127 Hours/Unstoppable: An Awesome Double Feature

There was something interesting about seeing these two films back-to-back. Both are about overcoming human adversity and how the struggles of each character emerges as a true heroic act. Danny Boyle is on fire with 127 Hours, not only showcasing one of 2010's finest offerings, but certainly letting the world know that he is a director to be reckon with. I am also on board for pushing James Franco to the top of the list for the Best Actor Oscar race. This is his show, and without him, the movie would have been nothing more than a flat and tiresome tale.

Thank heavens real life hero Aron Rolston didn't give in when the minds behind the Saw franchise approached him and asked if they could tell his story. I can imagine his response (at least in his head) involved words that would be dubbed over with asterisks. I'm sure it was tempting at first, making your courageous tale into a film for millions to see, but he couldn't have possibly sold out that way. With Danny Boyle at the helm, I'm sure he felt the complete opposite. After being pinned in between a rock a hard place in the middle of Moab, Utah, Aron spent 127 hours trying to break free. Along the way, he learned what was important in his life and naturally began to fill it with regret. Soon however, he realized that he was not ready to die, and with one extraordinary act, he literally cut himself free.

I'm telling you things you already know. This isn't about finding out what happens in the end. It's about the journey, and how in our crazy and hectic world, there was a moment of stillness, a moment of choice, and a moment of truth. Aron's choice was an incredible one, allowing moviegoers to not only experience an incredible story, but an incredible movie.

Now, Tony Scott's Unstoppable with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine is not at all similar to 127 Hours in terms of subject, but in terms of relevance and being put to the test, they are. Scott's best movie in years is a simplistic and tremendously exciting tale about two men who do everything in their power to stop an unmanned speeding freight train ("the size of the Chrysler building," says one character) from plowing into the town of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Oh, and the train also has nuclear material on board, making it a fast-moving bomb.

Denzel plays Frank, a veteran engineer who teams up with young conductor Will (Chris Pine, from Star Trek fame) to find a way to stop the threat. We learn about their everyday struggles, and through this event, they find a way to make peace with their past wrongdoings. While the creative minds behind the movie may have not planned on the timing of this movie, it worked out extremely well in their favor. In a time where America is down (but not out), these are the stories that fill people with hope. It's about stopping the train. Through this, we learn how courageous people can be. If the end credits was the only thing I hated about this movie, then I think it's safe to say Tony Scott and company did something right.

127 Hours: **** stars
Unstoppable: ***1/2 stars

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - *** stars

(Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint seem to be looking into their futures, unsure as to what it will be. My prediction? They'll be just fine.)

In what should be expected as all build-up and no payoff, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a blessed gift for fans longing for insane and intrepid detail. Which means it’s bittersweet knowing that this book was split up into two movies. While I enjoyed Part I and its beautiful cinematography (and some very solid direction once again from David Yates), I couldn’t help but feel that sometimes less is more. Still, given the fact that Part II will be a full-scale action picture, it was nice to take some time with these emotional characters before we see them hit the battlefield. When all is said and done, it is another successful entry in what has felt like an everlasting franchise.

After Part II is released in July, it will be the first time in ten years that a Harry Potter film won’t be gracing the multiplexes. While I’ve never been a die-hard fan of the series, I must give the franchise the credit it deserves. The art direction and cinematography are some of the finest of any recent blockbusters. And even though I have a hard time remembering which film is which (a lot of these films are very similar in terms of story arc), most of these films are absurd visual treats, to the point where audiences seem to be taking them for granted.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are now in the ultimate center stage of what will become the highest grossing film in the franchise (this or Part II). Reprising their roles as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley is comforting, considering how many franchises out there that go through so many casting changes (adding and dropping new and old characters) it’s as though it doesn’t feel connected to the prior films (Iron Man 2 and Spiderman 3 are recent examples). Here, we are deeply invested into the characters, so we know their emotions are real.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron venture away from Hogwarts to finish what Dumbledore has started: defeat the Dark Lord. Voldemort is getting more powerful by the minute and it’s only a matter of time before things start to spiral out of control. The film feels as though everything is in a matter of time, causing the loss of some necessary urgency. But as the dynamic Trio gets taken to the edge, their raw actions start to surface. To find the rest of the Horcruxes, the three must avoid letting their fears come between them, considering all they have to take it out on is each other.

