Red State

Red State - Dir. Kevin Smith (2011)

"God doesn't love you…unless you fear him."

Kevin Smith is one of those rare filmmakers who has become a brand name. He has accumulated a devout following who will buy anything that has his name on it. Smith became a poster boy for do-it-yourself cinema with his debut film, Clerks, which spawned a series of R-rated comedies such as Mallrats and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back that found more success on home video than in theaters. His most mature work was undoubtedly Chasing Amy, an unconventional love story that touched upon sex and gender politics.

Red State marks a return to his indie roots following a dismal attempt as a director-for-hire with Cop Out. Smith raised the $4 million budget himself and self-distributed Red State through a series of select screenings paired with Q&A sessions as well as making it available through iTunes, Video on Demand, Netflix, and recently DVD and Blu-Ray. Be forewarned, Red State is not a comedy. Smith steps out of his comfort zone with a film that drifts into the genres of horror and thriller.

Red State begins a lot like a typical Kevin Smith flick with three horny, high school boys graphically discussing sex. Thanks to the internet, Travis (Michael Angarano), Jarod (Kyle Gallner), and Billy-Ray (Nicholas Braun) have reached out to an older woman who wants to have a gangbang with them. That woman turns out to be Sarah Cooper (Melissa Leo), the daughter of Abin Cooper (Michael Parks), leader of a fanatical religious group known as the Five Points Church. The Church has become infamous within their small Midwest community for protesting at funerals and their unwavering hatred of homosexuals. They have lured the teens to their compound and plan to murder them on their altar.

After one of his deputies is killed, the local sheriff (Stephen Root) calls for assistance from the government. Special Agent Keenan (John Goodman) is sent in with an ATF strike force to negotiate the surrender of the Five Pointers. He is shocked when his superiors order a full raid and permission to use deadly force having labeled the zealots as domestic terrorists.

Red State is a drastic departure for Kevin Smith. Not just in terms of subject matter, but in regards to his directorial style. By his own admission, Smith is not a visual filmmaker, preferring to tell his stories through dialogue rather than complex camera movements or ornate shot compositions. Red State is nothing like the visually static films of Smith's past. It has a gritty and dirty look to it with a color palette that runs towards the brown and the gray. As the situation descends into a violent Waco-esque shootout, Smith and cinematographer Dave Klein employ a frantic camera style, but avoid the nauseating shaky cam that has plagued action sequences in this post-Jason Bourne era.

Kevin Smith's way with words is on full display here as Red State is dotted with several clever exchanges including one (in regards to the Coopers' massive cross) between Agent Keenan and his right-hand man played by Kevin Pollak.

"How much do you think a cross like that costs?"
"In dollars or common sense?"

Smith toys with the audience by shifting perspectives from the boys to the religious nuts to the ATF agents. And none of them are particularly sympathetic. The only character that elicits any empathy is Sarah's daughter, Cheyenne (Kerry Bishé), who desperately tries to reason with the ATF and her own family to safeguard the lives of the young children in the compound.

The lack of a strong protagonist isn't a problem though. The problem comes from a litany of characters that are thinly sketched. It's also topped with a rushed plot that never delves any deeper and relies too much on convenience. At first, Keenan reluctantly follows orders to storm the church with guns blazing while his tactical commander adamantly opposes. Later, their roles are switched on a dime with the commander gunning down unarmed people without remorse.

Red State is a sharp stab to the eye of the religious right and an unchecked, authoritarian government. This is a picture marked by strong performances from Melissa Leo, John Goodman and character actors like Kevin Pollak and Stephen Root. However, the film is commanded by a mesmerizing and chilling turn by Michael Parks. Yet, that alone isn't enough to make Red State anything more than a bold, but flawed, experiment.

