Man on a Ledge

Man on a Ledge - Dir. Asger Leth (2012)

Man on a Ledge sort of gives you what it advertises. There's a man and he's on a ledge, but the film isn't clever or patient enough to stick to a single location. This is not Phone Booth or Buried.

The story kicks off with Sam Worthington checking into the ritzy Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. He orders a hearty breakfast consisting of lobster and champagne before writing a suicide note and stepping onto the ledge.

The story shifts back several months to reveal Worthington as disgraced police officer Nick Cassidy, who was sent to prison for stealing a $40 million diamond from real estate tycoon David Englander (Ed Harris). Turns out, Englander lost a fortune in the financial collapse and stole the diamond himself to collect the insurance money. With the help of corrupt cops, he was able to frame Cassidy, who managed to escape from prison.

Cassidy initiates an elaborate plan to prove his innocence and get revenge on Englander. His suicide ploy is meant only as a diversion to allow his brother, Joey (Jamie Bell), and Joey's girlfriend, Angie (Genesis Rodriguez), to break into Englander's vault and find the diamond.

Elizabeth Banks appears as a negotiator on leave following a failed attempt to prevent a rookie cop from jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. There's also Ed Burns as another detective on the scene, Anthony Mackie as Cassidy's former partner, Titus Welliver as a SWAT commander, Kyra Sedgwick in a tiny role as news reporter Suzie Morales, and a whole host of onlookers. In classic New York fashion, they urge Cassidy to take the plunge in the hopes of recording it on their smartphones. Rounding out the cast is William Sadler in a seemingly throwaway part as a hotel valet. It's clear the valet will play a much larger role in the scheme based on the simple fact they cast such a notable character actor.

Man on a Ledge is essentially a heist movie, but the actual heist is glaringly pedestrian. Englander employs a supposedly state-of-the-art system, yet it's easily bypassed by crawling through a few air ducts and slicing the obligatory red wire. These scenes are made all the more sillier by the curvaceous Genesis Rodriguez typecast as a feisty Latina, which seems to be the only kind of Latina in cinema. She repels down elevator shafts and dangles above the floor Mission: Impossible-style while never removing her hoop earrings. Rodriguez even finds a flimsy excuse to strip down to her lace underwear. The gratuitous butt shots are a welcome relief from the inane banter she shares with Jamie Bell. It mostly consists of Joey asking Angie if he's given her the best sex she's ever had.

We never get any explanation as to how they acquired the schematics for Englander's building and security. The movie also makes a big deal about Cassidy wiping his fingerprints within the hotel room, yet the police could have easily lifted them from the window or the outside wall when he climbed out.

The interplay between Worthington and Banks doesn't fare much better than their co-stars'. Banks gives a solid performance, but her perfunctory backstory never fully meshes since we know Cassidy has no intention of jumping. Worthington has his fair share of critics, but I find he's a decent action hero. Here, he's forced to emote far more and isn't able to rise to the occasion. The sheer presence of Ed Harris makes up for Worthington's blandness. Harris plays the villain with cackling, cartoonish glee allowing Man on a Ledge to serve as a silly catharsis with the working class man triumphing against the corporate elite.

Despite a contrived script and a wealth of plot holes, Man on a Ledge is slickly shot by cinematographer Paul Cameron (Collateral) and Dutch director Asger Leth, a documentarian making his narrative debut. It's forgettable and not worth the effort to see the in the theaters. However, Man on a Ledge is worth a rental or a perusal on Netflix Instant should you be willing to check your brain at the door and have a lazy weekend afternoon to kill.

