Charlie's Angels (2000)

If the goal of the Charlie's Angels reboot was movie escapism on a superficial level, then it succeeded. The whole is heightened by the feeling that the "elite crime fighting trio" of Dylan, Alex and Natalie (Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz, respectively) are having a blast while making it. The story is pretty thin and the primary villains are forgettable, but for every weak link (e.g. Sam Rockwell, Tom Green) there's a stronger one doing its utmost to draw attention away from the faults. In the latter category there's Crispin Glover, great use of chart music, playful stereotypes, ridiculous disguises, and a dynamic approach that never misses an opportunity to make its leading ladies shine. And for fans of the original TV series, the voice of John Forsythe.

3 bird calls out of 5

DIGGING FOR FIRE [2015]

Director Joe Swanberg stays in his mumblecore comfort zone with the humorous relationship piece Digging for Fire.
A bored husband & wife go their separate ways over the weekend putting their marriage to the test in overly tempting situations of craziness.
Still working with a micro-production budget, Swanberg inches a little closer to the mainstream with a gaggle of more well-known actors, most of which don't really know how to fit in the genre, with the exception of Sam Rockwell & Judith Light.   The director seems a little too comfortable with this type of storytelling, crossing over themes & ideas he's already visited with his previous films.  Not to say it's a bad film because there's all sorts of interesting story progressions as you're trying to figure exactly what the purpose of the film is.  In short, it's a more mature version of Drinking Buddies with a murder mystery fit in for intrigue.

3 dead man's shoes out of 5

Poltergeist (2015)

Relatively green Gil Kenan directs this remake of the 1982 horror classic about a family accosted by angry spirits in their new home. This time the story is more contained, leaving out a sense of community and focusing entirely on the family. Minor tweaks to the original story are expected, but certain elements are retained such as the twisted tree outside the home and a creepy clown doll to serve as foreshadowing. The Heather O' Rourke look-a-like, Kennedi Clements does a decent job, but the real lead-in to the paranormal events belongs to the brother (Kyle Catlett). Despite some truly disturbing visuals in the latter half and Sam Rockwell delivering just the right amount of humor, the film lacks impact. Tight pacing never allows for frightening events to sink in too deeply and bad lighting choices add to its mediocrity. It's an enjoyable film, but hardly a lasting entry in the horror genre like the original.

3 battle scars out of 5

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

A soulless, ruinous version of The Hitchhiker's Guide that’s had all the deadpan wit filtered out of it in an effort to make it shorter and, I presume, appeal to a wider audience who don’t understand British humour. Ironically, the abridgement was for the best because the casting is so abominable that the sooner it ended the better. Many of the actors don’t seem to understand their roles at all. Even Stephen Fry, who’s given the impossible task of replacing the voice of Peter Jones, can’t save it from itself.

1½ generally bad moves out of 5

MATCHSTICK MEN [2003]

Director Ridley Scott takes up an interesting change of pace with the comedic con-caper drama  Matchstick Men.
Nicholas Cage portrays a mentally troubled con artist who has him and his partner's long con shaken up when he discover he's the father to a 14-year old girl who wants into his crime-riddled life.  Scott's smooth eye makes for a clever little film that absorbs the viewer into it's multiple character arcs that play out better than the actual story their based around.  Cage does a fine job at giving a lot of heart to the film but still tires with his "I'm crazy" shtick, whereas Alison Lohman excels as Cage's energetic teenage daughter who might be too curious for her own good.  It threatens to wander off the rails more often than I'd like but it's overall an enjoyable film that proves Scott can still tell a human story that isn't outrageously epic.

3 cans of tuna out of 5

TRUST ME [2013]

Actor Clark Gregg writes & directs this black comedy/drama Trust Me which follows a down-in-the-dumps talent agent who's new client brings more trouble than she might actually be worth.  