Rating: ** (*****)

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil - Dir. Eli Craig (2011)

College kids go off on a camping trip in the woods only to find their spring break ruined by a murderous clan of inbred rednecks. That particular plotline and variations on it have become a tried and true staple of the horror genre. Inspired by films like Deliverance, The Hills Have Eyes, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, writer/director Eli Craig (who co-wrote the script with Morgen Jurgenson) cleverly twists the genre conventions with Tucker & Dale vs. Evil which casts the rednecks in a sympathetic light while the vacationing teens play the villains.

Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) are a pair of genial country bumpkins living in rural West Virginia. They've recently purchased a dilapidated cabin in the woods that they hope to renovate into a summer cottage. At the same time, a group of college students set up camp nearby and are immediately creeped out by these odd looking fellas in overalls and mesh trucker caps. One night, perky blonde Allison (Katrina Bowden) is knocked unconscious while skinny dipping and rescued by Tucker and Dale, the latter of whom develops a crush on her. The other teenagers falsely believe Allison has been kidnapped and urged to take action by her boyfriend, Chad (Jesse Moss), who possesses an unnerving hatred for hillbillies.

The kids make a series of bumbling attempts to rescue Allison that lead to their own violent demises. In a scene rivaling Fargo, one boy tries to jump Tucker and accidentally falls into a wood chipper. This leads Tucker and Dale into believing the kids are enacting a suicide pact.

Eli Craig has come up with several inventive and gruesome kills. He also manages to subvert many of the iconic imagery of horror films. When Tucker runs howling through the woods with a chainsaw, it's because he got stung by a swarm of bees. In another scene, Dale awkwardly tries to talk to Allison at a gas station. Told by Tucker to laugh a lot, he cackles maniacally while holding a Grim Reaper scythe and unintentionally frightens the teens.

Genre fans will likely gravitate towards Tucker & Dale due to Alan Tudyk's work on Firefly and Tyler Labine's on Reaper. Tudyk and Labine are hilarious in their roles without turning the characters into southern fried caricatures. They are slightly dim-witted, but not annoyingly stupid. There is also a surprising sweetness to the budding romance between Dale and Allison, played by the gorgeous Katrina Bowden, best known as Cerie, the flighty receptionist on 30 Rock.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil has all the makings of a midnight cult classic. As a fusion of horror and comedy, it stands alongside recent titles like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland.

Rating; *** (*****)

Beautiful Boy

Beautiful Boy - Dir. Shawn Ku (2011)

From Michael Moore's documentary Bowling for Columbine to Gus Van Sant's unsettling Elephant, many films have attempted to tackle the sensitive subject of school shootings. This year, two pictures are examining the consequences and impact these shootings have on the parents of the perpetrator. Lynne Ramsay's adaptation of Lionel Shriver's 2003 novel, We Need to Talk About Kevin, has won rave reviews at Cannes and other film festivals. Though it was released earlier in the year, Beautiful Boy, which was partly inspired by the massacre at Virginia Tech in 2007, has yet to receive similar acclaim.

Michael Sheen and Maria Bello star as Bill and Kate Carroll, a middle class, suburban family with a son, Sam (Kyle Gallner), away at college. Bill and Kate's marriage is on the rocks with the husband growing distant while the wife plans a vacation in a desperate attempt to hold things together. Sam calls his parents one night and obviously seems depressed, but they don't pick up on it and simply tell their son to "study hard." The next morning, Bill and Kate awaken to horrible news that a shooting has occurred at their son's campus. Police detectives arrive on their doorstep and Kate immediately realizes Sam is dead, but the officers have more information to reveal. Sam was the shooter. He murdered 21 of his classmates before turning the gun on himself.

Bill and Kate are shocked and offer no answers to the authorities over what possessed their son to commit this unthinkable act. Unable to even comprehend these turn of events, the grieving parents are ostracized by their community and besieged by reporters with camera crews camping out on their front lawn. They seek refuge with at the home of Bill's brother, Eric (Alan Tudyk), and his wife, Trish (Moon Bloodgood). Kate unhealthily deals with her pain by occupying herself with meaningless house chores and mothering her nephew (Cody Wai-ho Lee), which inevitably irritates Trish. The Carrolls eventually hide out in a motel run by Meat Loaf where they attempt to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives.

