Review | The Mechanic
In 1972, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff introduced audiences to an elite assassin, played by the legendary Charles Bronson, in The Mechanic, a revenge thriller that later became a cult hit. This time around, Winkler and Chartoff have enlisted action star Jason Statham, effectively updating the hit man’s tale for a new generation.
Arthur Bishop is a mechanic, a methodical hired killer with a reputation for cleanly eliminating his targets. But his detached, ordered existence is threatened when his mentor is murdered and he finds himself feeling responsible for the man’s emotionally unstable son.
Statham’s laser-sharp stare and gravelly voiced authority make him a worthy successor to the throne of Bronson. Known primarily for his bone-crunching action flicks, Statham really shines in The Mechanic, working opposite actors like Donald Sutherland, who portrays his mentor Harry McKenna, and Ben Foster, who plays Steve McKenna, Harry’s son and Bishop’s protégé
At first glance, Foster might not appear as believable in the fast-paced action movie as Statham, but his acting choices are unexpected and exciting, and his damaged vulnerability and unhinged ferocity make him seem every bit as dangerous as his co-star.
Screenwriter Richard Wenk keeps much of the structure of Lewis John Carlino’s original 1972 script, and pays homage to that film by cherry-picking a few memorable lines.
Those familiar with first film will remember the opening 10 minutes, in which Bronson patiently stalks and finally eliminates a target. The filmmakers offer a fresh take on this now-cliched sequence by doing the exact opposite. Much like the victim, the audience won’t see Bishop coming until it’s too late.
This clever updating of the source material doesn’t excuse a few rather large plot contrivances, however. Time and again we’re shown that Bishop is methodical and leaves nothing to chance. But when the stakes couldn’t be higher, he accepts a rather questionable piece of information from a character he neither likes nor trusts in a lazy bid to advance the plot.
My biggest problem with The Mechanic is that the second time around, the filmmakers seem frightened that we might not like the assassin and his apprentice, so they saddle Statham and Foster with ridiculously over-the-top mustache-twirling villains.
When the revolting drug-addicted cult leader Vaughn (John McConnell) waddles into frame leering at an 18-year-old admirer, the audience isn’t weighing the morality of what the mechanic has been hired to do, but rather anxiously waiting for him to show up and perform the hit. And the sooner, the better, thank you very much.
Part of what was so interesting about those hit-man movies of the late 1960s and early ’70s, like Le Samourai and the original Mechanic, was that we saw unflinching portrayals of hired killers. The humanity of the hit men wasn’t tied to making their targets despicable; it was subtly communicated through relatable character traits: Alain Delon’s assassin in Le Samourai cared about his pet bird, while Bronson’s Bishop had an appreciation of fine art and music.
Those small, human moments juxtaposed with the cold-blooded murders made for a more realistic, upsetting and interesting depiction of a gun for hire.
In fact, one of the most effective moments in this remake comes directly after a particularly difficult kill for Bishop. Director Simon West gives the audience a compelling close-up of an isolated man sitting alone in his “fortress of solitude” as he processes the terrible price of his actions. Not only is it some of Statham’s best work, but that glimpse of frailty does more to humanize Bishop than sending him off to kill a hundred cartoonish cult leaders.
But movies are expensive, and studios and finance companies want a likable protagonist as a guarantee on their investment. In a post-Dexter world, perhaps Hollywood has put an unofficial hit out on honest-to-goodness antiheroes.
All quibbling aside, this shiny, new update is a fun ride. The pace has been given a sharp hit of adrenaline and the action and impressive stunts are firing on all cylinders.
The Rite Movie Review
The Rite is a horror-thriller that’s based on actual events that occurred between two priests in Rome. The film is directed by Mikael Håfström and stars Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, and a young, Irish actor named Colin O’Donoghue. The duo are cast as an unlikely pair: the believer and the doubter, and as viewers we watch them fight a battle of spiritual warfare, while dealing with their own personal demons.
Check out the review…
Director: Mikael Håfström
Writers: Michael Petroni, Matt Baglio
Cast: Colin O’Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, Rutger Hauer, Toby Jones
Cinematography By: Ben Davis
Original Music By: Alex Heffes
Rating: 6/10
The Plot:
The Rite centers on a priest named Michael Kovak (O’Donoghue) who travels to Rome for exorcism training. He has serious doubts about his faith and his superiors hope that his new tutelage will restore it. He becomes the apprentice to a well-known but highly unconventional priest named Father Lucas Trevant (Hopkins), and through his experiences he learns the ugly truth about Satan, demons, and possession.
