Edge Of Tomorrow

Distributor:            Warner Bros.

Year:                       2014

MPAA:                     PG-13

Content:                  AC, AL, V

Genres:                   SCI / THR / FAN

Technical:               2.40:1 (35mm)

Runtime:                113 mins.

Country:                 USA

Language:              English

Budget:                  $178M

 

 

CAST

Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Masayoshi Haneda, Terence Maynard & Noah Taylor

 

CREDITS

Director: Doug Liman; Screenwriters: Christopher McQuarrie & Jez Butterworth; Producers: Erwin Stoff, Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs & Jason Hoffs; Director Of Photography: Dion Beebe; Production Designer: Oliver Scholl; Editor: James Herbert; Costume Designer: Kate Hawley; Music Composer: Christophe Beck

 

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

In the Future, an alien race called Mimics attack the Earth and has taken over Europe. Brash PR-officer Major William Cage (Cruise) is sent to London where he is instructed by United Defense Forces General Brigham (Gleeson) to cover the upcoming Operation Downfall battle—where UDF forces storm the beaches of France to repel the Mimics. Cage makes the fatal error of trying to blackmail Brigham out of sending him. He is arrested, demoted and plopped onto the front lines under the command of tough Master Sergeant Farell (Paxton) and his J-Squad team. Inexperienced at warfare and weaponry, Cage manages to kill an Alpha-Mimic before dying (courtesy of doused Mimic blood) in a losing battle.

Instead of staying dead, Cage wakes up the same previous day and repeats it—stuck in a temporal time-loop thanks to the dousing of Mimic blood. Despite countless repeats and warnings to Farell & J-Squad, Cage continues to die on that beach. He meets Special Forces war hero Sgt. Rita Vrataski (Blunt) and convinces her of his dilemma as she too was doused with Mimic blood. She trains him for battle each “reboot” as they both plan a way to stop the loop—as well as defeat the Mimics in the process.

 

THE (mini) REVIEW

Starship Troopers (1997) meets Groundhog Day (1993) may best describe EDGE OF TOMORROW, a fantastic and deft motion picture that delivers its promise of star power (Cruise), genre thrills, cyberpunk aesthetics and top-shelf VFX—mixed with a strong, visual storytelling conceit courtesy of director Doug Liman (Go, The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jumper, Fair Game) who is abetted by a smart screenplay written by credited screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie (Oscar^®-winner for The Usual Suspects; also wrote The Way Of The Gun, Valkyrie, Jack Reacher) and scribe-brother team Jez (Birthday Girl, The Last Legion, Fair Game, Get On Up) & John-Henry (Fair Game, Get On Up) Butterworth, with some script-doctoring by genre veteran Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days Of Future Past).

Based on the Japanese graphic novel All You Need Is Kill (2004) by author Hirsoshi Sakurazaka, the finished screenplay turns out to be smart, exciting and energetic. What could have been a frustrating exercise in trite repetitiveness instead amounts to a growth of knowledge on the characters’ part (à la the very brilliant and aforementioned Groundhog Day). My only complaint (actually the complaint that most critics have) is the movie’s Third Act denouement. Without going into great detail (after all, see the friggin’ movie yourself!), we get a Hollywood ending that feels rather forced—a sort-of left turn from what has come before. A classic deus ex machina, if you will.

Yet (and overall), EDGE OF TOMORROW works, thanks to a director Doug Liman’s visual acumen and dexterity. Famously known for maverick filmmaking ethos, Liman nonetheless outputs a big studio picture with a guerilla-style techniques and full confidence of his cast and crew. He is abetted greatly by propulsive and intuitive cutting by editor James Herbert (Revolver, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, Gangster Squad)—who manages to invigorate the loop montages with energy and a total lack of déjà vu. This is intelligent editing at its best.

Speaking of a confident cast—here is eternal youth Tom Cruise—now past 50 and still kicking ass! The late Baby Boomer/early Generation-X actor again brings it to his role of a snarky yes man who goes through a very delineated character arc (kudos script) and emerges a hero. To say that EDGE OF TOMORROW is Cruise’s best leading man work in years is just stating the obvious.

Also worthy of praise is his co-star Emily Blunt—exhibiting strength and femininity in what is dubbed (per the screenplay) the “Full Metal Bitch” role. Blunt’s Rita Vrataski imbues the Cameron-esque tough chick ethos (Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor or Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley) with Roger Corman’s sex appeal heroine (pick a movie of his as your own comparison). Hey, this woman can fight alongside me any day! The rest of the cast is fine—especially the great Bill Paxton as the rough Sarge. Extrapolatively-speaking, had his wise-ass Pvt. Hudson character from Aliens (1986) survived and matured into a battle-hardened warrior—it would be as Master Sgt. Farrell. Go figure!

Production values for this $178 million (boxofficemojo.com) epic are top-shelf across the board. EDGE OF TOMORROW was filmed entirely in England at the famous Leavesden Studios (home of the Harry Potter movies and now owned by Warner Bros.) and at the famed Trafalgar Square in London. Per the production notes, this production marks the first time ever that non-government or non-military helicopters were allowed to land there. Damned impressive.

First up in technical accolades is the robust 35mm PANAVISION^®/anamorphic lensing courtesy of veteran Aussie cinematographer Dion Beebe (Oscar^®-winner for Memoirs Of A Geisha; also shot Chicago, Miami Vice, Collateral, Gangster Squad). EDGE OF TOMORROW was shot on good-old fashioned celluloid utilizing the workhorse Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 and smaller Arriflex 235 camera systems. The result? A handsome combination of Cameron-esque industrial photography mixed with a realistic synergy of VFX/SFX (credited to 11 houses—the alien Mimics certainly evoke the Starship Troopers bugs) and visual texture.

