Killing Them Softly Review

*Promotional Poster for Killing Them Softly*

Don't believe much of what you watch in terms of trailers and teasers for Killing Them Softly; this is an art-house romp if their ever could be one for the action genre. Honestly, calling this movie an action film isn't really a good decision either, it's basically a drama film with guns and violence, but a pretty good one at that. Despite being completely overlooked last year during it's prestige season release, this is probably one of Brad Pitt's most alluring outings in years.

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers.

Right from the onset of the film it's clear that this movie is not looking to fall in line with any other film; it seeks to be a unique experience revolving around crime and punishment. The films themes and story are simple, and it's rooted in straight forward character progression and consequences for ones actions. The movie centers around a robbery that capitalizes on a bookies decisions a while back to rob his own poker games. In doing so, all involved would assume that Markie, the bookie (played by Ray Liotta), decided to rob from his own people yet again, and pin the crime on him, leaving the real culprits to get away.

Jackie, played by Brad Pitt is a hitman brought in to dissect the situation and restore order. His character is a man of logic and reason whose experiences aid him in decisions to kill his victims softly, which basically means he allows them little to no time to know they are about to be killed. Jackie does this so throughout the film that it unfortunetly becomes predictable as to when it is going to happen, but the good thing about the movie is in how it chooses to portray these events with good cinematography and dialogue that keeps the characters feeling authentic and easy to sympathize with, even at there least most redeemable moments.  The films most complicated character perhaps is Mickey Fallon, played by the late James Gandolfini. His character is remorseless and bitter in his opinions towards others and the world, a loose cannon that Jackie soon learns upon calling for his assistance that he may need to let go. Gandolfini's character is given a few moments here and there on screen to flex his acting skills, but enough to portray a life hardened by the decisions of a less than commendable career choice; polarizing in comparison to Gandolfini's own list of amazing accomplishments.

The stark bleak nature of this film makes it a very gritty, very talky film that rarely says enough to lose interest, and is

further aided by a very short and much appreciated film length. This makes the deliberately slow pacing a perfect match for the small but powerful amount of content story wise. It doesn't seek to flesh out a plot heavy narrative, but rather combine intriguing camera work, stellar acting, and an uncompromisingly dark tone to fill in any time where the movie may seem to be running it's scene too long. One that comes to mind is when Markie is being robbed. The scene goes through the entire robbery, and every time it is about to feel as if it's overstaying its welcome, something happens within context to keep your interest. Markie's character is such a sad case before his demise in the film, that given the overall tone and the events that take place, he almost seems a victim rather than an instigator; but still a perpetrator in his own death.

While Killing Them Softly is not an easy watch for it's dark narrative, it is evident from the get go that it has reason to remain so. The film has it's own set of politics in which it portrays America as a business, and this theme is central to the stories progression as it showcases the necessity of order and balance once business is disturbed  The weight of all the issues tackled by the movie justifies the thin plot, since the atmosphere is primarily responsible for conveying the appropriate feelings that one should experience while watching the movie: lose, regret, sympathy, sadness, anger, disdain. It could have easily been a trigger-happy action-centric winter release, but it would've been much harder to take the film serious had this been the road chosen.

In the end, great acting and a reasonable length are the strongest assets behind this being a great movie; Killing Them Softly is not a recommended film for everyone, but it's a much appreciated short journey into the gritty underbelly of a world frequently visited in cinema, but never to such an cinematography art-house friendly degree. It's hard not to like a movie that takes an idea one could summarize in a sentence and make it last 90 minutes with both style and substance to spare. While not perfect, finding it's equal in our times is an exercise in futility, but one can only hope this movie will somehow set a future standard for how action movies can be subtle and aggressive at the same time if one works the direction well enough.

Check out the trailer for Killing Them Softly below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDyaNnrgdp4

Review Score Card:                                                                                                           

Storyline:                  Basic, Thin, but thoroughly entertaining to watch unfold.

Characters:               Brad Pitt is at his best, everyone else is A-list, great characters overall.

Pacing:                     Very slow, but a short movie, never overstays it's welcome.

Interest level:             Done so well that it's easy to appreciate everything it does, both good

                                and not as good.

Overall:                   8.5 out of 10 - Artsy, gritty, aggressive yet subtle. A unique action-drama

                                experience.

Warm Bodies Review

*Promotional Poster for the movie Warm Bodies*

WARNING: This review will most likely contain spoilers.

Zombies, who would have thought that reanimated corpses would have so much mileage given their most of their greatest moments involve grunting and eating people. Well Warm Bodies creators appears to have picked up on this worn out sub genre and decided it was time to inject some new life into the overdone undead. 

