The Impossible

The Impossible - Dir. Juan Antonio Bayona (2012)

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami stands as one of the worst natural disaster in recorded history with a death toll of nearly 230,000. There are countless tales of loss and survival and The Impossible is just one of those stories.

Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry Bennett are flying to Thailand for a luxurious Christmas vacation with their three sons – Lucas (Tom Holland), Tomas (Samuel Joslin), and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast). Over the course of their long plane ride, we learn a little bit about the Bennett family. Maria gave up a successful career as a doctor to become a mother while Tomas has entered his tempestuous teenage phase. These problems amount to absolutely nothing when a massive tidal wave crushes their resort. Lucas is swept away with his mother who has been badly injured. Discovered by locals, they are taken to a nearby triage. Meanwhile, back at the resort, Henry makes the heartbreaking decision to leave Tomas and Simon in the care of strangers in order to search for Maria and Lucas.

There isn’t a subtle bone within the body of The Impossible. This is a disaster movie that hits its audience with almost as much force as the tsunami it depicts. Drama unfolds and tears are wrung as the bombastic score swells to manipulate emotion. The film is riddled with Oscar bait moments such as a scene where Henry makes a sorrowful call to his father while other tourists (with eyes welling up) bare witness. Luckily, they’ve cast actors of the caliber of Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, who walk the delicate balance between convincing performances and ham-fisted melodrama. The filmmakers also hired three fine young actors to play their offspring with Tom Holland being of particular note. His scenes with Naomi Watts are the most powerful as the journey of a spoiled boy into adulthood. When Maria hears the cries of a lost child in the distance, Lucas pleads with mom to press on as she needs medical attention. But, Maria cannot and reasons with Lucas that if it were his brothers calling for help wouldn’t he want someone to intervene? Later, when they arrive at the hospital, Lucas searches for any sign of his dad and winds up assisting other patients in finding their missing relatives.

The Impossible garnered some controversy for white-washing the real-life story behind the film. The lead characters were inspired by Spanish couple Enrique and Maria Belón, the latter of whom lost her leg in the disaster. Also, the screenplay was written by Sergio G. Sanchez and directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, the creative team behind the atmospheric horror flick The Orphanage. For some reason, Bayona is listed in the credits and advertising material as J.A. Bayona. Though the Belóns gave the movie their blessing, it is obvious Summit Entertainment felt a white cast with minorities in the background would appeal to a wider audience than a Spanish production. Many critics have argued that focusing solely on the story of an affluent family is a disservice to the hundreds of thousands who didn't have a happy ending. The Bennetts' experience during the tsunami is no less valid than any others. Yet, The Impossible fails to turn their story into a microcosm of the entire event. There are moments where the Thai people come off as little more than the help dutifully serving the affluent vacationers in their midst.

Bayona does a splendid job as director as he creates a thick amount of tension during the climax. The tsunami sequence is impeccably crafted and outdoes Clint Eastwood's Hereafter. Bayona taps into his horror background from the eerie silence just before the wave hits to the harrowing sight of Maria being helplessly swept away.

While Naomi Watts received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actress, it's a case of a great performance in a middling picture. Not everyone will buy into this overwrought tearjerker.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

J. Edgar

J. Edgar - Dir. Clint Eastwood (2011)

"When morals decline and good men do nothing, evil flourishes."

J. Edgar had the potential to be an important and powerful film. You had Clint Eastwood as director, Dustin Lance Black (who won the Academy Award for Milk) as screenwriter, a bankable movie star in Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, and the intriguing true life story of J. Edgar Hoover. A controversial figure, Hoover served as director of the FBI for nearly fifty years. He had a career that was plagued by paranoia, petty jealousy, and racism and was long rumored to be a closeted homosexual as well as a cross-dresser. But, J. Edgar doesn't come close to the quality of recent Eastwood pictures like Invictus or Gran Torino.

Eastwood and Black get the film off to a poor start with an aged Hoover (DiCaprio) regaling a succession of young FBI agents with his life story in order to compose his memoirs. It's a rather lazy and clumsy device that feeds the narrative to the audience in a piecemeal fashion. Hoover began working with the Bureau of Investigation in its infancy by arresting and deporting anti-government radicals. Eventually promoted to the position of director, Hoover attempts to increase the FBI's power as he spearheads the investigation into the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby. It was this case that Hoover emphasized the importance of forensics and fingerprint analysis, which was dismissed by law enforcement as a speculative science. During Prohibition, he doggedly pursued infamous gangsters like Alvin Karpis, Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly, and John Dillinger, who was killed by an operation run by Melvin Purvis as depicted in Michael Mann's Public Enemies. Hoover, angered that Purvis was receiving all the attention, derailed his career.

While Hoover made many enemies, he made fewer friends. One of them was Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts), who became his long-time secretary, and Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), who became Hoover's closest confidant. The two would never miss a meal together and frequently went to the horse races in Del Mar together.

