Neeson searches for identity in thrill ride ‘Unknown’
By Steve Crum
In Unknown, Liam Neeson’s strong willed, righteous character goes on a tear against forces threatening both a loved one and himself. Er, wait a second. That describes Neeson’s 2008 flick, Taken–yet another double-syllabled, purposely vague movie title. But wait, there’s more. It also describes his current thriller, Unknown–with some differences. (A past box office hit can’t be totally cloned, can it?)
For one, Neeson’s current vengeful force, Dr. Martin Harris, is pursuing his own identity, and with it, his wife. In Taken, his guy tracked down his daughter’s kidnappers. In both films, Neeson’s persona is that of a relentless, one-man army, imparting death and suffering on those standing in his way.
Per formula, the gangly, towering Neeson appears first as a genial everyman who is soon provoked into commando mode. By the time he is on an fisticuffs roll, we are totally with him, sympathetic to his cause and boiling for revenge. It is a formula that has worked since the dawn of storytelling, and fits Neeson like an Isotoner glove.
Unknown is an old school thriller with edgy, frenetic action. Though not a perfect movie due to plot holes, Unknown hooks and reels us, however implausibly, for its nearly two hour running time. It is a thrill ride worthy of Hitchcock, which is high praise for its director, the relatively unknown Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan). Collet-Serra is a particularly stylish director, exemplified by the art gallery sequence, laced with cat-and-mouse weavings, by pursuer and the pursued, between and around painting display flats.
In fact, his directorial “weaving” is splendidly, and literally, showcased in several wild car chases shot in downtown Berlin. Talk about “wow.”
Collet-Serra has been very public about his admiration of the Master of Suspense and his film theme commonality. “My favorite films are those Hitchcockian thrillers that have that mysterious atmosphere,” he says, “where the audience is as much in the dark as the characters, and you don’t really now where the story is going to take you.” Unknown pretty much succeeds in this suspension of disbelief, as we root for our put upon hero to find the truth and, as previously said, himself. That quest begins soon after Neeson’s Martin Harris and his wife Elizabeth (January Jones) arrive at the airport in modern day Berlin to attend an international meeting. Arriving at their hotel, Elizabeth goes inside to check in as Martin discovers his briefcase is missing. A simple matter, he thinks, as he takes a cab back to the airport to retrieve the item. Circumstances occur, however, and the cab wrecks. Martin awakens days later, his memory unclear. But soon he remembers, and forges back to the hotel to find his wife with a stranger (Aiden Quinn), who claims he is Dr. Martin Harris. Since Neeson’s Martin has since lost his passport and any identification, no one believes who he is. This includes his wife, who adamantly claims Quinn’s Martin as her husband.
So the story goes, and so goes Neeson’s Martin, just as adamant about proving his identity, and trying to find the truth behind his wife’s motive in disclaiming him.
Along the way, as he is put in the position of defending himself against assassins, he elicits help in proving who he really is by way of a young woman, Gina (Diane Kruger) and Ernst Jurgen (Bruno Ganz), a man of questionable past. Two others, played by Frank Langella and Sebastian Koch, also enter the equation.
One of my all time favorite TV programs was 24, which, week after week, clouded my logical sense via multiple plot twists, intense action, and loyalty to the central, determined character, Jack. It was not until after each episode that the show’s plot lackings would materialize. It was like taking a breath, and getting one’s mind back to solid ground. Unknown gave me a similar feeling. There are story questions that remain unanswered. For example, screenscribes Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell have created a Berlin with virtually ineffectual police. After long stretches of either violent car chases or violent shootings within the heart of the city, police as pretty much invisible. They certainly never show up to impede any wild violence depicted.
Worse yet, and this is the major weakness, if Neeson/Harris has no idea of who he really is, why isn’t any DNA testing done? His fingerprints alone should do the trick. This is 2011 Germany?
Still, Unknown is a nail-biter, an edge-of-seater, and a fast couple of hours. It is just as well that its action moves faster than logic.