Beautiful Boy marks the feature debut of director Shawn Ku, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Armbruster. Ku employs a documentary style with numerous close-ups and minimal editing. Rather than cutting from one actor to another during a conversation, Ku commands the camera to swish pan back and forth. At times, the movements are hardly noticeable. At other times, it feels like an unnecessary usage of shaky cam.

The script itself is wrought with melodramatic moments and heavy handed elements. Kate works as a book editor. In one scene, she returns a manuscript to a prospective writer filled with marks by her red pen, which is obviously meant to enforce her image as a controlling perfectionist.

Since Beautiful Boy is a weighty drama, the acting is very showy with plenty of moments for the cast to rage at the top of their lungs or collapse into tears. If you're into that sort of thing, this might be right up your alley. Yet, the film is most effective during its quieter scenes with Michael Sheen delivering an understated performance when called upon. Alan Tudyk, known for his more comedic roles in Firefly and Death at a Funeral, gets the rare chance to flex his dramatic muscles and does a fine job. Kyle Gallner is typecast as the troubled teen, who only appears briefly in the opening and occasionally after that when the news broadcast his maniacal manifesto. One of the saddest scenes finds Sam reading a heartfelt poem that falls on the deaf ears of his apathetic classmates.

Beautiful Boy is the exact opposite of a feel-good movie. This is a tragic story that ultimately comes off as a made-for-TV movie of the week that was made to cash in on recent headlines. It's a well intentioned film that never hits the raw nerve it aims for.

Rating: * ½ (*****)

Blitz

Blitz - Dir. Elliott Lester (2011)

Jason Statham kicked off his acting career by appearing in comedic crime films for Guy Ritchie. Since then, he has grown into a recognizable action star looking to fill in the holes left by the aging heroes of the past like Arnold and Stallone. Statham has the steely gaze and charisma to make most of the B-grade scripts he picks watchable. Blitz isn't one of them.

Statham plays an uncouth, violent, and politically incorrect London police officer by the name of Detective Sgt. Tom Brant. In the opening sequence, Brant beats the crap out of a trio of muggers with a hurling stick. He gets chewed out by his superior officer for the incident as well as for other uses of excessive force. Their attentions are quickly turned to a serial killer calling himself Blitz (Aiden Gillen), who is targeting cops in sudden and brutal fashion. Brant is paired up with Inspector Porter Nash (Paddy Considione), who is looked down upon by other officers due to his homosexuality. Nash is the well-mannered and well-dressed opposite of Brant. They're the British, crime-solving Odd Couple.

Blitz plods along with a dull predictability and without an iota of suspense or surprise. In fact, the film comes off as a glorified prime time pilot with the resolution tying up loose ends in a trite manner. Pointless subplots are used to pad out the running time such as one involving a uniformed officer (Zawe Ashton) trying to kick a drug habit she picked up while undercover and a romantically interested detective (Luke Evans).

In the end, Blitz is nothing more than a forgettable knockoff of Dirty Harry.

Rating: * (*****)

The Ides of March

The Ides of March - Dir. George Clooney (2011)

The Ides of March, a pessimistic take on politics, receives a timely release with the nation's future as uncertain as ever and President Obama's approval ratings dropping to record lows.

Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is the press secretary for the presidential campaign of Pennsylvania Gov. Mike Morris (George Clooney). Morris is the left-leaning liberal's wet dream; a handsome and charismatic politician who happens to be an atheist, pro-choice, anti-death penalty, and he wants to tax the rich and phase out combustible engines within ten years. Suspension of disbelief may be required to believe Morris stands a snowball's chance. The only threat to his bid for the Democratic nomination is Sen. Pullman (Michael Mantell). He isn't nearly as popular or photogenic as Morris, but conservatives will vote for him because they know he doesn't stand a chance against the Republican candidate.

