The Skeleton Twins

The Skeleton Twins - Dir. Craig Johnson (2014)

Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig have proven themselves to be exceptional comedic talents. They've branched out since leaving Saturday Night Live and occasionally appear in a film together. Most notably were their scene-stealing turns as the managers of an amusement park in Greg Mottola's Adventureland. It shouldn't be surprising that an enterprising filmmaker would choose the pair to headline their picture. What might be surprising is that The Skeleton Twins isn't an uproarious comedy, but a somber mix of light and dark subject matter.

Wiig and Hader play estranged siblings Maggie and Milo Dean, who haven't spoken to each other in over ten years. Milo has moved to Los Angeles where he waits tables while trying to make it as an actor. Meanwhile, Maggie has remained in upstate New York where she works as a dental hygienist and is married to nice guy Lance (Luke Wilson). Both are repositories for all manner of emotional damage.

The Skeleton Twins opens with Maggie about to down a handful of pills. Her suicide attempt is postponed when she receives a call that Milo has been hospitalized after slitting his wrists. Milo reluctantly agrees to stay with Maggie and along the way we find out just how damaged these two are. Their father committed suicide when they were kids and their mother (Joanna Gleason) is no peach. She's a new age self-help guru who was too busy with an "insight retreat" to attend her own daughter's wedding. Maggie's seemingly blissful marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be. She's been secretly taking birth control pills in spite of Lance's desire to have children and she's been having an affair with her handsome scuba instructor (Boyd Holbrook). As for Milo, he resumes an obviously doomed relationship with a former high school teacher (Ty Burrell) with whom he had an affair when he was only 15.

The Skeleton Twins was directed by Craig Johnson, who also co-wrote the script with Mark Heyman, one of the writers for Black Swan. The movie has all the earmarks for an indie comedy, right down to Mark & Jay Duplass receiving executive producer credit. Johnson relies heavily on the murky imagery of water; a trope that should have been retired after The Graduate did it so well. Johnson never quite nails the nuances necessary to convey the themes of the story. As a result, many scenes are hindered by dialogue right on the nose though that didn't stop Johnson and Heyman from winning the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance.

Leave it to Hader and Wiig to elevate the material. The SNL alumni effortlessly portray the shorthand communication that comes from siblings due in no small part to their familiarity off-screen. Some of the movie's best moments are when the two are simply riffing with one another, such as when they goof around after sniffing nitrous oxide or dress in drag for Halloween. Hader and Wiig also make the most of the clichéd bonding session over a kitschy pop tune. In this instance, it's Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," which goes from insipid to inspired thanks to Hader's energy in contrast to Wiig's deadpan facial expressions.

Wiig and Hader aren't the only winning cast members. Kudos go to a wonderfully understated Ty Burrell and Luke Wilson, who brings all the earnest charm you've come to expect from the Wilson clan.

The Skeleton Twins isn't an altogether successful film, but the engaging performances by Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader are well worth a look. The protagonists find just the right mix of pathos and humor.

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

Men in Black III

Men in Black III - Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld (2012)

The Avengers has been an unstoppable juggernaut since its release on May 4^th. There was only one super-powered being capable of knocking Marvel's magnum opus off its box office perch and that would be Will Smith. The former Fresh Prince is a guaranteed draw though I'm sure everyone would like to forget about Wild Wild West. But, Smith hasn't starred in a film since 2008's overwrought Seven Pounds and it's been a decade since the forgettable Men in Black II. Smith and Tommy Lee Jones slip comfortably back into the suits and sunglasses for a $55 million Memorial Day opening.

An intergalactic biker assassin named Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement) has escaped from a maximum security prison on the Moon. Agent K (Jones) was the one who not only apprehended Boris, but blew off his left arm back in 1969. K also thwarted an invasion by Boris's people, the Boglodites, which lead to their extinction. Boris plans to travel back in time and prevent all this from happening. Agent J (Smith) literally jumps back to the 60's by leaping off the Chrysler Building to team up with the younger K (Josh Brolin).