Like a lesser version of Robert Altman's The Player, Gregg's film seems to fancy itself a noirish satirical view of the Hollywood biz.  Only it never pulls strong enough punches (which occasionally seem to be aimed in the wrong direction) and only comes off as mildly amusing at best.  Fortunately the acting is all top-notch and the dialogue is fresh enough to never becoming too boring, even when the film seems to teeter off towards the side into some questionable out-of-place weirdness.  

2½ butterflies out of 5

Galaxy Quest (1999)

I’ve seen nothing but praise for Galaxy Quest, but after having watched it I can’t fathom why. It’s a spoof of syndicated sci-fi shows from yesteryear, parodying specifically Star Trek TOS. I got the whole meta aspect, the cast-rivalries and in-jokes, and I enjoying laughing at the things I love, but the connection to the characters just wasn't there for me. The smiling aliens were fucking irritating. They’re morons but can build a ship with abilities that would make Einstein piss himself; a lame joke. I never thought I’d say it, but I found something that made Star Trek Voyager look good.

2 relevant conundrums out of 5

SNOW ANGELS [2007]

With the dramatic thriller Snow Angels, director David Gordon Green steps a little further away from his usual arsty surreal tones and sways a little closer into the standard mainstream.
Even though he's heavily scaled back on the dreamy thoughtful moments and sullen voice-overs, Green is still sternly focused on bringing realistic characters to the screen and that's what carries the film.  Sam Rockwell is great as always but it's Kate Beckinsale that surprises.  I haven't seen her in much but I just sort of figured she was just another pretty "action" star.  Here she displays all sorts of emotions and characteristics that turn what could have easily been a repulsive character into something sympathetic.
It's a grim, grim story that you know is going to end in tragedy by the opening 2 minutes but with so many layers and interesting characters it keeps you gripped onto exactly how it's going to end.

4 forgotten bunnies out of 5

THE SITTER [2011]

David Gordon Green directs The Sitter without a single ounce of enthusiasm.
What a waste of time and the talents of Jonah Hill and Sam Rockwell, whom I enjoy both quite a bit.
It didn't laugh out loud once and found only a few minor smirks.  Nobody involved in the film really seemed like they wanted anything to do with it and viewers should do the same.

½ shart out of 5

THE WAY WAY BACK [2013]

The Descendants' Nat Faxon & Jim Rash write, direct and co-star in the coming of age dramedy The Way Way Back.
The Killing's Liam James carries the film as a outcast 14 year old kid and with the help of some scene-stealing performances from Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney, the overly familiar plotline is heightened by it's warmth, humor and finely tuned dialogue.  Nothing will leave you blown out of your mind or your jaw on the floor from a crazy twist or new idea but this quiet little film isn't about that and instead leaves you with a smile on your face for a nice change.

3½ wonky eyes out of 5

A SINGLE SHOT [2013]

Director David M. Rosenthal really lays down the dreary atmosphere in the slow-burn backwoods suspense film A Single Shot.
Sam Rockwell is exceptionally excellent as a poverty-stricken hunter that stumbles upon a small fortune of cash after he accidentally kills a girl mistaking her for a deer.  It's beautifully shot with it's muted colors and haunting landscapes, which is all complimented with composer Atli Örvarsson's chilling Penderecki-esque score.   Quite a bit of the dialogue is difficult to understand, due to the character's mumbling and many will find it too slow to fully appreciate but it rewards with Rockwell's performance.

3½ dead girls wrapped in plastic out of 5

LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN [1989]

1952 Brooklyn is Hell in director Uli Edel's adaptation of Requiem For A Dream author Hubert Selby, Jr.'s classic novel, Last Exit To Brooklyn.
It's a difficult novel to adapt and Edel doesn't quite get a grip on it, by toning down quite a bit of the harsher material and letting the 6 narratives of the novel mesh into each other making for an uneven viewing.  Not to say that it isn't all rainbows and puppy dogs because it's still a pretty depressing and uncomfortable viewing dealing with poverty, drug addiction, violence, prostitution and transvestites.   Edel does a wonderful job at blacking out the rest of the world that surrounds the neighborhood making it feel all the more claustrophobic and hopeless.

