Contagion

Contagion - Dir. Steven Soderbergh (2011)

Steven Soderbergh is one of the few filmmakers working today who rarely repeats himself. He is as comfortable at making big Hollywood spectacles like the Ocean's series as he is with idiosyncratic low-budget projects like Bubble and The Girlfriend Experience. He's also delved into film noir in The Good German (one of my favorite films of 2006) and straight out action in the upcoming Haywire. With diseases of the week like Mad Cow, H1N1, SARS, and bird flu constantly making headlines, it appears to be the perfect time for an epidemic movie.

Contagion begins on Day 2 as Beth Ernhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow), an executive with a mining corporation, returning to her home in Minnesota after a business trip in Hong Kong. She's looking worse for wear to which she blames on jetlag. Soon, she collapses on her kitchen floor, foaming at the mouth and going into convulsions. She dies shortly at the hospital to the horror of her husband, Mitch (Matt Damon), who demands answers, but gets none. Beth isn't the only victim as a socialite in London, a businessman in China, and a student in Tokyo all die from this mysterious new disease. This new virus, dubbed MEV-1, is a strain researchers have never encountered before and they struggle to create a cure as millions are infected.

In the vein of Traffic and other hyperlink films, Contagion juggles an all-star cast and a myriad of plotlines. Matt Damon is the emotional core as the everyman just trying to survive after losing not only his wife, but his stepson as well. He takes the role of overprotective father to the extremes as he attempts to shield his teenage daughter, Jory (a strong screen debut by Anna Jacoby-Heron). Laurence Fishburne appears as Dr, Ellis Cheever, the head of the CDC who attempts to contain the disease and public opinion. He is stymied in his efforts by Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law), a hostile blogger who turns sentiment against the government with his conspiracy theories while pushing a holistic cure. Behind the scenes, he's secretly profiting from the manipulated demand.

Soderbergh eschews genre conventions by taking a clinical and procedural approach to the subject matter rather than a sensationalistic approach. Shot in a cold, gray color palette, Contagion deals in the mathematics and hard facts of the outbreak, showing how quickly the virus would spread, the fatalities, and even the harsh realities of how long a vaccine would be distributed. No surprise, if you're not rich and/or white, you're kind of screwed. Expected imagery such as hospital wards filled with sick patients and mass graves appear in Contagion, but Soderbergh shoots them in a nonchalant manner. He is more interested in the minutiae. As MEV-1 spreads through touch, the camera lingers on ordinary objects such as door knobs, credit cards, and a bowl of complimentary peanuts. The mundane aspects of the virus make it all the more frightening, Just as Jaws made you afraid to go in the water, you might not leave the house without sterile gloves and a breathing mask after watching Contagion. The way in which basic services break down is also chilling. Delivery of essential supplies ends when the teamster unions call it quits. Doctors and nurses walk away from their jobs for fear of becoming afflicted. Also, don't bother calling 911. When Mitch tries to call after spotting armed men, he is answered with an automated message. "You have selected regicide. If you know the name of the king or queen being murdered, press 1 now!"

Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns (who also wrote The Informant!) don't get on a soapbox by launching into tirades about government or the pharmaceutical industry. The majority of characters are portrayed on an even keel. Dr. Cheever is an honest though flawed official while members of the military and Homeland Security are shown as folks just trying to do their job. Yet, the bad apples are still present. As the CDC's Dr. Erin Mears, Kate Winslet is forced to deal with bureaucrats who are more concerned about budgets than treating the ill. Looters and rioting are par for the course. There is also an underlying indictment against the rapid rise of global industrialization, another virulent plague striking modern society. I won't spoil the ending, but the fact that a multinational corporation inadvertently causes the catastrophe is something to chew on.

Not all the storylines in Contagion are winners. Law's Krumwiede feels out of place with the docudrama approach of the film. His storyline is meant to symbolize how disinformation and panic are just as contagious as any pathogen, especially in an era where social media has so firmly integrated into the way we live. But, his character is handled in a very cartoonish manner. He has crooked teeth, for goodness sakes. The only thing missing is a handlebar mustache. Blogging is handled in an outdated manner as if the script had been written four or five years ago. Krimwiede loudly proclaims that print media is dead when a paper is dismissive of his findings. There is a wonderfully clever line spoken by Elliot Gould (as a research scientist) when he rebukes that blogging is just "graffiti with punctuation."

Marion Cotillard is also given the shaft as a doctor from the World Health Organization dispatched to Hong Kong to track down the path of the MEV-1. She is later kidnapped by a colleague who is desperate to receive the vaccine for his rural village. Cotillard is only given a short amount of screen time and then disappears for most of the picture until it's convenient to remember she's still around.

Soderbergh has assembled an impressive cast where even the smallest supporting roles are played by actors of note such as Gould and John Hawkes as a janitor at the CDC's headquarters. Damon and Winslet give two of the most stirring performances in the film. Paltrow's time is short. She doesn't even survive the trailer. However, her early death puts the audience on alert that nobody is safe, no matter how famous they are. Ironically, the best performance in Contagion belongs to an actress who isn't as well-known as her colleagues. Jennifer Ehle, who played Geoffrey Rush's wife in The King's Speech, has won rave notices (and deservedly so) for a scientist working tirelessly to develop a cure.

Contagion also features a pulse pounding score from Cliff Martinez, who also composed the synth score for Drive. Throbbing electronic sounds form the backbone of Martinez's music, which will set the view on edge.

As the disease ravages the Earth, populated metropolises give way to desolate urban landscapes reminiscent of a zombie movie. While Contagion has the feel of sci-fi flicks such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers and 28 Days Later, it is an ultra-realistic, post-9/11 version of Outbreak. Contagion is creepy, enthralling, and will certainly skyrocket sales in Purell.

