Review of World's Greatest Dad

When you are a father I can imagine it is extremely difficult to distinguish the line between being a friend and being a disciplinarian. I'm sure things are further complicated when your son or daughter's purpose in life seems to be to make your life miserable. What do you do when your child appears to hate you? An even more interesting question: What do you do when you don't even like your own child? These are questions explored in Bobcat Goldthwait's World's Greatest Dad, which is in my opinion one of the best dark comedies of 2009.

As a high school teacher, Lance Clayton (Robin Williams) has tried his whole life to have his writings published but has always failed. However, after a bizarre incident involving his son, Lance has the source material available to write some of his best works, which eventually receive national acclaim. At first Lance appears to enjoy his newly found success, but then he begins to realize that his achievements are occurring at the expense of his son. Lance loves his son, but because he does not trust or respect him he believes it is okay to achieve success at his expense. However, after his works are published he begins to realize that though he may not always like his son, he loves him and has certain responsibilities toward him.

Overall, World's Greatest Dad works best as a dark, raunchy comedy, yet there is also an interesting and original story about a father and son that keeps the viewer entertained. So if you are looking for a raunchy comedy and you have to choose between re-watching one of the Judd Apatow films (40 Year Virgin, Funny People, Knocked Up) or World's Greatest Dad, check out Robin William's latest film on Instant Netflix. It's one of his best of the last decade.


YouTube Trailer

RATING: 3.5/5.0

Review of Moon

It is rare for a science fiction film to be slow paced, yet remain entertaining. Last year's Moon is one of those exceptions in that although there is little action, it is clever, suspenseful, and is never boring. When most people think of science fiction films they think of a fast-paced, technically stunning experience (i.e. Avatar, District 9, Aliens), yet Moon was made for a tiny budget and still manages to be visually ravishing. This is caused by the impressive camerawork as well as the futuristic setting.

The film follows astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), who is only a few weeks away from completing his three-year contract with Lunar Industries, the company responsible for extracting helium 3 (Earth's main energy source after all oil has been depleted) from the Moon's surface. Sam has been completely isolated during his stay on the Moon with the exception of a robot named GERTY (Kevin Spacey). He does keep in contact with his family via video transmission, yet the transmissions are not live feeds because of a failure with one of the communications satellites located on the surface. After Sam wrecks his Moon rover into an harvesting machine, he is saved by another suspicious astronaut. After recovering he is bemused to find that the astronaut who saved his life turns out to be himself. Throughout the rest of the film it is up to Sam to figure out whether the other him is indeed real or simply a fragment of his imagination. Now I know that you are thinking that this movie sounds confusing and weird, but somehow director Duncan Jones pulls it off. In fact, the most interesting part about this film is trying to figure out what is happening to Sam. Is he being cloned or has being completely alone for 3 years simply lead him to lose his mind? This question posed by the filmmakers is what makes Moon more suspenseful than most science fiction dramas.

Overall, Moon is a superior small budget film thanks to its original story, clever dialogue, great visuals and a fantastic performance by Sam Rockwell. Besides District 9, this was the best science fiction film of 2009.

YouTube Trailer

RATING: 4.0/5.0

Review of Crazy Heart

Although Jeff Bridges was not my personal choice to win the Oscar this year for Best Actor, it is impossible to argue against the fact that he is absolutely terrific in Crazy Heart. Despite having more respect for the character played by Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker, I believe Jeff Bridges deserves an Oscar for over 30 years of superior performances. Jeff Bridges may not be as widely popular as George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, or Brad Pitt, but he is an actor who appeals to almost every generation. One of his first performances was in the Oscar nominated film, The Last Picture Show (1971), which is now known as a cult classic because of the way the movie portrayed small town life in the 1950s. Since then Bridges has played a variety of rolls from the hero in King Kong (1976) to the piano expertise in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) to the villain in Iron Man (2008). Despite being fantastic in almost every roll he plays, Bridges is perfect for the character Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, which is essentially the same character as the Dude from The Big Lebowski. There is no actor I can think of that plays the washed-up lazy drunk better than Bridges.

