Mini Reviews (March 2008)
,
Funny Games
,
Good Luck Chuck
,
Sleepwalking
,
Snow Angels
,
Shutter
,
21
,
Kid Power
,
"High" Roller: The Bob Perry Story
Revamped
(March 10/08)
While there's certainly no mistaking
Revamped
for anything other than a terrible, downright amateurish mess, the screen - astoundingly enough - never utterly sinks down to the up to date on of tired-out stream down and in a general way holds the viewer's interest for the duration of its mercifully inadequate contest conditions. This is especially needed to the misguided eventually hilariously campy efforts of filmmaker Jeff Rector, with the would-be Ed Wood infusing the proceedings with an unapologetically broad vibe that sporadically proves illogical to deny. Rector stars as Richard, a businessman-turned-vampire who finds himself feigned to combat an sunken coterie of vicious bloodsuckers (led by Billy Drago's Vladimus). In addition to the laughable precise effects and epically horrendous parley, Rector himself proves to be a less-than-stellar performer whose only saving finesse is the straight-faced earnestness with which he tackles his vaguely-drawn oddball. In the movie's favor, however, is a supporting cast that effectively revives one's dwindling attention every 10 minutes or so, as Rector offers up a veritable cavalcade of familiar (albeit z-list) celebrities - including Martin Kove (
The Karate Kid
's evil sensei), Vernon Wells (
Commando
's Bennett), Carel Struycken (
The Addams Family
's Lurch), and Dennis Haskins (
Saved by the Bell
's Mr. Belding). The end result is an openly ridiculous piece of prosper that's perfectly
begging
for the
Mystery Science Theater 3000
treatment; on that admittedly absurd flat, there's trivial doubt that
Revamped
succeeds.
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Funny Games
marks the English-language debut of German provocateur Michael Haneke, and it's ultimately impossible not to wonder why the controversial auteur has settled on a remake of one of his weakest efforts (1997's sporadically chilling yet wholly ineffective film of the same name). This iteration of the slow-moving story features many of the same beats and shocks as its predecessor, which - of course - ensures that the movie also suffers from precisely the sort of overwhelming problems that plagued the original. Tim Roth and Naomi Watts star as George and Ann, a married couple who - along with their young son, Georgie (Devon Gearhart) - arrive at their vacation home only to encounter a pair of sadistic sociopaths (Michael Pitt's Paul and Brady Corbet's Peter). Admittedly, Haneke does a superb job of infusing the early part of the proceedings with an ominous and downright suspenseful vibe - as the filmmaker, in keeping with his masochistic tendencies, clearly takes delight in making the viewer feel trapped and uncomfortable. It's only with the inclusion of several needlessly ostentatious elements that the film begins its downward spiral, with Paul's repeated asides directly to the viewer (as well as his ability to shift the outcome of a pivotal sequence) undoubtedly playing a key role in
Funny Games
' shift from a better-than-average thriller to a flat-out interminable art-house experiment. It's a shame, really, as the movie does boast several excellent performances - Watts, in particular, is especially good here - and Haneke's steady directorial hand ensures that the whole thing is almost always intriguing on a purely visual level. Yet the filmmaker's increasingly heavy-handed modus operandi eventually becomes too insurmountable an obstacle for the production to overcome, with the end result a wildly uneven effort that's periodically nothing short of infuriating.