Stephen receives a call from Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), the rival campaign manager for Pullman. He foolishly accepts a meeting with Duffy, which sets off a chain reaction that could derail Morris' bid for presidency and Stephen's entire career.

The A-list ensemble cast includes: Evan Rachel Wood as an intern and love interest for Stephen, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Paul Zara the campaign manager for Mills, Jennifer Ehle as Mrs. Cindy Morris, and Marisa Tomei as a New York Times reporter.

As a director, George Clooney has shown he has studied under the learning tree of Steven Soderbergh and the Coen Brothers. He has accumulated a diverse filmography that includes the Charlie Kaufman-penned Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, the stark black and white drama Good Night, and Good Luck (one of the best film's of 2005), and the screwball comedy Leatherheads. The Ides of March isn't as strong as his sophomore effort, but it is a throwback to the politically charged thrillers of the 1970's. Clooney is clearly mimicking the work of Alan J. Pakula and Sidney Lumet. Not too shocking as Clooney has named Lumet's Network as one of his favorite films of all time.

The Ides of March is based on the play, Farragut North, which written by Beau Willimon who worked on the 2004 presidential campaign of Howard Dean. The play took its title from the subway station in Washington D.C. that sits at lobbyist central. In the play and the film (which was adapted by Clooney and writing partner Grant Heslov), Farragut North is a looming specter as the place where failed politicos go when ideals die. Tom Duffy warns Stephen that staying in politics too long will leave you cynical and jaded. That is the central theme of the movie as it follows the formerly optimistic Stephen's descent into compromise, blackmail, and backroom dealings.

The first act does a splendid job focusing on the little-seen gears and cogs of the political machine. Highlighted by clever, Sorkin-esque dialogue, Ides delves into the dirty deeds and subterfuge that goes along with the glad handing and fundraising. The film diverges from the play when it adds a series of soap opera twists and turns, none of which is as interesting as the earlier sections. The plot sags a bit in the middle before picking up towards the end. Thankfully, the ultra-talented cast lifts the material above its melodramatic trappings. Gosling is given more dialogue than Drive, but exudes the same simmering quality. It's also a treat to see actors of the caliber of Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman verbally sparring as two old campaign war horses. Though he's only in a handful of scenes, Jeffrey Wright brings a commanding presence as a North Carolina senator bucking for a cushy cabinet position in exchange for his vital endorsement.

The Ides of March had all the makings of an awards season darling and a classic political thriller. It doesn't reach those lofty levels the way Michael Clayton or Good Night, and Good Luck did. However, it is a well-made picture solidly directed by Clooney and packed with excellent performances.

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

Real Steel

Real Steel - Dir. Shawn Levy (2011)

"Let's make some money!"

Despite outward appearances, Real Steel is not based on Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots. It’s loosely based on a 1956 short story by sci-fi author Richard Matheson and was previously adapted as an episode on The Twilight Zone with Lee Marvin as a down-and-out manager of a robot boxer. Hugh Jackman steps into that role, but Real Steel only tangentially resembles those previous versions. After phenomenal success with the Transformers franchise, it was no surprise that Dreamworks and producers Steven Spielberg and Don Murphy would dip into the robot well one more time.

The year is 2020 and combat sports are participated by robots instead of humans. Charlie Kenton (Jackman) was a former pro boxer with a mediocre record, who hustles for money at state fairs and campgrounds with his busted up robot fighter. In the opening sequence, Kenton’s ‘bot is destroyed by a rodeo bull. Soon after, he receives word that an ex-girlfriend has died and parental custody of his estranged son, Max (Dakota Goyo), is being contested by Max’s aunt, Debra (Hope Davis). Charlie has no problem with ditching the kid, but wants something in return and finagles a backroom deal with Debra’s fiancé (James Rebhorn) to essentially sell Max for $100,000, half up front. Father and son are stuck with each other for the summer as Charlie uses the money to purchase a new robot, Noisy Boy, to compete on the underground circuit.