Hoover eventually grows more and more out of touch with society. He ignored organized crime and went after supposed communists, liberals, and journalists who criticized him. He tried to sabotage Martin Luther King's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, an action that even Gandy and Tolson disagreed with. Throughout it all, Hoover was under the thumb of a domineering mother (Judi Dench), who coldly told him that she would rather have a dead son than a "daffodil."

Hoover supposedly kept secret files containing dirty secrets on many of the country's political leaders. He had a contentious relationship with many presidents and used those secrets to solidify his power base. In the film, he is depicted as blackmailing Franklin Roosevelt as well as John and Bobby Kennedy (the latter of whom is played by Jeffrey Donovan). One of Hoover's few good acts was to entrust Gandy with the destruction of said files upon his death to prevent them from falling into the hands of Richard Nixon.

J. Edgar commits the cardinal sin of biopics by trying to tell far too much in a small amount of time. It doesn't help that Eastwood's explanation for all of Hoover's faults and accomplishments lie with the fact that he was a momma's boy. The film does touch upon the speculation that Hoover and Tolson were homosexuals. Their relationship remains mostly chaste with Hoover reticent to act due to societal morays and his mother's influence. There are forlorn looks and subtle clasping of hands, but no sex involved. The one time the pair does heat up is during a lover's quarrel that unfolds in the most melodramatic fashion with a lot of screaming and broken furniture. The dialogue and hammy acting are on par with a bad soap opera. The same goes for a brief scene where Hoover clutches his late-mother's dress in a reference to his transvestitism.

The narrative's penchant for traveling back and forth in time is made all the more jarring by the unconvincing make-up work to age the actors. While a lot of effort and man hours went into the effects, it never looks realistic, especially the make-up on Armie Hammer as the elderly Tolson. Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't look like a 70-year old Hoover; he just looks like Leonardo DiCaprio under heavy make-up. Speaking of which, DiCaprio's performance is somewhat lacking. Part of that has to do with his eternally cherubic looks. Much like his role as Howard Hughes in The Aviator, DiCaprio excels at playing the younger versions of his characters, but his youthful face and equally youthful voice work against him.

There is a good movie buried somewhere within the confines of the tedious J. Edgar, just as Leonardo DiCaprio is buried somewhere within the confines of his fake jowls and bloated make-up. J. Edgar is a representation of blatant Oscar grabbing cinema, a rare disappointment from Clint Eastwood.

Rating: * ½ (*****)

Dream House

Dream House - Dir. Jim Sheridan (2011)

Dream House sure sounded like a dream project. At the helm was Jim Sheridan, the Academy Award nominated director of My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father and In America. The cast had serious star power with Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts in the lead roles. Yet, Dream House turned into a complete nightmare. Sheridan clashed frequently with producer James G. Robinson. Their disagreements centered on Sheridan employing an improvisational style that deviated heavily from the script by David Loucka. Response from test screenings was disastrous and extensive reshoots were required. Robinson and Morgan Creek Productions took control and edited the move themselves. A displeased Sheridan attempted to have his name removed from the credits. Dream House was eventually released with very little fanfare. There was no gala premiere, no press screenings, and the actors refused to promote the picture. It seemed the only good thing to come out of the film was the fact that Craig and Weisz fell in love on set and eventually married.

Craig is Will Atenton, a successful book editor in New York, who quits his job to spend more time with his family. He's just bought a new home in a sleepy, snow covered New England town. He hopes to live a quiet life with his wife, Libby (Weisz), and daughters Trish & Dee Dee (Taylor & Claire Geare). But, that doesn't appear to be in the cards. The townsfolk are on edge around Atenton, especially his next-door neighbor Ann Patterson (Watts), who is in a bitter custody dispute with her ex-husband Jack (Marton Csokas). After chasing off a group of goth teenagers partying in his basement, Will learns the previous owners of his happy house were brutally murdered. A man named Peter Ward allegedly killed his wife and daughters and was committed to an insane asylum. As Will digs further into the mystery, he may like what he finds.

It's difficult to discuss the plot of Dream House any further without spoiling everything. That's assuming you haven't seen the trailer, which revealed practically the entire movie. Not that it really matters; the story is so trite and unoriginal that you will see every twist coming. For one thing, Elias Koteas is in the movie. When has Elias Koteas ever been cast in a role where he wasn't a creepy guy?

Despite all the finger pointing, there's plenty of blame to go around. First there's the hacky screenplay by David Loucka, whose most notable credit was as a co-writer on the Whoopi Goldberg comedy, Eddie. It's a safe bet that A-list talent like Craig, Weisz, and Watts signed on to work with Jim Sheridan. However, I don't think his version would have been that much better than the final product.

Dream House seems like the Exorcist prequel all over again. Not surprisingly that was also produced by Morgan Creek. Paul Schrader directed the original picture before the studio hired Renny Harlin was brought on to direct a retooled version. They were both eventually released into theaters and were both critical and financial flops.

Sheridan's cut may have been incrementally better than the theatrical version, but it surely couldn't have been on par with his best work. This isn't the same Sheridan who directed In America. It's the Sheridan who directed Get Rich or Die Tryin.' Sheridan is more than capable of telling personal stories about Irish immigrants, but he's not up to handling slick Hollywood fare.