R, played by Nicholas Hoult, is a zombie who is very aware that he is just that, however, things are not as they seem in this

world's interpretation of 'zombies. R has the ability to feel, although he is not able to show it at first, he longs for a life with

meaning and seems to cling onto whatever little humanity he has left. Sounds like something a zombie just can't do, given a zombie is dead right? Well Warm Bodies doesn't seem to care about this logic, as these zombies are treated as more or less infected people with cannibalistic tendencies rather than the living dead. R has layers and depth perhaps more than any other zombie portrayed in a film before him, which honestly may not sound like a huge accomplishment, but it does stand tall about the rest regardless. When he feeds, he consumes his victims brains as a way to relive there lives through ingested memories, perhaps the only thing that really runs this movie close to an R rating: R's eating habits.

Aside from R, we have a band of survivors lead by Teresa Palmer's character Julie, who leads a group into territory overtaken by zombies in order to find more rations for their establishment. M, who is R's best friend, and who the film thankfully chooses to not make a typical antagonist opposing R's advancement's towards the living, but instead a good

and reliable friend throughout the films length. Julie's best friend, Nora, played by Analeigh Tipton, and at the helm of the

human survivors is Colonel Grigio played by John Malcovich; a hardened man with zero tolerance for the horde. Colonal Grigio is also Julie's father. It's just a minor complaint, but it's a shame that John Malcovich didn't have more screen time in this film. He's character's are always very interesting and unique given his talent, and this is perhaps his best character since his role in 'Burn After Reading'. It's easy to relate to his feelings of self preservation and doing what he needs in order to keep his family and fellow humans alive, but his cause at the core is more humane than his cold exterior leads you to believe. His complexity by the end of the film is perhaps the only element of surprise the film genuinely has, and he is the sole wild card that makes you believe everything as you know it could chance in a dime by his hand. That's what makes a good character, the ability to make you question what you know, and engage you, challenge you, make you want them to be wrong or right when they should be. 

But I digress, and everyone involved in this film does a great job with their characters; Nicholas Hoult especially for playing perhaps the first zombie on screen that has to gradually become less of a zombie and more of a man in the span of 100 minutes or so. As the story progresses, R and Julie go from meeting to becoming lovers. R journey with Julie sees them stumbling along with awkward attempts at communicating turning into a lasting and deeply caring relationship. The plot is predictable, and the story has been done before in many ways; think "Beauty and the Beast" with zombies... almost. But this is okay, Warm Bodies has enough originality in it's concept of bringing the dead back to life, in a much more literal sense, that it's formulaic story telling can be easily forgiven.

The movie however does choose to hand hold a bit in attempt to make everything more accessible. R's narration throughout the whole film is completely coherent and polarizing compared to his character's actual dialogue, but

these narrations are done with such wit and so humorously, and so good at humanizing, that it makes everything R

does easy to relate to and easier yet to cheer him along for doing. The movie itself explores many themes, like love, discrimination, misunderstanding, and other contemporary issues that, like any good movie, examine the consequences of ones actions given a situation and what is called for in one's best interest vs. doing what you know in your heart is right. These things may not be as simple as we hope, but that's what makes the movie more authentic. Every character is driven by their own needs, but pulled together to achieve a collective goal by the end in uniting man and zombie to destory the real threat: bonies, which are more or less zombies too far gone to be saved. They really only exist the give the movie a true evil threat, deepen the world, and progress the story. As R and Julie grow closer, R begins to regain his humanity, which is shown through his body beginning to start functioning like a living breathing system once again, to the very point where he bleeds to ultimately prove his accomplishment.

Warm Bodies plays it safe with it's storytelling, but again, it's themes are meant to be the showcase. If you can't communicate effectively, then the point of your film is lost, unless your point is to miscommunicate. So doing things more by the book to make sure everything new your trying is easier to taken in and enjoy, may just be the right answer. If Warm Bodies was directed more like a super low budget indie film with numerous art-house elements, it might not have been a bad film, but one would have to question if it would've been a more enjoyable experience or even had the same or as effective of a message. Thankfully it doesn't seem preachy in it's approach to advocating coexistence, but it is something to consider it's achievement as a horror movie within the positive message it sends. It somehow manages to be a love story, a story about war, a story about faith and hope, while also probably unnerving some off it's younger audience all at the same time. It's taken a sub genre that's primary focus is usually always on blood and gore, and manages to make into a story with a heart just as big as the heart of our protagonist by the films end.