Rating: ** (*****)

The Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin - Dir. Steven Spielberg (2011)

Under the pen name Hergé, Belgian illustrator Georges Prosper Remi has become a renowned artist for his long-running comic strip, The Adventures of Tintin. The series was published from 1929 until 1976 and spawned numerous radio plays, theatrical productions, and even a few live-action films. The most faithful adaptation was an animated series that aired on HBO from 1991 to 1992. Though incredibly popular throughout the world, Tintin has yet to garner a strong fanbase in the United States. One American fan, the character did win over is Steven Spielberg, who was unaware of the comics until a critic compared Raiders of the Lost Ark to Tintin. During the 80's, Spielberg got the rights to the original stories and a seal of approval from Hergé himself, but a movie didn't become a reality until now. Spielberg tag teams with Peter Jackson for this big-budget romp that utilizes the latest in motion capture technology to bring to life a script written by Steven Moffat (showrunner for Doctor Who) and the team of Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World). The film is based on three prominent Tintin books, The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn, and Red Rackham's Treasure.

The Adventures of Tintin opens with a fantastic title sequence done in the style of Saul Bass and reminiscent of the title sequence to Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. The credits are set to a jazzy score by John Williams and encompass an entire adventure of its own. From there, we meet Tintin (Jamie Bell), an intrepid boy reporter as he gets a portrait done in a busy marketplace. Spielberg cleverly transitions from Hergé's trademark ligne claire (or clear line) style to the 3D mo-cap animation by showing us the artist is Hergé. He hands the old school version to the new interpretation and we are off.

Tintin purchases an intricate model of a 17th-century warship known as the Unicorn. No sooner is it in his possession when an American named Barnaby (Joe Starr) and a sinister collector known as Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine (Daniel Craig) attempt to buy it from Tintin for exorbitant amounts of money. He refuses to sell and soon finds his apartment burglarized and Barnaby murdered on his front doorstep. These events lead Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy on a globe-trotting quest for missing treasure. Along the way, they befriend the blustery Captain Archibald Haddock (Andy Serkis) whose ship has been commandeered by Sakharine and his henchmen. Turns out, Haddock's ancestor was the captain of the original Unicorn before it went down following a battle with the notorious pirate Red Rackham (also played by Craig).

The uncanny valley usually rears its ugly head whenever motion capture is employed. Said valley is the point in which simulated human beings become creepy because they failed to replicate the real thing. While it slips into the valley every now and then, The Adventures of Tintin soars over that unsettling realm. The animation is beautifully rendered and richly detailed with characters that are expressive and smoothly brought to life.

Jamie Bell stars as the plucky reporter, who, ironically, is never seen in front of a typewriter or shown turning in a story. The biggest criticism levied at Tintin is that he is bland. Tintin has always been something of a cipher as Hergé intended for the reader to project themselves onto the protagonist. Hergé wisely surrounded his hero with a colorful cast of supporting characters, the most beloved being Capt. Haddock. He is brought to life by a remarkable performance from Andy Serkis, the Lon Chaney of motion capture. Everything hinges on Haddock because he is the heart of the film and Serkis does not disappoint. He is pitch perfect as the quick tempered and generally soused sea captain, who responds to outrageous situations with nonsensical expressions like, "Blistering barnacles!" And a Tintin adventure wouldn't be complete without the bumbling Scotland Yard detectives Thomson and Thompson played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Yet, the most interesting character in the movie has to be Tintin's wire fox terrier, Snowy. The little pooch isn't just adorable; he's preternaturally intelligent and sometimes smarter than his own master. Snowy gets some of the film's best scenes, such as a chase sequence through city streets and dodging traffic after Tintin is abducted by the villains.

Tintin is marked by several spectacular action sequences. This is Spielberg's first foray into animation and the genre has freed him from physical limitations. The highlight of Tintin is another chase scene with Tintin, Haddock, and Snowy in a motorcycle with sidecar riding through a multi-tiered Moroccan village. Done as a single uninterrupted take, the set piece is one of the year's best as the camera glides through the air while controlled chaos sweeps through the town. Tintin also features a battle at sea that rivals anything in all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies and a large-scale duel involving two construction cranes. Spielberg doesn't forget to add a touch of humor to the proceedings with Looney Tunes-inspired gags and a sly Jaws reference with Tintin's trademark pointy hair serving as the shark's fin.

