Month: October 2015

Freezer (2014)

Freezer (2014)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015) I have a certain fondness for low-budget, high-concept thrillers that try to do much with little.  Thrillers like Freezer, for instance, a micro-budgeted Canadian film that sets most of its action in the confine of… a restaurant freezer.  Dylan McDermott stars as a seemingly-ordinary man accused of thievery by Russian mobsters.  But as they come in to beat him up a little more and ask for more information, it becomes obvious that there’s something else going on.  And sadly, that’s where Freezer leaves me cold: It spends a lot of time creating a reality in which our hero is an ordinary man trying to figure out what’s happening and remaining alive against all odds.  Revealing otherwise, especially after repeated affirmations to the contrary, feels like a cheat.  The film itself is a bit dull, and some of the banter between the protagonist and the film’s lone female character feels far too forced.  While there are a few surprises along the way, the film struggles to maximize the assets at its disposal.  Freezer’s strengths are perceptible enough to raise it above the morass of other cheap straight-to-VOD films, but it won’t become even a minor recommendation in the genre.  Too bad; I was hoping for more.

Murder at 1600 (1997)

Murder at 1600 (1997)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On TV, October 2015)  The nice thing about viewing films of a certain vintage is that they can often capture qualities that even skilled admirers can’t quite get.  1997 is now far away enough from 2015 to accumulate a nice patina of historicity, and viewing thrillers of the era can bring back great memories… especially middle-grade examples of the form such as Murder at 1600.  I still remember the over-the-top tough-guy trailer narration (“An address that changes all the rules.”) and seeing it today, the silliness of its best/worse moments (as in: shooting at a helicopter with a handgun and actually managing to hit it) is more charming than infuriating.  Wesley Snipes is, bluntly, not the best choice as the tough cop who gets to investigate a murder at the White House: He’s got the machismo down pat for the action sequences, but it’s hard to actually believe him as a top-notch detective.  But if you think that’s a problem… then you don’t understand the panache of the film.  Murder at 1600 is ridiculous, but unapologetically so, and more than fifteen years later this becomes endearing.  I’m not sure, though, that I would have said the same had I reviewed the film back in 1997.

Foxcatcher (2014)

Foxcatcher (2014)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015)  I wish I liked this film a bit more.  On some level, it’s a fascinating take on the American dream, filled with ironic use of America-the-great rhetoric, presenting Masters of the Universe (Olympians, Billionnaires) as pathetic lost souls.  That’s the kind of contrarian message that appeals to me, and using that kind of thematic material to showcase dramatic performances by Steve Carell (unrecognizable), Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo should be enough.  But that’s not counting on the slow and dreary tone used by the film: From the first few minutes onward, it’s obvious that Foxcatcher can’t be bothered to make its points in thirty seconds if it can make them in sixty: the film is dark, bleak, slow and almost insufferable in how it seems determined to revel in misery.  The crime on which this true story revolves is presented almost as an afterthought.  It is, quite consciously, not a pleasant film to watch and by the end I felt as if life itself had been sucked out of me.  Good film?  Maybe.  Something I’d recommend?  Almost certainly not.

Magic Mike XXL (2015)

Magic Mike XXL (2015)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(Video on Demand, October 2015)  I’m repeating myself, but the key to enjoy the Magic Mike films if you have no interest in male stripping is to see the series as a particular kind of dance film, complete with good music and exceptional choreography.  Through this optics, Magic Mike XXL actually becomes fun to watch, whether it’s Channing Tatum’s character giving himself an impromptu dance treat alone in his workshop, Joe Manganiello’s character charming the smile off a convenience store clerk, or a very clever final mirrored-dance number.  It helps that this sequel isn’t as self-consciously showy as the first film: Steven Soderbergh here remains rather discreet as the film’s director of photography and editor, but the film itself seems far more accessibly directed by long-time Soderberg associate Gregory Jacobs.  The road-trip format also seems like a natural fit for a series of stripping numbers loosely held together; the interlude at a very particular strip club owned by Jada Pinkett Smith’s character is a bit of a highlight in how it presents an intriguing take on the female gaze (albeit one filtered through a male screenwriter and director) in a film consciously made to appeal to women.  It is, in other words, both a fun and fascinating film, minimizing conflict and presenting a unique take on males bonding over art.  No, it’s not quite as good (objectively speaking) as the first film.  But Magic Mike XXL is entertaining, warm, occasionally joyful and a bit of a welcome change of pace.