Basically, you need to see this movie. It's a fun ride, and while again, very predictable and very safe within all the expected steps taken in stride, what it does attempt to do that is new, and what it does attempt to drive home through great performances and strong themes, makes this a good watch in more ways than one. It's not all that uncommon right now to find that innovation is in high demand and many are trying to do something new or using already existing mediums to put a unique spin on something familiar; Warm Bodies manages to be both new and place a spin on a familiar subject at the same time, providing the film world with a blistering portrayal of existence at it's grimmest that doesn't leave you feeling sour and bitter after watching it. My hats off to all involved in making this movie as it is always a treat these days to see great films being made that don't have large budgets and giant green screens to provide ample enough eye candy; although you probably don't need a big budget to make a good horror movie. But it's also hard to pass up a good zombie movie, no matter how many have come out in the past five years. Take this one to the bank, it's a good watch.

Check out the trailer for Warm Bodies provided below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM

Review Score Card:                                                                                                               

Storyline:          A love story; formulaic, but clearly understood and engaging.

Charatcers:       Well developed and interesting to say the least; feel authentic.

Pacing:             The movie doesn't drag often, but it does have it's filler moments.

Interest Level:    If you like zombie movies, and romance, or both, this is required viewing.

Overall:           8.5 out of 10 - A good zombie movie with much to offer at it's core.

Melancholia Review

*Promotional Poster for the film Melancholia*

Some films you really want to like, other's make it easy for you to dislike them. Melancholia is a film that will make you question what you like. On the surface it is a beautiful film about depression and how one uses depression to cope with the end of the world, and on the other hand it is a depressing watch that makes you hope you never have to deal with the end of the world yourself. How you'll feel about everything by the films end will all depend on how much you're willing to accept what you as the viewer have just seen, and if everything you've experienced along the way is worth it.

Warning: This review may contain some spoilers as they may be essential to giving a good opinion on this film.

Right away the film opens with an artsy montage that climaxes with the end of the world. Depending on how you feel about such an abstract way to start things off, it will either rub you as truly unique, or very pretentious. From there the

story in a nutshell revolves around the main character  Justine, played by Kirsten Dunst in the first half of the film marrying a man who is more or less forgettable, and even harder to feel sorry for seeing as the world to our knowledge is soon to end. No information from what I can recall was given to how they had met, and how long they had been together, and by the end of the evening their marriage having just started ends just as quickly as Justine's mental health completely fails her. This is just as confusing as it sounds, since again, nothing much is done to explain to you why this is happening, as you are just left to assume that the point of the film is 'not to know'.

As the movie progresses and leads to the second half, we see Charlotte Gainbourg's character Claire, Justine's sister, take the lead and see us through to the end. The more reasonable and able sibling, she takes care of Justine, which leads to many awkward sequences of extreme depression and self loathing which see Justine deprived and defeated in her

opinions of the world towards her sister. Yet by the films end she aids in her sister and her sister's son Leo deal with the planet as it slams into Earth. Kiefer Southerland plays Claire's husband who perhaps is the most aware and outspoken of the insanity that is Claire and Justine's family. This is most understandable given the amount of money everyone seems to have, that being so selfishly depressive as Justine is, is just uncalled for and makes it very difficult to sympathize with her character. Justine feels very authentic in her pain and her desire for freedom since Dunst plays the part so well, but given the world they lived in before Melancholia's collision and everything building up to the end, gratefulness should have been on display rather than a complacent and melancholy acceptable that Justine played up so selfishly to. It just seems a hard sell, and the movie could've done more with a more heroic lead, rather than the reluctant and spoiled one. 

Now having seen other works of Lars Von Trier's such as "Europa" I knew to expect a film that goes very against the grain of contemporary cinema, and Melancholia achieves it goal in that department, but the lacking of characters to truly feel any care for just hindered this experience too much. Much like Natalie Portman's character in Black Swan, feeling sorry for people who have already succeeded beyond most others or been given the gift of the world yet still feel weak and controlled by their torment are hard for me to enjoy. We all have our weakness yes, and Dunst's character uses

those weakness and her depression to cope with the extreme nature of the movie's ending, but it feels like a very sour and hopeless ride up until that point, and renders every weakness lost moot. Why would one want to feel helpless? This question is not meant to be asked by the film, yet it seems to be what's left behind after viewing it. Nothing will make me return a film quicker and never want to watch it again more than a film that leaves me with a feeling of emptiness and regret for the world I watched die, or the people I was given a chance to watch grow either go nowhere or be destroyed for the sake of forced story progression. True, Melancholia let's you know from the get go that the world 'will' in fact end, but it doesn't cushion the blow at all when it's so doomed to relentlessly fall apart. It was my major complaint for me regarding *spoiler* The Cabin in the Woods ending *end spoiler*, and it's my biggest complaint for this film. Hopelessness is not something fun to watch if it's the note that the whole film ends on, in my opinion at least.

