing your own life. The tagline for this film is a phenomenal one: “This is not a love story. This is a story about love.” Oh how true this tagline is. Because what is the first thing you think about when someone tells you a film is “a love story?” Hmm, let’s see. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy tries to get girl, boy eventually gets girl, boy somehow loses girl, boy magically gets girl back, and boy and girl live happily ever after. Pretty standard stuff right? What makes (500) Days of Summer so original is how brilliantly it plays off that basic formula. This movie is a story ABOUT love.

Very quickly, for those who want the cliff notes on the plot, here you go: Joseph Gordon Levitt stars as the boy, Tom Hansen. Zooey Deschanel stars as the girl, Summer Finn. Tom falls in love with Summer, but Summer doesn’t fall in love with Tom. Their relationship together takes place over 500 days, from the first day they meet to the last day they ever see each other. Satisfied? Good. Let’s move on.

I say this because this film does not deserve some textbook synopsis for some textbook audience. No, what this film deserves is someone like you. Yes, I mean you, the one reading this review. Simply because you are a real person with real feelings. And I can promise you, with absolute certainty, that if you are willing to feel what you really feel throughout watching this film, then (500) Days of Summer will satisfy you in ways you could never imagine.

Relationships are never remembered in chronological order, but rather in moments. Good times or bad. Time can be a tricky thing. It’s often an illusion. A tool for organization, which anyone can safely say is the last term to describe a relationship. Perhaps this is why the movie chooses to ignore a straight forward narrative altogether. In a Memento like approach, (500) Days of Summer begins somewhere in the middle, and unfolds with the moments that are important to the story.

For example, the film begins with a heartbroken Tom being comforted by his friends after his relationship with Summer seems over. Determined to get her back, the story takes an offbeat turn and sweeps us into the memories of Tom and Summer’s past. Not in order, but on random days. Tom is an aspiring architect, who makes his living as a greeting card writer. When Summer is hired at the same company, Tom immediately falls for her. From there comes the bumpy and often surreal experiences of what we like to call love.

Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel have such strong chemistry in so many ways it’s as though they were born to play these characters. Levitt, easily one of the strongest male actors of his generation, gives a beautiful performance as a smart, yet helpless romantic. Surely deserving of an Oscar nomination, Levitt is wonderfully funny, instantly relatable, and downright intrinsic. Deschanel, whose mere presence is celestial, is pitch-perfect in the female lead. As the film progressed, the film critic inside me disappeared and I became lost in the story of Tom. This is a wonderful film for anyone to enjoy, but I think this is a perfect film for men. I can’t remember the last time I felt this connected to a character. I laughed, I cried, I feared, and I celebrated. Celebrated the 500 days of Tom and Summer’s relationship. Celebrated the 500 different feelings I felt as I watched it unfold. And now, I’m celebrating (500) Days of Summer as the best film so far this year.

The Orphan

*1/2 Stars

The Orphan is a by-the-numbers horror flick with one or two scenes of potential. The rest? Dead upon arrival. Starring Vera Farminga and Peter Sarsgaard, this ripoff of The Omen features the two leads playing parents who adopt a child because the plot needs them to. Her name is Ester. And of course she is evil, even deadly, and willing to kill for the sake of killing. Now, if it didn't feature one of the stupidest twists I have ever seen in a movie, I would give this a mild recommendation to those who enjoy the genre. But it does, so I won't. Yes, there is something wrong with Ester. It's the film itself.

The Proposal

** Stars

Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds star in this standard and formulaic romantic comedy that offers plenty of sweets, but not enough bite. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say you know exactly (and I mean EXACTLY) where this movie is heading the second the opening credits start to roll. The Proposal isn’t hard to watch, but it’s just as easy to ignore.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

***1/2 Stars

Simply put, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the best film of the series. It is the first film from the phenomenally successful franchise that I can truly call great. With the final two films approaching fast (the last book will be broken up into two movies), this installment is an epic setup to what should be an epic conclusion.