out of
Though marginally better than the repulsive
Employee of the Month
,
Good Luck Chuck
nevertheless comes off as the latest misfire from erstwhile comedian Dane Cook - as the actor has been yet again shoehorned into an eye-rollingly desperate storyline that's almost entirely devoid of real laughs. This time around Cook plays Charlie Logan, an affable dentist who discovers that he has the power to help the opposite sex discover their true love - with the catch being that he has to sleep with them before it can happen. Charlie, naturally, takes advantage of this gift by bedding a bevy of beauties, although - after falling for a klutzy penguin specialist (Jessica Alba's Cam) - he finds himself forced to practice abstinence for fear of losing his own soul mate. There's little doubt that Josh Stolberg's bone-headed script plays a significant role in
Good Luck Chuck
's ultimate failure, as the screenwriter has peppered the proceedings with an inept and uncomfortably broad sensibility that proves disastrous. The complete lack of authenticity that's been hard-wired into the film's various characters is nothing short of astounding; with few exceptions, none of these people behave in a manner that's even close to believable (ie Charlie, desperate not to lose Cam, bafflingly decides to smother her with attention). It's subsequently impossible to care about the amorous subplot between Charlie and Cam, which effective ensures that the big finale - there's a race to the airport and everything! - comes off as forced and artificial (ie the movie hasn't
earned
the right to employ such hoary romcom conventions). Cook is fairly charming and Alba is certainly no worse than she's been in the past, but really,
Good Luck Chuck
is simply a waste of time that might appeal to indiscriminating teens but few others.
off of
Low-key to an almost absurd degree,
Sleepwalking
is a well-meaning yet wholly ineffective indie that's ultimately undone by Zac Stanford's increasingly aimless screenplay. The film primarily revolves around the strained relationship between the dim-witted James (Nick Stahl) and his rebellious niece (AnnaSophia Robb's Tara), as the two are essentially forced together after James' sister (and Tara's mother) Joleen (Charlize Theron) hits the road in search of a better life. It's in its early sequences that
Sleepwalking
fares best, as the movie boasts a fairly intriguing premise and a number of expectedly effective performances (Robb and Stahl are both very good, though the latter is admittedly mining awfully familiar territory here). The inherently uneventful nature of Stanford's script becomes more and more problematic as the film progresses, and there does reach a point at which the viewer essentially starts to crave anything even
resembling
a substantive plot development (ie one can only indulge the filmmakers so far). By the time James and Tara wind up on a farm with an almost comically irate Dennis Hopper, it's not difficult to imagine most viewers throwing up their arms in frustration - as one simply can't help but wonder just what the point of all this is supposed to be.
out of
As is generally the case with David Gordon Green's work,
Snow Angels
has been infused with a distinctly uneven sensibility that diminishes the effectiveness of its positive attributes - although there's little doubt that the movie, buoyed by the uniformly strong performances and inclusion of several admittedly powerful sequences, ultimately comes off as one of Green's more consistent efforts. The film, based on the novel by Stewart O'Nan, follows several characters over the course of a few particularly eventful days within their small town lives, as fractured couple Annie (Kate Beckinsale) and Glenn (Sam Rockwell) attempt to mend their relationship and kind-hearted Arthur (Michael Angarano) embarks on a tentative romance with shy Lila (Olivia Thirlby). Generally speaking, Green sticks fairly close to the source material and effectively retains many of the book's smaller, seemingly insignificant details (including the crumbling marriage of Arthur's parents). It's only when the filmmaker veers from O'Nan's template that one's interest begins to flag, as Green - particularly in the movie's third act - peppers the proceedings with a number of sequences that are either overlong or flat-out superfluous. Yet there's simply no denying the strength of
Snow Angels
' various performances, with Rockwell offering up some of the best work of his career as the complex and volatile Glenn (likewise, Angarano, Beckinsale, and particularly Thirlby are quite good here). The sporadic lulls within the narrative are consequently relatively easy to overlook, and the degree to which Green paints an indelible portrait of this small town is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
out of
Though it's been received rather favorably in horror circles,
Shutter
ultimately comes off as yet another hopelessly derivative and downright interminable Asian creeper that owes its entire existence to such forebearers as
Ringu
and
Dark Water
. Filmmakers Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom have infused the proceedings with precisely the sort of elements one has come to expect from a movie of this ilk, and there's consequently little doubt that
Shutter
is almost entirely lacking in surprises or genuine scares (ie is there anybody who still finds the image of a long-haired apparition even
remotely
frightening?) The familiar storyline follows Thai couple Tun (Ananda Everingham) and Jane (Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) as they find themselves pursued by the spirit of a vengeful ghost, with the bulk of the film devoted to their efforts at solving the dead girl's mystery before it's too late. With its stunningly bland heroes and egregiously deliberate pace,
Shutter
is almost entirely devoid of positive attributes - with the film's sole bright spot a surprisingly effective, entirely dialogue-free sequence detailing Tun's ill-fated relationship with his relentless pursuer. But - bottom line - there's virtually nothing within
Shutter
that horror fans haven't seen countless times before (and done with much more subtlety and skill, admittedly).