So, Melancholia is a hard film to recommend. It is beautiful yes, but it is a bittersweet watch for it's visuals and it's unique approach to telling a story given it's about the end of the world. But the world ends so many times these days for so many reasons, that aside from this being an arty outing, and offering up some great acting, the story itself is very tired and thin, and the character's are hard to like or feel sorry for, and overall the whole experience is depressing and no fun. For a movie that I had such high hopes for, I would recommend watching "Europa" instead. It's not a feel good film either, but it's perhaps the best I've seen from Trier and would have a hard time not recommending to anyone desiring to see a film of his.

Check out the trailer for Melancholia below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzD0U841LRM


Review Score Card:                                                                                                                      

Storyline:                  Thin, depressing, and hard to enjoy beyond it's concept.

Characters:               Southerland's character is likable, everyone else is frustrating to watch.

Pacing:                     Slow, but fitting given the unique structure of the film.

Interest Level:            It's engaging, but for all the wrong reasons; hard to watch a second time.

Overall:                   4 out of 10, not a film I'd recommend; unique, but just too depressing.

The Cabin in the Woods Review

*Promo Poster for The Cabin in the Woods Film*

The Cabin in the Woods is one of those rare movies that comes along every so often and challenges your perception of what a film should be. In this case, the basic concept of a horror movie and what makes it scary. This film should not be a scary movie to anyone watching it unless they don't have much experience with horror films in general, and to those who are horror movie buffs, it will most likely become required viewing due to it's metafictional nature. At it's core however, The Cabin in the Woods ends up being a movie with a message perhaps more than we as viewers would like to know, and that's where things get interesting.

WARNING: This review may contain some spoilers.

Imagine this: Your going to go on vacation with a group of friends who just happen to fit into every contemporary stereotype you can think of for a horror movie, you're going to a secluded cabin deep in the middle of nowhere, and you find upon entering said cabin that everything there is not only a bit creepy, but very wrong in some way, would you stick around? Sounds like a horror movie set up to me. But The Cabin in the Woods plays off it's own self awareness by making this exactly what the film is about, *big spoiler* duping some youths into becoming sacrifices for the original evil in order to maintain the established balance and preventing the apocalypse for occurring *end big spoiler*. 

The movie has no qualms with using generic subject matter, and nothing in this film should be considered original beyond it's meta-fiction; it escapes much ridicule due to how often it pokes fun at itself. Not to mention when your producer is Joss Whedon, and anyone familiar with his work knows what they are getting into, it makes it easier to ingest. With that being said, in all honestly, aside from the ending of the film, this one isn't very bloody, and surprisingly not as campy as most other movies of it's trope. One big complaint while watching the movie itself was not having an awareness of how dark it was, literally, the TV screen's brightness needed to be adjusted or many parts would've been missed, mainly whenever anyone was outside. This may not be something that everyone needs to worry about, but just a word of caution. 

The film spends a lot of time on set ups. After setting up a brief explanation of the characters and who they are, we are then brought to the woods, where the set up for the creepy atmosphere is... well, set up. Then the group travels into the basement where they need to choose (unknown to them) the evil that will be unleashed on the cabin by choosing a tainted item to interact the correct way with. Then...finally, a few scenes later you have what makes the movie a scary movie, but the real fun doesn't even start till about three quarters of the way through, or more aptly the last twenty minutes of the film *more spoilers* when the surviving characters, thankfully the more interesting ones, find there way into the secret

underground facility where all the individuals working to sacrifice them shelter practically every horror movie creature for future rituals. This is however when things reach their most ridiculous, I mean, when a unicorn impales a staff member to death against a wall and a lovely angelic choir briefly triumphs audibly in the background, the movie clearly knows it's audience and it's own absurdity *end spoilers*. It's cheesy, it's inspired, and it's loads of fun. It makes the movie worth watching alone. This love affair will die soon however, because the ending is depressing, and unnecessary. As most horror movies go, you look towards the sequel to completely break you of any desire to continue watching, but in this films case the ending places the nail so firmly in the coffin that it's almost like it slaps all it's own inspirations in the face and says "A sequel!? Screw that! We don't need a sequel to this horror movie, it's too good for that!". Maybe it's meant to pay homage to how the classics never use to end on a good note, but this isn't necessarily a good thing. If you're not a fan of these types of endings, where everything either makes more sense choosing the sad or scary ending, or just plain don't like the vibe it leaves with you, then this movie will not leave a good taste in your mouth.

Not much can be mentioned about the actors and the acting itself since the story and character development in the film are practically non-existent besides what has been said already. Horror movies aren't known for their deep plots and character progression, so just write that necessity off and watch it for other reasons. Aside from the ending, The Cabin in the Woods is an amazing feet for a horror movie. It remains accessible, as well as being both a gateway film for non-horror fans and a perfect all encompassing experience for hardened vets of the frightful delights. Getting past the films deliberate slow build into monstrous mayhem may prove too much for some, but if you can stomach it, this is a short but sweet journey to a familiar place that has some cool surprises to offer and doesn't overstay its welcome.