In Crazy Heart Bridges plays a 50 year old country singer named Bad Blake, who despite having natural musical talent spends more time drinking than playing the guitar. In his early years Blake supposedly attracted masses of fans, but as he got older he lost popularity and now plays at smaller locations such as bowling allies and bars. At one show on the road he is interviewed by a local reporter named Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who he falls immediately in love with and the two begin a relationship. Although Jean as well as doctors warn Blake about his bad habits, he cannot stop drinking. The relationship between Blake and Jean is the weakest part of this film, primarily because I didn't buy that Jean would fall for such a wreck of a personality (as likable as Blake is). Although Gyllenhaal gives it her all, I think someone older and perhaps less attractive would have made the story more believable.

Overall, the two best parts of this film are Bridges portrayal of an alcoholic musician and the songs themselves. This film really gives viewers an idea of how both music and alcohol can deeply affect an individual in two completely different ways. So despite not buying the romance between Blake and Craddock, Crazy Heart is worth your time because of Bridges performance. This is especially true if you love country music.

RATING: 3.6/5

YouTube Trailer

Review of Shutter Islad

The main reason I was looking forward to viewing Shutter Island was not that Scorsese was directing it (although that was part of it), but it was the fact that from the moment I viewed the trailer I was captivated by the environment of the island itself. The idea of Shutter Island is the same as Alcatraz, and it makes for a very interesting concept. Even if the inmates escape from their cell, they are still in prison. You can only leave Shutter Island if the guards allow it. The setting is what makes this film worthwhile. With this in mind I believe Shutter Island would have been better if Scorsese had focused more on the history of the island instead of on the mind of the main character.

If you are considering going to see Shutter Island I would strongly recommend heading to the theater with a clear head. This film is one hell of a puzzle to say the least. Fortunately the film has a clever ending, which saves it from becoming a maze with no way out. Although there are a lot of scenes and characters that I felt were not necessary to the story, the twist at the end and the strength of the first 45 minutes, in which the audience learns about the history of Shutter Island as well as Teddy Daniel's (Leonardo Dicaprio) disturbing past are worth the price of admission.

The film begins with Federal Officers Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule arriving by boat to Shutter Island, a location reserved for only the most dangerous mentally disturbed convicts in America. They have been assigned to investigate the disappearance of a disturbed murderer named Rachel, who became a patient at Shutter Island after she murdered her three children. From this point on every sequence is part of the puzzle and I don't want to risk giving anything away. Similar to any puzzle, Shutter Island can get frustrating at times, but once you put together the missing pieces you feel satisfied after it is complete.

Overall, Shutter Island is a beautifully shot film by perhaps the best director of our time. Unfortunately, the plot of the film throws too much at the audience to be considered a classic psychological horror film. Filming the human mind is a complex task which few directors have ever been able to pull off and despite making the hallucination sequences interesting, Scorsese fails at intertwining them within the story. So despite not being in the same league as some of Scorsese's other works (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed), Shutter Island is still better than most recently released thrillers.

RATING: 3.0/5

YouTube Trailer

2010 Oscar Predictions

It should be to no ones surprise that I am really looking forward to this years Academy Awards on March 7. According to most film critics the Oscars this year are going to be predictable with the exception of the Best Picture category (which will most likely go to either Avatar or The Hurt Locker). I feel like in the past few years the Academy Awards have not been very popular among adolescents, teenagers, and young adults, which is partially why I think Oscar has decided to make some changes this year. Instead of having only 5 best picture nominees, the Academy has increased the list to 10 in order to add more popular films to be considered (The Blind Side and District 9). So far I've seen 9 out of the 10 Oscar nominated films for best picture. Below I'm going to list my prediction for who will win each Oscar category and also who I personally would choose to win the Oscar.

BEST PICTURE:
Who Will Win- The Hurt Locker
My Pick- Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTOR:
Who Will Win- Kathryn Bigelow
My Pick- Kathryn Bigelow

BEST ACTOR:
Who Will Win- Jeff Bridges
My Pick- Jeremy Renner

BEST ACTRESS:
Who Will Win- Sandra Bullock
My Pick- Meryl Streep

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Who Will Win- Christoph Waltz
My Pick- Christoph Waltz

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Who Will Win- Monique
My Pick- Vera Farmiga

BEST ANIMATED FILM:
Who Will Win- Up
My Pick- Up

Review of 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days

It is unfortunate that the people who would benefit the most from watching 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days are probably never going to hear about it or see it. When I started this blog I decided that I was going to try and avoid stating my political opinions, yet after watching a film such as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days it is basically impossible to review it without mentioning the impact that the movie had on my opinion of abortion laws. Despite already being a believer in a woman's right to choose, this film gave me an idea of what might happen if there were laws preventing women from obtaining an abortion. In a similar sense to films like The Hurt Locker, this film feels like a documentary caused by infrequent cuts, the feeling of hand held camera use and the realism of the issues that the movie explores. The personal feel of the film makes 4 Months, 3 weeks, and 2 Days an incredibly powerful cinematic experience.