Director David Yates took over the franchise with 2007's mildly entertaining Order of the Phoenix, but it's his second entry that secures his spot as the strongest director of the series (even more so than Alfonso Cuaron's fantastic Prisoner of Azkaban). The cast is stronger than ever, with Daniel Radcliffe clearly coming into his own. Although he is still playing Harry Potter and will likely find it hard to get away from his familiar performances after the series has ended, Radcliffe is and always will be the heart of these movies.

This chapter has Harry in his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. The girls are more noticeably attractive, dark secrets are revealed, and once again Dumbledore needs Harry to take care of all the downfall that comes with the world of magic. The movie runs over two-and-a-half hours, but it moves like a streak. Unlike the other successful summer blockbusters that choose action over story (cough Michael Bay cough), this film is down to earth and oddly touching. For a movie that relies completely on imagination and the tools of magic, this Harry Potter easily holds the audience's attention with more emotional arc than one would expect.

The film is rated PG, but don't think for a second that this film isn't dark. I'm surprised at this rating because it seems just as dark and powerful as the last two efforts that were PG-13, but I'm so glad the MPAA finally got it right. The message is PG rated, and for me, that's what matters the most. J.K Rowling knows her audience, and when creating the novels she knew that her story would only work if she kept the characters real and their emotions grounded. The friendships of Harry Potter, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) are so well developed I feel as though they are living right down the street. Without that bond, Harry Potter would not be the Harry Potter the world has so unanimously fallen in love with.

I admit, I am in the minority of those who haven't read all the books (I've only read the first), so I can't compare the film to its source material, but I promise you that this blockbuster is a wonderful entertainment. It may never reach the heights of The Lord of the Rings, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for the two-part conclusion of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The Hurt Locker

**** Stars

The opening of the latest Iraq War film The Hurt Locker is, predictably, a quote about war. However, instead of having a quote that promotes sloganeering or propaganda, this spellbinding film, unpredictably, begins with a bold statement: "War is a drug." It's a rather unspecified remark, but after experiencing the whole film, it will linger in your mind long after you've left the theater.

Because "Iraq War Movies" have apparently been plagued due to box-office failures, I guess I'll make the claim everyone wants to hear. Yes, The Hurt Locker is the best of the Iraq War movies. However you want to take that is completely up to you.

What really surprised me about this film is how much of an action picture The Hurt Locker is, and how much stronger the film is because of it. Most war films like to have a universal message, an insight to impossible victory, a false hope, or a label of good versus evil. Instead of pleasing anyone, director Kathryn Bigelow throws us into the chaos of one specific group of soldiers and lets both the characters and viewers experience the horrors of war with complete vulnerability. How much more appropriate can you get when dealing with what is considered to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the entire world?

After a tragic accident involving the sergeant of a highly trained bomb disposal team, a new sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) takes over the team. His two teammates, Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are surprised at how reckless their new hotshot leader is. James defies the rules of war, and gets away with it because he is very good at what he does. But after some of his behavior begins to jeopardize the original purpose of their endless missions, they soon discover what the term "War is a drug" really means.

The casting is superb. SUPERB. Jeremy Renner is electrifying in the lead role, and without a doubt has the credentials to be a bonafide movie star. There are also several supporting roles given by some Hollywood heavyweights including Guy Pierce, David Morse, and Ralph Fiennes. These are extremely important to the story. The glimpses of these stars shoot a blinding force down the spine because the audience is able to relate to these characters without even knowing anything about them. They bring the balance The Hurt Locker needs in order to sustain war’s painful realizations.

Bigelow gives an astonishing directorial effort here. When dealing with modern war films, she dares to do things most male directors haven't been able to accomplish. For example, not for one second does Bigelow take us out of the battle. There are no aerial shots from above or away from the fight. Those are meant to let the audience know that this is happening somewhere else, and everyone is just a spectator. This time around, we don't have that luxury. All we know is what the soldiers know. We hear planes flying above, see distant gunshots and explosions, notice crowds gathering to watch a street fight, and feel the never-ending fear of death. Bigelow deserves an Oscar nomination for best director, as The Hurt Locker is without a doubt one of the best films of the year.