Another shout-out goes to veteran German production designer Oliver Scholl (director Roland Emmerich’s Moon 44, Independence Day & Godzilla; also designed Liman’s Jumper)—delivering an appropriately futuristic/cyberpunk/ military design ethos again inspired (perhaps intentionally or unintentionally) by James Cameron’s Aliens. He too is abetted by the aforementioned military ethos by costume designer Kate Hawley (Pacific Rim, additional design work on The Hobbit series)—who worked with School in designing and creating the war exoskeletons used by the cast during the battle sequences. Veteran Québécois Composer Christophe Beck (The Hangover I-III, Runner Runner, R.I.P.D., Frozen) earns merit with an appropriately bombastic martial score

All told, EDGE OF TOMORROW is a cut above other recent science-fiction movies—and a great notch in Tom Cruise’s filmography belt. The only downside is a weak, forced ending that limits my rating to a mere 4-stars. I’m sure that Tom’s crying all the way to the bank…

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1631867/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Tomorrow_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.edgeoftomorrowmovie.com

Million Dollar Arm

MPAA/ Content PG (AC)

Distributor  Walt Disney Pictures [2014]

Technical  2.35:1 35mm HD

Genres  DRA SPO BIO

Runtime  124 mins.

Cntry./Lang.  USA [English/ Hindi]

Budget $25M

 

 

CAST

Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, Madhur Mittal, Suraj Sharma, Lake Bell, Pitobash, Darshan Jariwala, Tzi Ma & Alan Arkin

 

CREDITS 

Director: Craig Gillespie; Screenwriter: Tom McCarthy; Producers: Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray & Joe Roth; Director Of Photography: Gyula Pados; Production Designer: Barry Robison; Editor: Tatiana S. Riegel; Costume Designer: Kristen Leigh Mann; Music Composer: A.R. Rahman

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Los Angeles, 2007: Sports über-agent J.B. Bernstein (Hamm) and his partner Ash Vasudevan (Mandvi) are struggling to launch their new agency but cannot attain new clients. Depressed one night, JB flips channels on TV and comes across a talent competition and a cricket game—when he is suddenly inspired to search for talent in India! With Ash on board, they convince wealthy investor Mr. Chang (Ma) to invest in their new concept: Million Dollar Arm.

JB heads to India to recruit a pair of young men to pitch for professional baseball teams. He is aided by the benignly avuncular Vivek (Jariwala), a local guide; enthusiastic young coach Amit Rohan (Tripathy); and cranky, retired pro scout Ray Poitevint (Arkin). Travelling across India, they scout thousands of young hopefuls and narrow the contestants down to two potentials: Rinku Singh (Sharma) and Dinesh Patel (Mittal)…young men who have no knowledge of baseball, but the heart to give it their all.

Back in L.A., Million Dollar Arm gains traction when famed USC pitching coach Dr. Tom House (Paxton) is hired to train the boys within a tight 3-month window. Having to take in Rinku, Dinesh & Amit (who is now their interpreter) into his home when they are booted out of their hotel, JB must learn to open his heart to the boys and see them as more than just clients. He gets some much-needed guidance from pretty resident doctor/tenant Brenda Fenwick (Bell) in both humility and romance. He’ll need it, as they face insurmountable odds at turning the two boys into professional baseball players.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Swiiiiiiing batter batter batter swiiiiiiing batter!! Sprinkled with a healthy dose of curry spice, MILLION DOLLAR ARM is a charming and gentle baseball fable based on true events. The Jerry Maguire (1996)-meets-Slumdog Millionaire (2008) hybrid is very much a Disney product (though originally set up at Sony’s Columbia Pictures) in execution & result—and that’s not a bad thing. It is safe, heartfelt and inspiring…and quite vanilla with a dash of cinnamon added!

Based on the amazing true story of sport agent J.B. Bernstein (who has represented sports icons Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith & Barry Bonds) and his creation & stewardship of a reality-TV show called Million Dollar Arm (with the help of his partners Ash Vasudevan & financier William Chang), the movie version does a good job of hewing close to many of the facts—courtesy of a straight-forward screenplay by fellow Jerseyite Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, Win Win, Up). Per the production notes, the screenwriter actually spent two weeks in India doing the research on Bernstein’s MDA endeavors. Again, due diligence in capturing the real people and a taste of Indian culture goes a long way—though true dramatic conflict suffers in the process. For more on the reel vs. real conundrum, check out the MILLION DOLLAR ARM page at the History Vs. Hollywood website.

Directed with earnest proclivity by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock, Lars And The Real Girl, 2011’s Fright Night), it is indeed a well-oiled production. He is abetted by a solid cast led by Jon Hamm (a natural leading man), Asif Mandvi (amusing), Bill Paxton (taciturn but gentle), Lake Bell (brains & beauty) and the great Alan Arkin—playing the craggly, cranky mentor-type he can do in his sleep. Oh wait—he sleeps throughout half the picture!

The Indian cast is also on par, with nice turns by Mittal (heartfelt), Sharma (earnest), Tripathy (energetic) and Jariwala (charmingly benign). Per the production notes, Mittal and Sharma had no baseball experience—so they (just like their characters) were put through accelerated baseball training programs before production commenced. One of their first pitching coaches? The real Dinesh Patel himself.