The Good:
1.) Colin O’Donoghue: The young actor plays the lead role as the doubting soon-to-be priest Michael Kovak. Initially he comes across as disinteresting and average but he holds his own against a seasoned Anthony Hopkins and Rutger Hauer.
2.) Light Humor: Despite the thriller/horror emphasis, there are several instances of humor in this film. Extreme moments of tension are broken up by the most random statements or incidents. [Spoiler] At one point a cell phone rings during an exorcism and the priest stops to take the call. It’s inappropriate but hilarious.
The So-So:
1.) Pass the Priest: There’s no real motivation behind any of Kovak’s actions prior to the last 20 minutes of the film. He’s not interested in exorcisms but they’re thrust upon him by three different people. It’s literally like watching pass the student. It’s a strange way to progress the plot, and it comes across as lazy writing.
2.) Underused Actors: Hinds, Hauer, and Jones have small supporting parts that each serve one purpose. Once they’ve completed them, they disappear into the background and with the exception of Hauer, we never hear from them again. I understand that actors sign on for cameos or small parts all the time, but with talent like theirs, the writers could have at least made them good.
The Bad:
1.) Alice Braga: Braga’s character is based on the writer of the book from which the film is based. What’s the purpose of changing the sex of the character other than having an attractive woman on screen? She brings nothing new to the role.
2.) The Exorcisms: The movie is PG-13 so the exorcism scenes are nothing to write home about. There are some decent jump scares but they can only go so far because of the rating, therefore don’t look for anything truly horrifying to come out of this.
Overall:
The Rite is a watered down exorcism film that provides a few inappropriate laughs, and some decent scares. Buy a ticket at your own risk.
From Prada to Nada Movie Review
Starring: Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Adriana Barraza, Nicholas D’Agosto, Wilmer Valderrama, April Bowlby, Kuno Becker, Pablo Cruz
Directed by Angel Gracia
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 107 mins
Genre: Comedy/ Family/ Animation/ Adventure/ 3D Film
3.5 frames out of 5
Jane Austin is about to get salsa-fied….
When wealthy Beverly Hills socialite sisters Nora (Camilla Belle) and Mary Dominguez (Alexa Vega) suddenly lose their father, the world turns upside down faster than they can fathom. They discover that they have a half brother Gabriel (Pablo Cruz) and he ends up getting their house and all the stuff in it. His nasty wife Olivia (April Bowlby) doesn’t take to kindly to the girls and orders them out of the house within days of their father’s funeral. With nowhere else to go, since their mother passed away years ago, Nora and Mary leave their plush lifestyle and venture out to family that lives out in… East Los Angeles.
Mary is so outside of her comfort zone, as she’s more closed minded to this new lifestyle and is willing to do anything to get back to Beverly Hills. The neighbor that lives across the street looks like a gangbanger, Bruno (Wilmer Valderrama), but is more than meets the eye. Mary looks down on Bruno; always suspicious but intrigued by his bad boy appearance. Nora, on the other hand, is embracing her new connection to her roots and new home. Being the more level headed sister, Nora knows that they need to make sacrifices if they are ever to get back on their feet, so she decides to leave law school to get a job and then makes Mary to go back to school.
A bright spot in this dismal situation is that Olivia’s brother, Edward Ferris (Nicholas D’Agosto), is a lawyer, going above and beyond to help out Nora and Mary in any way he can. Edward is so over the moon for Nora, but Nora is too much of a control freak to give in to her feelings for Edward.
Mary finds love in the form of a handsome Teacher’s Assistant, Rodrigo Fuentes (Kuno Becker). He’s everything Mary is looking for; smart, handsome, charming, wealthy… he’s Mary’s ticket back into the life of luxury and into the right zip code, 90210.
Unfortunately, life never really works out the way we hope for. Or does it? Can Mary and Nora figure things out and find their role in life?
Jane Austin, I think, would be proud of this modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility. Telling it from a Latin/ Mexican perspective gives it so much warmth, heart and humor into a culture than many Americans have many misconceptions about. In the screening I attended, it was refreshing to see an audience be so interactive with the film, but in a respective way. Audiences will have a good time with this film as there are a lot of cultural references that may be funnier in certain parts of the country than others. The actors cast had great chemistry, the comic timing was solid and overall a fun movie to watch.