Rating: *** ½ (*****)

Warrior

Warrior - Dir. Gavin O'Connor (2011)

Gavin O'Connor delved into family dysfunction with his previous picture, the crime drama Pride and Glory. Before that, he directed 2004's Miracle, a rousing underdog story about the USA's Olympic hockey team and their victory over the heavily-favored Russians. In Warrior, O'Connor and co-writers Anthony Tambakis and Cliff Dorfman combine both themes for a tear jerking story capitalizing on the rise in popularity of MMA and the current economic crisis.

Warrior takes the classic Rocky formula and splits it two ways. The protagonists are estranged brothers, Brendan (Joel Edgerton) and Tommy (Tom Hardy), who were raised by a drunken and abusive father in Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte). The rift between siblings began when Tommy finally convinced their mother to leave with him for California where she later succumbed to cancer. Brendan chose to stay behind and marry his high school sweetheart, Tess (Jennifer Morrison), with whom he has two beautiful daughters.

Fourteen years later, Tommy returns to the family home in Pittsburgh to find his father is now a recovering alcoholic closing in on a thousand days of sobriety and full of regret. Tommy has been overseas after a tour in the Middle East with the Marines and clearly traumatized about his combat experiences. While working out at a local gym, he becomes a YouTube sensation after pulverizing one of the top welterweight fights in the country during a sparring match. Tommy, an undefeated amateur wrestler in his youth, asks his father to train him once again, but makes it clear there will be no personal connection between the two.

Meanwhile, Brendan has become a high school physics teacher who is in desperate need of money after falling behind on his mortgage. He gets an old friend, Frank Campana (Frank Grillo), to train him for an Atlantic City tournament known as Sparta, where the grand prize is $5 million. Tommy too has entered the contest for his own reason.

Anyone with a firm grasp of basic Hollywood story structure will see where the film is going from the opening minutes. Tess doesn't want her husband becoming a fighter again nor does she wish to see any of his fights. Yet, she will inevitably appear in the front row to support Brendan at a climactic moment. It also shouldn't be much of a spoiler (especially since it's in the trailer) that the brothers will meet in the tournament finals to finally settle the score inside the caged octagon. O'Connor keeps both Brendan and Tommy on an even keel so that the audience's sympathy isn't strongly in favor of one or the other. While the moment is played as a triumphant victory, there is an underlying sense of tragedy that the siblings can only solve their problems by beating the crap out of each other.

There's nothing subtle about Warrior. The movie hammers the viewer with soap opera subplots like a fighter reins down fists on a prone opponent caught in a rear mount. There's Paddy's attempt to remain sober and reconnect with Tommy and Brendan, who was ignored due to the younger's superior athletic achievements. In a ham-fisted attempt at allegory, Paddy listens to Moby Dick on tape with his own white whale being the forgiveness of his sons. Toss in Tommy's need to overcome his harsh life and Brendan's efforts to provide for his family. Oh, and Brendan's youngest daughter has had health problems which required extensive medical attention and insurmountable hospital bills. Each man's fighting style mirrors their own inner turmoil. Tommy is blunt force trauma, destroying his opponents and leaving the ring without fanfare before the official decision is even read. Brendan, on the other hand, takes a great deal of punishment before staging his comeback. O'Connor makes sure no stone is unturned when it comes to milking every conceivable emotion. At an almost inexcusable two hours and twenty minutes, he gets plenty of opportunity to do so.

Warrior mainly succeeds because of its talented ensemble. Don't expect minimalistic performances here, this is acting that draws attention to itself. However, it works hand in hand with the tone O'Connor goes for, that of a testosterone fueled weepie. It's hard to imagine that the two working class boys at the center of the film are played by an Aussie and a Brit. Edgerton does a solid job, but he's outshined by the showier performances by Nick Nolte and Tom Hardy. Nolte is perfectly cast as the world weary burnout with an unshakeable sadness about him. Hardy has risen to a whole new level as an actor following brilliant turns in Nicholas Winding Refn's Bronson and Christopher Nolan's Inception. Here, Hardy plays a brooding time bomb of seething frustration and hostility. His portrayal of Tommy is reminiscent of a young Marlon Brando and his iconic role in On the Waterfront.

The obligatory montage training sequences are present in Warrior though they are sadly not set to 1980's power ballads.

Warrior drifts too frequently into schmaltzy territory and is about twenty minutes too long. Still, it is an effective melodrama for men. This is one of those movies where it's okay for a guy to cry.

Rating: *** (*****)

Meet Monica Velour

Meet Monica Velour - Dir. Keith Bearden (2011)

"You screw a few hundred guys and the whole world turns against you."

Marilyn Chambers, Ginger Lynn, Christy Canyon, and Nina Hartley. These are some of the biggest starlets in the history of porn. A few of the well-known performers of the golden age of porn have tried to transition into mainstream film, but found the stigma of their previous occupations to be a tremendous hurdle. Other actresses have happily retired and some are still in the business. Others, like Bambi Woods the starlet of the infamous Debbie Does Dallas, seem to have vanished without at race.

Inspired by these tales, Keith Bearden, writing and directing his first feature film, presents Meet Monica Velour, a coming-of-age story about an awkward young man and a faded star.

Tobe (Dustin Ingram) lives with his grandfather (Brian Dennehy) in suburban Wisconsin and earns a living by working a hot dog truck called the Weenie Wiz. He has a fascination with things of a bygone age, preferring to listen to 1930's jazz and watching vintage porn from the early-80's. His favorite skin flicks feature a beautiful blonde named Monica Velour (Jamie Tisdale). Tobe has all her movies on VHS as well as an extensive collection of posters, photos, and clippings. He's just graduated from high school after four completely undistinguished years. Tobe's prospects are slim after being rejected from every college he applied to. Not wanting to sling hot dogs for the rest of his life, he decides to sell the food truck to an artist living in Indiana. By coincidence, Tobe learns that Monica Velour is making a rare appearance at a Podunk strip club called The Petting Zoo.