Men in Black III was making headlines within the industry for the all the wrong reasons. The script by Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) went through multiple drafts by David Koepp and Jeff Nathanson, both of whom went uncredited. This is nothing new for a big budget blockbuster, but going into production without a completed screenplay is a rarity. With only the first act set in stone, MIB3 went into production in the fall of 2010 to take advantage of lucrative NY tax breaks that were feared to expire by the end of the year. A scheduled two month break was stretched to three as the rewrite process dragged on while some crew members continued to be paid. All told the budget was rumored to have ballooned to $300 million.

After viewing Men in Black III, it is clear the beleaguered writing process took its toll on the threequel, which is rife with plot holes. The fact that J still remembers the proper timeline is glanced over with a single line. Yet, it's never explained how J is with MIB since the man who recruited him no longer exists or why the aliens waited forty years to invade the Earth. MIB3 rehashes the fish out of water story from the previous installments as J deals the culture shock of the 60's. Don't expect any deep contemplation about Vietnam or political turmoil. Race relations are dealt with in an amusing sequence where J is pulled over by a pair of prejudiced cops. J is also befuddled by the primitive technology employed by the department back in the day. The 60's section is where the film shines thanks to the retro-futuristic production design by Bo Welch and the practical effects by make-up wizard Rick Baker, who was obviously inspired by the drive-in classics of the yesteryear. But, inconsistency raises its ugly head once more. The MIB are hampered by portable neuralizers attached to cumbersome battery packs and clunky looking jetpacks. Yet, they utilize gyroscopic monocycles that resemble the 'It' from South Park that would still be considered high tech in the future. While K's stoic demeanor has been an accepted personality trait, the filmmakers saw a ridiculous need to explain how he became this way. Never mind that K had lighthearted moments in the other pictures. Thus, the film builds to a final denouement that makes little sense.

One of the reasons the original Men in Black succeeded was the chemistry between the smart alecky Will Smith and the straight laced Tommy Lee Jones. Here, Jones is reduced to an extended cameo with the bulk of the picture shouldered by Josh Brolin, who does an uncanny impersonation of No Country for Old Men co-star. Brolin's vocal mimicry is so good you'd swear they dubbed Jones's voice over his. Bill Hader brings a much needed breath of fresh air as Andy Warhol, who happens to be an undercover MIB agent. A spinoff featuring the adventures of K and W in the seventies would have been more interesting than what we actually get. Will Smith is in full quippy Will Smith mode even if some of his humor ("I got no problem pimp slapping the shiznit out of Andy Warhol.") is as outdated as the vintage MIB gadgets. My goodness, he doesn't even sing a goofy theme song.  Luckily, the movie has a strong villain in Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords. It helps that speaks like Tim Curry and looks like "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Michael Stuhlbarg is also a great addition to the franchise as a nebbish extraterrestrial with the unique ability to see all possible timelines.

The perfect sequel should feel like a necessary continuation of the series along with whetting the appetite for further films. Men in Black III didn't need to be made and didn't make me clamor for Men in Black IV. If you can look past a plot rife with clichés and plot holes, you'll find an acceptable piece of popcorn entertainment. The demographic that will enjoy Men in Black III the most will likely be the kids who weren't even born when the first picture hit the screens.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

Paul

Paul - Dir. Greg Mottola (2011)

Along with director Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost came to prominence in geek culture with their Channel 4 sitcom, Spaced. Their leap to feature films with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz was wildly successful. Having tackled zombies and cops, Pegg and Frost finally get around to tackling sci-fi with Paul, based on a script they wrote with Greg Mottola (Adventureland Superbad) behind the camera.

Paul makes it known right away who its target demographic with an opening sequence set at Comic-Con. Pegg and Frost are Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings, a graphic artist and science fiction writer, respectively. The best friends traveled to the United States to attend the Mecca of nerd-dom. They ogle the Slave Leias and get starstruck at meeting the robot from Buck Rogers ("…bidi, bidi, bidi."). Afterwards, Graeme and Clive embark on a bromantic road trip in a rented RV to visit famous UFO sites such as Area 51 and Roswell. Coming across a car accident, they are shocked to discover, Paul (Seth Rogen), an alien who has been locked away in a government facility since his spaceship crashed in the 1940's. Graeme and Clive agree to help Paul get to his mothership. Along the way, they also pick up Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig), a Christian fundamentalist whose faith is shaken by the appearance of a creature from outer space.