Production values for this low/midrange, $25 million production (boxofficemojo.com) are actually top-shelf across the board. Principal photography began in India and lasted for three weeks as the crew traveled to different locations—up to and including the Mumbai metroplex and Agra—home to the Taj Mahal. Back in the USA, location shooting included Los Angeles, CA (where the majority of the movie takes place) as well as in Atlanta, GA—which stood in for most of the L.A. sequences in the 2^nd half of principal photography. Can’t beat that Georgia tax credit!

MILLION DOLLAR ARM exhibits a pleasant widescreen-lensing schema courtesy of veteran Hungarian cinematographer Gyula Pados (Basic Instinct 2, Evening, Predators, Metallica: Through The Never). Interestingly (and per American Cinematographer), the decision was made to shoot the Indian sequences on film via the Super 35mm format (using the ARRICAM Studio & ARRICAM Lite as well as the ARRI 235 & 435 camera packages) while the US-based sequences on HD digital via the ARRI Alexa XT & ARRI Studio XT camera packages. Metaphorically, it works—as the contrast in lensing formats mirrors the contrasts of nations/cultures/norms of India and the USA. The former lensing schema is realized by a palette of earthy browns and greens via 35mm film’s robust qualities while the latter’s delineated HD qualities showcase both the modern facets of the big city (Los Angeles) as well as the hard, business-like facets of the sports world and all that it entails.  At least that’s what I gleaned from the cinematography!

Smooth cutting by veteran editor Tatiana S. Riegel (The Million Dollar Hotel, Lars And The Real Girl, 2011’s Fright Night, Bad Words), dichotomous East/West production design by veteran Californian Barry Robison (October Sky, Hidalgo, Wedding Crashers, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), dichotomous East/West costume design by Kriston Leigh Mann (The Pacifier, Lars And The Real Girl, TV’s Parks And Recreation) and a handsome/dichotomous East/West score by veteran Indian composer A.R. Rahman (Oscar^®-winner for Slumdog Millionaire; also scored 127 Hours, Elizabeth: The Golden Age). Notice all the dichotomy MILLION DOLLAR ARM has to offer!!

THE BOTTOM LINE

With plenty of gentle charm and spirit, MILLION DOLLAR ARM is a feel-good movie that scores a base hit.  While it won’t earn the accolades reserved for the masterpiece baseball movies of yore, this one certainly merits a spot in the dugout.  It’s nice to see that a biographical movie based on real events hews closely to what really transpired—at least I won’t have to sit through the seventh-inning stretch (read: hokey TV documentary) on this one!  Heyyyy swiiiiiiing batttttttttter!!

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1647668/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Dollar_Arm

Official Site:          http://movies.disney.com/million-dollar-arm

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

MPAA/Content PG-13 (AC, AL, V)

Distributor Columbia Pics. [2014]

Technical 2.35:1 35mm

Genres  FAN ADV SCI

Runtime 142 mins.

Cntry./Lang. USA [English]

Budget $200M

 

 

CAST

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Embeth Davidtz, Campbell Scott, Marton Csokas, Louis Cancelmi, Max Charles, B.J. Novak, Michael Massee & Denis Leary

 

CREDITS

Director: Mark Webb; Screenwriters: Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner; Producers: Avi Arad & Matt Tolmach; Director Of Photography: Dan Mindel; Production Designer: Mark Friedberg; Editor: Pietro Scalia; Costume Designer: Deborah L. Scott; Music Composers: Hans Zimmer and The Magnificent Six Featuring Pharrell Williams and Johnny Marr

 

THE SYNOPSIS

NYC. Running late for his high school graduation, Spider-Man—aka Peter Parker (Garfield)—foils the theft of radioactive vials by Russian criminal Aleksei Sytsevich (Giamatti). A call from his girlfriend/valedictorian Gwen Stacy (Stone) prompts Spidey to quickly foil Aleksei after saving the life of Max Dillon (Foxx)—a brilliant, introverted OsCorp electrical engineer who idolizes the web-slinger. After the graduation—attended by Aunt May (Field)—Peter breaks up with Gwen as he promised her father, Capt. Stacy (Leary) before his death. Seeing Stacy’s ghost everywhere reminds Peter that being Spider-Man can cause much pain to his daughter.

Elsewhere, the dying OsCorp CEO Dr. Norman Osborne (Cooper) is visited by his estranged son Harry (DeHaan), whom he informs will eventually die of the same hereditary disease. Before passing, Norman hands him a computer key to access all OsCorp files in an effort to beat this disease. Hearing of Osborn’s death, Peter visits his childhood friend to reconnect. Peter’s deceased scientist parents Richard (Scott) & Mary (Davidtz) worked for Norman Osborn, so the history is there; as is the mystery behind their deaths…

Harry humiliates the OsCorp Board—including VP Donald Menken (Feore)—and takes control to explore his father’s scientific projects…one of which involves harvesting energy from genetically enhanced electric eels. Max discovers them when he accidentally falls into a water tank during routine repairs. The eels bite him, causing their energy to mutate Max into a human electrical generator! Stumbling over to Time Square, the cops and Spidey appear when he reacts with hostile force. Spidey subdues Max—who promises revenge as the cops take him away…

Menken has Harry expelled from OsCorp, blaming the new CEO for a cover-up of Max’s “death”. Harry begs Spider-Man to do a blood transfusion in an effort to cure Harry’s disease, but Spidey vetoes the notion…fearing that the side effects may be too dangerous to his friend. Enraged, Harry vows revenge and breaks into the Ravencroft Institute to free Electro.  Sneaking into OsCorp, they kill Menken and access—with help of Harry’s loyal assistant Felicia (Jones)—the top secret advanced weaponry and armor suits that his father had designed and built. Vials of genetically altered spiders that made Peter Spider-Man are also there. Harry ingests a vial but mutates into something green and scary…

Having been accepted to England’s Oxford University, Gwen informs Peter that she is leaving New York. Realizing how much he loves her, Peter decides to go with her. Before they can head for the airport, however, Electro has knocked out most of the power grids in the city as Harry commandeers his father’s green armor suit and glider machine to cause mischief. A final battle is brewing as Peter/Spidey and Gwen take on the villains, but victory comes at a cost…

 

THE CRITIQUE

As far as sequels go, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is enjoyable superhero entertainment that won’t tax the brain. It is an ambitious continuation to the preceding The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)—itself a “reboot” (ugh…I hate that word) of the popular Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007) starring Tobey Maguire, himself a descent actor who did a nice job sling those CGI webs around CGI New York City.