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GRADE on an A to F scale: B-
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The known trailer to UNKNOWN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-lDfKb2SBA
‘Green Hornet’ buzzes down, out to zzzzzz
By Steve Crum
What an odd choice, morphing a quasi-superhero genre with Jackass comedy. Make that an odd, wrong choice, since The Green Hornet is a grating misfire even before the first screech of Black Beauty’s ultra-vulcanized tires.
The movie, which overwhelms with explosions and car wrecks (in 3-D yet), is a wreck that wrecks itself. Now, that’s an underachievement. Seth Rogen, who co-produced and co-wrote The Green Hornet with Evan Goldberg, cast himself in the title role. Like the movie’s childish central character Britt Reid, he obviously had an egocentric moment, several moments, in the writing and casting.
Created by George W. Trendle, in 1936, for radio, The Green Hornet was a champion of justice, much like a modern Lone Ranger, another masked hero, except from the 19th Century West, whose roots are also in radio. Trendle created both characters, The Lone Ranger born first (1933), and even fictionally connected the two via the Reid family tree. Britt Reid/The Green Hornet is the grandnephew of John Reid aka The Lone Ranger. Both heroes had sidekicks: Tonto for the Ranger, Kato for the Hornet. The Ranger rode his great horse, Silver; The Hornet drove his great sedan, Black Beauty. And Beauty was a beast with revved up horsepower.
“He hunts the biggest of all game, public enemies who try to destroy our America!” That was the weekly intro for the radio series, which was broadcast, off and on, until 1952. A so-so Green Hornet movie serial followed in 1940, and a pretty lackluster, one season TV show came and went in 1966. (But it did feature some fun kicks and punches by Bruce Lee as Kato.) There were also Green Hornet comic books, beginning in 1940. So much for the somewhat glorious Hornet history, and now Seth Rogen has placed his dorky self in the tarnished franchise. (He always looks like he has a chaw of tobacco in his craw each time he speaks.) Evidently, the Trendle Estate gave this take its sanctioned blessing, undoubtedly swayed by the cash. Notice George W. Trendle Jr.’s name on the production credits.
What Rogen and cohorts have done, along with director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), is “re-imagine” (that’s the popular, coined word these days) Britt Reid as a spoiled late 20-something, who despises his wealthy, late father, James (Tom Wilkinson) so much he lives to destroy basically everything connected with him. There is a flashback that shows the dad’s extreme cruelty when he destroys a superhero doll young Britt adores. Britt eventually grows up in age, but lacking mental and emotional savvy.
Believe it or not, according to this movie, the first caper Reid and Kato (Jay Chou) tackle is to dress up in costumes and masks, hop in the impressive Black Beauty (created by the genius Kato), and drive to the park to literally saw off his father’s statue’s head as a prank. In fact, the breadth of the movie involves prank after prank, with Kato saving the idiot Britt’s butt in fight after fight. The Hornet just happens to encounter street gangs and thugs along the way, and blasts his way to safety (or Kato covers him), accidentally saving good people’s lives in the process. However, it is appalling that several policemen early on, pursuing in police cars, are wiped out by The Green Hornet as well. Such is the irresponsible Green Hornet persona scripted herein. Therefore, this “hero” is more often a punk felon out for a joy ride, who just happens to cross paths with the leader of the city’s crime syndicate, Chudnofsky, played by last year’s Oscar winner for Inglorious Basterds, Christoph Waltz. His character is scripted as a cold blooded killer, with a large, double-barreled pistol, no less. Yet he is nearly as lame brained, and semi- humorous, as Rogen’s Hornet. The movie’s pluses include a cameo by James Franco (127 Hours), and welcome but wasted support by Edward J. Olmos and Cameron Diaz. The car is stupendous. Actually, there are several Black Beauty vehicles in the movie, souped up with Knight Rider-like features. However, the negatives far outweigh any positives. The 3-D is wasted, having been an afterthought. (The end credits look cool with awesome depth, but that is it.) There are too many wrecks, too many explosions, too much broken glass, and a too loud soundtrack. There is an extended sequence between Kato and Reid that appears to mock the Peter Sellers’ Clouseau and (his) Kato scenes wherein they relentlessly try to out fight each other inside Clouseau’s apartment. A tribute to the late Blake Edwards, who directed the Pink Panther movies, this is not.