Check out The Cabin in the Woods trailer provided below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsIilFNNmkY

Review Score Card:                                                                                                                     

Storyline:            Simple, humorous, clever, but thin.

Charatcers:         It's a horror movie, don't expect much depth.

Pacing:               Tolerable, but most of the fun starts very late in the film.

Interest Level:      Hard to not be pleased by everything it does right, even at it's most ridiculous.

Overall:              8.5 out of 10 - A horror movie for horror fans, yet also accessible to those                               looking for an in.

Byzantium Review

*Promotional Widescreen Poster for the movie*

Ah yes, Byzantium, the ancient Greek city...no, the hotel serving as a brothel for two immortal vampire women in modern day England. I mean we are talking about vampires here right? So this movie seeks to be yet another original approach to the much fatigued vampire genre of the now. Fortunately for us, it does manage to give enough reason to watch it's thin, but interesting premise unfold.

WARNING: This review may contain some spoilers as they may be essential to giving a good opinion on the film.

Elenor, played by Saoirse Ronan and Clara, played by Gemma Arterton lead the film as a duo of wondering cursed trying to stick below the radar long enough to find a place to call home. They eventually settle in with a sympathetic and lonely individual known as Noel, who let's them stay with him at his recently inherited Byzantium hotel which Clara uses to rescue women working the streets. The film has a very melancholy atmosphere, and despite an early decapitation, doesn't offer up much gore. Rather, the film settles into a tranquil yet unique way of telling it's vampire mythos. 

In this world, Vampires are a brotherhood, with few existing, and both Elenor and Clara are the only female vampires they've ever known in the hundreds of years they'd been around. They can be out in the sun, and they don't need  to bite on the neck to feed. Elenor always drains her victims using her thumb nail which grows long enough to piece a vein before the kill. Her victims are always elderly, and they always seem to have known her. The most interesting parts of the film are her slow reveals of their tormented past as vampires and victims themselves. Clara who eventually reveals to us that she is Elenor's mother, has a more aggressive angle throughout the film, and desperately clings onto whatever little humanity she still has while consistently robbing herself of it ever step of the way. The main threat throughout the whole movie is the brotherhood gaining ground and closing in on their whereabouts, which, although it should be the films primary focus, never reaches the level of interest that the rest of what the film indulges does.

My biggest gripe with this film stems from some of the decisions it makes throughout it's reasonable length. Caleb Laundry Jones character, Frank, plays Ronan's love interest, and he couldn't be a worse match. If the goal was to keep the love about the purity of it's notion, then one not need worry about the attraction between the two, but their interests in each other end up feeling more like a pushed romance than a natural growing of feelings. Elenor confides in Frank after she finds out about his terminal illness. His body cannot produce coagulants, and his leukemia will eventually kill him. Opposites attract, yet desperation equals out.

Elenor tells Frank she is a vampire out of assumed love, and Frank, desires an immortal life like hers. Gemma's character had a very victimized past where she was subjected to the cruelty of man, only to find in her immortality that her feelings towards everything have not lessened and providing a better life for her daughter never seems to come since she fails to hold herself to any higher standards.

It all makes sense why she is where she is, but the movie decides not to pay too much attention or offer many consequences for all the wrong she does, instead justifying all her actions through her love for her daughter, and her deserving freedom due to her past. The films ending would've made more sense if she paid the price for stealing her immortality in the first place, but rather offers up a saving grace through her oldest love interest at the last second, who predictably saves her from death. This feels all too familiar, and although leading to a happier ending, can't help but make you feel that life will continue for everyone involved in the film with little positive growth.

The way that human's become vampires in this film is unique to the idea, in which they go to a sacred temple high upon some mountains and are killed by an unnamed entity which grants them eternal life after they have surrendered their current one. This is perhaps the coolest thing about the film. It's never answered as to where it all comes from, and the movie is better off because of that. Byzantium enjoys trying to give you hints of where everything is going throughout the films length, but is mostly predictable without any assistance. This is where the temple is a welcome change up. The whole mythology of vampires being birthed from a singular controlled source gives the movie an edge over most other current vampire lore, and with Neil Jordan's

track record of undead films, this one is a decent addition. I grew up on Interview with the Vampire, which is perhaps the best vampire movie I've seen, but also the most difficult to watch with a high amount of blood, gore, and sad occurrences. So, Byzantium was an interesting change of pace when compared, seeing as it plays it much more safe.