Belle (2013)

Belle (2013)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015)  There is often a tension, in modern-made period films, between the most idealized aspects of the era being presented and the modern values we wish they’d embody.  Classic examples include Victorian Britain, as confronted with their terrible record on human rights; Antebellum Southern United States and slavery; the suburbs of the nineteen-fifties and the place left to women.  (Heck, any historical period in Western history featuring anyone who wasn’t a straight white male.)  But it’s occasionally possible to find a topic that manages to address both kinds of wish-fulfillment, and that’s something that Belle accomplishes quite well.  The story of a half-black woman raised as an equal in a rich British families in the late 1700s, Belle builds its dramatic tension based on what we expect from such an era, and resolves them by showing ordinary people acting decently.  Here really isn’t much more to that: the film’s big conflict is solved by revealing a panting (a real-life painting, as it turns out).  As far as progressive-values film go, it’s basic but enjoyable – the period garb look fantastic, Gugu Mbatha-Raw is lovely in the lead role, director Amma Asante does well and Tom Wilkinson continues a highly successful string of good supporting roles.  Belle doesn’t need to be much more than be amiable and look good, and it does that well. 

Blue Ruin (2013)

Blue Ruin (2013)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015)  It takes a while to warm up to Blue Ruin.  The near-wordless beginning, after all, sets up a beach bum undertaking revenge against the killer of his parents.  The micro-budget aesthetics of the film can be rough, and it’s clear that writer/director Jeremy Saulnier isn’t interested in telling the kind of story we’re used to: the protagonist is singularly inept at any kind of revenge, and even when he manages to kill his target, it turns out to be the wrong person.  But almost imperceptibly, Blue Ruin draws viewers in and makes strengths out of its initial hiccups.  In time, the careful rhythm of the film becomes an asset, and the protagonist’s struggles become real.  More crucially, Blue Ruin is about how revenge fantasies can go wrong and spin out of control, creating an even bigger mess along the way.  That’s almost a daring idea at a time where revenge movies are a dime a dozen, some wronged shmuck reinventing themselves as pure killing machines in time for a satisfying justice right before the end credits.  Blue Ruin consciously avoids that kind of power fantasy by making revenge messy, unpredictable, ugly and filled with consequences.  The script is remarkably clever, managing to deliver its anti-vengeance message while providing a relatively satisfying ending.  The stripped-down low-budget cinematography becomes satisfying after a while, and the result in an unexpected success.  Blue Ruin is well-worth seeing, especially if revenge fantasies are starting to grate.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015)  Young Adult contemporary fantasy has now entered its degenerate phase.  I’m not talking about the now-uncountable examples of “first film in the franchise” that will never lead to a second installment.  But I am talking about the way they grind up the same material, recycling plot lines, structure, character archetypes and story beats until they all blur into an undistinguishable mush of sameness.  Furthermore, what I’m definitely trying to avoid is discussing how I’m trying to write this review a few weeks after seeing The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones without remembering much about it.  The Wikipedia synopsis of the plot vaguely brings up a few images but I’m not sure if they’re from this film or any of the other similar films in that subgenre.  Lily Collins is fine as the protagonist, but the role is so generic that any other thin brunette under the age of 35 should have been able to do just as well.  What I definitely remember is that The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is too long in the way that dull movies simply last forever without a point.  Cynically assembled and executed without particular flair, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is headed straight for memory oblivion.  The process is already well underway in my own mind.

Citizenfour (2014)

Citizenfour (2014)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015) The Edward Snowden saga is still fresh enough that it doesn’t quite seem worthy of a documentary just yet.  But Citizenfour is something slightly different: It doesn’t try to propose an all-encompassing theory as much as explore a pivotal moment in time.  Documentarian Laura Poitras was actually there when Snowden first physically met with journalist Glenn Greenwald to explain his cache of documents.  The documentary itself is raw, presenting an intimate you-are-there account of the meeting between the two men.  It’s not meant to be an all-encompassing exposé of the current surveillance state, but it’s certainly eloquent in doing so by small moments, whether it’s Snowden typing a password under a cloak to defeat visual surveillance, or having their meeting disrupted by mysterious interruptions.  Snowden himself comes across as a smart, humble, justifiably paranoid young man, driven by strong moral principles.  Reaction to Citizenfour will probably hinge on viewers’ opinion of the Snowden leaks, but at this time, while Snowden is still effectively exiled in Russia and the full magnitude of his revelations still have to be felt, Citizenfour is a great first draft of history.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(In French, On Cable TV, October 2015)  I didn’t start liking Wes Anderson’s films until Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom, and my exasperation at his first few films had led me to skip The Darjeeling Limited until now.  Alas, it turns out that The Darjeeling Limited owes a lot more to Anderson’s first few films than the latter, more accessible ones.  Here, we’re back to the precious twee sensibilities of his early career, with an overly complicated family relationship being overshadowed by showy cinematography and a strange sense of humor that feels odd if you’re not in on the joke.  It does actually work, albeit in occasional moments: The camera works is especially good in comedy scenes, whipping from one character to another.  Occasional lines are droll, while the Indian scenery is different enough to be interesting.  The film also has the good sense to end on Joe Dassin’s insanely-catchy “Les Champs-Élysées”, which is good for a few days’ worth of sporadic humming.  On the other hand, it’s hard not to feel that the film runs too long, especially during the third act as the characters disembark the Darjeeling.  But tight accessible films weren’t (and maybe still aren’t) Anderson’s specialty — it would take until his last few efforts for other qualities to take over and make for great films.  Hopefully, The Darjeeling Limited is the last time Anderson’s bad quirks would overwhelm his better ones.  Bilingual viewers may want to note that seeing the film in French makes an odd film even more delightfully odd given the original’s script’s francophilia.