When it comes to a franchise as big as this, one must applaud the cast and crew for their dedication to detail and excitement. I cannot tell if this is the weakest chapter in the Harry Potter series, but I do know that it’s earned enough merit to award a strong recommendation to fans and a mild one for all other interested viewers. Because once the credits start to roll, there is this feeling that something huge is about to happen.

We’ll find out July 15, 2011.

Movie Still Breakdown #1: Home Alone 2 - Electrified in New York

So here's the deal: I needed something to spark up my website. I chose to create a Movie Still Breakdown, where I find the most ridiculous still images from movies and somehow analyze it into something significant. Won't you help me out by sending some of your favorites?

Movie Still Breakdown #1: Home Alone 2 - Electrified in New York

Remember seeing Home Alone when you were a kid? It wasn't as appalling then, but it's still as funny. Just not in the same ways...

When Home Alone came out in 1990, it grossed $285 million domestically, at the time the fifth highest grossing movie of all time. Of course that means it would spawn a sequel. Now of course in every sequel you have to take things to the next level. So director Chris Columbus and company decided to up the ante with the shenanigans that happened between the movie's hero Kevin McCallister (not the father) and the two clumsy criminals, played ridiculously by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. It still blows my mind that at the same time Joe Pesci was destroying the competition for a best supporting actor Oscar in Goodfellas, he was gracing our presence as a To Catch a Predator style thief. Don't these criminals realize that even if they got away with everything, they would still have to leave the country forever considering the countless murder and stealing charges? Not to mention the fact that the person they murdered was an 8-year old child. On Christmas Eve. In the kid's own home. By himself.

Those cold-hearted bastards.

But not to worry! The cold-hearted bastards in almost every movie usually get their comeuppance. Which leads us to this picture. Daniel Stern plays Marv, the dumber of dumb & dumber, which could explain why he ended up in this predicament. After getting covered in paint, Marv heads over to the sink to wash himself off. To bad Kevin rigged the sink handles with electricity, causing Marv to look like John Candy and Steve Martin from that scene in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles when they almost get hit by two oncoming eighteen wheelers.

I wondered what was going on in Marv's mind:

"Why is there hair growing out of my bones?"

"Wow, I can't believe this is happening again."

"I hope Harry doesn't find out I'm in love with him."

"No, seriously, why is there hair growing in my bones?!?"

"I really have to lay off the DMT."

"I hope this is good enough for my audition for The Nightmare Before Christmas."

"SERIOUSLY....HAIR....GROWING....IN....MY....BONES?!?!?!?"

"I scream like a girl."

These are classic films from our childhood. I just hope to God that when they remake this, they at least have the confidence to step it up even more.


-If you find any picture you think deserve a breakdown, send them to me at caseylamarca@gmail.com!

Due Date - ** stars

In nothing more than a finely marketed product to sell tickets, Due Date is often as lazy as it is desirable, offering the bare minimum of laughs in order to bring in the already expected demographic.

I found this film odd from the very beginning. After coming off the biggest R-rated comedy of all time with The Hangover, director Todd Phillips takes the safe road with what seems to be a wackier version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Unfortunately, this version is low on character development and high on forced humor.

It seems like something happened in the movie's post-production stage that caused a frustrating shift towards the whole stuff-the-screen-with-as-many-jokes-as-you-possibly-can technique. With that in mind, Due Date loses any credibility of actually pulling off a cohesive story.

What saves the film in any sense is its cast. Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galafanakis bring their A-games to the roles of Peter Highman and Ethan Tremblay, two strangers who attempt to travel from Atlanta to Los Angeles in time for the birth of Peter's child. Along the way, they experience hard times that always seem to work out, forced attempts at humor, and random scenes with Jamie Foxx, who plays an old buddy of Peter's. Foxx isn't trying that hard to continue his acting career after his breakout year in 2004 with Ray and Collateral. Instead, he seems to just be mailing it in.

As does the film.