In some regards, the movie feels very unfinished, like it could go much further than it does. Yet, that could just be the current state of the movie industry, and it's overly long summer films and Oscar nominated motion pictures clouding perception of these smaller, more niche crowd offerings. Byzantium isn't the best movie out there to watch right now, but it's not a film you'll regret watching. It's recommended viewing for any vampire nut, and perhaps a good gateway film into the darker world of vampire movies if your still just a Twilight kind of fan. I don't really agree with the casting of Gemma or Caleb, and I don't understand why Gemma has been in so many movies lately, but Saoirse is a force in this film, and the whole concept behind the vampire mythology in their world is a pleasantly different undead outing in today's very undead saturated market.

Check out the Byzantium trailer provided in the link below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zu2cW7AhO8

Review Score Card:                                                                                                                      

Storyline:            Barley there, mostly about the atmosphere and mythology.

Charatcers:         Not many that are likable, a bit miscast, but decent for a vampire film.

Pacing:               Doesn't drag much, feel like a good length and good flow to the film.

Interest Level:      It's hard not to be engaged by the characters, but caring for them is another story.

Overall:             7 out of 10 - A decent watch for the mythology; movie falls well short of                                  greatness.

Trance Review

*Widescreen Poster for Trance*

Most films these days seem to hide behind their big budgets or relish in being a smaller production. Trance, however, Danny Boyle's latest film, tries to be the little engine that could by providing a big story in a small package. Whether or not you'll appreciate a film like Trance hinges a lot on whether or not you prefer a thriller that's tight on action and little on story, or more on direction and art-horse vision. Danny Boyle spares no film of his from being subjected to his unique way of storytelling and Trance not only takes the plunge, but bathes in style and depth that only a film about Hypnotism can...by screwing with you every step of the way.

Now that is a compliment; in no way is Trance a bad film, but perfect it is not. The scope of the film is relative to the whether or not us as viewers decide we want to go for this ride. Much like being hypnotized, we are asked to let our guard down and care enough to be provided with the answers to make sense of the puzzle that lay before us. By it's end, Trance is a murky and clustered image of bright colors and beautiful ideas that blend together to provide a graphic story about love, loss, and the lengths one will go to in order to get what they believe they deserve. 

WARNING: There may be spoilers ahead!

Trance is a film about a heist gone wrong, at least that is what you are lead to believe. James McAvoy plays Simon, who one day decides to rob his employers during an auction and in turn screws over those he hired to help him. Upon concealing the painting he steals while attempting escape, Frank, the head criminal of the group he hired delivers a devastating blow to the back of his head, and takes from Simon what he believes to be the painting Simon and him where suppose to make off with. By the time Frank gets back with his group and unsheathes the painting, they realize they have been duped and consequentially the blow delivered to Simon's head makes him forget where he hid the painting.

Make no mistake about it, this movie moves forward with almost no good news to offer. Every step taken gets you one step closer to the truth about everything, and it's not pretty. Without going into great detail about how the film ends, it is worth noting that it might not all make sense the first time through. Again, the movie plays itself out much like one being hypnotized, in which as Simon himself regains his memory of everything he has done to remember where the painting is, we as the viewer are also being put through the same test as we struggle to figure out who we should trust, who will live, who will die, who is good, and who is bad. These curiosities can follow you all the way to the films conclusion, and with about a half an hour left in the film it doesn't lay off the breaks once. It's a real trip, and you'll be glad that most of the notions you at least thought up before the big finale were either on the mark or not very far off, yet surprisingly things aren't as predictable as they seem in this film.  Dare it be compared to 'Drive' in terms of style with it's hyper violence-friendly nature that it gravitates towards in the latter half, and it's heavy reliance on happy colors and subtle techno beats to juxtapose the atmosphere. If one where to suggest this film and 'Drive' are part of some new wave of Hollywood art-centric motion pictures...then please by all means, continue.

The movie is not without it's draw backs though. If it can be compared it to 'Drive', then it would have to be compared to 'Shame' as well. Once the movie hits the halfway mark, it delves into risque territory with a slue of sexual sequences that take up much more of the film than expected, almost derailing the story. It's a hard enough movie to maintain your focus on, and it's almost like it's saying "Here, take a break from thinking for a bit, we'll get back to the story later". It's not that these scenes aren't relevant to the story, they are, but not essential, and at some point really remind you that you are just watching a movie, since none of these sequences truly romantically link any of the characters more than the story itself will, or for that matter, through the closing moments. So by the end, they feel very added in for that extra edginess factor.