Dream House might be Daniel Craig's worst performance ever. Perhaps, Craig was less than enthused about returning for reshoots and couldn't be bothered to give it his all. Sort of like Harrison Ford being forced to read the stilted narration for the theatrical cut of Blade Runner.

Dream House consists of so many half-baked contrivances that you'd think it was made by someone who went through M. Night Shyamalan's dumpster. The backstage drama during the production was far more compelling than the actual movie. This is an ineptly made thriller lacking in atmosphere or suspense.

Rating: * (*****)

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Dir. Woody Allen (2010)

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." - William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

Woody Allen's latest picture opens with a reworking of that same Shakespearean quote. Knowing Allen, the irony was most definitely not lost on him. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is full of sound and fury, but ultimately amounts to nothing.

Tall Dark Stranger features an ensemble of A-list actors who likely signed on so they can finally say they starred in a Woody Allen movie. The glue that holds the cast together is Gemma Jones as Helena, who has just suffered a devastating divorce from her long-time husband, Alfie (Anthony Hopkins). In her despair, Helena seeks guidance from a dime store fortune teller named Cristal (Pauline Collins). Helena's daughter, Sally (Naomi Watts), knows Cristal is an obvious fraud, but any comfort mother finds is good enough. Alfie, meanwhile, has fallen for a ditzy blond named Charmaine (Lucy Punch), who is a third of his age and works as a call girl.

Sally's marriage is also on the rocks. Her husband and Allen analogue, Roy (Josh Brolin), had a hit novel and struggles to write a follow up. He is forced to work as a limo driver to pay bills. Roy finds his spirits lifted by the beautiful Dia (Freida Pinto), who lives in an adjacent apartment building. Sally gets a new job as the assistant to a successful art dealer played by Antonio Banderas. Of course, she is smitten by him because he's Antonio freakin' Banderas. Allen's screenplay bobs and weaves through the multiple relationships as fickle lovers make their ultimate decisions about who to be with. Eventually, nearly everyone is miserable with their choices in life. Then, just when you think the movie is about to really get going, it abruptly ends as if Allen finally fizzled out and decided to just go home.

Though it's a drama with light comic overtones, Tall Dark Stranger is all about pessimism. However, Allen never reaches the farcical levels of fatalism that the Coen Brothers achieved in A Serious Man. All Allen manages to achieve is a middling sense of cynicism. Gone are the films full of wit and insightful observations about love and life. This is a film that seems cobbled together from a recycling bin left overflowing by refuse from the cutting room floor. These are stock characters wandering about in a London rendered completely indistinct by a director seemingly content to coast on his reputation.

At 75, Allen continues to plug away with a new film released each year. Perhaps, his prolific body of work is its own worst enemy. Anything new of Allen's will immediately be compared to classics such as Annie Hall or Hannah and Her Sisters. Alas, his recent movies will always fall short. Aside from Match Point, none of his new stuff has been particularly spellbinding. Even passable fare like Vicky Christina Barcelona couldn't live up to the expectations that come from the name Woody Allen. If it had been directed by someone else, it might have been more highly regarded. No such arguments will occur with You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, it would have been bad no matter who was behind the camera.

Rating: * ½ (*****)

The International

The International - Dir. Tom Tykwer (2009)


For a guy who didn’t want to play James Bond, Clive Owen has carved a niche for himself playing Bond-like characters. Here, Owen plays Louis Salinger, a former Scotland Yard detective turned Interpol desk jockey. He teams with Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), a Manhattan district attorney, in an effort to bring down the IBBC, a massive banking conglomerate who deal in a number of illicit activities, including assassinations and illegal arms deals.

The International is an uneven hybrid of the 70’s politically-charged thriller and the hyperkinetic, globe-trotting Bourne franchise, replete with a rooftop chase through Istanbul. The film begins very much like The Parallax View with Owen in the Warren Beatty role. However, earlier cuts of the film met with negative responses from test audiences resulting in reshoots to turn it into more of an action flick. This resulted in The International’s ironically timed release in the midst of our post-Madoff economical shit storm era. The film itself is far too bland and clichéd to be of great interest. Clive Owen can pretty much sleepwalk through these stoic, tough guy roles while Naomi Watts makes no impact at all as the token female lead. All the villains in the movie are evil businessmen with well-tailored suits and funny accents.

There’s really only one reason to see The International and that is a 15 minute shootout inside the spiraling ramps of the Guggenheim in New York. While it may have looked like they riddled the real Guggenheim with more holes than the plot, production designers built a perfect replica on a soundstage in Berlin and shot it all to Hell. Director Tom Tykwer really shows off his incredible sense of style in the staging of this exciting set piece, even if he hasn’t been able to follow up Run, Lola, Run. The Guggenheim shootout is the type of set piece you wish John Woo was directing, instead of dicking around with stinkers like Windtalkers and Payback. It’s too bad the big gunfight isn’t the end to the film. It comes at about the halfway point and its all downhill from there with an anti-climatic resolution.

Rating: **