The Rachel McAdams Opus

Rachel McAdams seems to have appeared out of nowhere. Born in Canada, she had to be persuaded to major in drama. Seems she found her niche.

In 2004, she appeared with the guy who would later become her real-life boyfriend in The Notebook. The tear-jerker, based on the Nicolas Sparks book, casts Rachel as the younger version of the woman who later suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Ms. McAdams dazzles as the smitten young thing who, although committed to another fella, just can't keep her hands off the seductive Ryan Gosling. They do lots of smooching and more, of course. As the relationship evolves, we viewers become quite smitten with Rachel and her fine acting.

Then she shows up in Mean Girls. Quite a switch...from angel to bitch. (rhyme intended) As one of the cliquish girls, Rachel is devilishly mean. Poor Lindsay Lohan really suffers because of Rachel and her nasty little cohort. Ms McAdams is certainly the prettiest of the little snots, but it's more than her face that does the trick. She acts the bitch perfectly.

Soon we find Ms McAdams on a plane next to Cillian Murphy in Redeye. As she chats with her seatmate, she has no idea that he is going to kidnap and blackmail her. She plays the role of the innocent victim with perfect ease, convincing us to root for her no matter what. When Cillian gets his at the end, we want to jump out of our seats to congratulate Rachel. Wow!

Uh, oh. Next stop: The Time Traveler's Wife. Although the book was a smash hit back in 2003, the film with Eric Bana did not quite work. I think Eric was miscast. And poor Rachel, ever in love through all the time sequences, does not get to exhibit all her fine and subtle acting skills. Can't fault her, however. The script was tough to bring to life.

Rachel found her perfect stride in The Lucky Ones. As one of three misfit army vets on leave from the Iraq War, Ms McAdams steals the show from the very talented Michael Pena and Tim Robbins. She is charming as the army brat, the kid who has a big mouth and a big, generous heart. She is simply perfect when she stands up in church and declares to strangers her heartfelt concerns for her two fellow soldiers. What a fantastic piece of work! I'd put her up for an Oscar for Best Supporting actress for this role.

So Rachel is a solid star. We'll be seeing a lot more good things from her, no doubt.

Inception 3

Hahaha, my film friend. Seems we are so verbose on Inception that we each need to create new posts!

I agree that when we disagree, we tend to dig more into the meaning of the film and probably do a better job as reviewers...and of course, we learn from each other, which is why this blog is so much fun. As usual, you have taught me well, teacher, and I am grateful.

From Post 2, I see that you wish the film were better edited. Me too. Some scenes just too long. You ask, why did the architect put us in a snow setting? Just one of fifty such questions I asked, and for which I had few answers...thus my frustration. You also ask if it was necessary for five people to go into complex dreams (and dream levels) in order to plant a dream? Another good, unanswered question.

Dream levels: Certainly we can play mightily withe the sympolism. Is this film striving to do what Dante did, and take us into the circles of hell? Are we even able to go that deep?

You wisely point out that PLANTING vs. EXTRACTING dreams requires a lot of thought. Can we really plant dreams in others? Maybe we do, as teachers we certainly did, as you said. I tried to give my little Mesa munchkins dreams of Paris and French culture. Indeed, every time we interact with another human being, we have the power of effecting that person, positively or negatively, and thus implanting a dream. So yes, we all plant dreams in each other.

Now stepping outside of the film and thinking of dreams is truly where you hit the nail on the head, in my mind. To be just to Inception, I must admit it's one of the few true treatments of dreams. SciFi and other genres do not get us thinking about dreams as much as this film. We need to go back oi the brainwashing concept of The Manchurian Candidate to really think of the power of dreams. So yes, the film is commendable for getting us to consider the world of dreams

As for that world, right on, film buddy. You wisely admit that dreams are such a formative part of our psyche. I have repetitive dreams that have been with me since I was a kid. You can take Freud, Jung, and every psychotherapist in the world, and you can never learn enough about this bizarre power of the human mind.

In our dreams, we explore fears, tensions, love, hate, passion...nearly the entire spectrum of our emotions. Dreams deal us funny scenarios that we cannot fathom. How many times must I be unable to find a classroom on the first day of school with my kids waiting???!!!

So, yes indeed Valerie, the dream world fascinates. Thanks to Inception, we are all thinking about that world. Just wish the film itself had been more clear.

But are dreams ever clear? Back to you, Valerie, to teach me more!

Inception 2

It's fun when we agree, and even more fun when we disagree, for therein lies further thinking. I posted quickly on Inception, then thought later that my criticism would be in its need for editing. It was too long. I enjoyed the snow setting but that battle went on too long. I also wish we knew the source for other people's elements, besides Cobb's. For example, why did the architect put us in a snow setting?