The Adventures of Tintin isn't the game changer one might expect from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. It's not deeply nuanced cinema, but it is an exceptionally fun boys' adventure in the way Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should have been. Tintin began its international run in October where it's done gangbusters, but has performed anemically stateside. Still, the numbers are enough to make the sequel (The Calculus Affair?) with Jackson as director a strong possibility.

Rating: *** ½ (*****)

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre - Dir. Cary Fukunaga (2011)

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is an indelible work of literature. As such, it has seen dozens of cinematic adaptations including a silent film version in 1915 and a 1996 version directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt. Perhaps, the most famous take is the 1944 version starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles and based on a script adapted by John Houseman and Aldous Huxley. Director Cary Fukunaga and screenwriter Moira Buffini (Tamara Drewe) have the unenviable task of breathing new life into a story that has been oft-told in film, television, and on stage.

Bronte incorporated many elements from her own life and beliefs in the original novel (published in 1847) with the title character serving as a sort-of analogue for the author. By all accounts, Bronte was a forward thinking woman, which informed Jane Eyre's views on the ultra-religious and patriarchal society she inhabited. Much like Jane Eyre, Bronte was also sent to a boarding school along with her sisters, including Emily, author of Wuthering Heights. The poor conditions of the school led to the deaths of her eldest sisters Maria and Elizabeth due to tuberculosis.

At a young age Jane Eyre (played as a child by Amelia Clarkson) lost both her parents and was sent to live with her Uncle Reed and his family. When he dies, she is left in the care of her cruel Aunt Sarah (Sally Hawkins), who ships Jane off to the Lowood Institution, a Dickensian nightmare of fear and abuse. The headmaster, Mr. Brocklehurst (Simon McBurney), has already branded Jane as deceitful and encourages all others to shun her. The one friend Jane does make dies due to the negligence of the staff.

Jane leaves Lowood as an adult (Mia Wasikowska) to accept a position as governess at the reclusive Thornfield Hall. She is taken in by the kindly housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax (Judi Dench), but finds the lord of the house, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender), is less than welcoming. Rochester spends little time at the estate and his first encounter with Jane could hardly be considered a meet cute after he is thrown from his horse. He even accuses Jane of bewitching his steed. This is exemplary of the brusque manner in which Rochester treats everyone around him. Yet, he is the first real man Jane has ever met and there is an undeniable attraction. Girls love the bad boys.

As their relationship grows, Rochester discovers Jane is an intelligent, young woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind or stand up to him. He finds her a refreshing change of pace from the cowering servants and the sycophantic bluebloods he usually converses with on a daily basis. But, Thornfield is a sinister place and she and her master hold their own dark secrets.

Fukunaga may seem like an odd choice to direct a 19th century romantic drama having made his feature film debut with Sin Nombre, a thriller about gangbangers and South American immigrants making their way to America. Yet, he and Buffini have found a fresh approach to the source material by focusing on the love story between Jane and Rochester instead of attempting an all-encompassing adaptation. The film begins in media res with the rain-soaked heroine collapsing on the doorstep of the pious St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell). From there, Jane's tale of woe unfolds through a series of flashbacks. Still, it feels as if more screen time could have been devoted to their relationship and that the resolution came too quickly. At just under two hours, Jane Eyre (not counting end credits) is one of those rare instances where an extra fifteen or twenty minutes could have been an improvement to the overall narrative.

Despite a rushed conclusion, Jane Eyre is buoyed by a pair of powerhouse performances by its lead. Mia Wasikowska had already played a similar, eponymous role in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. While Jane Eyre provided a less colorful and fantastical world, Wasikowska displayed the same aura of strength and determination. On the page, Eyre was described as a plain looking girl and Fukunaga can't hide Wasikowska's natural beauty despite tying her hair back in a severe bun and hiding her face inside a bonnet. On film, Wasikowska's expressive eyes and pale, white skin make her look like a porcelain doll come to life, which adds to the fragility of her character. Her leading man is no slouch either. Michael Fassbender has risen in stature after strong performances in indie films like Hunger and Fish Tank. He's come to the attention of Hollywood for his roles in Inglourious Basterds and most recently as Magneto, another tortured soul in X-Men: First Class. Fassbender definitely gets his chance to play tortured again as the conflicted Rochester, running hot and cold at a moment's notice. The supporting cast is also good, including Simon McBurney, who seems to be giving Timothy Spall a run for his money as the go-to British character actor for malevolent antagonists. There's also the always dependable Judi Dench and Sally Hawkins, who does a complete 180 from the cheerful Poppy in Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky.