The supporting cast is a tremendous ensemble of players that include Jason Bateman as a no-nonsense man in black on the hunt for Paul with a pair of bumbling FBI agents played by Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio. They take their orders from Sigourney Weaver, who appears for most of the picture as a hidden voice sort of like Dr. Klaw from Inspector Gadget. We also have Jeffrey Tambor as sci-fi author Adam Shadowchild and Jane Lynch in a tiny role (a little Jane Lynch goes a long way) as a diner owner. Everyone is good, but none more so than Wiig as both a comic foil to Paul and love interest to Graeme. Wiig takes a rather one-dimensional character in Ruth and makes her extremely likable. She also possesses tremendous comic timing shown off when Ruth awkwardly tries cursing for the first time and launches into a series of nonsensical profanities ("Well, ain't that a bag of tits.").

Seth Rogen may be suffering from overexposure as of late. While you certainly cannot fault the man for venturing out of his comfort zone, the results have been mixed at best (i.e. Observe and Report, The Green Hornet). Here, Rogen goes back to basics providing only motion capture work and his distinctive voice. His Paul pulls a 180 on the prototypical alien by turning him into a rude and gross little guy with a cigarette constantly in his hand. He's E.T. if he were a potty-mouthed, bulb-headed stoner from a galaxy far, far away.

Paul definitely has its weaknesses. As foreigners, Pegg and Frost go the easy route by portraying most of the Americans they come across as bible-thumping zealots or gun-toting rednecks. David Koechner and Friday Night Lights' Jesse Plemons a bit wasted as the latter. Some of the subplots don't pay off, especially the one involving Ruth's domineering father (John Carroll Lynch), which could have easily been cut from the film to tighten the plot. In the end, Paul will live and die by its geek chic sense of humor.

While Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz poked fun at genre conventions, Paul is more concerned with making specific references, many of which will go most everyone's heads. There are tons of requisite Star Wars gags with entire lines of dialogue quoted by various characters. One of the best features a country western band playing their version of the Mos Eisley Cantina song. Other iconic sci-fi flicks like Back to the Future and obscure ones like Mac and Me are referenced as are numerous Spielberg movies to the point where the director himself makes a voice cameo receiving story advice from Paul.

Make no mistake about it, Paul is a movie for geeks and by geeks. As someone who is steeped in the culture (I'm a Comic-Con veteran for nearly two decades), it's hard for me to say how mainstream audiences might take the film. Hopefully, they'll find Paul as hilarious and surprisingly poignant as I have.

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

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - Dir. Edgar Wright (2010)


I’ve liked you for a thousand years, a thousand years.
I’ve liked you for a thousand years, a thousand years.
- “Scott Pilgrim” by Plumtree

Hollywood loves scouring the comic book and video game worlds for hot properties to turn into films. Usually these adaptations involve translating the fantastical elements of the source material into a real world setting. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World doesn’t even attempt to tone down the craziness. The result is a hyper-stylized picture that is one of the most visually dynamic films in recent memory.

Scott Pilgrim was originally created by Toronto-based artist Bryan O’Malley as a six volume series of graphic novels. O’Malley combined autobiographical elements with his love of manga, video games, and indie rock music. The comics were filled with pop culture references wrapped within pop culture references. Who better to adapt the books than Edgar Wright the filmmaker who has embraced geek culture with Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the similarly themed TV show, Spaced.

The eponymous Scott Pilgrim is played by Michael Cera, an unlikely lead for such an action-packed movie. Like most of Cera’s characters, Scott is an awkward, stammering slacker. He has no job and plays bass in a three-piece garage band called Sex Bob-Omb. Pilgrim isn’t as hip as he makes himself out to be. He doesn’t own a cell phone, still uses AOL to check his email, and honestly believes people are impressed by his knowledge of obscure Pac-Man trivia. He’s a self-centered boy raised on a steady diet of Nintendo and pop culture detritus. As such, Scott casts himself as the hero in his own little world. He seems to treat girls as prizes to be won after completing various levels of his life. Nearly everything he does is a huge production. Even when he goes to the bathroom an energy bar appears to indicate when he’s finished.