Here's what I got from the film. First, fun entertainment. Just had a blast watching it. But I, too, must gain some lingering mental thread for a movie to be more worth it. I am a serious dreamer. I have long epics, in color, that stay with me for days, that I've gotten darn good at interpreting (thanks to Carl Jung), and two have stayed with me for years, influencing my life! I have lucid dreams, where I reach a point where I know I am dreaming and begin to control the dream. I have awakened from a dream which I was enjoying and deliberately returned to sleep and the dream. I have a certain recurring theme and setting in a dream that results in my bolting out of bed and doing something in response(generally when I am most stressed).

I've been thinking more about dreams since this film. What do I let in? What comes out? How can I use this?

Also, the power of thought and suggestion and letting the positive in. Also, the subtle, but deep and long-term effects we have on others' thinking. And where our guilt should take us in another's actions - the grave responsibility in manipulating others. And the major ramifications of the tiniest words between parent and child, husband and wife.

Like one mention in the dream, I have sometimes had a fleeting thought: what if it is in dreams where we are most"awake?"

One last thought: We already understand, I think, the profound power in planting the tiniest seed of thought in another, especially as teachers. Frankly, I would have been more fascinated to turn the plot in the direction of Cobb's actual job of EXTRACTING another's dreams or thoughts. A far more frightening concept. In other words, was it necessary for five people to go into complex dreams in order to plant a suggestion in the son's mind? The original Mission Impossible used to do it in daylight all the time!

O.K., enough for now. It's only 6:30 a.m.!

Inception

Inception. Can you say "Suspension of Disbelief?" Sit down, shut up, put your thinking cap on and just go for the ride! Christopher Nolan (of Memento fame - if you haven't seen THAT one, you must!) wrote the script exploring the multi-layered realms of dreams, taking us through stunning set design, spellbinding zero-gravity choreography, and mind-blowing "logic." And yet, I love a larger-than-life summer blockbuster movie that still comes down to a very small story of the relationship between two people, which this does. It is still about a man and a woman, a father and a son, a man and his demons of obsession, guilt, redemption. Leo diCaprio's character (similar to his in Shutter Island) manages to bring humanity to a sci-fi mind-bender.

Nolan has long been intrigued by the unlimited worlds which exist in our night minds. A worthy parallel to the world of movie-making. He says, "I view this film first and foremost as a large-scale thrill ride." It is. And one I look forward to seeing again.

P.S. I don't think I've ever used so many hyphenated phrases in my life!

Food Inc

Having rollicked tongue-in-cheek in reviewing Jennifer's Body, we turn now to a real horror story: the beef and poultry industry.

Food Inc is worth watching, even for those who don't believe that E-Coli will ever end up in their stomachs. The expose, done Michael Moore style, takes us inside the true world of how our food is made. The flick is not for the squeamish.

Without going into details that will steal the film's thunder, just think of cows standing in their own feces, then being slaughtered with their hides still full of excrement. Like Upton Sinclair more than a hundred years ago, the film takes us inside the slaughterhouse and gives us images that make us heave at the thought of eating chicken or beef.

This reviewer, a believer in capitalism, and big business too, cannot go along for the critique of how large companies control and sometimes eliminate private farmers. The little guy is always eating it--no pun intended--in our awesome capitalistic machinery.

But I may never again eat a hamburger....and I will never give into the temptation of stopping for a Big Mac on the way to the gym.

My advice: Have one last burger or chicken treat before watching this film. It's a creep-fest, unfortunately based in reality, that you may never forget. It's the ultimate gross out.

Bon appetit!

Jennifer's Body

Oh my, must I admit I watched this horror flick? Absolutely, because real film reviewers, which my pal Valerie and I purport/strive/wish to be, must be open to all genres. Horror is far from my favorite theme, but I often watch the ones that seem to emerge from the general mix.

Jennifer's Body is one such film. Yes, of course, it's really about Megan Fox's body! But look beyond that (if you can, gentlemen), and you've got a flick that definitely grabs you. Isn't attention-grabbing one of the requirements of a commendable film? No spoiler....but the plot is basically about two bff's who have always hung out together. One is nerdy (as if our beloved Amanda Seyfried from Big Love can ever really look like a nerd) and one is slinky...yet, they like each others' company. The two are a contrast in personality that adds good chemistry to the plot.