While the new Spidey movies lack the dark Wagnerian scope of Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece Batman/Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012), the snark of the well-oiled Iron-Man series (2008-Present) or the operatic chaos of the infinitely expanding X-Men saga (2000-Present—including spin-offs and origin movies), they do feature an immensely likable (but wise-ass) teenage superhero we can all relate to…almost. Most of our heads lack the prominent spiky pompadour adorning the head of the current Spidey, Andrew Garfield. Just saying…

The newest Spidey movie was written by prolific scribe team Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner (the three men responsible for TV’s Alias & Fringe; Kurtzman & Orici are also responsible for writing such movies as Mission: Impossible III, Transformers & Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Star Trek [2009] & Star Trek Into Darkness) —and I can only say that they stuffed everything into this one except the kitchen sink (which was probably shattered during the epic battle in The Avengers movie, a MARVEL movie like this one).

One of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 screenplay’s glaring problems is the lack of focus. Why do these movies insist on throwing in 300 freakin’ name villains into one movie? Batman Forever (1995), a fun movie in its own right, did the same thing. Pick a villain! The Green Goblin is Spider-Man’s scariest foe—go with it!! Here, they throw in Electro and The Rhino (to almost no effect) and leave GG to pick up the pieces. I can only assume that GG will return in the next movie, but I cannot focus on that one right now. Is it me? Just saying…

Another issue is throwing in a prologue involving a sub-plot involving Peter Parker’s deceased parents and their involvement with OsCorp. While I understand that it is probably essential to the overall multi-movie arc, this one seems thrown in just because. On the other hand, the Sally Field/Aunt May character gets some mileage out of this plot element during her BIG SCENE. Add in the likable romance between Peter and Gwen—and their amiable personalities—and the screenplay earns back some of its points.

Speaking of the cast, the likable Andrew Garfield reprises his role as Spidey, bringing charm and humility to a role that also requires him to be a New Yawk wise-ass—so much so that my Queens-born/bred actor friend Matthew found his interpretation to be a tad excessive. Three hours of arguing about it with dear Matt confirms (to me anyway) that Garfield is right on the money. Then again, I’m Jersey-born/bred…so wise-ass is a natural prerequisite for growing up in the NYC metropolitan area! Just saying…

Bringing balance to the fore is the lovely Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. Smart, spunky, hot—wow, I’m jealous of Spidey—the young lass holds up her end of the chemistry quotient with Andy. Sally Field, one of the great actresses of her generation, does her part to bring stability to the Parker household—even earning her own aforementioned BIG SCENE.

The villains on the other hand…meh. I was intrigued with Jamie Foxx’s casting as Electro, but was disappointed with his interpretation. Same with Dane DeHaan, an interesting actor who was a much better antagonist in the underrated sci-fi thriller Chronicle (2012). So much attention is given to Foxx’s Electro and Feore’s villainous Menken (another great character actor who can always play a heavy)—among other matters—that DeHaan’s conversion into the new Green Goblin is so anti-climactic. Again, an issue with the screenplay more than the actors involved.

In fact, the only villain that I really liked was the underused Paul Giamatti as the Russian criminal Aleksei Sytsevich, aka The Rhino. We only see him causing bedlam at the beginning and then suiting up as The Rhino at the end to take on Spider-Man. Giamatti is a talented actor who gives it his all here—and I’ll assume that we’ll see him again in one of the forthcoming sequels. But still, why add him in at all? Just saying…

Part of the blame goes to director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man, 500 Days Of Summer) for not streamlining the screenplay more. Really—did the theatrical cut of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 need to be 142 minutes? That’s 18 minutes shorter than it took for the Titanic to sink way back in 1912! Still, it’s not bad news for Webb, whose strength as the director of this movie is in the human aspects of the story (Peter & Gwen; Aunt May & Peter; etc.). Also, Webb manages to helm the complete package with a growing sense of craft and entertainment value—because let’s face it: this isn’t the visually-operatic retelling of a Dostoyevsky novel or the existential tomes of Kierkegaard. It’s Spider-friggin’-Man…entertain me without giving me a headache!! Comparing Part 1 to Part 2, the latter is more ambitious while the former is better focused. I’m not sure if director Marc Webb is returning for Part 3 (and he should, for the sake of parity)—but I’m pretty sure that he’ll hit his stride—as will the series.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 earns top marks for production values for the estimated $200+ million endeavor (imdb.com). The film was shot entirely in New York State, with a majority of the production occurring within the New York City area—with the exception of an extended chase sequence filmed in Rochester, NY. It has been said that this movie is the largest production ever filmed in New York State.

Wait, did I say “filmed”? Yes! Lensed on 35mm film in the classic PANAVISION^® scope format by ace South African cinematographer Dan Mindel (Spy Game, Star Trek [2009], Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek Into Darkness), this movie looks fantastic. I say this with amazement because Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man was shot in HD by veteran cinematographer John Schwartzman (Armageddon, Seabiscuit, The Green Hornet) and the look of the two movies cannot be more different. Not to knock Schwartzman—he’s one of my favorite cinematographers—but Mindel actually convinced Webb to go for the film/anamorphic package—and to terrific results. I am so very happy to see that film is not yet on its way to the morgue.