The acting is A list, nothing to complain about much. Everyone does the best with what they are given, but for what should be a movie about James McAvoy, sees him having the movie almost completely stolen away from him by Rosario Dawson, who plays his hypnotherapist/love interest that takes a duel role in his life upon his theft. After you see the movie, this actually becomes quite an ironic notion in more ways than one. The films narrative structure is perhaps where it is most difficult to watch at times. It has to be considered art house merely for all it tries to encompass under one big umbrella of coherency. The story on a whole makes sense, but you are constantly jerked back and forth between scenes in the present and scenes going on just moments later, at some points two scenes are played at the same time almost as if in a half realized state of consciousness, and things get increasingly harder when you can't tell what is being experienced under hypnotism and what is really happening. Artistic license clashes at times more than it meshes with this film unfortunately.  This again, is another reason you need to want to be taken on the ride for a film like this. If half way into it you know it's not the kind of film for you, you're most likely not going to be satisfied with what you find out as you continue watching it. It is not a feel good film, and it will work you for the answers you are looking for.

Trance is a labor of love, a concept film if you will. This is something we don't see often enough in Hollywood, and although the film is a mess at times, it is a glorious mess, and it has more than enough scenes to stick with you for quite sometime, which any good movie needs in order to be worth remembering these days. If I had any advice for someone who asked me if this would be a good thriller for them to watch, I would simply ask them if they prefer 'Cliffhanger' or 'Memento'. If their answer is the latter, this one's worth a watch at the least.

Watch the trailer for Trance in the link provided below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ-qYX9Oz1c

Review Score Card:                                                                                                                    

Storyline:           Pretty much the reason to watch it; simple premise with trippy complications.

Characters:        Development isn't the point, unearthing the mystery is the films primary motivator.

Pacing:              A steady build the first half; no brakes the second; strap in and hold on tight.

Interest Level:    Much like hypnosis, you'll most likely get what you put into this film.

Overall:              8 out of 10 - As far as thriller's go, this is one of the better offerings.  

Pacific Rim Review

*Promo Poster for Pacific Rim in IMAX Theaters*

Pacific Rim is not your average run of the mill rock 'em sock 'em robots vs. monsters beat 'em up smash fest as you may be lead to believe. On the contrary, Pacific Rim aims to set the standards for all monster films to come by raising the bar, as well as attempting to fuse influences from all over the blockbuster universe into a coherently nasty piece of summer fluff. Does it succeed?

WARNING: There may be some spoilers ahead for those who haven't seen the film, so just a heads up. In order to accurately review this film, it may be necessary to talk about some key moments.

Right from the get go we are thrown into the future, a world that has seen the reality of monsters rising from the deep and attacking our shores. The human race created Jaeger's to battle these giant creatures deemed "Kaiju"translated from Japanese to mean "Strange Creature". The film wastes no time plucking away in the opening moments at the notion that the creatures may not be caused by man's mistakes, (therefore taking the burden of borrowing too much from Godzilla away from the films list of inspirations) but does thrust the soon to be failures of man onto the main story line, which see's the first failed attempt at taking down a Kaiju without casualties in years result in our protagonist Raleigh's brother, his Jaeger co-pilot, being killed in action. Now depending on how familiar you are with sci-fi elements in movie's or how you'll absorb the breakneck speed of events and information in the opening segment, you'll either get completely how a Jaegar is piloted by two people based on their compatibility or simply give into the film's second option: watch the fight.

This is common throughout the whole film. It goes through the motions, however, it makes sure to give it's audience what it wants: plenty of monster vs. robot battles. About a quarter to halfway through the film you should know everything you need to know in order to understand how the Jaegars and their pilots function, as well as have an understanding about each character and what drives them. Needless to say, they are not as deep as they appear. Monster movies are not noted for being brainy excursions into the depths of humanity, more like a sci-fi nuts equivalent of monster trucks. Pacific Rim however is to monster movies, how the Dark Knight is to comic book films, it seeks to offer something a little bit deeper, while still providing the audience with enough eye candy and special effects to rival that of the transformers franchise (only much more tolerable).

But sadly, the character development is sorely matched against the core of the film. You can't help but feel you should know more about Mako, Raliegh's love interest, Stacker, the commanding officer for the Jaegar program, Dr. Newton, a screwball blue collar scientist who idealizes the kaiju, and Dr. Hermann, an eccentric brainiac who fights science with wisdom and logic rather than heart and hope. Dr. Newton's character helps provide the comedy relief for the film and also shares the most screen time with Ron Pearlman's character Chau, a black market dealer for Kaiju parts. Their moments onscreen progress the story, however, most of their impact is lost through the humor in their conversations, and unfortunately at times, poorly placed plot twists they encounter. Dr. Hermann by the end of the film, feels ironic as a character in his desire for self importance vs. his lack of screen time outside a singular moment of redemption towards the end of the film. He is clearly overshadowed and out performed by Charlie Day as Dr. Newton. Herc and Chuck Hansen feel like those characters that are thrown into a film to give the main story line a break when it is thought to be overwhelming to the viewer, but overall their uninspired and lacking in development beyond the idea of their involvement in the film. Chuck finds conflict with Raliegh that seems shallow, forced, and unprofessional for the environment they are in, and at times can even make you question how someone who acts the way he does hasn't been killed taking on a Kaiju yet.

