In Time

In Time - Dir. Andrew Niccol (2011)

"For a few to be immortal, many must die."

Time is money in this high concept sci-fi action flick starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. In Time (formerly under the working titles of Now and I'm.mortal) is set in an alternate world where time is the new currency and genetic engineering has allowed mankind to cease aging at 25. Everyone is born with a year on their clock and once you reach of age, time begins ticking away. A glowing digital readout on your forearm tells you how much you have left. Instead of 99-cent stores, they have 99-seconds stores and a cup of coffee can cost four minutes. The poor are forced to literally live day by day. Now and then, some poor soul will drop dead in the street. Their body lays there because nobody has the time to pick him up. Just when you think you're about to come ahead, the cost of living rises.

And forget about upward mobility. The city is divided into sections known as Time Zones and it can cost someone years to travel from the ghetto of Dayton to the affluent part of the city known as New Greenwich.

Will Salas (Timberlake) understands how broken the system is. There's not much he can do about it, until a high roller named Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) arrives in Dayton with over a hundred years on his clock. Will saves him from a group of time thieves led by Fortis (Alex Pettyfer). Already over a century old, Henry gives Will his remaining time before running his clock out. When Will's mother, Rachel (Olivia Wilde), dies in his arms because she couldn't afford a bus ride, he vows revenge against the wealthy in New Greenwich.

Before he can enjoy the lap of luxury, Will is falsely accused of murdering Henry by the Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), a police officer known in this world as a Timekeeper. Will escapes from custody and kidnaps Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of a powerful banker named Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser). Weis callously extols the virtues of temporal Darwinism, only the strong must survive for mankind to prosper. Faster than you can say Patty Hearst, the rebellious Sylvia joins forces with Will to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Their disruption of the status quo makes them wanted fugitives.

In Time was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, no stranger to dystopian futures having also made Gattaca, about a society where the population has been engineered to be perfect. Niccol also directed the underrated Lord of War and wrote the screenplay for The Truman Show. As such, "In Time" has some clever ideas. The poor are always in a rush because they haven't the time to dawdle while the rich can afford to live at a leisurely pace. The trade off is that they can still die by accident so they surround themselves with bodyguards and be overly cautious. Thus, the elite don't truly enjoy the fruits of immortality. When Weis lines up his wife, daughter, and mother-in-law, they could just as well be triplets.

Niccol wisely avoids delving into the origins and science of his world. Such exposition isn't necessary and any deep thoughts into the story would yield a great deal of plot holes. You'll also need to prepare yourself for inane dialogue rife with silly time-related puns.

The concept of an eternally youthful society allows the movie to be completely populated only by the young and the beautiful. Justin Timberlake has taken bold roles in films like Alpha Dog and Southland Tales to distance himself from his boy band image. His turn as Facebook co-founder Sean Parker in The Social Network was exceptional. Yet, he doesn't quite have the chops to play a believable action hero. With her anime eyes and china doll looks, Amanda Seyfried, is perfectly cast as the fragile socialite.

In Time doesn't have the cerebral tone of Niccol's previous films. It is a straight-up B-movie with a few shootouts and car chases thrown in when it's not too busy pontificating about social inequality. The message is hammered home so frequently that In Time could easily be considered socialist propaganda or at the very least, a rallying cry for the Occupy Movement. If you've got time to spare, it might prove to be a mildly diverting experience.

Rating: ** (*****)

TRON: Legacy

TRON: Legacy - Dir. Joseph Kosinski (2010)

"Did anyone see the movie 'Tron'?"
"No."
"Nope."
"No."
"No."
"No."
"Yes…uh…I mean, no."
-Treehouse of Horror VI, "The Simpsons"

The Simpsons weren't the only ones who didn't see the original Tron. The entertainment industry was riding high on the video game craze and the film came out a year before the great crash of 1983. Tron imagined a digital world where computer programs existed as anthropomorphized beings with red and blue circuit lines. Tron was revolutionary for its special effects and early use of computer graphics. However, the film failed at the box office with a tie-in arcade game pulling in more money. Thanks to a second life on home video, the cult of Tron has grown over the last two decades. It has become pop culture fodder for television shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park.