Noisy Boy gets wrecked in his first fight thanks to Charlie's inexperience with its voice commands. Forced to scrounge for spare parts in a junkyard, Max comes across an entire robot buried in the mud. It is Atom, an old model designed only for sparring. Atom is built to take a lot of punishment, but never dishing any out, as Charlie explains. Max sees a lot of himself in Atom, both are alone and unwanted. The kid takes it upon himself to upgrade and train Atom himself through its shadow function, which allows the 'bot to copy the movement of its owner. There's also a hint that Atom might possess an iota of self-awareness. This thread isn't fully explored as the producers are likely saving it for a sequel.

To the surprise of Charlie, Max's robot begins tearing up the back alley arenas and catching the attention of promoters from the professional World Robot League. This leads to an inevitable showdown between Atom and the WRL champion Zeus, an automaton backed by a Russian heiress (Olga Fonda) and a genius Japanese designer (Karl Yune).

One thing Real Steel has going for it is the gorgeous cinematography by Mauro Fiore, who also shot Avatar. From the wheat fields of the Midwest to the metallic factories where the robots do battle, Fiore gives everything a glossy sheen.

The robots of Real Steel are sleeker and better designed than the unsightly clunkers of Michael Bay's Transformers. Each one has a distinct, retro feel that makes it easier to follow the boxing matches. Too many times did the action scenes in Transformers descend into an indiscernible mass of pixels. The fights in Real Steel are exhilarating and well-done with the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard serving as the film's consultant. The slick cinematography and convincing special effects are enough to carry the movie visually, despite the bland direction of Shawn Levy, a master of populist and pandering pap. He did, after all, direct the Night at the Museum pictures.

Real Steel lacks any originality with a predictable narrative full of saccharine moments more manufactured than its robotic pugilists. Real Steel mixes mechanical mayhem with an underdog sports story in the vein of The Champ with a dash of Paper Moon. Rocky is cribbed numerous times, but the main plot resembles another famous Stallone flick, Over the Top with the estranged father and son embarking on a road trip to revive their relationship. An already derivative script is further hampered by protagonists who are less than sympathetic. Charlie is not a lovable scoundrel, but an outright asshole. He is crude and just plain stupid sometimes. Max suffers from cute kid syndrome. Dakota Goyo, who also played the young god of thunder in Thor, isn't as grating as other child actors (Jake Lloyd and Jaden Smith, I'm looking at you), but he could stand to be less precocious. Charlie and Max are steered towards more tolerable levels as the movie progresses.

Hugh Jackman has all the screen idol looks and charisma to excel in the lead role though his performance isn't enough to transcend the material. Anthony Mackie and Jackman's Wolverine co-star Kevin Durand are good in minor roles as an underground promoter and a redneck antagonist, respectively. Female roles are given the short shrift. Evangeline Lilly appears as love interest, Bailey, the daughter of Charlie's late-trainer who is desperately trying to maintain her father's dusty gym. Lilly doesn't get to do much other than pine for her beau, which is more than what is given to an utterly wasted Hope Davis.

Real Steel can easily be summed up by its crass product placement where Dr. Pepper, X-Box, and Bing logos and products are front and center. It's most out-and-out sci-fi element has to be Hewlett-Packard technology running the entire show. This is a highly commercialized picture lacking any genuine heart and refined through demographic surveys and test audiences.

Richard Matheson is best known for writing I Am Legend, which was adapted into a 2007 blockbuster starring Will Smith. The film version completely missed the point of the original story, which saw the last surviving man metaphorically becoming the very monster he was trying to exterminate. Matheson's original "Steel" was a tale about man vs. machine not failed man achieving success vicariously through machine. It's not surprising that Hollywood misses the point once again. Let's make some money indeed, Hugh Jackman.