I am not sure how close the U.S. government may be to passing an anti-abortion law, but I hope if it ever becomes a more serious issue that those opposed to a woman's right to choose will seriously consider the negative consequences it could have. According to the Guttmacher Institute, over 20% of American pregnancies end in abortion meaning that there are over one million legalized terminated pregnancies per year in the U.S. In our current state abortions are performed by trained professionals who have medical degrees and know how to safely terminate a pregnancy. Yet, if abortions became illegal, the question comes to mind of whether women would still find ways to obtain them and who would perform them. I personally had never thought about this until I watched 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days.

This film takes place over the course of one long day in Communist Romania during the mid 1980s. The dictator of Romania has made abortion highly illegal not because he is personally against it but because he wants more people to control. A college student named Gabriela is 4 months pregnant and wishes to get an abortion. She speaks to a few of her friends who have gotten abortions before and learns of a man who performs them. Feeling scared and insecure, she confines in her roommate named Otilia to help her raise the necessary money and to go with her. However, things do not go as smoothly as planned. After a lot of difficulty in finding a hotel room, the man they hire to perform the abortion named Mr. Bebe turns out to want more than just money. Overall, this film brings forth the question, if doctors are not allowed to perform abortions, what kind of people will end up terminating pregnancies? The answer, people who are not qualified, experienced, and/or people who are greedy for money, sex, and/or drugs. It is unrealistic to assume that accidental pregnancies are not going to happen. This film is not meant to assert when the fetus becomes a human being, but is simply meant to show what could happen if people are not allowed to have legal abortions. People make mistakes and no matter if abortions are legal or not, women will continue to get them so it is better that it remain legal so they can be performed safely.

Although 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days is slow at times, the steady gradual pacing adds to the suspense. Throughout the film I had absolutely no idea what could happen in the next scene. Overall, this film may be dark yet it is unforgettable. Once again if you have Instant Netflix, be sure to add 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days to your queue.

RATING: 3.8/5

YouTube Trailer

Top Ten Romantic Comedies of All Time

With Valentines day being this weekend I thought I'd list my top ten romantic comedies of all-time. This was challenging because romantic comedies tend to be my least favorite genre. If you take a look at my other rankings list I'm sure it is easy to see that I tend to like action films and dramas. However, I'll admit that romantic comedies are the best genre for a date. I classify a romantic comedy as any film where the primary focus is the relationship between two or more people or robots (in the case of WALL-E) and where the tone is cheerful, not gloomy. If you haven't seen these films, all of them are superior romantic comedies. Click on the picture to check out the YouTube Trailer for each movie.

10) Amelie (2001)
There has been no film I've seen over the past decade that displayed more creativity and charm than Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie. The entire film reminded me of a painting, in which every color and shape is brought to the attention of the audience. In addition, the way Paris is presented gives the viewer a personal sense of the perks of France. The film follows Amelie, a young girl who gains satisfaction out of helping various strangers throughout the city. During the film she falls in love at first sight with Nino and decides to win his heart by assisting him in the same sense that she helps the common citizens of Paris. Audrey Tautou, who plays one of the most likable characters in cinema history, is responsible for the movie's charm.

9) Bull Durham (1988)
Known as one of the best sports movies of all time, Bull Durham's main strength comes from the scenes which display the unusual connections between love and baseball. Every season Annie chooses a baseball player from the local minor league team to date with the intention that her love and advice will lead him to the majors. However, this year she has a tough decision. She can choose the experienced catcher who she is perfect for but has no chance at making it to the big leagues or the young all-star pitcher in need of advice. This film is funny, clever, and well worth your time no matter if you like baseball or not.