Faster than you can say "road trip," Tobe makes the long drive to the Hoosier State to meet his dream girl. What he finds instead is a downtrodden and middle-aged divorcee (Kim Cattrall) whose hollow-eyed routine is a sad sight. She lives in a rundown trailer park and is locked in a bitter custody battle for her daughter with her abrasive ex-husband (Sam McMurray). Monica allows Tobe to stay with her out of pity after he's beaten up by a group of frat boys while trying to defend her honor from their cruel taunts. Thus begins an unlikely friendship as Tobe takes it upon himself to save Monica Velour.

Images of Napoleon Dynamite will likely pop into your head due to the striking resemblance between Tobe and Jon Heder's most well-known character. Much like Napoleon Dynamite, Tobe is a lanky, nerdy looking teenager with thick glasses and curly hair. Unlike Napoleon, Tobe isn't a cartoonish caricature. At least there was an eccentric charm in the former character, Tobe is lacking in any distinct personality. He's also not a very likeable protagonist and his naiveté gets downright annoying very quickly. At least, Kim Cattrall gives a brave, if Oscar bait-y, performance as the over-the-hill adult entertainer. Cattrall put on an extra twenty pounds for the part and wore little to no make-up. It's certainly a far cry from her glamorous role as Samantha on Sex and the City. But, Cattrall hardly gets a chance to delve deeper into the character because of how thinly written she is.

Monica Velour isn't totally devoid of positive elements. The opening credits consisting of mock porno posters and video covers are cute. The film also features the great Keith David as Tobe's prospective buyer, an artist of kitschy Americana. His art studio littered with giant Pez dispensers and a statue of Bob's Big Boy. If it sounds like I'm stretching to find compliments, I am.

Meet Monica Velour is a mix of drama and comedy that's lacking in any drama or comedy. Too often Bearden goes for the cheap jokes. The pseudo-porno scenes are tired gags revolving around poor production values and bad acting. Lacking in originality or genuine emotion, this is a film that fakes its way to the money shot.

Rating: * (*****)

Our Idiot Brother

Our Idiot Brother - Dir. Jesse Peretz (2011)

Before becoming an independent filmmaker, Jesse Peretz was a founder of the alternative rock band The Lemonheads, whose biggest hit was a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's iconic "Mrs. Robinson." Peretz eventually directed two low-budget feature films along with numerous commercials and music videos. He landed his biggest gig in the critically reviled comedy The Ex with Zach Braff and Jason Bateman. Peretz has bounced back from that particular flop with the winning Our Idiot Brother, a frothy comedy that was co-written by his sister Evgenia Peretz and her husband David Schisgall. Our Idiot Brother premiered at Sundance where it was picked up by the Weinstein Company and released into theaters with little fanfare.

Paul Rudd stars as the titular idiot brother, a permanently baked fellow by the name of Ned who goes to prison for selling marijuana to a police officer at a farmer's market. Not an undercover cop, but one in full uniform, who claimed to just be having a rough time. However, Ned is only an idiot in the Dostoyevskian sense. He's not the brightest bulb, but he does possess an unwavering innocence, love, and trust for all those around him.

When Ned is released several months later, he finds his girlfriend, Janet (Kathryn Hahn), has already shacked up with a new man, Billy (TJ Miller), who is even more scatterbrained than Ned. She boots him off their biodynamic farm and refuses to relinquish his beloved golden retriever Willie Nelson. With nowhere else to go, Ned is shuffled between the homes of his three sisters. Liz (Emily Mortimer) is the oldest and married to a douchebag documentarian (Steve Coogan). Both are uptight yuppies who have rigidly planned their son's life in order to get him into a posh private school. Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is a workaholic magazine writer desperately trying to score an elusive interview with an heiress turned tabloid fodder. The youngest sister is Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), a bohemian hipster in a lesbian relationship with Cindy (Rashida Jones), a lawyer. The Sapphic couple lives in an odd communal loft with other artsy fartsy types. Ned's freewheeling and unfiltered lifestyle winds up turning his sisters' lives upside down

Our Idiot Brother is a welcome change of pace from a summer filled with raunchy R-rated comedies. The film can't be considered a masterpiece and the plot is predictable with an unsurprising and schmaltzy ending. Of course, the sisters will eventually forgive their brother and realize the problem was with them, not him. Still, the journey is riddled with amusing moments and great performances from the all-star cast.

Paul Rudd ably carries the picture on his shoulders as a low-rent Lebowski. His Ned is charming enough to easily win the audience over. The actresses portraying his sisters all take to their roles even if they aren't required to do any heavy lifting. Mortimer, Banks, and (in particular) Deschanel are cast as characters similar to ones they've played in the past. Rashida Jones doesn't get nearly enough screen time. She looks stunning even when wardrobe is trying to butch her up with thick-rimmed glasses, a dress shirt and tie, and jean shorts. And for all you horndogs, yes, Rashida Jones and Zooey Deschanel do make out. Rudd has good chemistry with each actress, but his best scenes are the ones he shares with TJ Miller and Adam Scott, who co-stars as a neighbor and potential love interest to Miranda. Rudd and Miller seem to be in a stiff competition to see who can play the more brain-addled stoner. Meanwhile, Rudd and Scott bond over women troubles and a shared love of Dune ("Father…the sleeper has awakened.")

Our Idiot Brother is a lightweight film that's as breezy and easygoing as its lead protagonist. It isn't a memorable comedy, but it is a solid one with a terrific cast.

Rating: *** (*****)

Drive

Drive - Dir. Nicholas Winding Refn (2011)

When Drive was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this past May, it received a standing ovation and Nicholas Winding Refn won the award for Best Director. The critical buzz was building in anticipation of the film's wide release. Does Drive live up to the hype? In the opinion of this humble cinephile, I answer with a resounding, "Yes."