Scott is still reeling from a bad breakup with former girlfriend, Envy Adams (Brie Larson), who has gone on to become the famous lead singer for The Clash at Demonhead, named after an old NES game. On the rebound, Scott is dating Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), an overly exuberant and charmingly naïve schoolgirl. But, poor Knives is kicked to the curb when Scott falls madly in love with Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The alternative dream girl, Ramona has bright magenta hair and zips along on roller skates through a convenient subspace portal inside Scott’s head.

Before the romance can even begin, Scott finds himself under assault from The League of Evil Exes, Ramona’s former flames who have banded together to snuff out any chance of happiness for the young couple. The first Evil Ex is Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), an angry Emo clad in military surplus chic who summons a horde of demon hipster chicks for a Bollywood dance number. The remaining Evil Exes include: Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), pro skateboarder turned movie star; Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh), a bassist who has gained psychic powers due to his strict vegan diet; Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman) who dated Ramona during her brief bi-curious “sexy phase;” and the electronica playing DJs the Katayanagi Twins (Shota & Keita Saito). As you’d expect from any good game, each showdown becomes progressively more difficult until they confront the mastermind behind this guild of jilted lovers is record producer Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).

Not since Ang Lee’s Hulk has there been a film that has managed to cinematically capture the comic book experience like Scott Pilgrim. Wright utilizes techniques such as split-screens and varying aspect ratios to energize his scenes. Flashbacks are told in panels with artwork by O’Malley. Adding to the cartoonish atmosphere are sound effect bubbles and little doodles that remind you of the things a junior high schooler would sketch in his notebook. Scott Pilgrim is also heavy in video game tropes. Wright sets you up immediately with an 8-bit version of the studio logo complete with a MIDI of the Universal theme. Vanquished enemies burst into coins and combatants charge each other until the background blurs into anime-style speed lines. Wright also samples sound effects from games such as The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Street Fighter Alpha 3, among others. But, you don’t need to be a hardcore gamer to enjoy the movie. Less talented directors will use visual trickery with no true purpose, sometimes to cover up their own deficiencies. In contrast, the visuals of Scott Pilgrim are always in service to the story and help to build the unique world. If the Jets and the Sharks can engage in elaborately choreographed dance numbers before battle, surely Scott Pilgrim can pull a flaming sword from his chest.

The gaming symbolism provides a sense of nerd wish fulfillment. Haven’t we all wished we could get a do-over or wanted to believe a girl dumped you because she was being mind-controlled by a computer chip?

Just as the film is a scrumptious feast for the eyes, the soundtrack is an aural treat for the ears. Music was a huge component of the original comics so much so that O’Malley provided a recommended playlist for each volume. Likewise, music has been a vital part of Wright’s films. Need anyone be reminded of the zombie beatdown set to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Now” from Shaun of the Dead?

The score for Scott Pilgrim was largely composed by record producer Nigel Godrich who has worked with acts such as U2, Paul McCartney, and Radiohead. The music of Sex Bob-Omb is provided by Beck who gives them a fuzzy, distortion-laden sound befitting of a slapdash garage band. The character of Envy Adams was inspired by Emily Haines, lead singer of the Toronto band, Metric, who double for Clash at Demonhead. Wright also throws in some clever musical cues that include “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl” by Broken Social Scene for Knives Chau and The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb” for Gideon Graves.

Michael Cera doesn’t depart too far from his dweeb-ish on-screen persona. He’s not the versatile actor, but he fits seamlessly into the role. As Scott Pilgrim, he must overcome his own innate inertia to defeat the League. Wright superbly casts the supporting players with a wealth of talented young actors. Schwartzman is the perfect actor to convey the hipster smarminess of Gideon Graves. However, it is Chris Evans and Brandon Routh, neither strangers to comic book films, who truly shine in their villainous roles. Evans is a member of the Fantastic Four, the Losers, the Avengers, and now the League of Evil Exes. He gives Lucas Lee the gravelly voice and scowl of Clint Eastwood along with a cocky swagger. Routh is equally funny imbuing the smug self-righteousness befitting of someone who is both a rock star and a vegan. Kieran Culkan (as gay roommate Wallace), Alison Pill (as freckle faced drummer Kim Pine), Anna Kendrick (as younger sister Stacey Pilgrim), and Aubrey Plaza (sometimes nemesis Julie Powers) act as a sardonic Greek chorus providing the film with a dry wit as they comment on the lunacy that is Scott Pilgrim’s life. The biggest surprise has to be newcomer Ellen Wong whose infectious enthusiasm as Knives Chau fully exhibits the unbridled joy that comes from the film. There’s a wonderful innocence about her not to mention the naturally expressive eyes of an anime character.

