Chronicle
 My first reaction to Chronicle had been "this is Cheap Entertainment." Fortunately for our readers, Screen Spotlight's editor has forced me to rethink this pejorative outlook. Instead, I have been tasked with viewing Chronicle through a philosopher's lens. Thus, how might I reconcile my feelings of ill-will toward this compost heap with the larger meaning it might well express to the dialed in viewer? Let's find out shall we?
50/50 DVD
 Mixing comedy with misery can be a nice recipe for healing. 50/50 really moved me at times. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a significant regular guy appeal that we can all relate to. Meanwhile, his counterpart Seth Rogen is heartfelt and hilarious (a combo that he demonstrated in Funny People) which makes the story flow and the emotions convey at the precise moments they need to. With a nice and rather inoffensive supporting cast, 50/50 is a wonderful film. Laughing in the face of morbidity is the only way I would have it personally. Take is from someone that has been through some harrowing physical injuries, the best medicine, and perhaps the only relief at times is laughter. Thank you Seth and Joseph.
Amsterdam Heavy
 "I'm not just a stripper, I'm a stripper with guns!" Truer words were never spoken, let alone in Dutch. Amsterdam Heavy is a movie that offers a little bit of every stimulus available to the human body and mind. It is simultaneously sleek and sophisticated yet tawdry and sleazy. In other words, it offers the total whirlwind effect. The fighting scenes alone are worth the price of admission, though the camera work is too vertiginous (dizzying). Read on for a synopsis but feel confident Amsterdam Heavy is light on the boring and heavy on the titillation.
Haywire
 Haywire is a movie in that carries forward the newly begun Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) tradition of a woman annihilating her chauvinist male counterparts in delicious fashion. Granted, Haywire takes about forty five minutes to offer anything in the way of entertainment or excitement, but the visual spectacle that is Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) beating the ever living bleep, expletive, shit, out of her betrayers is worth every penny. The best part of Carano's character is she handles ever monkey wrench thrown at her and every would-be-attacker with aplomb and equipoise.
Man on a Ledge with Sam Worthington
 Man on a Ledge is so exciting it might make your heart fibrillate. Sam Worthington has really come into his own. He has moved beyond the pyrotechnics and surreal three dimensionality to something far greater, brilliant acting. His supporting cast does not measure up to his level but they are quite entertaining nonetheless. Years ago, my favorite radio talk show host Colin Cowherd made an observation that dovetailed with my thoughts. Cowherd suggested that listing the entire roster of the Dallas Cowboys would be far more entertaining than talking about baseball. Frankly, he was right. Movie lovers, Man on a Ledge has a cast that boasts some heavy hitters. The mere mention of these names will compel you to go to the theater: Ed Harris, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Edward Burns, Kyra Sedgwick, Anthony Mackie and of course, Sam Worthington.
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Anna Kendrick (Twilight)
 Is there any young actress more confounding than Anna Kendrick? In the Twilight Saga she plays the part of a pretentious, jealous, small-minded teen. She is so in love with Edward and Mike that she secretly hates Bella Swan because of the attention those two gentlemen bestow on her. We next very much enjoyed her performance as George Clooney's assistant terminator in Up in the Air. Kendrick seemed reserved, polite, ambitious and not a little bit sweet at the right times. And now, (rules of grammar be damned!) Kendrick has surfaced as a psychiatrist-in-training in the cancer ward of a hospital (50/50). This is a significant leap forward from her prior roles, but she pulls it off nicely. For those of you that are gossipmongers, Kendrick is 5'4" tall.
Drive
 Drive is a very boring film intended to be viewed late at night. The previews are hoodwinking in that they concentrate exclusively on the movie's few well-portrayed scenes. Ryan Gosling's character "Driver" is the noiseless type, which is clearly euphemistic. In truth, Driver is reclusive and verbally comatose. Even more bizarre, the film has the feel of a 1980s movie. The music clearly mimics 80s songs, and the wardrobe worn by all of the characters is three decades too late to be considered fashionable. The only thing Drive makes me want to do is careen off a cliff, in a car of course, but off that stale promontory nonetheless. The studio can capitalize on Gosling's Oscar buzz all they want, but it will not ameliorate this picture one iota.
Bunraku Starring Josh Hartnett
 I confess, I raided another Blockbuster going out of business sale. The crown jewel of the pilfering was thought to have been Bunraku. Bunraku is a film starring Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ron Perlman. Sounds interesting doesn't it? It seemed as though Hartnett had vanished from the Earth after recent cinematic blunders (August and the Black Dahlia). Given Moore's recent 911 phone call and the rapid disintegration of her sanity, this picture looked like a surefire frontrunner. Instead, I found far more rough than diamond and learned that Hartnett has regressed as an actor.
Real Steel Blu Ray
 Real Steel is a championship film. I am beginning to wonder if there is an feat Hugh Jackman cannot pull off. He is splendid in this knock-down, drag-out, comeback fight movie. Although the film's awkward beginning will alarm impatient DVD or Blu-ray renters, sometimes a brilliant storyline takes time to develop and is well worth the wait. In 2018 when MMA, wrestling, and human to human boxing are ancient relics, robot boxing has become the sole source of athletic entertainment in the world. In this environment only the cunning, the strong, and those with heart will endure and triumph. The stage is set for a beautiful rags to riches (a la Horatio Alger), father and son, underdog story that will stomp on your metallic heart, and then warm it in a sparkly saucepan.
Underworld Awakening 3D
 Underworld Awakening 3D is a lot like Resident Evil Retribution in that it takes a Lycan and keeps on tickin'! What could possible whet our appetites more than the lovely Kate Beckinsale decked out in skin tight vinyl pants? Kate Beckinsale in 3D clad in said aforementioned contour-fitting pants of course! The Underworld franchise has been reborn and there are sure to be more installments on the way just as soon as new scripts are approved. For the present, let's concentrate on Awakening in all of its intrigue and fascination.
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