8) Broadcast News (1987)
Three way romances are entertaining because it adds a sense of suspense to a genre which is typically very predictable. The strength of Broadcast News is that it is not only hilarious but the audience has no idea who the main character will end up with. The film follows Jane Craig (Holly Hunter), a workaholic producer for a Network News show who is forced to choose between a nice but nerdy reporter named Aaron (Albert Brooks) or the confident, young reporter named Tom (William Hurt). I believe this film will become a comedy classic (if it isn't considered one already) primarily because of the appeal of the three leads, who each offer different amiable characteristics.

7) Love Actually (2003)
Although there are too many story lines to become attached to any particular character, Love Actually remains one of the best romantic comedies of the last decade simply because it is really funny. This particularly goes for the scenes with Bill Nighy (playing a washed up rock star making a come back) and Kris Marshall (playing a sexually frustrated Brit who believes he'll have better luck with the women in America). Since the film is divided into about five different stories, which share little or no connection, audiences will favor some story lines over others. Yet every account has both positive and negative aspects. With a fantastic cast and clever dialogue, Love Actually will appeal to both men and women and is worth a watch.

6) Annie Hall (1977)
In the case of the few Woody Allen films I have seen they have been very hit and miss. Sometimes his kind of humor is appealing, yet at other times I find him annoying. Annie Hall is known as his best film (the only one which won the Oscar for best picture) and for good reason. In the same sense that Seinfeld was so popular, Annie Hall is humorous because viewers are able to relate to the relationship between Annie (Diane Keaton) and Alvy Singer (Woody Allen). In one classic scene the screen splits showing both Annie and Alvy talking to their psychiatrist at different times, in which they disagree about their sex life and overall relationship. Woody Allen may have his strengths and weaknesses but he is an undeniable auteur of cinema and Annie Hall is where he shines the most.

5) The Apartment (1960)
Although it has not aged as well as some other classic films, The Apartment remains entertaining because of the great chemistry between Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. If I had to name an actor who turned out a consistency of great performances throughout a fifty-year career, Lemmon would be up there on my list. From Some Like It Hot in the late 1950s to Glengarry Glenross in the early 1990s, Lemmon has always been able to turn out a great performance even if all other elements of the film were below average. In the case of The Apartment, there has been no other movie I have seen that I wanted the leads to end up together. This is primarily caused by Lemmon's performance. You can see how much he cares for MacLaine's character in every line he states and every move he makes.

4) Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Out of all the raunchy romantic comedies of the last decade (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, etc.) Forgetting Sarah Marshall is my personal favorite. Unlike the other movies, Forgetting Sarah Marshall does not go overboard with gross humor. Instead it focuses on the hilarious hardships of Peter Bretter (Jason Segel), who is realistic enough for the viewer to be able to relate to him but gullible and clumsy enough so that we are able to laugh at him. Throughout the film we are cheering for Peter to move on with his life, yet we are able laugh at the ridiculousness of his situation. I love films where I can relate to the film's main character, which is partially why I love the number #3 and #4 picks on my list.

3) (500) Days of Summer (2009)
On a radio program I heard (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb state that approximately 75% of the films events had happened to him personally. Now for me it may not be quite that high but I can easily see how most of the scenes within the movie could happen in real life. This film reminds viewers that relationships are not always fairy tales. In fact often relationships bring unforeseen negative consequences, yet life goes on. (500) Days of Summer is unlike any other romantic comedy ever released and it is a must see for anyone who has ever been in a troubled relationship.


2) WALL-E (2008)
Most people probably don't consider WALL-E a romantic comedy, yet I was more entertained by the relationship between Eva and WALL-E then any cinematic human relationship I've ever seen. Not only is the animation for WALL-E revolutionary, but it contains a story that captivates the viewer. By the end of the film I realized that even though WALL-E is an animated robot, I wanted to see him succeed and win the girl. Pixar has made a lot of great films over the years, but none of their other works kept me even half as entranced as much as WALL-E. It is the family film of the decade.


1) When Harry Met Sally(1989)
In my mind this is the perfect romantic comedy. It is laugh out loud funny, contains two fantastic lead characters who the audience hopes will end up together, and has some fascinating dialogue and scenes (such as the restaurant scenes and the crying scene). It also brings up a lot of interesting questions about relationships that people go through on a day to day basis. Similar to (500) Days of Summer and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, audiences will be able to relate to a lot of the same problems that the main characters go through. This is why When Harry Met Sally continues to be popular among modern audiences. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be known as one of the best comedies ever made.