What should have been, could have been. It sure isn’t this Green Slacker.
Take my advice, please. Debuzz this Green Hornet, and look toward what appears to be a faithful adaptation of another early 20th Century pop culture icon, who also favors the lucky color, The Green Lantern. It opens June 17.
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GRADE On an A to F Scale: D
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The Green Hornet trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9btZIK3Obpg
‘The Social Network’ chosen 2010’s Best Film by KC critics
By Steve Crum
The Social Network, a compelling dramatization of the origin and ownership battles of the internet’s Facebook, was named Best Film of 2010 by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, Jan. 2. The Social Network also garnered a Best Adapted Screenplay win for Aaron Sorkin.
Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi vision of mind control through entering another’s dreams, Inception, topped three other categories, including The Robert Altman Award for Best Direction (Nolan). Other winners include Best Actor, Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) and Best Actress, Natalie Portman (Black Swan).
The complete list of winners:
Best Film
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Robert Altman Award for Best Director
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN–INCEPTION
Best Actress
NATALIE PORTMAN–BLACK SWAN
Best Actor
COLIN FIRTH–THE KING’S SPEECH
Best Supporting Actress
HAILEE STEINFELD–TRUE GRIT
Best Supporting Actor
CHRISTIAN BALE–THE FIGHTER
Best Foreign Language Film
MOTHER
Best Animated Film
TOY STORY 3
Best Documentary
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
Best Original Screenplay
INCEPTION–CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Best Adapted Screenplay
THE SOCIAL NETWORK–AARON SORKIN
Vince Koehler Award for Best Fantasy, Science Fiction or Horror
INCEPTION
The KCFCC is the second oldest film critics society in the United States, and was established by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.
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Enjoy the trailer of the winning film, The Social Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB95KLmpLR4
Neon eye candy is sole strength of ‘Tron: Legacy’
By Steve Crum
First, foremost, and out front literally and figuratively, Tron: Legacy is in 3-D. Without this in your face effect, Tron: Legacy would hardly be worth one’s time. Well, to be fair, the neon-like images are spectacular, as neon tends to be. Stars Jeff Bridges and Garrett Hedlund play second or third fiddle to the glitz, so place your movie ticket bet on vibrant reds and blues that reach out of the screen to be the main attraction here. It’s all in the eye candy.
What first strikes one about this sequel to the first Tron movie, coincidentally called Tron and released in 1982, is that it was even considered box office worthy enough for a repeat try. That is because the first film, also starring Jeff Bridges, was only a minor monetary success. Maybe that’s why it took 28 years to come back? Actually, Tron: Legacy has been “re-imagined” by director Joseph Kosinski and his team of eight (count ‘em) screenwriters. Included are digital tech advances, CGI effects, and a dash of 3-D. (The 3-D here is used sparsely, and seldom noticeable.) On the plus side, there was and has remained a cult following for the original Tron movie. In 1982, its hand drawn special effects and unusual story line were cutting edge.
All this discussion presents what appears to be a major roadblock toward Tron: Legacy’s success. That is, what about today’s younger audience who has never seen the first Tron? Seeing the first movie would definitely help explain why Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn character is still missing from the real world, and living inside a computer grid. Sure there is a flashback of Kevin telling his son goodbye, as he ventures off two decades past. Warp speed forward to the present, and 27 year-old Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is at last determined to track down his MIA papa. This means a trip to dad’s old computer warehouse haunt, and a plug-in trip zapping him small enough to fit on a mini-chip. Once inside the neon laced kingdom, he continues his search. “Tron: Legacy is technically a stand-alone film, so you can come to this movie clean and enjoy it, and the story will hold up for what it is.” So says the film’s producer, Sean Bailey. Again, I beg to differ. Certainly one who has never seen the first flick will catch on to what is transpiring in this second “imagining,” at least in a general way. However, one also needs to understand Kevin Flynn’s trials, tribulations, and obsessive drive that led him to discovering and carrying through with his original journey inside computer-land. All that is in 1982’s Tron. Not that either movie is that deep or layered. Rephrase Bailey’s statement to include, “…And enjoy it to a degree….”