Things to watch for: Moving Van scene; Walk in the new neighborhood, Any scene with the aunts.
Who should see this movie: Fans of Sense & Sensibility; Fans of Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Adriana Barraza, Nicholas D’Agosto, Wilmer Valderrama, April Bowlby, Kuno Becker
Little Fockers Movie Review and Rating
Generally difficult relationship with the father of the woman and her boyfriend / husband was taken to an extreme hilarious’ Meet the Parents. “Its sequel,” Meet the Fockers, “the same concern of conflict sets in-laws had to be addressed.
Film: “Little Fockers”; Director: Paul Weitz; Actors: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba; Rating: **1/2
The third installment of this popular series goes back to the original idea, but with twists and launched the next generation, however, if your idea is to relive the good times that works, but if you are looking for original gags, new and it is boring.
Gaylord Focker “Greg (Ben Stiller), now the proud father of a boy and a girl, maybe he had his father-in-law of Jack (Robert De Niro), trust, but not yet out of his radar suspicion. After suffering a minor heart attack, Jack wants Greg to “rights” of the family, but is suspected of having an affair. The two men collide, trying to take control of the family. T “nurse” Greg is it to maintain control over their own lives?
One of the many problems with “Little Focker” is not really family. The rivalry between Greg and Jack is back with the same humor we’ve come threw to see in the first two games. Only this time Greg , aware of the method of his stepfather actually manages to make it.
There are funny moments in the film, but in general if you’ve seen the first two, there’s not much you can expect from this. The same jealousy, insecurities and the gags are back, and unfortunately, without the convenience of using a different suit. The lack of spirit of the movie again, and what little he has, since the term “god” Focker “instead of the sponsor is an exaggeration.
Perhaps the president director, directed by Paul Weitz, this time with the original director Jay Roach is now acting as producer, is another problem.
Or maybe the problem space of the film, where there is not much original left to explore the relationships between people who live there. Thus, the film is based on tricks, like a nice appearance by Deepak Chopra or Jessica Alba in a role that is almost a cameo.
However, it is a film reveals gently gently flowing well with the narrative or story or technical problems as a cast of some of the best actors in Hollywood.
Seth Rogen talks ‘Hornet’ sequel
As The Green Hornet proves, sometimes having a hit is less about filmmaking than campaigning.
Seth Rogen spent months promoting his risky superhero adaptation -- in interviews, in TV commercials, at fanboy gatherings such as Comic-Con. The relentless stumping clearly paid off.
Despite bad reviews and low expectations, the marketing push helped Hornet to a respectable opening last weekend of $34 million.
That doesn't ensure a sequel -- it has awhile to go before it recoups its reported $90 million production budget -- but it does mean it's not an outright flop.
And if there is a Hornet 2, Rogen and co-writer Evan Goldberg certainly did enough research the first time out that concocting a new story shouldn't be that difficult.
"In the beginning phases of writing the script, we did a ton of research. The way we write, we make just tons of lists of ideas we want to include in the movie," Rogen explains. "We tried to listen to all of the radio serials. But they're a little outdated, I guess. I guess back then, just hearing footsteps for 30 seconds was really suspenseful. The creaking of the door opening was real cinema at that point. It's a little hard to sit through hours of it at this point for me, but I'm very stupid."
When it's suggested James Franco (who has a memorable cameo) should be brought back, Rogen chuckles approvingly. Still, he insists they made no plans for further films. "We're not the kind of writers to save ideas. If it's remotely good, we throw it in there."
ACTION-ORIENTED: Rogen's Hornet doesn't just have a sidekick -- that would be his chauffeur/mechanic/bodyguard Kato -- but also a personal assistant played by Cameron Diaz.
The role may be critical -- she's the brains of the operation -- but it's also small enough that Diaz wasn't prepared for what she saw when she screened the finished movie.
"I didn't realize it was such a huge action movie because I came in the first week of shooting and the last week of shooting. All of my bits had no action.
So I went away and did another movie (Knight and Day) with a lot of action and I came back and when saw what they did, I was like, 'Wait a second. How did this happen? How did I not know this?' But before we started, I went out and took the Black Beauty for a spin. So I should have put two and two together."