Away We Go

*** Stars

Sam Mendes is a wonderful director. Last year, he crafted one of the strongest films of the decade with Revolutionary Road. Now before Away We Go, Sam Mendes was busting out films every three years. Only six months after his underrated 2008 masterpiece, Mendes hits the road with the absolutely delightful Away We Go, a small film that swiftly breezes through its simple premise.

John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are an unlikely duo, yet their different acting backgrounds and original personalities fit nicely as a unmarried couple dealing with married issues. Krasinski (of The Office fame) plays Burt, a simple man with a pregnant girlfriend. Rudolph (from SNL) plays Verona, a pregnant woman with a simple boyfriend. Verona refuses to get married, but promises Burt she will never leave him. Burt and Verona are very good people, but their lives seem to be taking a direction they didn't plan. When Verona is six months pregnant and Burt wonders about his future career, they decide to hit the road and start over before their "real life" begins.

Away We Go is a life story caught in between reality and surrealism. You know, that stage in life where society needs you to know what you want to do in life, but you're not ready to cave in. That's what makes this film a lovely escape. We see two good people dealing with things anyone can relate to. Mendes isn't trying too hard here, and while it may come off as lazy to some, others will appreciate the simplicity of its message. These are real people in real situations. And while it may be hard to believe that this film is an escape from "real life," just know that you will smile from beginning to end with characters consistently giving reasons to be loved.

Bruno

** Stars

Bruno is not really a movie, but rather a gimmick. A gimmick that is very funny, but also desperate for laughs. Despite having the truly committed Sacha Baron Cohen in top form, I couldn't help but leave the theater feeling a little disappointed.

What ultimately fails about Bruno is its dependence on a previous movie structure. It's basically the same exact thing as the 2006 smash Borat, but instead takes everything that worked so well for that film, and then beats it into an oblivion. Borat was shocking because it wasn't trying to be. Bruno is trying so hard to be shocking that I almost felt bad not to laugh. Sure, I was laughing a lot in Bruno. However, like the movie itself, it felt forced. For every moment of genius comedy Bruno delivers, there are at least twice as many moments of pathetic indulgence.

We begin with Bruno, the most unlikable character of the year, getting fired from a fashion show. Afterwards, he decides he wants to take a shot at becoming famous. So Bruno takes off running after every single idea that could possibly make him a celebrity. From interviewing Paula Abdul by using Mexicans as chairs, to interviewing an actual terrorist and calling his leader (Osama Bin Laden) a dirty wizard and a homeless Santa, to scenes involving more dildos than most porno's, Bruno has no shame whatsoever.

Neither does Sacha Baron Cohen, who is arguably the gutsiest performer in Hollywood. I give wild praise for his bravery in displaying the numerous faults of American culture, however this time he pushes it so far that we lose respect for both the character and the film itself. Perhaps it's time for Cohen to start playing himself. After all, he is talented enough to begin with.

I will say that you should probably check out Bruno, but no more than once. It's a moment in our culture that deserves to have a discussion, although what kind of discussion that is, I'm not quite sure.

Catching up with Netflix: Meet Dave

0 Stars

All right, I know I'm a year late, but damn do I want to trash this movie.

Meet Dave is a landmark film, establishing Eddie Murphy as the lowest of the low when it comes to selling out for money. I except the fact that Meet Dave is targeting that family-friendly demographic, but COME ON Eddie. To be honest, after every pitiful line of dialogue spoke and during each ridiculously morose smile you give in this movie, I thought to myself these two words that define your career to this point: Really? Seriously?