3 trouts for a hat out of 5

THE GREEN MILE [1999]

Frank Darabont succeeds in bringing Stephen King's serial novel The Green Mile to the screen, moving the heart in a similar fashion as he did with The Shawshank Redemption. 

It's filled with wonderful performances by actors who fully understand the colorful and fascinating characters they're portraying.  The beautiful camerawork, music and art direction help make the 3 hour plus film never feel as long as it really is.  It's a dark, grim, yet strangely uplifting, reminder that there's magic in this world and how we'll find it in the most obscure of places.

4½ mice on the Mile out of 5

SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS [2012]

Martin McDonagh's second feature length, the violent comedy Seven Psychopaths, doesn't set out to receive the critical acclaim In Bruges did but is guaranteed to become a cult classic all on it's own. 

It over-exaggerates the immaturity most of these "hip" crime dramas seem to dwell on and becomes a border-line parody of the genre itself.   It's clever and well-acted enough to not risk becoming overly silly but never takes itself too seriously either.  

Plus...Tom Waits has a feckin' bunny.  What more do you really need?

4 Quaker stories out of 5

GENTLEMEN BRONCOS [2009]

After the mainstream disaster that was Nacho Libre, Jared Hess (writer & director of Napoleon Dynamite) returns to what he does best.  Quirky indie-comedies that really aren't for everybody.

Serving as a twisted homage to terrible sci-fi pulp fiction, Gentlemen Broncos is weird, weird, weird.  It manages to be consistently funny and is never afraid to get too absurd.  As awkwardly hilarious as the film is, it does suffer a bit in character development.  We get to know everybody in the first 20 minutes and that's it.  They never really push forward after that, but can be forgiven as it dares to be different.

3 assault deers out of 5

Iron Man 2 (2010)

While the ultimate goal is to separate you from your money, this sequel has two other reasons to exist. Firstly, it has a standalone plot, which has too much Paltrow and too much Rockwell, both of whom bring nothing to the table. Conversely, Mickey Rourke says very little and is both more appealing and more interesting than either of the other two.

The second reason Iron Man 2 exists is to further advance The Avengers, which is again designed to separate you from even more of your money.
It's ironic that the part which should feel like an intrusion, and is in reality an unfinished story, is more entertaining than the main part of the film, which descends into an obligatory explosion-heavy finale.
Once again, Robert Downey Jr proves to be the best cast Superhero in the entire Marvel universe.

3 very silly suitcases out of 5

Moon (2009)

Moon is an indie film that excels technically. It never once feels like it's shot on a low budget and the lighting isn't just functional, it becomes an integral part of a scene. The film steals liberally from the great sci-fi films of yesteryear, but it does so lovingly, its art imitating art imitating life. On the down side, I thought Kevin Spacey a poor choice for the voice of the computer. A little more emotion from Sam would have helped the film rise above the simple homage that it is. On a technical level it scores a perfect 5 out of 5. However, lacking pathos as it does, it earns a strong:

3½ model miniatures rock out of 5

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD [2007]

Director Andrew Dominik continues his fascination with criminals in the historical drama The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
A slowly paced cinematic experience that's focuses more on the psyche of the troubled characters rather than dissolving into a shoot 'em up western. Brad Pitt is great as Jesse James but it's Casey Affleck who is absolutely wonderful in his haunting portrayal as James' killer, Robert Ford. They're joined by an impressive supporting cast including Sam Rockwell and Jeremy Renner. It's beautifully shot, using some really interesting camera & lighting techniques to enhance the dramatic time period. It's a gloomy, stark character study and closer look at celebrity obsession that still speaks powerful words over the generations.

5 Caves in a bar out of 5