Really, there are three reasons to appreciate Tron: Legacy. First is the incredible CGI effect of duplicating the Jeff Bridges of nearly 30 years ago in face and body. A nearby fellow critic asked me if these scenes were pulled from the original Tron. They were not. The “youthful” Bridges is seen both in flashback and as a clone within the cyber grid. There is also the present day, somewhat aged Bridges depicted (no CGI for this).
Secondly, the neon-graced highways, buildings, weapons, vehicles, and human types within the computer are dazzling. Lastly, the races between illuminated Lightcyles and airplanes are delightful. That goes for the numerous stand-offs between the gladiators as they whirl their life discs at each other, shattering opponents upon contact.
But the biggest complaint about Tron: Legacy is its script, particularly the weak plot line. It makes one wonder about Kosinski’s next project, a “re-imagining” of the Disney flop of 1979, The Black Hole. If at first one does not succeed…?
GRADE: On an A to F Scale: C-
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Take the neon tour with the trailer to TRON: LEGACY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9szn1QQfas
Ballet mixes with psychotic terror in edgy ‘Black Swan’
By Steve Crum
It takes only 20 minutes into Black Swan for its familiarity to surface. Somewhere we have seen this troubled central character, Nina, before. Her paranoid, driven personality has been a fascinating, and always disturbing, fixture in a number of motion pictures. For one, Humphrey Bogart’s Fred. C. Dobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre comes to mind. But Black Swan really has the stylized, frenetic look and feel of Roman Polanski’s The Tenant, in particular. Like The Tenant, Black Swan digs under one’s skin in creepy ways.
Aptly called a “psycho, sexual thriller” by National Public Radio, Black Swan is a story told from the Nina’s point of view. Knowing this before seeing the movie is a spoiler edge, so I apologize. Realize, however, it is nearly impossible to critique the film without this reference tab. Here we have Nina, brilliantly played by Natalie Portman in an Oscar worthy performance. Portman succeeds in both credibly acting the tortured, tormented ballerina, as well as playing out the dancing sequences quite incredibly. Portman obviously desired this part to the max through six months of ballet training so she would look the part without using a double. It was worth it. Black Swan is the high point of Portman’s acting career thus far.
As relentlessly as Portman trained for her role, her Nina Sayers character is even more obsessed with dance perfectionism. Director Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, released a year ago, dealt with a similar theme of an athlete (a wrestler) driven to perfection at risk of body and mind. Aronofsky and screenwriters Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin fashioned Black Swan around a ballerina on the verge of stardom via her casting as the lead in Swan Lake. She is one of two understudies being considered to replace reluctantly outgoing prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) in the upcoming Swan Lake production. As if Nina herself is not already driven over the proverbial top in her strive, she has to deal with both the dance director’s incessant criticisms regarding her perceived faults and her stage mother’s overindulgence in her life and career in the apartment they share. Her mother Erica is played with cold reserve by Barbara Hershey, who at first glance resembles Geraldine Chaplin. Added to these pressures, along with Nina’s self doubts and stresses, is Nina’s understudy rival, Lily (Mila Kunis).
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It is apropos that Swan Lake is the featured ballet since it traditionally features the prima ballerina portraying both the white and black swans, which represents Nina’s split, and corrupted, personality. “I want to be perfect,” says Nina early on. Her perfectionist desire drives the story. The film includes images of sex acts, bloody murder, and creature transformations. But are we witnessing reality or illusion, and why? (Again, I cannot divulge too much.) Just realize the setting of Black Swan is the world of ballet, an art which explores love and death through the symbolism of music and dance. Mix in a ballerina with extreme self esteem issues, and you get a fascinating, edgy film.
GRADE: On an A to F Scale: A-
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The Black Swan trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jaI1XOB-bs