Ryan Gosling stars as the protagonist who known only in the credits as Driver. By day, he works part-time as a stunt driver for movie shoots. At night, he's a wheelman for heists with a preternatural ability while in the driver's seat. He also works at a garage owned by his only friend Shannon (Bryan Cranston), who provides him with the vehicles he needs. He wants to provide one more in a stock car to start the Driver off on a professional racing career. In order to do so, Shannon borrows money from Nino (Ron Perlman) and Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), a pair of Jewish mobsters who operate out of a strip mall pizzeria.

The normally aloof Driver finds himself bonding with his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio (Kaden Leos). The future looks bright until Irene's husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is released from prison. With his family threatened, Standard is forced into pulling a robbery in order to repay a gangster known as Cook (James Biberi) for protecting him while behind bars. Driver agrees to help in order to save Irene and Benicio. The job naturally goes south leading Driver down a road paved by blood and bodies.

Drive is obvious in its influences. Chief among them is Walter Hill's The Driver, which also featured an unnamed getaway man played by Ryan O'Neal. Both movies are also descendents of the existential crime films of Jean-Pierre Melville with their taciturn lead characters searching for a purpose in their empty lives. Gosling's Driver finds the purpose he desperately needed with Irene and Benicio. The choice to leave the character unnamed wasn't made just to evoke the similarly unnamed stranger from the Westerns of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood, but to establish his anonymity. As a stunt man, Driver will never be the hero of that movie. He can only pretend to be the hero, donning a grotesque mask to do so. As the protector of his broken family, Driver can finally be the hero of his own story. The Driver moniker also highlights just how much his identity is tied into the car. There's a Zen quality to the way in which Driver connects with his automobiles, preferring a spartan existence on the road. Would that he could live his life forever behind a steering wheel.

Thematically, Drive owes much to the films of the 70's, but the look and feel is pure retro-80's right down to the neon pink cursive font used for the titles. The soundtrack is comprised of synthpop and an electronic score by Cliff Martinez that is meant to evoke 80's staples like Vangelis and Tangerine Dream. Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel (who has shot all of Bryan Singer's films) captures Los Angeles with the same beauty and gritty atmosphere of pictures like William Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A. and Michael Mann's Thief. Sigel alternates from gorgeous aerial shots of the city at night to roaring intimately through the side streets inside the Driver's muscle cars. This is a film that was meant to be seen on the big screen.

Even the chaste love story of the Driver and Irene borrows heavily from the 80's oeuvre of John Hughes. Both Gosling and Refn have described "Drive" as a violent version of Pretty in Pink or Sixteen Candles. The Driver himself looks like he stepped right out of a time warp from twenty years ago. His favored wardrobe consists of a puffy satin jacket, leather driving gloves, and a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. It's obvious he's trying to emulate the coolness of the screen idols he admired as a youth.

Gosling gives a remarkable performance as the taciturn Driver. Over the last few years, Gosling has launched himself onto another level beyond just "that guy from The Notebook." He's taken on memorable roles in heavy indie dramas like Half-Nelson and Blue Valentine along with showing a natural talent for comedy, both broad (Crazy Stupid Love) and quirky (Lars and the Real Girl). In Drive, Gosling proves himself to be a believable action star. Given a minimal amount of dialogue, Gosling speaks volumes through simple facial expressions. The squeaking of his leather gloves as he tightens his fist says more than any florid soliloquy. While Driver's relationship with Irene is an important one, it is the burgeoning bond between him and Benicio that is pivotal to the narrative. Gosling conveys this perfectly in a scene where the two engage in a staring contest. A slight smile breaks across Driver's face to show how this boy has broken through the man's detached exterior. Yet, this stoic demeanor belies a shocking capacity for violence. He strikes with the suddenness of the scorpion emblazoned on the back of his jacket.

Those familiar some of Refn's previous pictures like Bronson and Valhalla Rising will know that the director has a predilection for stylish violence. That trait is present in Drive as quiet moments give way to explosive acts of brutality. A tender kiss in slow motion between Driver and Irene leads right into a gruesome sequence in which he practically obliterates an assailant's skull by reigning down one merciless stomp after another. Refn never tries to outdo the classic car chases of Bullitt or The French Connection. His set pieces aren't as elaborate, but they are sleek and clever. In the gripping opening of the film, Driver evades the cops through guile rather than sheer horsepower. He parks the car by the curb and switches off the lights. Seconds later, he nonchalantly follows behind a police car obliviously waving its searchlight in every other direction.

Drive is Gosling's show all the way though he is backed up by a tremendous supporting cast. Bryan Cranston is excellent as is the lovely Christina Hendricks, even if her appearance amounts to all of five minutes. As a 21st century Audrey Hepburn, Mulligan has the innocent look and sweet nature to breathe life into a character that is thinly defined on the page. It's easy to see why the stone cold Driver would fall for her. To no surprise, Ron Perlman makes for an effective villain, but it is Albert Brooks who is cast against type as a menacing mobster. He possesses a genial nature that conceals a frightening propensity for violence. Much like the Driver, he strikes quickly and suddenly.

It is not often you will find an action movie that could be considered an exquisite work of art. Then again, movies like Drive aren't often made. Don't expect Drive to be another The Fast and the Furious or The Transporter, it is a more cerebral and visceral experience. This is arthouse action at its finest, a modern day film noir of vehicular masculinity.

Rating: **** (*****)

Bodyguards and Assassins

Bodyguards and Assassins - Dir. Teddy Chan (2009)

Don't be fooled by the title. Bodyguards and Assassins isn't some genre-bending mash-up like Cowboys & Aliens. This big-budget Chinese production mixes hard-hitting action, political intrigue, and historical context with an all-star ensemble to craft a memorable martial arts epic. It wasn't easy though. Director Teddy Chan (The Accidental Spy) and producer Peter Chan (The Eye), no relation, have been trying to make this film for over a decade. Originally titled, Dark October, Bodyguards and Assassins was plagued by numerous delays from the SARS epidemic, government censorship, and the suicide of an investor a day before filming was scheduled to commence.