Rating: ** (*****)

Submarine

Submarine - Dir. Richard Ayoade (2011)

As long as there have been teenagers, there have been stories about mopey, love struck adolescents. Submarine follows suit with a young protagonist who seemed to have been raised on a steady diet of J.D. Salinger and French New Wave cinema.

Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is an iconoclastic boy growing up in Wales or more specifically, the suburbs of Swansea, birthplace of Dylan Thomas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. He's the type of kid who brings a briefcase to school with him. Oliver also wears a suit and tie as part of the dress uniform, but you get the feeling he'd probably still wear them if it weren't required. Oliver thinks of himself as a well-heeled and erudite individual. He listens to Serge Gainsbourg and enjoys the films of Jean-Pierre Melville, after all. Most importantly, Oliver believes he is much beloved by his peers. In the opening scene of Submarine, he stares off into the horizon and imagines what would happen to the school if he committed suicide. All the teachers and students would surely mourn his loss. The reality of the situation is that Oliver isn't particularly popular nor is he at the bottom of the food chain. Just like so many high schoolers before and after him, Oliver is simply filling a seat.

Oliver has become smitten with an equally unique classmate named Jordana Bevan (Yasmine Paige), who possesses a pageboy hairdo, a slight case of eczema, and a penchant for burning things. Oliver goes against his principals to bully an overweight girl in order to grab Jordana's attention. Though he feels remorse, the ploy works. However, the supposedly mature Oliver learns that love carries a heavy emotional weight that he is not equipped to handle. At the same time, he must try to save his parents' marriage. Oliver's father, Lloyd (Noah Taylor) is sleepwalking through life due to a crushing bout of depression. This has caused his wife, Jill (Sally Hawkins), to drift towards her ex-boyfriend, Graham Purvis (Paddie Considione), a ridiculous new age guru with a spiky mullet.

Based on a 2008 novel by Joe Dunthorne, Submarine marks the feature directorial debut of Richard Ayoade, a jack of all trades who fans of British comedy might recognize from series like The IT Crowd and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. He also helmed the "Critical Film Studies" episode of NBC's Community, which featured a fusion of Pulp Fiction and Louis Malle's My Dinner with Andre. With the sure hand of a seasoned director, Ayoade has created a visually striking picture that might have come out of a time capsule. Submarine has a vintage look and a timeless feel to an era where kids passed around notes in class rather than texting on their smartphones. Ayoade also borrows liberally from the Wes Anderson playbook with his straight-on compositions, dry sense of humor, and blocky chapter titles.

Craig Roberts' most notable role to date was a brief appearance in Jane Eyre as the title character's abusive cousin. Here, Roberts shines in his first starring role in a performance that draws upon Jean-Pierre Leaud's Antoine Doinel, Jason Schwartzman's Max Fischer, and Bud Cort's Harold from Harold and Maude. Roberts' wide eyes and cherubic visage certainly bare a strong resemblance to the latter character. Neither Roberts nor Ayoade shy away from the highs and lows of teenage love. Kids can be cruel and selfish at times and Oliver Tate is no different. He tries to remake Jordana in his image by making her read Nietzsche and watch Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc. Oliver eventually learns the hard way that he lacks the emotional maturity he naively thought he had. Kids can also be big balls of contradictions. As Oliver maintains an image of wisdom beyond his years, he clings to childish ways when it comes to reconciling his parents crumbling marriage.

Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor give understated, yet remarkably rich performances as Oliver's parents. The one character that sticks out like a sore thumb is Paddy Considine's psychic ninja, Graham Purvis. He's a cartoon character who would be fit in more at a Kajagoogoo reunion concert. His silliness could be written off as exaggeration by Oliver, whose narration can be heard throughout the film.

Submarine tends to be the overly precious and needlessly quirky cinema that arthouse hipsters eat up with a spoon. If you cannot stand the genre, then Submarine is one to avoid. However, if you are able to get past the showy flourishes, you might find a touching coming-of-age story highlighted by beautiful imagery and a dry sense of humor.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)