The actors' work is accentuated by the atmospheric direction of Fukunaga and the cinematography of Adriano Goldman. Using only natural lighting, Goldman crafts a picturesque view of the English countryside, but the movie truly shines at night with only moonlight wafting through the curtains and the flickering of a candle to light the scene. The moody lighting does wonders to highlight the eeriness of Thornfield. You can almost feel the chilling winds hitting your body. It's no wonder so many died of a young age by tuberculosis, typhus, or pneumonia.

Ardent fans of the original novel may find that this latest adaptation is missing too much of the source material. However, Fukunaga's film is hardly a Cliff Notes version of Charlotte Bronte's classic. While it would have benefited from a longer runtime, Jane Eyre is a compelling take on the Gothic love story anchored by two amazing performances from Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender.

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

Defiance

Defiance - Dir. Edward Zwick (2008)

James Bond, Sabretooth, and Billy Elliot team up to fight Nazis and save Jews. Sounds like a movie to me.

Comic book artist Art Spiegelman (author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus) coined the phrase ‘holo-kitsch’ for the sentimentalizing of the Holocaust in the popular media. There’s been a recent spate of films centered on the Holocaust and World War II from big-budget spectacles (Valkyrie) to arthouse fare (The Reader) with each one focusing on a single individual within the scope of a larger story. Defiance falls into the first category with plenty of action, pathos, and a cast of name talent. It tells the little-known story of the Bielski brothers who protected over 1200 Jews from the Nazis while hiding in the Belorussian forest.

Daniel Craig takes the lead as the eldest brother Tuvia. He and his younger brothers Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell) discover their parents have been murdered by the local police chief, a Nazi collaborator. They find their youngest brother Aron (George Mackay) hidden in the barn and look for refuge in the forest. There, they come across dozens of other Jews also hiding from the Germans. Soon, dozens grow into hundreds as everyone looks to Tuvia for guidance in their makeshift community. They build shelters and make some sort of life for themselves with a few of the men taking on “forest wives.” While Tuvia is primarily concerned with protecting those under his watch, Zus has a burning desire for vengeance. The brothers bitterly part as Zus joins up with a regiment of Russian soldiers in their strikes against Nazi forces.

Director Edward Zwick is familiar with films about the personal conflicts in a time of war or struggle. Looking at his body of work, Glory, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, you can see similar themes running throughout them. From a technical standpoint, there isn’t much wrong with the picture. The film is well crafted and well acted. The cast is superb. Craig with his piercing blue eyes is the foundation for the film. The guys from Knocked Up will be happy to know he again plays a Jew who kicks some ass. Much like Wolverine, Schreiber plays the more violent-minded brother who displays rare moments of sardonic wit. Their characters are painted as real people with flaws rather than superheroes. In one harrowing scene, Tuvia looks for revenge against the police chief who murdered his parents. He kills the man, but is also forced to kill his sons while the man’s wife watches and begs to be killed as well. It’s not at all the satisfactory sense of closure he had hoped for.

Where the film fails is through its by-the-numbers approach to storytelling. There are the usual Hollywood flourishes that have been added to make the story more cinematic. Zwick goes for the most melodramatic shots when possible as if he were fishing for Oscars. Daniel Craig gives the obligatory inspirational speech while astride a gleaming, white horse. The director even goes for a Godfather moment, intercutting between Asael’s wedding with Zus and the Russians attacking German troops. It makes Defiance a good movie, but not a great one.

Rating: ***