Now when the pair attend a rock concert put on by the devil in disguise (Adam Brody...new breakout role for the young actor), all hell breaks loose....literally and figuratively! Flirty, slutty Jennifer becomes the embodiment of the little guy with horns!

From then on, it's all fun. Will Jennifer turn on her best friend? Will her best friend stop her? Why won't anyone believe Jennifer's friend when she complains about Jennifer?

Humor: Lots of it! Here's a line to exemplify. Jennifer is about to eat a woman, when the woman says, "But I thought you only ate men!" Jennifer answers: "I GO BOTH WAYS!"

So, before declaring this writer legally insane and having him committed, take a chance on Jennifer's Body. Certainly the guys won't be disappointed. And the girls get to stare at Adam Brody.

But after a while, you'll forget the pretty faces and think to yourself, uh oh, I'd better not tell anyone I'm actually enjoying this!

Grade of A-.... Better than most horror flicks, if you can stand them at all.

For My Father

This recent Israeli film, in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles, is an "almost-good" endeavor.

There is potential for a solid story. An Arab with bombs strapped to his chest heads to Tel Aviv to do his thing in a crowded market place. Problem is, en route to being a suicide bomber, he meets a very attractive young Israeli woman who befriends him. He also meets some generous, gentle villagers who take him under their wing. Having experienced kindness from those he would destroy, is the Arab going to do the deed?

In spite of the obviously strong dramatic plot, the script and much of the acting do not do justice to the film.

This post is perhaps less about the current flick and more about the new trend of films coming out of Israel about the Jewish/Arab conflict. While I cannot recommend For My Father as a whopper (let's give it a grade of B for improvements needed), I would suggest to viewers not to pass up some of the other Israeli-made films that provide great insight into the perennial conflicts in The Middle East.

I will recommend better films on the subject in future posts.

Green Zone

Matt Damon has emerged as an action hero. He has already wowed us with other roles, as the soccer player in Invictus, the math nerd in Good Will Hunting, the lost soldier in Saving Private Ryan, and the sleeze in The Talented Mr Ripley. But with the Bourne series, Matt became a solid macho man.

He again proves his mettle....and is worthy of a medal...in a tough-as-metal role in the current military-themed flick. We are in Iraq, back in the first days of the war. Matt and his team are charged with finding and dismantling WMD's. Problem is, he can't find them! Now most soldiers would keep looking and keep their mouths shut. Not our prodigious hero. He speaks out and acts against the powers that be. Therein is the fun of this film.

No spoiler here, so I will refrain from further details. But we do indeed root for the rebel soldier who has the guts to question the whole WMD fiasco. Even though we know from history that Bush never found those weapons....and might even have gone to war under some other pretense...the film grabs us and makes us ask important questions.

A grade: for action in a thinking-person's story. Get ready to get mad all over again at the mess in Iraq. And get ready to enjoy Matt Damon's fine acting.

Exit Speed

Circle the wagons! There's trouble brewing!

Get ready for a fun ride. When a motley bunch of bus travelers, including an AWOL soldier, meet killer bikers, all hell breaks loose. Of course, guns blaze and bad guys fall. But the real spunk of this film lies in the characterizations.

A macho football coach thinks he's in charge. A gorgeous young soldier on the lam is the real leader. But don't count out the other bizarre characters: a louse-turned-brave fellow called "Rabbit," a pretty teen with a bow and arrow, and a grizzled old man who can fabricate weapons out of pipes.

Every once in a while, we discover that wanton violence with no redeeming value, if done right, can make a truly entertaining flick. Exit Speed is such a movie.

Open the popcorn, turn off your intellect, and hang on tight! Oh, and take your potty break BEFORE watching this film....you won't want to stop in the middle.

Primer

I'll make this short and bitter: Do NOT watch this film!

I knew it was in the time-travel genre, so sucker that I am for going back and forth in time, I had to see this one. It was made by a wannabe writer/actor who did the work for a mere $7,000...and it shows. There is not a single aspect of the plot that is either understandable or watchable. My dear spouse had to nudge me twice as I dozed off. A line from a review (which we sadly read later) advised something like: "This film is so confusing, anyone who says they understand it is either delusional or a liar."

My advice? Go for the cheesier, fun time travel films. See the original Time Machine. See Rachel McAdams fall in love time and again in The Time Traveler's Wife. See Guy Pearce in the updated Time Machine. See anything...but don't bother with Primer!