out of
Based on Ben Mezrich's liable yet comparatively adept book
Bringing Down the House
,
21
follows bright MIT math apprentice Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) as he's invited to combine an nonconformist calling-card-counting operation and subsequently experiences the highs (and inevitable lows) of high-stakes gambling. It's an greatly familiar storyline that could've been used as a springboard for something fresh and interesting; in the hands of helmsman Robert Luketic and screenwriters Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, regardless how, the film quickly devolves into an interminable plight of hoary cliches and stale conventions
(a trying-on-clothes montage?
Really
?) The perfunctory performances ensure that the stick-to-it-iveness level remains nearly non-existent from start to finish, while Luketic's complete and utter lack of style solely exacerbates the movie's different problems (this is to venture nothing of his woefully misguided settling to eschew mistiness and shoot digitally, which ultimately lends the proceedings a low-rent and downright unpleasant visual sensibility). The end consequence is an egregiously glib effort that's apropos as complex as an event of
Las Vegas
, with the essential difference being that
21
lumbers along for an almost excruciating 123 minutes (seriously, the film just
refuses
to end).
unserviceable of
Though saddled with a seemingly foolproof premise - several exasperated moms and dads decide to get revenge on their bratty kids -
Kid Power
ultimately comes off as a laugh-free, disastrously over-the-top comedy that possesses little in the way of positive attributes. Director and co-writer Eric Civanyan emphasizes jokes and gags that are beyond stale, and there's little doubt that the movie's downfall is a result of his decision to place the story's so-called bits of hilarity within the context of an egregiously melodramatic framework. The incredibly repetitive vibe certainly doesn't help matters, as Civanyan pummels the viewer with sequence after sequence of the flaccid parents pranking their spoiled offspring (ie a father shows up at his daughter's school and proceeds to embarrass her until she starts to cry). It's consequently worth noting that despite the efforts of such talented performers as Sandrine Bonnaire, Pascal Legitimus, and Anne Parillaud,
Kid Power
remains an almost interminable effort for the majority of its mercifully brisk running time.
out of
Though infused with precisely the sort of elements one expects from a rags-to-riches documentary,
"High" Roller: The Bob Perry Story
is nevertheless unable to effectively justify its existence - with the pervading vibe of amateurishness proving instrumental in the film's ultimate downfall. There's consequently little doubt that what should have been a riveting true-life story is instead only sporadically interesting, although this is certainly through no fault of the movie's admittedly fascinating subject. Bob Perry was once ranked as one of the most promising bowlers within the sport, yet his downfall came swiftly following a series of mishaps and unfortunate incidents (including a debilitating car accident, a struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse, a seven-month prison stint, etc, etc). His tale of woe seems to have been tailor-made for the documentary film treatment, and yet directors Tom Malloy and Ross Marroso are inevitably unable to transform the man into a figure worth following for the duration of the movie's 62 minutes. Worse still, the filmmakers' utterly misguided decision to employ a number of low-rent stylistic choices - ie black-and-white reenactments of certain events from Perry's life - instills an air of ineptness within the proceedings that proves insurmountable. The appropriately uplifting finale notwithstanding,
"High" Roller: The Bob Perry Story
possesses too few positive attributes to warrant a hearty recommendation - though it does seem likely that bowling aficionados might find more here to embrace than neophytes.
out of