Unnecessarily-long running time excluded, the movie’s cutting is an exercise in elegance by veteran Sicilian editor Pietro Scalia (Oscar^®-winner for JFK & Black Hawk Down; also cut Ridley Scott’s Hannibal, Gladiator, American Gangster, The Counselor). And speaking of elegant, the musical score by Hans Zimmer (Oscar^®-winner for The Lion King; also composed Ridley Scott’s Black Rain, Gladiator, Hannibal, Matchstick Men as well as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy) with The Magnificent Six supergroup earns kudos as well. To read more about them, click here.

I’d also like to extol the grandiose production design by New Yawker Mark Friedberg (The Ice Storm, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Across The Universe, Noah)—who beside creating a cool lair design within OsCorp—actually created a great mock-up of Times Square for the Electro vs. Spider-Man sequence—aided in VFX by the artisans at Sony Picture Imageworks. Easily the best set-piece in the movie, one day of shooting on location in the real Times Square—in addition to capturing all visual references for later studio work (per the production notes)—gets props for intricate detail orientation.

The cool Electro VFX make-up was designed by prolific house KNB EFX Group while the new Spidey costume was designed by veteran Deborah L. Scott Oscar^®-winner for Titanic; also costumed Back To The Future, 2000’s The Patriot, Transformers 1-3) in an effort to harken the MARVEL comic book incarnation’s original design—including the white eyepieces…heretofore never done for any Spider-Man movie.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

With everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 manages to score as overall entertainment—but sputters in its individual minutiae (unfocused screenplay, excessive villains, etc.)—hence the ½ star reduction. However, a strong cast, handsome production values, nifty VFX and that classic New York state-of-mind vibe slings this flick forward into the future with the next movie already on the horizon. You keep slinging, Spidey baby…just saying!!

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872181/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Spider-Man_2

Official Site:          http://www.theamazingspiderman.com/site/

The Other Woman

MPAA/Content  PG-13 (AC, AL, MV)

Distributor  20th Century Fox [2014]

Technical  2.35:1 35mm

Genres  COM ROM

Runtime  109 mins.

Cntry./Lang.   USA [English]

Budget  $40M

 

 

CAST

Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicky Minaj, Taylor Kinney & Don Johnson

 

CREDITS

Director: Nick Cassavetes; Screenwriters: Melissa Stack; Producer: Julie Yorn; Director Of Photography: Robert Fraisse; Production Designer: Dan Davis; Editors: Jim Flynn & Alan Heim; Costume Designers:  Patricia Field & Paolo Nieddu; Music Composer: Aaron Zigman

 

THE SYNOPSIS

New York City. Beautiful and successful lawyer Carly Whitten (Diaz) starts dating dreamy entrepreneur Mark (Coster-Waldau). Months later, Mark cancels a date with Carly to attend to a plumbing problem in his Connecticut home. Taking the advice of her “Man About Town” father Frank (Johnson), Carly sneaks up to Connecticut to surprise Mark. Opening the door is an older woman named Kate (Mann)—who is Mark’s wife! Oops.

Horrified, Carly breaks up with Mark, as she does not like to date married men. A few days later, a depressed Kate appears at Carly’s job and her apartment—seeking the younger woman’s guidance. The two bicker, but eventually bond. Especially when they both discover that Mark is dating a third girl: pretty blonde Amber (Upton). The ladies follow her to the beach, where Amber is staying with Frank. Kate and Carly shack up with Kate’s hunky brother Phil (Kinney)—who happens to own a home on the same beach. Carly is smitten with him, by the way.

After Carly and Kate explain the scenario to a crestfallen Amber, the three ladies decide to get even with Mark—first by pulling pranks on him—and then delving deeper into his business dealings that reveal a shady character at work. Mark heads to the Bahamas, where he has yet another woman on tap and does some money laundering also—all in Kate’s name, as she signed papers unknowingly giving him power-of-attorney on their business dealings. To stop him, the three ladies go to the Bahamas and concoct a plan to put Mark out of business for good.

 

THE CRITIQUE

There’s an old English expression that states “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned”. Having learned this first-hand on several occasions throughout the many eons I have lived, I can assure you, dear reader, that the quote is very (very) accurate. I’ve also learned that scorned women can be placated by various means of bribery: flowers; cocktails; fine dining (i.e. no drive-thru); shopping—on your dime, that is; good makeup sex; vacations—again, on your dime; etc. And I say placated because, let’s face it: one stupid mistake and you’ll never live it down. Ever.

Which brings me to the cute but forced scorned women comedy THE OTHER WOMAN, where having testicles may be a liability (see previous paragraph). This one is a total chick flick from beginning to end—of which I have no problem with—if it were really as raunchy as it wants to be. Written by newcomer Melissa Stack, the movie features relatable characters in its three XX chromosome leads with clearly delineated personalities.