Predators (2010)

I am a girl. I don't like Predator-movies. And yet, my kids can tell you that every single time they would watch the original Predator (which was many, many, many times), I'd pass through the room and say, "Oh, I hate those movies," then set down my laundry basket and watch every minute, completely mesmerized. I can't explain it. I cannot walk away from that movie. I'm not enjoying it, but I am stuck in it. When it all comes down to Schwarzenegger and the Predator, and he realizes brilliantly that he must cover himself in mud to lessen the heat form, and only his eyes are showing out of the water...well, I am entranced.

Also, second only to the alien in the original Alien, the Predator creature is the most down-right scary of them all in movies. Awesome design.

So, off we go to escape 114* heat and meet the new Predators, produced by none-other than Robert Rodriquez (though not directed). As son, Greg, aptly pointed out, it presents itself narratively as a sequel yet is so blatantly stolen - oops borrowed - from the original via characters, scenes...that it serves as almost a redux.

It maintains important elements of the original, such as the nasty, scary monsters, as well as sound and scoring. The dense jungle provides the same tension. The opening scene was the best, with Adrien Brody (yes) falling out of the sky. Early part of the film I truly felt there. And there is a spine-chilling-for-audience, and spine-removing-for-character scene that almost sent me running! But the film had major gaping wounds. I don't need a muscle man for a hero, and I generally like Adrien Brody, but I just couldn't get into him in this role. For one, he kept trying too hard to lower his voice to Michael Keaton as Batman level. Topher Grace as a supposedly misplaced doctor also didn't work. Didn't act, speak, or contribute the way a doctor would. And his character later left huge gaps in explanation and logic. Intrigued by Larry Fishburne's character, but he was way too well-fed and hair-groomed to be living on bugs for "10 seasons." Alice Braga stole the show.

Why oh why can't a classic ever be repeated? And why can't more action movies have more intelligence and character development, hmmm? Still, the popcorn was good and the room was cool. A fun-ish escape.

A Solitary Man

Men are proving to be real louses. Tiger Woods cheats on his wife with porno stars. Senator John Edwards leaves his spouse of 30 years who is suffering from cancer for a younger woman. Al Gore dumps Tipper for another lady. Then there's Bill Clinton and other notables.

So a few of us guys who don't go for the midlife crisis and do not engage in unethical, immoral, or undignified male behavior, seek a few movie role models where maybe, just once, guys won't be portrayed as bums. Not to be found in A Solitary Man.

With the movie currently playing, I will not be a spoiler. But I must severely pan this film for its all-too-dour portrait of a 60-something lost soul.

In the film, Michael Douglas plays a former car dealer who's down on his luck. Fine and dandy. But must he end up being a total scum bag? Really tough to sympathize with a predator who destroys everything around him, who has no issue with bedding teens, and hangs around campus...every bit the grey-haired voyeur who, in truth, I'd like to see arrested.

I refer the reader to a previous post I made on Michael Douglas to reflect the admiration I have for this fine actor. It's just that the best actor in the world cannot improve a lousy script. Yes, we get the idea that MD's character is on the way down. We have seen myriads of films that depict "unraveling" beautifully. Remember MD in Falling Down? That was a wow! By contrast, the present film is a "Booooooo!" (as in the sound you make when you can't stand something).

In summary? Every portrait of human behavior requires balance, subtlety, and grace. Sometimes, negative stories lose these qualities and end up as little more than gross, crass, gratuitiously foul views of human nature.

Grade: D View at your own risk. If you come home pissed off at a lousy movie, remember this reader's caution!

I will rely on my smart colleague Valerie to second this emotion, as the song goes...or educate me (as she often does). Back to you, film buddy.

A Perfect Getaway

Get ready for fun!

Let's begin by noting that Milla Jovovich stars in this action-packed thriller....which is quite a plus! After a successful modeling career, Milla truly proved she could act in The Fifth Element. Her chemistry with Bruce Willis, particularly in the floating taxi, was amazing: "badaboom" became a new way of speaking to aliens! In Resident Evil, Milla was tough and dynamic as the fighter for good and the American Way! Now add to this actress the very stellar, solid Steven Zahn, and you're rarin' to go!

No spoiler in this review...because the joy is in the plot twist (twists?) that make us say, "Huh, what?" The action is non-stop beginning with the charming honeymooners who innocently hit the backwoods of Hawaii on a seemingly normal hike. When there's a report of a murder on a nearby island, the couple is rightfully worried. Soon, our duo meet up with other couples...all a bit creepy...who might well be the killers.

The scenes of Hawaii are breathtaking. So when the guys tire of looking at pretty Milla and the girls tire of looking at hulky Timothy Olyphant, everyone can enjoy views of waterfalls, seashores, forests, and grottoes.

Fasten your seatbelts for a really wild ride!