Review of Brooklyn's Finest

For Moving Pictures, I reviewed the crime film Brooklyn's Finest.

In “Brooklyn's Finest,” director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day,” “The Shooter”) treads well-trodden turf as he chronicles the disparate lives of three New York City police officers over one eventful week.

Seven days from retirement, veteran beat cop Eddie Dugan (Richard Gere) unwillingly trains rookie cops. Clarence "Tango" Butler (Don Cheadle), deep undercover in one of Brooklyn's most powerful drug gangs, attempts to maintain his guise. Vice cop Salvatore "Sal" Procida (Ethan Hawke) struggles to keep his financially strapped family afloat. All three storylines eventually converge in a sequence of desperate acts.

In perhaps the least engaging of the three tales, the grey-headed Dugan typifies the pathetic, don't-rock-the-boat retiring cop depicted in countless police dramas. He fights with fellow officers, refuses to help those in need, drinks a lot, and finds solace with a prostitute (at times a twisted version of “Pretty Woman”).

Screenwriter Michael C. Martin adds nothing new to the idea of an undercover cop sympathizing with the criminals but, thanks to Cheadle, the excellent Wesley Snipes and “The Wire” veteran Michael Kenneth Williams, the tale acquires some novel virtue.

Quality acting again propels “Brooklyn's Finest” beyond its conventional roots as Hawke and the always exceptional Lili Taylor bring depth to the tormented Sal and his pregnant wife Angela.

Overcoming his own flaws and those of the screenplay, however, Fuqua creates a tension-filled, often surprising 140 minutes. Though abundant, the violence and blood-letting are used to good dramatic effect.

Check out the entire review at Moving Pictures.

My review of Avatar

I reviewed the much-hyped Avatar for Moving Pictures.

Twelve years after crafting the Oscar-winning best picture "Titanic" and nearly two decades since "Terminator 2," director/screenwriter/producer James Cameron returns to the big screen and his science fiction roots with the much ballyhooed "Avatar." Equipped with groundbreaking 3-D and graphics technology, Cameron's nearly three-hour epic emerges as perhaps the most beautiful movie ever produced.

Complete with contrived dialogue and a telegraphed plot, the hackneyed tale derives, almost fully-formed, via the 1950s and the far more compelling fiction of Jack Vance and Robert Heinlein.

No stranger to special effects, Cameron created new advancements in that arena with several of his previous films, including both "Terminators," "The Abyss" and "Titanic." The 3-D and visual effects of "Avatar" far exceed anything previously seen. The extensive trailers fail to properly showcase the extent of the dazzling imagery, and offer only a glimpse of why this feature needs to be seen in the theater. Even with the lengthy running time, due primarily to the visuals, the movie doesn't feel overly long.

Unlike most directors, Cameron, for the most part, uses the 3-D subtly. Realistic sweat dripping of faces enhances the tension. By giving depth, a large ship interior becomes massive. The projection screens used on the ships are fully integrated and interact seamlessly with the crew. Lighter-than-air creatures have depth and mass. All these little touches breathe life into the very alien world of "Avatar."

Stop by Moving Pictures to check out what else I had to say about Avatar.

My review of Pirate Radio

I reviewed Pirate Radio for Moving Pictures.

Even after rock-'n'-roll achieved a popular zeitgeist in the mid-Sixties, the state-run BBC radio refused to broadcast it in the UK. To circumvent government control of the airwaves, ships hosting pirate radio stations aired the troublesome genre. Millions of Brits tuned in to the illicit entertainment broadcast 'round the clock. Written and directed by Richard Curtis ("Love Actually," "Bridget Jones's Diary," "The Black Adder"), "Pirate Radio," originally released in England as "The Boat That Rocks," relates the humorous, often outlandish tribulations of a fictional offshore station, Radio Rock, and the government's attempt to shut it down.

The loose plot serves as a framework for the soul of the picture: the music. Curtis successfully invokes the buoyancy and fun of Richard Lester's classic musicals "Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" by incorporating more than sixty mostly era-appropriate songs.

Armed with an amazing soundtrack and an impressive collection of players, "Pirate Radio" will put a swing in your step and smile on your lips.

Read the rest of my review at Moving Pictures.

My review of The Fourth Kind

My review of The Fourth Kind is now up at Moving Pictures.

In the 1970s, films and TV shows focusing on paranormal phenomena littered popular media. The majority of this sensationalistic fare - tales of Bigfoot, demons, witchcraft and aliens - depended on shock and supposition, offering little of informative substance. With "The Fourth Kind," Olatunde Osunsanmi returns to the schlock of that era.

The film would be bad enough by itself, but there were also rumors of "The Fourth Kind" being a "Blair Witch." Several online sources report no evidence of a Dr. Abigail Tyler licensed to practice in Alaska and no recorded (or even rumored) alien abductions in Nome earlier this decade. The film's claim that it is based on actual events crumbles under even mild scrutiny.