Bodyguards and Assassins is set in 1905 against the backdrop of the coming revolution against the Qin Dynasty. Revolutionist Dr. Sun Yat-Sen is planning a trip to Hong Kong to meet with other movement leaders to overthrow the corrupt government. Armed with this knowledge, the Empress Dowager has dispatched an army of assassins under the command of General Yan Xiaoguo (Hu Jun). The only one who can protect Dr. Sun is Li Yutang (Wang Xueqi), a wealthy businessman trying to straddle the fence on both sides. Li finances an anti-government newspaper run by his friend Chen Shaobai (Tony Leung Ka-Fai), but doesn't want to get personally involved in the revolution. He is also adamantly opposed to his son, Chongguang (Wang Po-Chieh), participating in any shape or form.

Fang Tian (Simon Yam), a former military officer for the empire has arrived in Hong Kong, accompanied by his men, who are disguised as a Peking opera troupe. But, Gen. Yan intercepts them and their brutal murder inspires Li to put together his own band of highly skilled warriors to safeguard Dr. Sun. First among them is A-Si (Nicholas Tse), Li's long-time rickshaw driver. What A-Si lacks in fighting skills, he more than makes up for in unwavering loyalty. Li also recruits a gigantic Shaolin monk nicknamed Stinky Tofu (former NBA star Mengke Bateer), who left the monastery to sell stinky tofu on the streets. Next is Liu Yubai (Leon Lai), a once mighty martial arts master who has become a scraggily beggar over the love of a woman (Michelle Reis). Also joining them is Fang Hong (Li Yuchun), Fang Tian's daughter, who has vowed revenge against her father's killers. Completing the group is Shen Chongyang (Donnie Yen), a corrupt police officer with a gambling addiction and a willingness to do any dirty deed for the right price. Shen's former love, Yue-ru (Fan Bingbing), is now married to Li. Initially hired to spy against the seditionists, Shen is convinced by her to protect Li instead.

Bodyguards and Assassins sports an expansive cast and a myriad of subplots. It can be a bit hard to follow, especially for those forced to rely on subtitles. The film takes its time to develop these characters. In fact, the entire first half of the movie is devoted to introducing the main players and moving them across the cinematic chess board. The pace is slow and the dialogue is packed with filibustering about sacrifice and ideals. Thankfully, these moments are saved by the strong performances of the main cast. While Donnie Yen is given the lion's share of the publicity, he only plays a supporting role. The true hero is Li Yutang. Wang Xueqi, whose long career includes Warriors of Heaven and Earth and Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth, brings a serious gravitas to the role and serves as the anchor of the story. In a clever move, the opening prologue features Jacky Cheung as a teacher and revolutionary who is assassinated by General Yan. Cheung is a renowned actor and pop star in Asia and his death lets the audience know that no one is safe, despite their star status.

The second half of the movie is devoted entirely to the arrival of Sun Yat-Sen in a convoy of rickshaws, which are flanked by Secret Service-esque bodyguards. Their objective is to escort him from the harbor to a safe house with assassins attacking from nearly every alleyway and rooftop. This extended chase sequence is reminiscent of The Gauntlet or 16 Blocks. Various fighting styles are highlighted with the best fight scene belonging to Donnie Yen and MMA competitor Cung Le.

The production designers have also done a fantastic job in recreating the Hong Kong of 1905. Bodyguards and Assassins looks and feels genuine, rather than world created entirely on a studio set.

Bodyguards and Assassins was originally released in Asia in December of 2009. It received eighteen nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards winning in the categories for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Action Choreography among others. It's not as stellar a martial arts film as Ip Man, but it's a solid actioner.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

True Legend

True Legend - Dir. Yuen Woo-ping (2010)

Western audiences may be familiar with the work of Yuen Woo-ping through his fight choreography in movies like The Matrix, Kill Bill, and The Forbidden Kingdom. Ping has had a long career in Hong Kong as a director and actor, but hasn't helmed a feature film since 1996's Tai Chi Chun. He returns to the director's chair with the big-budget spectacle, True Legend.

Su Can (Vincent Zhao) is a highly respected general in the Imperial Army and has just rescued a provincial prince from a band of mountain marauders. As thanks, the prince promises Su Can a position as governor, which he declines. Su Can recommends his adopted brother, Yuan Lie (Andy On), who reluctantly accepts in an effort to step out from under his shadow. Su Can retires from the military and returns home to raise a family with his wife, Ying (Zhou Xun), who is also Yuan's younger sister.

As it turns out, Su's father, Su Wan-kun (Bryan Leung), was forced to kill Yuan's father after the latter went on a murderous rampage after mastering the deadly Five Venom Fists. Five years pass and Su Can's happy life is shattered when Yuan arrives hell bent on revenge. Yuan has sewn body armor to his flesh and perfected the Five Venom Fists, a style that poisons the bloodstream of your opponent. Yuan kills Su Wan-kung, severely beats Su Can, and throws him down a waterfall. Ying dives in after her husband and both appear to be lost. A disturbed Yuan takes Su's son Feng as his own.

Ying and Su Can have survived and make their way to the mountains where they are rescued by Sister Yu (Michelle Yeoh), whose knowledge of herbs cures Su Can of the poison in his body. Spurred out of depression by his wife, Su Can renews his training of wu shu in order to rescue his son. Along the way he counters a mysterious Old Sage (Gordon Liu) and the mystical God of Wu Shu (Jay Chou), but are they real or a hallucination?