EPIC UNDERTAKING: 1963's Cleopatra was famously one of the most expensive, out-of-control productions in Hollywood history.
Which might seem like good enough reason to leave well enough alone. Now, though, plans are underway for Angelina Jolie to star in a new Cleopatra, based on Stacy Schiff's biography Cleopatra: A Life.
How grand are Sony's ambitions for what the studio reportedly envisions as a 3D extravaganza? The studio almost managed to steal away James Cameron from back-to-back Avatar sequels. Ultimately Cameron opted to return to Pandora for 20th Century Fox, leaving the producers to find another director gutsy enough to tackle it. (So far, they haven't.)
And despite epics being notoriously troublesome -- consider how problem-plagued Titanic was -- studios and producers can't resist taking the gamble.
Other such undertakings in the offing? Goliath, based on the Biblical tale of David vs. Goliath. Scott Derrickson (2008's The Day the Earth Stood Still) is directing. Zack Snyder will likely make a 300 prequel after he helms the next Superman movie. And Keanu Reeves is set to star in the samurai opus 47 Ronin.
Review: 'Kitchen Witches' at Studio Players
It may be unenlightened, but there is nothing like following a good feud.
Leno vs. Letterman, PC vs.Mac, Kentucky vs. Louisville, Lindsay Lohan vs. half of Hollywood.
It can be fun to vicariously enjoy the bickering of others. Besides, most of the time the root of long-term squabbles is not so much about differences as it is about loving and defending the same thing in incompatible ways.
So it is for Dolly and Isobel, two rival chefs and former friends who comically duke it out in Caroline Smith's The Kitchen Witches, Studio Players' latest offering.
The Kitchen Witches is a textbook example of Studio Players doing what it does best—a funny, entertaining two-hour respite from ordinary life.
A small, charismatic cast and locally-flavored directorial quirks jibe with Smith's whimsical repartee in this light-hearted culinary romp.
Patricia O'Neil and Debbie Sharp share palpable on-stage chemistry in their roles as Dolly and Isobel, the two former friends and 30-year enemies who are forced to co-host a cable-access cooking show. Whether arguing over who gets the superior dressing room or where to put the sugar bowl, the pair displays glimpses of their former friendship beneath the venom-spewing surface of their feud.
O'Neil is particularly entertaining when she shows her character's goofier, mischievous sides, like when she co-opts a Southern-themed cooking segment by donning a ridiculously over-the-top recreation of Scarlet O'Hara's famed green curtain dress and forces Isobel to dress like Mammy.
Sharp is a striking foil as Isobel in a performance that proves comedy is her best genre. There is something shrewder about her, less at peace with herself than Dolly, yet still comical. Sharp does a good job of showing how Isobel's inflexible ambition — the kind that made her a Cordon Bleu chef — cost her as much as she gained. She has a secret, something she needs to atone for, a plot twist that would spoil the show to reveal.
But it has to do with the past, and Dolly's son Stephen. The root of their rivalry is, after all, about Stephen's father, a man they both loved.
Alex Maddox makes his third consecutive appearance in a Studio Players show this season and he continues to impress. He displays the kind of natural stage charisma that simply cannot be taught. Like his character Stephen, Maddox is the thread that ties disparate elements of the production together. It doesn't hurt that as a cable access producer and writer, Stephen literally runs the show.
The entire cast fluidly navigates some intricate timing obstacles, particularly when it comes to juggling the myriad of food and kitchen wares that dominate the quick-paced cooking scenes. It's not as hairy as, say, the sardines in Noises Off!, but pretty close.
Speaking of quick-paced cooking scenes, by far the comedic highlight of the production is Iron Chef, inspired two minute cooking challenge that involves a "celebrity guest judge" from the audience. If you attend the show, you might want to wear your stage makeup, just in case.
Director Gary McCormick tweaked the script to include local references, like fictitious on-air advertisements for Columbia Steakhouse or Southern Belle Dairy, which add some charming regional flavor. Those touches were not lost on the 30 or so opening night audience members who had braved foreboding winter weather to see the show. The 50-or-so who cancelled owe it to themselves to get out and see the Witches, when the weather isn't quite so frightful.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/21/1606455/review-studio-players-kitchen.html#ixzz1BjwVEB1O
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