Per the production notes, the screenwriter claims she was inspired by French sex comedies. Magnifique! But many of those movies were quite ribald/randy in their execution, as the French—and Europeans in general—lack our puritanical DNA in their storytelling tropes. Stack’s screenplay simply lacks the (excuse the expression, ladies) cojones to be ribald, randy or raunchy. By the way, she never did name any of those movies, though I’ll simply assume that one of them was probably Francois Truffaut’s charming The Man Who Loved Women (1977). Yes, yes: not only is Youssef tres handsome and tres charming, but worldly as well…

Part of the blame lies in the safe, mainstream approach handled by director Nick Cassavetes (She’s So Lovely, John Q, Alpha Dog, The Notebook)—yes, the son of famed actor-director John Cassavetes & actress Gena Rowlands. To be fair, the XY chromosome helmer was surrounded by female key personnel while making this movie—so, his softer side probably manifested/embedded itself into the movie’s organic fabric. But why oh why? Lest we forget, Cassavetes was the same dude who played the evil Packard Walsh in the cult movie The Wraith (1985)— a cruel bastard at best!!

But I digress…

What I want to get across is that THE OTHER WOMAN lacks the anarchic nature of those terrific Blake Edwards movies of yore: 10 (1979), S.O.B. (1981), his ill-received remake of The Man Who Loved Women (1983) & Skin Deep (1989). One thing about Edwards (a filmmaking hero of mine): he understood Cinema and he embraced the need & value of raunchy taboos in the sex comedy sub-genre. I wish that Cassavetes & Stack embraced this notion and given us a ribald, R-rated sex comedy that would have stood out from the safe and mainstream (and corporate) comedic movies that are churned out today. God, I miss the ‘70s & ‘80s!!

On the plus side, however, we are presented with three beautiful actresses who also prove that they have the comedic chops to sail this safe, mainstream & corporate comedy regardless through shark-less waters. Cameron Diaz (a.k.a. my ‘90s crush), Lesie Mann (a.k.a. Mrs. Judd Apatow) & Kate Upton (a.k.a. one of my future wives) also have the chemistry to pull it off—especially that Kate Upton (…grrrrrrrr), so lovely to look at on the big screen!

To boot, screenwriter Melissa Stack and director Cassavetes do the smart thing and bestow each woman with individual virtues: Diaz’s Carly is smart, tough—but not a total bitch lacking a moral compass; Mann’s Kate is the cuckqueaned housewife who possesses a loyal streak to match her heretofore surreptitious business cunning; and Upton’s Amber turns out to be not a raging, mean-spirited harpy, but a sweet, sensitive young woman whose loyalty and devotion act as the glue that keeps the trifecta together. And she’s freakin hot!! (…Grrrrrrrr) Oh—and rapper/singer/songwriter Nicky Minaj pops up as the soothsayer in lovely wigs and pumps.

The male actors in THE OTHER WOMAN—personified by handsome Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (HBO’s Game Of Thrones), handsome All-American Taylor Kinney (TV’s Chicago Fire) and still-handsome Don “Miami Vice” Johnson—act as, respectively: shady plot catalyst with great fashion sense and $300,000 cars; amiable love interest for Diaz’s character—the kind of guy that cooks a gourmet dinner for his gal and buys her “that thing” she covets…you know the type (ME!); and the worldly father who dates hot young chicks and slugs ex-boyfriends…well, just because!

Production values on this $40 million (boxofficemojo.com) endeavor are top-notch, though the non-VFX/non-tent pole movie begs the question: where the hell did all that money go to (besides salaries)? Hair spray and wardrobe? Read on…*

The production takes advantage of generous tax breaks by filming 90% of the movie in New York City, Long Island’s The Hamptons & Westchester County (subbing for Connecticut). While the remaining 10% was filmed on location in Nassau, The Bahamas. I swear, Manhattan hasn’t looked this glossy and sexy since one of those Sex In The City flicks—ya know…where everyone’s beautiful and wealthy and employed and happy! Movie bullshit magic indeed.

THE OTHER WOMAN’s glossy and sexy look is courtesy of veteran French cinematographer Robert Fraisse (Seven Years In Tibet, Ronin, Alpha Dog, The Notebook)—who shot the movie on 35mm film (!) using the ARRICAM LT camera package combined with Hawk Anamorphic Lenses. What it means in layman’s terms is that we are presented with handsome photography and high-quality optics so as to really appreciate the magic of NYC, the tropical aqua-paradise of The Bahamas and the wonder that is Kate Upton (…grrrrrrrr). Man, I’m perspiring as I write this.

Abetting Fraisse is handsome production design by Canadian Dan Davis (The Ref, Michael, You’ve Got Mail, TV’s 666 Park Avenue)—creating the types of modern apartments and office spaces that most of us would kill to have. The smooth editing schema is courtesy of veteran Bronx-bred cutter Alan Heim (Oscar^®-winner for 1979’s All That Jazz; also cut Cassavetes’ Alpha Dog, The Notebook & My Sister’s Keeper) and recent Cassavetes cutter Jim Flynn (My Sister’s Keeper, Yellow). Professional all the way.

* I’m going to assume that much of that aforementioned $40 million budget also went to the high-end name wardrobe put together by costume designers Patricia Field (the legendary fashionista who designed costumes for HBO’s Sex & The City and movies such as The Devil Wears Prada and Sex In The City 1 & 2) and Paolo Nieddu—earning his first CD credit after working under Field in the fashion world and some of her aforementioned movie ventures.

Encapsulating the cool, chic, downtown Manhattan couture, the costume designers created or combined designers and labels specifically for each woman: Carly/Cameron Diaz (Antonio Berardi, Martin Grant, Tom Ford, Rick Owens); Kate/Leslie Mann (Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren, Lily Pulitzer, J. Crew, Red Valentino, Pucci); and Amber/Kate Upton (…grrrrrrrr—I mean: a Maila Mills bikini… Grrrrrrrr). Even Nicky Minaj’s Lydia gets to wear Gucci, Roland Mouret, Versace, Herve Leger, Proenza Schoeler, McQueen. Just don’t ask me what the guys wore—as I could care less!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE 

THE OTHER WOMAN is a glossy, girlie revenge movie that capitalizes on the photogenics and chemistry of its lovely female leads (especially you, Kate Upton…grrrrrrrr). A mediocre screenplay is at least bolstered by strong production values and beautiful NYC/Bahamas locations—but falls a tad short of its ribald potential, thanks to a tame PG-13 mentality. Still, I’d see it all over again if Kate were cuddled up next to me. That means something…right? …Grrrrrrrr.