True Legend featured two fight scenes post-converted to 3D when it was initially released in China. Most theaters chose to screen the 2D version. Either way, the film was considered a box office flop, pulling in under $7 million (American) on a budget of $20 million. Part of this was likely due to the scattershot script by Christine To (Fearless). The movie skims over the relationship between the adopted brothers. We never get a sense of what their lives were like growing up together. Thus, when Yuan gives in to the dark side there is absolutely no emotional resonance. True Legend abruptly grinds to a halt during the monotonous second act in which Su Can rehabilitates. After the saggy middle section, you'd think the climatic showdown would bring the movie to its logical conclusion. Instead, the third act revolves around a disheveled Su Can living as a beggar until he is forced into battle against a team of foreign fighters (including former wrestlers Sylvester Terkay, Jon Heidenreich & Luther Reigns) managed by the late-David Carradine. This is the usual heroic Chinese master defying all odds to defeat the white devils story. The ending feels like a rushed sequel as if Yuen Woo-ping decided to amalgamate two different movies into one.

True Legend also utilizes a lot more computer generated effects than the typical Chinese production. It's a shame though as the green screen work is subpar and almost laughable. Much of the actual locations and sets used in the picture are far more convincing. One fight sequence finds the combatants precariously facing off above roaring rapids. Despite wires and safety harnesses, there was still a danger of someone falling in and being swept away. Yuen Woo-ping's flair for creative fight scenes is on full display here as well as in another set piece where Su Can and Yuan claw at each other down a deep well. The clash between Su Can and the foreigners is also thrilling as Yuen Woo-ping blended drunken boxing with modern break dancing moves.

For the most part, the acting is fine though slightly over-the-top. Michelle Yeoh makes a brief appearance and it almost seems like a waste not to have her involved in any of the action. Long time martial arts fans will be pleased to see Gordon Liu (36th Chamber of Shaolin) as the wise Old Sage, a role similar to the one he took on as Pei Mei in Kill Bill. Unfortunately, he too is only in a handful of scenes while the miscast Jay Chou (The Green Hornet) gets a lion's share of the scenes in the second act.

Trivia Note: This isn't the first time Yuen Woo-ping has dealt with the character of Su Can aka Beggar So. Donnie Yen played the folk hero in Yuen's Heroes Among Heroes. Yuen's father, Yuen Siu-tien, played the role in three films: Dance of the Drunk Mantis, Story of Drunken Master, and Drunken Master3 with Jackie Chan.

The disjointed story bothered critics more than it did me. The main criticisms I had with True Legend are the derivative plot, bland characters, and overly melodramatic tone. Despite these quibbles, True Legend features plenty of stylish and exciting fight scenes that have become trademarks of Yuen Woo-ping. It doesn't match up to some of his best works like Tai Chi Master or Iron Monkey, but it's worth a rent for the kung fu aficionado.

Rating: ** (*****)

Attack the Block

Attack the Block - Dir. Joe Cornish (2011)

"I got one text left. This is too much madness to explain in one text."

Alien invasion movies have been all the rage this year. We've seen Battle: Los Angeles, Super 8, and Cowboys & Aliens. Not to mention Summit Entertainment's upcoming The Darkest Hour. While it doesn't have the heart of Super 8, Attack the Block stands head and shoulders above all the rest. Shot with a budget of $13 million, Attack the Block was produced by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and marks the directorial debut of Joe Cornish, Wright's co-writer on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and The Adventures of Tintin. Cornish's picture has the feel of a cult classic 80's movie. Think Night of the Creeps if it were directed by John Carpenter.

Attack the Block begins on Guy Fawkes Night as fireworks explode across the sky over South London. The film takes place in the Clayton council estates. An estate, by the way, is the nice British name for the projects. Sam (Jodie Whittaker), a recently graduated nurse is walking home when she is mugged by a group of hoodie-wearing, knife-wielding teens led by Moses (John Boyega). Something crashes into a nearby car and Sam runs off. Moses tells his mates to, "Allow it," in order to check the automobile for something valuable to steal. A gruesome creature scratches his face and escapes into a nearby park. Moses chases it down and kills it. Feeling like a big man, he carries its carcass around like a trophy. The fast-talking Pest (Alex Esmail) believes it’s the start of an alien invasion. Sure enough, more of the creatures arrive, but these are three times bigger, covered in ink-black fur with luminescent fangs. The kids arm themselves with kitchen knives, baseball bats, and even a samurai sword to defend their block from the invaders. Much like his namesake, Moses must lead his comrades to salvation against a swarm of ravenous aliens that resemble the critters from, well, Critters on steroids.

Other main characters include: Ron (Nick Frost), a pot smoking slacker; Brewis (Luke Treadaway), a middle-class white boy who listens to rap; and violent drug dealer Hi-Hatz (Jumayn Hunter).

Cornish takes the bold route by introducing the protagonists as juvenile delinquents participating in a violent crime. These young characters are a throwback to a time when kids could curse and act in a politically incorrect manner. Though thinly drawn, the heroes of Attack the Block are funny and charming with as a band of hooligan Goonies. Cornish cast first-time actors for these roles and each one excels in their parts with John Boyega as the anchor. Boyega has the presence needed to serve as the leading man. With the scars across his face, he even resembles a young Mike Tyson. Not surprising that Boyega has been cast in an HBO pilot being produced by Tyson and Spike Lee.

At 88 minutes, Attack the Block moves at a brisk pace thanks to the efficiency of the screenplay. Cornish wastes little time introducing the characters and moving the plot forward and it's refreshing in the face of bloated blockbusters like Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Cornish does have room to grow as a director. One of the movie's biggest faults is the staging of the chase scenes. The geography of the estate is never fully fleshed out so it's difficult to tell where everyone is running to or from. The film could have also used subtitles as the thick South London accents are almost indiscernible.

Attack the Block is the working class alien invasion movie with the same skillful blend of action, comedy, and horror as Shaun of the Dead.