The decision to move forward with the long-gestating sequel became easier in 2008 when the House of Mouse surprised audiences at Comic-Con with a sizzle reel featuring an all-new light cycle sequence created by the latest in CGI. The crowd response was positive enough that Disney hit the gas pedal on TRON: Legacy. Still, Disney is banking a lot on the fanboy memories of a movie from twenty eight years ago. The budget was reportedly at $170 million with $100 million more spent on a worldwide marketing campaign. The burden to deliver was set squarely on the shoulders of Joseph Kosinski, a commercial director making his feature-length film debut. Judging by the trailers only, TRON: Legacy sets the bar high in terms of visually pleasing special effects, but the story struggles to follow suit.

Those of you who aren't familiar with the original Tron, might have a hard time finding themselves a copy of the picture. Worried that new fans will find the old special effects laughable, Disney has held off on a Blu-Ray release. The previous DVD version has long gone out of print with unopened copies selling for over a hundred bucks on eBay. To summarize, Jeff Bridges played game designer Kevin Flynn, whose greatest creations were stolen from him by his boss at ENCOM. While investigating, Flynn is zapped by a laser and transported to a computerized world under the rule of the malevolent Master Control Program. There, he was looked upon as a god-like figure known as a User. Flynn eventually won the day with help from the title character, Tron, a digital version of his best friend, Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). In the years since, Flynn has built ENCOM into a corporate juggernaut until he disappeared in 1988, leaving behind his young son, Sam.

Today, an adult Sam (Garrett Hedlund) has little to do with his father's company, despite being the primary shareholder. He lives alone in a garage on the waterfront with only a squishy-faced Boston terrier to keep him company. One night, Alan approaches Sam with the news that he received a page sent from the senior Flynn's office in his abandoned arcade. Sam finds a hidden office where he is suddenly taken to a futuristic land known as the Grid. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy was whisked away from a sepia-toned Kansas and into the Technicolor wonderland of Oz. This being the 21st century, TRON: Legacy switches from the flat 2D, sepia-tinged real world into a 3D realm of jet black architecture highlighted by eerie blue lights.

Sam learns the Grid was created by his father along with a computerized copy known as Clu. Tasked with creating a perfect world, Clu saw imperfections in a group of programs called Isos, who emerge as if they were the Jews wandering out of the desert. Clu conquers the Grid in brutal fashion, destroying or converting anyone who stood against him. Trapped in his world, Kevin Flynn has lived a Howard Hughes-style life of seclusion, hiding from Clu to prevent his creation from finding the means to travel into the real world.

If the original Tron was an Atari 2600, then TRON: Legacy is an X-Box 360. Modern technology has given the computerized world created so long ago a glossy sheen. The effects and set design of the Grid is a feast to behold. Familiar vehicles like the Solar Sailer and the Recognizer are given sleek upgrades. The famous disc battles and light cycle races from the first movie are back with a vengeance. As you'd expect, they are bigger and badder than ever. The disc battles aren't just one on one anymore. Multiple contests occur simultaneously on a gravity-defying battleground with numerous levels in an ever-shifting configuration. Combatants now incorporate martial arts and elaborate gymnastics maneuvers into play. However, the artists and animators are unable to overcome the proverbial "uncanny valley" when it comes to the appearance of Jeff Bridges' digital doppelganger. For the opening prologue, Bridges is given a CGI facelift and made to look like a younger version of himself. Try as they might, the effects team can't seem to get him right and apparently know it. Kosinski hides this faux Flynn in the shadows and behind objects in the foreground. There are no such luxuries when it comes to the villainous Clu who must be seen front and center. The plastic look of this de-aged Bridges works better to enhance Clu's existence as a sinister simulacrum. The character performs incredible stunts with ease, but is unable to pull off the simpler motions of speech. He is a virtual meat puppet vainly attempting to sync his mouth movements with the spoken dialogue.

While the fake Jeff Bridges left much to be desired, the real one brings a much needed dose of gravitas to a film full of outlandish concepts. The easy-going, hippie charm of the Dude shines through, especially when he's spouting lines like, "I'm gonna go knock on the sky and listen to the sound." No longer the young hotshot from the first Tron, Flynn has become a Zen master in the Grid, a binary bodhisattva and messiah for the oppressed masses. It's too bad some of that same charm didn't rub off on Garrett Hedlund. It's not that he gives a bad performance, just a bland performance. To be fair, the character of Sam Flynn isn't fully fleshed out, no more real than the anonymous programs he encounters. As the female lead, Olivia Wilde brings more to the character of Flynn's protégé, Quorra, than what is there on the page. It certainly helps that Wilde is gorgeous beyond belief and kicks ass even while wearing a skin-tight catsuit and platform shoes. The liveliest performer, without a doubt, is the ultra-talented Michael Sheen who channels David Bowie as a flamboyant nightclub owner named Castor. Yes, even software programs need to party down and get drunk once in a while.