It’s Complicated (2009)

It’s Complicated (2009)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015)  Doesn’t Alec Baldwin make a splendid shmuck?  That kind of performance seems to be the main justification for It’s Complicated, an otherwise amiable film to the point of not being of much interest.  Director Nancy Meyers once again turns her attention to Rich White People’s problems (as in; hiring an architecture firm to supervise the construction of a kitchen addition) before resigning herself to showing some conflict.  It sort-of-works if that’s the kind of film you’re looking for, or if you simply want to enjoy the film on superficial acting performances, lifestyle aspiration or simply the idea of people having very small problems.  To its credit, It’s Complicated has a bit of sense in its conclusion, and can depend on Meryl Streep to sleep-walk through an unchallenging role, while Steve Martin is blander than expected in a stealth romantic hero role (he does get a split-second “wild and crazy guy” moment, though.) and Alec Baldwin is almost delightfully slimy.  Jon Krasinski also gets one or two good moments, but otherwise It’s Complicated is a film on auto pilot, almost too nice to be interesting.

The Bounty Hunter (2010)

The Bounty Hunter (2010)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015)  I may be seeing too many movies lately, because it seems to me that I’d already seen The Bounty Hunter before even seeing it.  I suppose that having Jennifer Aniston and Gerald Butler play close to their usual screen persona doesn’t help, nor does a basic by-the-number hybrid plot between romance and gentle crime comedy.  It feels a lot like the latter One for the Money, or like most movies in which Butler plays a likable cad, or all movies where Aniston simply recites lines in her endearing personality-free way of hers.  There isn’t much to distinguish The Bounty Hunter from countless other similar films, and if the result does have an acceptable forward narrative rhythm (as in; it doesn’t feel as it’s too much effort to watch it once it starts), that doesn’t necessarily translate into much more than a very marginal recommendation, mostly to those who think that they’ll enjoy that same kind of material. 

The Wedding Ringer (2015)

The Wedding Ringer (2015)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, October 2015)  I remain astonished at Kevin Hart’s gift in consistently transforming what would be an obnoxious persona into solid comedy gold.  In The Wedding Ringer, for instance, he takes up a hustler role specializing in grand-scale deception and somehow makes it funny.  The basic plot has something to do with faking best men for a groom without much of a social life, but the real point of the film are the comic set-pieces, the characters, and seeing Kevin Hart speak as fast as possible.  It shouldn’t work (and, at times, it doesn’t) but Hart is at his best and manages to elevate the rest of the material.  Compared to him, most other actors are a bit dull, including Josh Gad as the nominal lead of the story.  Some plot points are fuzzy (such as the overheard conversation that crystallizes the film’s ending, which barely makes sense) but the set-pieces are fun.  There isn’t much more to say about the film: It’s fun, hits more or less the right spot for anyone expecting that kind of comedy and it even pays itself a short homage to The Usual Suspects.  That could have gone much worse. 

Malèna (2000)

Malèna (2000)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(In French, On TV, October 2015) Something strange and unpleasant happens during Malena, which starts as the story of a boy’s infatuation with what’s quite obviously presented as the most beautiful woman of his small WW2-era Italian village.  The first chunk of the film feels endearing and nostalgic, light and only creepy in the way that young men think back about their first big crushes.  The subjective nature of the story being told can sometimes take almost absurdly comic turns (Such as when Malena turns every male head, causes car crashes, sends men in uncontrollable lust) and the gentle rhythm of the film suggests a far different film that the one we then get: Because as soon as Malena becomes a war widow, her situation in the small village society becomes untenable: out of desperation, she turns to prostitution with the fascist elites, something that turns her life into living hell once they are ousted from power.  The tragedies don’t stop there, as further cruel twists pile on and definitely sour the film.  In retrospect, the story told in Malena is predictable in its own way… just not the one that the film initially suggests.  This narrative rug-pulling aside, Malena does leave an impression.  Few other actresses than Monica Bellucci could credibly pull off a “most beautiful woman in the world” kind of role, but she makes us believe.  The film is usually shot well, clearly mixing subjective sequences and fantasies with the rest of the story, often cruel and mean-spirited.  It could have been more enjoyable had it stuck to is comedy beginning, but that’s quite obviously not the story that was meant to be told.