Rating: *** (*****)

Miral

Miral - Dir. Julian Schnabel (2011)

Miral courted controversy before it was even released. A Jewish filmmaker telling a story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the Palestinian point of view was bound to be a hot button topic. The film faced protests from Jewish groups during its world premiere at the United Nations' General Assembly Hall. Director Julian Schnabel sent the script to the Israeli Defense Force in order to gain permission to use certain locations. Their response was that helping Schnabel make Miral would be the equivalent of helping Hitler make a movie out of Mein Kampf.

Schnabel began his career as a painter in the New York art scene before making his directorial debut with 1996's Basquiat, based on the life of one of Schnabel's contemporaries, the graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Schnabel's last film was 2007's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a masterful and poetic picture based on the memoirs of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a journalist who becomes paralyzed and only able to communicate with his left eye. It is a disappointment that Schnabel's follow-up is such a muddled and didactic affair.

Miral is adapted from the semi-autobiographical novel by Rula Jebreal, a journalist of Italian and Palestinian descent who was also Schnabel's girlfriend at the time. The film opens in 1948 in Jerusalem with the founding of the Dar El Tifl orphanage by Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass), who opened a shelter for children orphaned by the conflict between Arab and Israeli forces. Husseini accepts donations from philanthropists, but none from any governments for fear of being beholden to them. From there, we meet Nadia (Yasmine Al Massri), a tortured woman who escaped from an abusive home at a young age and has tried to drown her sorrows with alcohol. She is thrown into prison after assaulting a woman on the bus. Her cellmate, Fatima (Ruba Blal) is a former nurse who was arrested for planting a bomb in a crowded theater. In a stylized sequence, Fatima slips the explosives under her seat as the audience remains riveted to a rape scene from Roman Polanski's Repulsion.

Nadia marries Fatima's brother, Jamal (Alexander Siddig), and the two have a daughter named Miral. However, Nadia still carries the emotional scars of a troubled childhood and when tragedy strikes Jamal enrolls a 7-year old Miral in Husseini's institution. Jumping ahead to 1988, a 17-year old Miral (Freida Pinto) is awakened to the violence in the West Bank. Husseini warns students to not get involved lest they endanger everyone at the orphanage. But, Miral falls for the charismatic Hani (Omar Metwally), an activist in the PLO with an eye for an eye mentality.

Schnabel manages to tell the story of Miral in such a disjointed fashion that it drains away any power it might have held. It appears he could not decide whether to tell an intimate character study or a sweeping historic tale. The title character doesn't even appear until 45 minutes into the film. Other characters are introduced and dropped without warning or context. Willem Dafoe appears briefly as an American military officer who fancies Husseini, but that subplot never goes anywhere. Vanessa Redgrave also makes a cameo appearance as wealthy humanitarian Bertha Spafford. Not surprising considering the controversy surrounding her acceptance speech at the 1978 Oscars.

Despite the fractured storytelling, Miral does feature a strong performance from Freida Pinto as the title character. Though of Indian descent, Pinto was picked for her acting chops and her resemblance to Jebreal. But, the best performance in the film belongs to Alexander Siddig, who is probably best known for playing Dr. Bashir on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Siddig lends the movie a true sense of gravitas as Miral's father.

Miral had all the right ingredients to create a powerful film. It has a strong cast, a topical story, and a filmmaker with a unique vision. However, the pieces just don't fall into place resulting in a disjointed and dull experience.

Rating: ** (*****)

Colombiana

Colombiana - Dir. Olivier Megaton (2011)

Luc Besson was the man behind two of the most critically acclaimed action movies in Leon (aka The Professional) and La Femme Nikita. In the last several years, Besson (as writer and producer) has been churning out a steady stream of Eurotrash action flicks such as The Transporter, Taken, and the parkour heavy District B13. Colombiana is the latest film to come off the Besson assembly line and feels like a greatest hits highlight reel. It borrows many elements from Besson's previous works. In fact, Colombiana evolved from story ideas from an unproduced sequel to Leon, entitled Mathilde, which would have starred a Natalie Portman's character.

The movie opens in Bogota of 1993 where a nine-year old Cateleya Restrepo (Amandla Stenberg) witnesses the murder of her parents by drug lord Don Luis (Beto Benites). Cateleya escapes by stabbing Luis's right-hand man, Marco (Jordi Molla), in the…well, right hand. What follows is a thrilling parkour sequence through the Columbian streets as Cateleya makes her way to the American embassy with a microchip of vital information. Did I mention that she swallowed the microchip and vomited it back up? Did I mention she's doing parkour at age 9? Did I mention this takes place several years before parkour was developed? Does it matter? This is the kind of movie Colombiana is.

Cateleya sneaks away from her handlers to Chicago to stay with her gangster uncle Emilio (Cliff Curtis). She demands to be trained as a killer in order to exact revenge against Don Luis. Uncle Emilio, being a responsible parent, tells her to get an education first and emphasizes his point by shooting up the neighborhood across the street from the school she's been enrolled. Then, they walk away without consequence. This is the kind of movie Colombiana is.

An adult Cateleya (Zoe Saldana) earns a living as a contract assassin and marks her victims with a drawing of the orchid she was named after. This is a clear message to Don Luis, who is laying low in New Orleans with the help of a corrupt CIA official (Callum Blue). In her free time, Cateleya tries to have some semblance of a normal life by making booty calls to a handsome and oblivious artist named Danny (a bland Michael Vartan). She also dances around her apartment in tank tops so tight you can clearly see her nipples jutting through. This is the kind of movie Colombiana is.

Colombiana was helmed by Olivier Megaton, whose bombastic pseudonym befits his equally bombastic directing style. The action isn't spectacular though it is perfectly suitable for loud, mindless summer fare. In addition to the opening parkour set piece, two of the other major sequences in the film are the climax in which Cateleya assaults the bad guy's villa with a rocket launcher. Blunt, but effective just like this movie. There's another scene where a SWAT Team raids her apartment and Cateleya evades capture. Horndogs will especially enjoy these moments as it involves Zoe Saldana padding around barefoot and in her underwear while gripping a sniper rifle that's half her size.