Stacker's character is the slow burn reveal type, where mystery and pain hides behind his thin veil. It's too easy to know that his decisions are being made from an emotional place rather than a stoic and arbitrary loyalty to the cause. He consistently bats away all attempts by his subordinate Mako to pilot a Jaegar despite her overwhelming connection levels with Raleigh. When he finally gives in, we are introduced to a scene where Raleigh and Mako are connecting to pilot the Kaiju. During this time Mako relives perhaps her most horrific and traumatizing memory of being present during a Kaiju attack growing up, in which it is revealed that Stacker becomes her father figure; rescuing her from the battle torn city street after silencing the beast. Mako's character fails to run any deeper than this moment, and most everything related to her is tied down by this event, making her interactions with both Stacker and Raliegh seem more bound by necessity than natural interactions. This makes her relationship with everyone seem strained and controlled, with high expectations and little payoff. Her pain felt throughout the film is made more painful when the movie ultimately chooses to give the lead over to the action, and play up to standard summer movie fare.

This standard fare is no more evident than when a fallen Kaiju is discovered by Dr. Newton to be pregnant, starting a momentary string of comical events that although unexpected can't help but feel in bad taste. For anyone who had seen the 1998 remake of Godzilla, when her offspring ran rampant in NYC, it should have been noted at that point that monster babies are a no-no, as I have yet to meet a person who enjoyed the direction the film took once that story arch became a reality. Though this is a momentary encounter, as if almost a nod to the remake, it was perhaps the biggest face-palm scene in the movie. 

Lastly, there's Raleigh. Raleigh is a hard character to talk about, cause his character is both synonymous with the film and pointless in it's existence. For everything he lacks as an interesting character, he makes up for through much bruising and bashing of monster bodies. This makes him both the best and worst thing about this film, without him, there would be no anchor for everything that goes down around him, and no hero figure to play up, however, the emptiness he puts forth in comparison to all the other characters supporting him also makes him about as deep as the mindless action sequences. I don't fault the writing, I don't even fault Charlie Hunnam for playing his part, he just doesn't come off as a good fit for the character as any emotion that was intended to be conveyed through his glaces, and his body language appeared sorely lost during many of the films key scenes, and a lacking in creative and witty dialogue mine as well have been the nail in the coffin. 

As stated earlier, the film borrows from a few already existing films, and are really easy for any frequent movie goer to spot. The movies big twist *big spoiler* that the Kaiju are actually the front line assault for a massive intergalactic takeover by an alien civilization looking to rob Earth of it's natural resources, sounds vaguely familiar...Independence Day anymore? Even the alien's themselves at the end look just like the one in the 1996 blockbuster. The special effects previously mentioned as well are in competition most shamelessly with any Transformer's movie after the first, in terms of completely unrecognizable yet intricate details of everything on screen colliding all at once. Obviously it is a Guellermo Del Toro film, but the creatures are so distinctly Del Toro, that if I ever watch Pan's Labyrinth again, I may just imagine a Kaiju preventing the horrible ending from happening. 

All this aside, the movie is a good watch. If you're a fan of monster movies, don't pass this one up as mere summer fluff, but bare in mind that it is no Inception, no thinking man's monsters vs. robots. It's perhaps the closest any movie of this kind has come to being somewhat intellectual, but a monster movie would never truly be a monster movie without the action sequences, and this is something they get right in the end more so than they don't. If you can forgive this film for succumbing to the unforgivably low standards of summer movies in terms of story line, shallow dialogue, and predictable character development, as well as borrowing much source material, then you may be able to lose yourself in it's charm. Also, pin this up against just about everything coming out right about now (Grown-Ups 2, R.I.P.D); why would you not pick giant monster's fighting huge mechanized robots?

Check out the trailer for Pacific Rim right here if you haven't seen it yet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5guMumPFBag

Review Score Card:                                                                                                                        

Storyline:          Thin; been there before; predictable with some plot holes. 

Characters:       Entertaining at the least, not much growth, supporting cast more interesting than main.

Pacing:             Could be much worse, didn't drag much, but slow at times.

Interest Level:    It's robots and monsters, man!

Overall:           8 out of 10 - A solid over-the-top monster movie, not the best, but far from bad.