However, before I start bashing this film to the point where you are afraid to see it, let me make one thing abundantly clear. Meet Dave is one of the funniest films I have ever seen and will guarantee its spot as an eventual cult classic.

Not because it's good or anything. This film is so embarrassingly bad that my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. The first 20 minutes of this film is probably the most ridiculously mindbogglingly piece of cinema I have ever seen. If I ever teach a film class one day, Meet Dave will be a very important lesson, one that will consist of three crucial points:

1.) Never promote your film with the tagline EDDIE MURPHY in EDDIE MURPHY in MEET DAVE.

2.) If you ever buy this movie for someone, make sure marijuana is included.

3.) When you become a filmmaker and you think you're movie is shit, just pop in Meet Dave and know that it is only possible to have the second piece-of-shit movie of all time.

Hahahahaha, oh man and for the love of God, this movie is so terrible I can't wait to watch it again. And you know what makes this movie more terrible? Hear this:

Last night I was watching this movie with my girlfriend and roommate. It was approaching midnight, when all of a sudden, we get a knock on the door.

It's the cops.

Apparently one of my too-scared-to-come-down-themselves-and-asked-kindly-to-lower-the-noise-down-neighbors called the cops on us because we were watching Eddie Murphy in Eddie Murphy too loud. This was one of those moments in my life that I will remember forever. Not only do I hate this movie for being terrible, it also made a police officer raid my apartment without permission. When the cop walked in, he looked around and realized that there was nothing going on. Now, I'm pretty sure he saw that we were watching Meet Dave. And he gave us that look that consisted of the two words I used when criticizing the movie: Really? Seriously? After that, the cop walked out and never looked back.

For a second there, I felt like I was Eddie Murphy in Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave.

Public Enemies

***1/2 Stars

In this moment of time in America, no film is more appropriate than Public Enemies, a gritty and ultra-cool middle finger to the shitacular showcase that is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

No, I'm not done bashing that movie. This is a time where I'm making everything personal. And nothing pisses me off more that Public Enemies is already considered a letdown before almost anyone has seen it, where Transformers is being considered a success after almost everyone has already saw it. Where is the justification in that?

Alright, I admit Public Enemies is not the best film of the year, but it sure is a cut above the rest. Johnny Depp is perfectly cast as John Dillinger, the infamous bank robber who will rob a bank without question, but make sure you don't pay a dime. That is why the film's release date is perfect. PERFECT. In a time where every American believes that those responsible for our economic meltdown deserve to die a traitors death, Public Enemies ironically offers both that satisfaction and an important historical lesson from the Great Depression. Plus, adding Depp who is considered one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and you have a Hollywood epic to the fullest degree.

Director Michael Mann, a God amongst the crime genre, shot Public Enemies in complete digital format. While many will find it f#&%@* distracting (OH GOOD FOR YOU!), I found it explosively real. When you have Depp as Dillinger and Christian Bale as his nemesis (he plays Melvin Purvis, the man who took Dillinger down after several failed attempts) nothing seems more mesmerizing, for me at least, then to structurally shove a halo of gunfire in your face. Instead of Mann giving us the personal life story of Dillinger, we get the public life story of Dillinger (hence the title). We live in a time where evil is more evil when we are unaware of its origin, and how vulnerable we are to empathize for the enemy. We want Dillinger to escape and rob banks even though we know he was at one point the most wanted man in America.

So for those of you who see the Transformers sequel for a second time this weekend instead of Public Enemies, to hell with you. And for the many people who know me when it comes to movies, I usually encourage second viewings. But not this time. Not for the film that after seeing Public Enemies looks like a Uwe Boll/Ed Wood collaboration. When watching the vast difference between the two films, I am left with a morose feeling in my stomach. In the movie, Dillinger says to his girlfriend Billie on their first date (the absolutely fantastic Marion Cotillard): "I rob banks." Then it hit me. John Dillinger robbed banks, and Michael Bay robs people. So when you head to the theater this weekend, who will you rob?