True or not, the movie leaves you wondering, "What's the point?" As a non-fiction chronicle, it fails to further elucidate the subject. If fiction, the story descends to the level of B-grade science fiction with good film stock and decent acting. None of it really matters since, ultimately, "The Fourth Kind" disappoints on all levels, resulting in a forgettable film of the type that will play on Sy Fy for years to come.

The rest of the review can be read at Moving Pictures.

My review of Where the Wild Things Are

My review of Spike Jonze's adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is now available at Moving Pictures.

Spike Jonze's live-action big-screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are," plays as a memory of my childhood. Much like the story's young protagonist Max, I weathered the pains of an absentee father with my mother and sister. Similar to Max, I sported an unruly, often uncontrollable temper, had few friends and frequented worlds of my own creation. Director Jonze and co-screenwriter Dave Eggers capture that all-too-common existence masterfully while expertly expanding Sendak's unique tale and visuals.

Max establishes a special bond with Carol, a lonely, unstable monster expertly and sensitively played by James Gandolfini. The pair tour the magical land with illogical, beautiful landscapes (forests that quickly become deserts that suddenly become coastline), several extraordinary creatures (including a random, giant, wandering dog), and incredible, physics-defying architectural creations. The scenes between Max and Carol provide some of the sweetest, most revelatory moments of the film as well as some of the scariest. They instigate lots of mayhem, howling and laughter while Max attempts to lead this unruly band of misfits. Max's own words perfectly sum up many of these scenes: "Let the wild rumpus start!"

Jonze relates "Where the Wild Things Are" completely from Max's point of view. To an adult, this perspective may make it seem that several story elements are oddly placed. But the shifting physical and emotional landscapes create an unusual structure that authentically portrays kid-logic.

Check it all out at Moving Pictures.

My review of Whip-It

I actually got the oppurtunity to review the non-genre film Whip-It for Moving Pictures.

"Whip It," based on the young adult novel "Derby Girl" by former Rollergirl Shauna Cross, chronicles the growing pains of 17-year-old Bliss. The wannabe punk dyes her hair blue and dreams of escaping the small-town world of Bodine, Texas. On a trip to Austin, Bliss encounters her first rollergirls and, unbeknownst to her parents, tries out for the team - and actually makes it. While with the team, she falls for Oliver, a bassist in a band (this is Austin, after all). As is common with coming-of-age comedies, chaos ensues.

For her directorial debut, Drew Barrymore cast "Juno" star Ellen Page as the precocious Bliss. At first, Page's diminutive size works against the casting, but Barrymore's excellent direction of the dynamic roller derby scenes successfully employs the actor's petite frame. Barrymore's skill behind the camera bolsters all aspects of the film.

While the film's title actually refers to a roller derby maneuver (a smaller girl uses one of her teammates as a sling shot, literally whipping her ahead of the competition), the wisdom of shelving the novel's title of "Derby Girl" is curious. Whip-its are illegal delivery devices for nitrous oxide. The title can also be construed as a sexual innuendo. Not to mention the very popular Devo song.

Check out my entire review.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist review

My review of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist now appears on Moving Pictures.

Sollet and Screenwriter Lorene Scafaria consciously and very deliberately unveil this sweet, remarkably feminist yet egalitarian romantic tale, hitting the right notes at all the proper times into a film that plays light years beyond its peers. Reminiscent of John Cusak in The Sure Thing (1985) and Julia Roberts in Mystic Pizza (1988), Cera and Dennings dominate the screen, promising even better things ahead for this duo

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Watch Trailer for NICK AND NORAH’S INFINTE PLAYLIST
by SonyPictures

My review of the Roku Netflix Movie Player

This excerpted review of the Roku player appears in its entirety at Moving Pictures.

The small, innocuous-looking device (roughly paperback book-size) takes less than ten minutes to set up. Clear and concise instructions assume little or no technical expertise. The player connects to almost any television either directly or through an RF modulator, which is readily available at most electronics retailers. The videos can be accessed by a direct ethernet or wi-fi connection. Depending on your Internet access speed, the video will play at VHS (tested at 384/kbps) or DVD (8.0 Mbps) quality.

The Roku's main strength comes primarily from the extensive and varied Netflix library and the player's ease of use. Although numerous, many of the Netflix selections resemble the dredges found in Wal-Mart dollar bins: long-forgotten TV shows, inferior 1980s John Hughes knockoffs, third-tier chop sockey and made-for-cable documentaries. Among the detritus, however, several gems emerge, including Oscar winners, recent feature films, classic comedies, quality kids fare and popular television shows, both U.S. and British. These videos contain none of the DVD extras or commentaries and, surprisingly, lack closed-captioning. The interface allows for rewind/fast forward and scene selection, and remembers where the viewer stopped watching, even days or weeks later.

While not perfect, the $99 Roku Netflix Movie Player grants a tantalizing glimpse of television's future: viewer-controlled content. Buoyed by the persistent Internet rumors of Roku including Hulu.com and YouTube connections by the end of the year, this affordable option presents one of the most exciting advancements in home entertainment since the advent of the DVD.