Speaking of which, for an effects-driven, popcorn film, the sequel sure took itself seriously. Just when Bridges manages to wring out a light moment of humor, the movie goes back to stone faced mode. The pacing was also uneven. Once Sam enters the Grid, he is immediately taken to the Arena for the game and the audience is yanked right along with him. The script has already set Sam up as a parkour-practicing, motorcycle-riding, thrill junkie with no problems excelling at the grueling competitions. Thus, no time is wasted in getting into the action. However, the plot slows to a crawl as the thin father-son angle plays out. The climax builds to a crescendo with Clu fascistically rallying his marching minions in a sequence that seems lifted right out of Triumph of the Will. Good battles evil, then it is back to the characters gazing at their navels, then back to the action. The final denouement itself seems to echo a similar resolution from Blade Runner.

On the strengths of the visuals alone, TRON: Legacy definitely needs to be seen in theaters to get the full effect. If you are willing to spring for it, go for the IMAX version. The special effects look breathtaking and you will be rattled and shaken by the bass of Daft Punk's electronic score. However, don't feel like you're missing out if you go for the cheaper 2D version. The 3D effects aren't absolutely necessary and the already dark film is darkened further by the process. Only don't expect TRON: Legacy to deliver more than eye candy. The sequel comes off overly serious and overly bombastic when it needs to be a fun adventure. The film almost gets bogged down in the kind of half-baked, New Age philosophy that sunk the Matrix movies.

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

The Kids Are All Right

The Kids Are All Right - Dir. Lisa Chodolenko (2010)


”They fight just like real people.” - Seth Rogen, Zack & Miri Make a Porno

The Kids Are All Right isn’t a rallying point or an attempt to shift the social paradigm of the LGBT community. Co-written with Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko’s film isn’t about lesbian marriage as much as it is about a marriage that just happens to be between two lesbians.

Annette Bening and Julianne Moore star as Nic and Jules, married with two kids they sired through an anonymous sperm donor. Nic is a successful doctor, something of a perfectionist, and a little controlling. Jules is a little more laid back, slightly flaky. She’s mainly stayed home to take care of the kids while bouncing from one failed business venture to another. She’s just now getting into the landscaping trade. The daughter, Joni, (Mia Wasikowska) has just turned 18 and is ready to move off to college. Her younger brother, Laser (Josh Hutcherson), is at that turbulent teenaged time where he needs a strong male role model, especially in a house full of women.

At his gentle nudging, Joni gets into contact with their sperm donor, Paul (Mark Ruffalo). Paul is a restaurateur with an organic, co-op farm and a motorcycle. He’s free-spirited and free of responsibility. His introduction into their family dynamic is initially awkward, but Jules and the children warm up to him while Nic is reticent. But, a second act plot twist veers the film into soap opera territory, taking the focus off of Paul’s budding relationship with Joni and Laser.

Unlike many indie films these days, the characters feel like fully realized human beings. So often you get movies about characters that are quirky or misanthropic for no real reason. With Kids Are All Right, we get genuine emotion and a tale about the difficulties of any relationship. Laser is noticeably embarrassed when his clingy moms ask for a hug. Nic and Jules engage in an incredibly clumsy attempt at sex while the kids are still at home. Little things like these that anyone, gay or straight, can relate to. Never does Chodolenko draw attention to the sexual orientation of her leads. You never feel the need to describe the film as, ”…but with lesbians.”

Not surprisingly, the performances are strong all around. Paul could have easily been vilified, but Ruffalo imbues him with an immature charm. You sympathize with him even if the other characters don’t. It’s a similar performance to his turn in Kenneth Lonergan’s You Can Count on Me. Julianne Moore gets to flex her comedic muscles which she rarely shows off. Bening absolutely nails it when a harsh revelation turns her world upside-down.

Rating: ***