Saldana is really the best thing in the movie. She might not give a well-rounded performance, but she looks good kicking ass. Much like Milla Jovovich in Besson's The Fifth Element, Saldana displays a lithe agility when she's slinking around the air vents of a police station to execute a target in lockup. There's also a Jason Bourne-style fight scene where Saldana is armed with only a towel and a toothbrush.

The script, written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen (The Karate Kid), lacks the high stakes and immediacy that they imbued in Taken. Liam Neeson drove the plot by actively hunting down his enemies until his daughter was found. The heroine in Colombiana is too passive, content to wait for the bad guys to make their move. Also missing is a memorable villain ala Gary Oldman in The Professional.

The cast also includes Lennie James from Snatch as the obligatory, by-the-books FBI agent trying to hunt down our sexy hitwoman. In one scene, he empathically declares the killer isn't a woman. It's not possible. What a chauvinist.

So, what kind of movie is Colombiana? It's a D.A.M., a dumb action movie. One filled with explosions, stabbings, and even guys getting eaten by sharks and dogs. Sounds like a good wholesome time, right? Colombiana will satisfy your fetish for girls with guns.

Rating: ** (*****)

Fright Night

Fright Night - Dir. Craig Gillespie (2011)

"Hey, guy. You've been watching me. I've been watching you. Your mom, there's a kind of neglect. Gives off a scent. And your girl? She is ripe. It's on you to look out for them because there are a lot of bad people out there…"

The strip mining of 80's culture continues with this remake of the 1985 cult classic directed by Tom Holland (Child's Play). The original Fright Night was never one of my fondly remembered 80's vampire movies. I always preferred The Lost Boys, The Hunger, and Near Dark. Still, it had some charm, particularly a fantastic performance from Roddy McDowall as horror television host Peter Vincent. McDowall's character was a throwback to the protagonists of the classic Hammer horror films. The name itself was an homage to Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. The remake of Fright Night is one of those rare do-over's that actually improves on the original by quickening the pace and steeping it into modern pop culture.

twists its predecessor's suburban setting by taking place in an artificial oasis just outside of Las Vegas. This is a prefabricated neighborhood of innocuous tract homes with "For Sale" signs littering the front lawns and the neon lights of Sin City illuminating the horizon. High schooler Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) lives here with his mom, Jane (Toni Collette), a real estate agent trying to sell these houses. Charley is one of the most popular kids in school with a beautiful girlfriend in Amy (Imogen Poots). But, it wasn't always this way for Charley. He was once a nerd who engaged in goofy LARPing in his back yard with former best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who was cast aside for the sake of Charley's popularity.

Charley reluctantly meets with his ex-BFF when several classmates mysterious disappear. Ed suspects Charley's new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Charley is naturally disbelieving until Ed vanishes as well.

The hip nature and clever dialogue of Fright Night owes a lot to the screenplay by Marti Noxon, one of the chief architects of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Noxon is no stranger to writing believable teenagers (I Am Number Four, notwithstanding) and scary bloodsuckers with a mix of horror and comedy. The story plays with the perception of vampires in a post-Twilight world as well as all the usual tropes of the mythology. Let the Right One In answered the question of what happens to a vampire when they come in without an invitation. Fright Night answers the question of does a vampire need an invitation if the house has been abandoned due to a collapsing market. There is an unexpected poignancy to the movie with Noxon touching upon themes of teen angst with vampirism serving as an allegory for the predatory nature of high school and status supremacy. Charley isn't all that nice of a kid for having so cruelly shunned Ed in favor of the jerks who would have mocked him not long ago. Jerry too is attempting to build his own social circle by using some of his victims to repopulate his species.

Jerry as played by Chris Sarandon (who does the obligatory cameo) was more in line with the classical, seductive vampire. Colin Farrell's version exudes in alpha male arrogance. He's Dracula in a tight t-shirt and denim jeans. It's a role that Farrell is clearly relishing and it's one of his most fun performances to date. Not as nuanced as In Bruges, but not as cartoonish as Horrible Bosses or Daredevil. In the original film, it never made sense for Jerry not to kill Charley outright. Here, it's a case of Jerry toyed with his food before the big bite. He's centuries old with an unfathomable body count. What does he have to fear from a boy? This is exemplified in a suspenseful sequence in which Charley breaks into Jerry's home (with the help of a handy lock picking app) in order to free a hot blonde neighbor. It is clear Jerry knows they are there, despite their feeble attempts to skulk about unnoticed. The finish to the scene is a real kick to the balls.

Director Craig Gillespie earned strong critical notice for the indie comedy Lars and the Real Girl, but he shows a true flair for stylish action in Fright Night. In addition to the break-in sequence, there's a thrilling set piece that begins with Jerry ripping up the Brewsters' gas line and igniting their abode ("Don't need an invitation if there's no house."). This kicks off an exciting chase scene done as a continuous tracking shot with Jerry hurling a dirt bike at Jane's SUV and trying to carve his way in with his "fucked up vampire hand." The only detraction to these parts is the obvious CGI. Aside from these scenes, the special effects are strong, but the 3D version should be avoided as it dims the already dark night scenes.

One of the major changes in the remake is the envisioning of Peter Vincent as a larger-than-life stage magician. Vincent is portrayed wonderfully by former Doctor Who, David Tennant, who plays him as Criss Angel by way of Russell Brand.

Fright Night may have been dumped into theaters during the doldrums of August, but it's the kind of thrill ride that should have been released on Halloween. No sparkly bullshit here, Fright Night takes the vampire back to his spooky, bloodthirsty roots.

Rating: *** (*****)