Also, look out for uncredited cameos from Thomas Jane and Clifton Collins Jr. as vegan police officers.

If Scott Pilgrim has a weakness, it is that the movie tends to feel overstuffed from time to time. Wright and co-writer Michael Bacall streamlined the six part series into a 110 minute film. Some characters, like the Katayanagi Twins, get short changed in screen time and some relationships, like the one between Scott and Pill’s Kim Pine, are only alluded to.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World limped to a meager $10 million opening at the box office this past weekend. Perhaps, it aimed too heavily at a niche audience. Causal viewers may be baffled by the subculture the film revolves around, but it shouldn’t stop you from seeing it. Edgar Wright somehow manages to blend comic books, video games, and the physical humor of Looney Tunes with martial arts action and the youthful angst of John Hughes. The result is the exciting and inventive picture known as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Rating: *** ½

Adventureland

Adventureland - Dir. Greg Mottola (2009)


”We are doing the work of lazy pathetic morons.”

Miramax’s marketing campaign is misleading when it comes to the latest film by Greg Mottola, the writer/director of the raunchy Superbad. Mottola’s third picture is the semi-autobiographical, Adventureland, a much more mature and low-key coming-of-age tale. There are moments of slapstick and hilarity sprinkled throughout, but the meat of the story lies in its themes of love, heartbreak, and uncertainty. Thematically, it’s been compared to The Graduate, but I’d say Adventureland is more like Dazed and Confused filtered through the lens of Freaks & Geeks.

James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) has just graduated college with a degree in comparative literature. He’s looking forward to a summer long trip to Europe before beginning grad school at Columbia where he’ll study journalism. James has plans to become a travel writer. However, a wrench is thrown into the works when his dad takes a pay cut and they can no longer afford it. James moves back home to Pittsburgh where he’s forced to get a job. With no real work experience, the best he can find is a menial job at the local amusement park. Adventureland is run by Bobby (Bill Hader) and his wife Paulette (Kristen Wiig) who size James up as a games man. Transformed into a glorified carny, James is tasked with manning the booths of rigged games and appropriately doling out the cheap prizes.

James meets a variety of denizens at the park including an old childhood friend named Frigo (Matt Bush) who has grown into a crude and obnoxious man-child with a habit of punching James in the nuts at an inopportune time. Then again, I suppose there’s never an opportune time to get punched in the nuts. James also befriends Joel (Martin Starr), a lanky pipe-smoking literati with an affinity for Nikolai Gogol. But, the big one is Em (Kristen Stewart), a fellow games monkey he quickly falls for. Em comes from a damaged home. Her mother passed away and her father has remarried a cold, passive-aggressive (played by Reno 911’s Mary Birdsong). On top of that, she’s carrying on a clandestine affair with an older married man, Connell (Ryan Reynolds), the park’s handyman who tells bullshit stories about how he once jammed with Lou Reed.

Mottola’s script is an incredibly observant work exploring the relationships of his characters, each one well rounded and relatable. Eisenberg is used to playing these nerdy, awkward teens having played just those in Roger Dodger and The Squid & the Whale. Comparisons have been made between Eisenberg and Michael Cera. Though Eisenberg doesn't come off as glib as Cera, but he is more nuanced. The performances are strong across the board with SNL's Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig stealing every scene they're in.

If there are any complaints to be had with Adventureland, they lie in the third act which felt forced. It was as if Mottola just had to plug in the standard formula in breaking up the characters for the eventually tearful reunion. The resolution feels as if it were dictated by preset plot points and not the actual characters.

Rating: ***