 

 

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2203939/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Other_Woman_(2014_film)

Official Site:          http://theotherwomanmovie.com

Runner Runner

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, SV]

Distributor 20th Century Fox

Technical 35mm 2.35:1

Genres THR CRI DRA

Runtime 91 mins.

Country USA

Budget $30M

 

CAST

Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Oliver Cooper, Ben Schwartz & John Heard

 

CREDITS

Director: Brad Furman; Screenwriters: Brian Koppelman & David Levien; Producers: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, David Levien, Michael Shamberg & Stacey Sher; Director Of Photography: Mauro Fiore; Production Designer: Charisse Cardenas; Editor: Jeff McEvoy; Costume Designer: Sophie De Rakoff; Music Composer: Christophe Beck

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Former Wall Street wiz-turned-Princeton grad student Richie Furst (Timberlake) pays for tuition by referring other students to online gambling sites for a percentage.  After the Dean threatens expulsion, Richie attempts to raise the cash by competing in a popular online gambling site and loses all of his money by nefarious means.

Refuting the gaming system via statistical analysis, Richie goes to Costa Rica and confronts its slickster owner, Ivan Block (Affleck).  The shrewd, flamboyant bad guy takes a shine to Richie and offers him a job as his #2 man.  Over time, Richie is sucked into Block’s ribald lifestyle—even starting a relationship with Block’s COO Rebecca Shafran (Arterton).  He even gets his college buddies Andrew (Cooper) and Craig (Schwartz) to come on board as system programmers.

An FBI Agent Shavers (Mackie) corrals Richie into turning on Block—since the FBI has no jurisdiction in Costa Rica.  Richie tries to leave the country, but is arrested on Shavers’ behest.  Turns out Block has figured out what the FBI is up to and invites Richie’s father Harry (Heard)—himself a broke gambler—as Block’s “guest.”

Richie realizes the depths of Block’s greed and avarice when his buddy Craig leaves and Andrew is nearly beaten to death when he discovers that Block is running a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme via the online gambling system.  In the end, Richie corrals the local authorities with bribes and gets the help he needs from Rebecca, who is on the level.  They all indulge in Richie’s plot to get Block.

 

THE CRITIQUE

The seedy, illogical world of gambling has long been a movie staple.  Now that we’re in the 21^st Century, and the internet has become the new casino, RUNNER RUNNER strolls in to try and cash some chips while scoring a free stay in moviegoers’ hearts.  However, the (cinema) house folds…as this one turns out to be a disappointing fink!

It’s a shame too, as the movie was written by veteran screenwriting team Brian Koppelman & David Levien (Ocean’s Thirteen, Runaway Jury, Knockaround Guys, Rounders)—obviously no strangers to this illicit world.  Per the production notes:

According to the American Gaming Association and leading gambling research firm H2 Gambling Capital, Americans spent $2.6 billion on illegal online gambling websites in 2012.  In fact, Americans generate nearly 10 percent of the current $33 billion worldwide online gambling market, despite the fact that the U.S. government is doing everything in its power to crack down on illegal operators.  Illegal gambling websites operate in the shadows. They are not regulated by the United States government and lack consumer protections against cheating, money laundering and underage gambling. And they do little to promote responsible gaming.

The point being, given the pedigree of RUNNER RUNNER’s scribes—combined with this new wrinkle of internet gambling being the impetus, I would have expected a taut thriller that exposed this tawdry microcosm.  Say goodbye to OTB…hello couch-potato casino!  But, not exactly.  Oh, and by the way: the title refers to a favorable denouement for the gambler’s hand in a Texas Hold ‘Em card game.  Or something like that…

Directed with basic competency by up-and-coming director Brad Furman (2011’s terrific The Lincoln Lawyer), the movie does not suffer from star wattage.  Singer-turned-thespian Justin Timberlake is a likable cad who possesses some credible acting chops while the lovely Gemma Arteton plays the femme fatale-turned-bad/good girl with some class.  And she’s sexy.  Even Anthony Mackie comes across like he could be a semi-believable FBI prick.

No, the problem (sadly) lies with the movie’s villain, Ivan Block—as portrayed by Oscar^®-winning screenwriter (1997’s Good Will Hunting) and producer (2013’s excellent Argo) Ben Affleck—currently in a career-renaissance that hits a mild speed bump in this feckless flick.  Affleck—tall, handsome, affable, manly chin—is too nicey-nice to give Block the much-needed malice that a good character actor like a young Terence Stamp (scary) or reliable French baddie Vincent Cassel (scarier) could’ve done with the role.  I’m just saying…

Production values for this $30 million budget (boxofficemojo.com) movie are its saving grace.  RUNNER RUNNER was filmed (on film!) in Puerto Rico—standing in for Costa Rica.

Credit Italian cinematographer Mauro Fiore (Oscar^®-winner for 2010’s Avatar; also shot Real Steel, 2005’s The Island, Training Day) for the handsome, widescreen lensing (via the popular Super 35 film format) of the aforementioned cast and locations while veteran editor Jeff McEvoy (Swing Vote, The Lincoln Lawyer, Underworld: Awakening) keeps things running (pun intended) with a slim—and easily digestible—91-minute runtime.

I also want to call out veteran Production Designer Charisse Cardenas (The Lincoln Lawyer, Gone) for creating glossy, exotic sets that showcase Ivan Block’s slick lifestyle—reminding me that I’ll probably never get to live such an opulent lifestyle.  Although, you never know.  I like the houses, cars, bikini-clad women and cash—but can do without the crime, crocodiles and moral ambiguity.

As I said earlier, RUNNER RUNNER fails to live up to the hype brought forth by the exciting trailers and hype.  Now that the deck is stacked, the cards all dealt and the chips gone—I can only think that the only people to lose out in the end are the poor gamblers—er, movie patrons—who paid for their movie tickets.  Luckily, I get in with a wink, a smile and my own chubby chin…as I slip in under the theater screen.  Eat that Ivan Block!!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

RUNNER RUNNER barely makes it out of the starting gate in this handsomely-filmed, but ultimately tepid tale of greed, palm trees and Ben Affleck’s manly chin.  A game cast tries to make it work—but we know who’s working the room and who’s only cashing in their chips.  Good thing I didn’t bet the (movie) house on this one…

 

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2364841/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runner_Runner_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.runnerrunnermovie.com

Closed Circuit

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, V]

Distributor Focus Features

Technical 35mm 2.40:1

Genres CRI THR

Runtime 96 mins.

Country UK USA

Budget $30M

CAST

Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciårán Hinds, Riz Ahmed, Anne-Marie Duff, Kenneth Cranham, Denis Moschitto, Julia Stiles & Jim Broadbent

CREDITS

Director: John Crowley;  Screenwriter: Steve Knight;  Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Chris Clark;  Director Of Photography: Adriano Goldman;  Production Designer: Jim Clay; Editor: Lucia Zucchetti; Costume Designer: Natalie Ward; Music Composer: Joby Talbot

THE SYNOPSIS

London.  A terrorist bomb detonates in a crowded outdoor market, killing many people.  MI5 (the UK‘s version of the CIA) nabs suspected terrorist ringleader Farroukh Erdogan (Moschitto) as his co-conspirators are killed while attempting to flee.

Britain’s Attorney General (Broadbent) will use classified evidence to prosecute Erdogan…so classified, that the neither the defendant nor his lawyers will be able to see it.  Thus, a Special Advocate is appointed—defense lawyer Claudia Simmons-Howe (Hall)—to oversee the defense proceedings during the closed session.

The open session was to have been defended by another lawyer—who dies suddenly the day before Erdogan’s case is to be tried.  The Attorney General brings in the brilliant, driven Martin Rose (Bana)—a former lover of Claudia’s and a tenacious competitor to boot.  The two lawyers make a secret pact to work together in bringing the truth to light.

Even with the help of Martin’s amiable colleague Devlin (Hinds)—things become rather cloak & dagger very quickly as they discover that Erdogan may have been working for MI5—a fact not denied by sinister National Security Agent Nazrul Sharma (Ahmed)—who is not above harassing Erdogan’s family nor the defense lawyers themselves.  To prove a point, American journalist Joanna Reece (Stiles)—who has been collaborating with Martin—is found dead via mysterious circumstances.  Oh, the intrigue!

Erdogan’s son is bought in to testify during closed session and he too becomes a target…as those sinister forces try to stifle the whole affair—now stepping up to the attempted assassination of Claudia herself.  Getting Erdogan’s son to safety Martin, Martin and Claudia realize that no one can be trusted with the truth…

THE CRITIQUE

Terrorism.  Political intrigue.  Governments who cannot be trusted.  Idiosyncratic criminal justice systems.  Attractive British lawyers.  Most of these facets presented in the mediocre CLOSED CIRCUIT are as timely as they are hot-button in our post 9/11 world.  Too bad a broad screenplay and brief 96-minute running time give this one short drift.

What happened?  The movie was written by prolific British scribe Steven Knight (Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things, Redemption)—who, with this screenplay, (and to which I paraphrase per the production notes), tried to bring to light the problems with the current British judicial system.  Good idea—but outside of the United Kingdom…who really cares?

Wait, let me retract that last statement—as the British are responsible for a grand litany of important items: a popular language, the Magna Carta, the concept of Common Law, William Shakespeare, Sir Winston Churchill, Hammer Films, 007, The Beatles, Benny Hill, Monty Python and Kate Beckinsale…so thanks, mates!  Especially for Kate.

But to be fair, Knight crafts a timely script and posits scenarios reminiscent of the superior All The President’s Men (1976) and the inferior State Of Play (Kevin MacDonald’s 2009 movie remade from David Yates’ 2003 British TV mini-series).  However, what appears on screen is a very broad story arc containing partial characterizations (performed by good actors, natch) and a brief runtime that actually left me wanting more movie.  Go figure…

Helmed with arid competency by Irish director John Crowley (Intermission, Boy A, Is Anybody There)—himself a theater guy—CLOSED CIRCUIT has the bones of a theatrical production, based on the blocking of both the camera and the actors within the frame.  Droll, stately, elegant, zzzzzz…

I wanted more kinesis from director Crowley—but at least he is abetted by both his veteran British cutter Lucia Zucchetti (Intermission, Boy A, The Queen)…bringing some kinesis to the proceedings via a taut editing schema that combines 35mm film sequences with surveillance video footage; and solid industrial/sterile widescreen-lensing by ace Brazilian cinematographer Adriano Goldman (City Of Men, Jane Eyre, The Company You Keep, August: Osage County).

The all-star cast is perfectly competent within the anemic screenplay structure though American actress Julia Stiles is quite underutilized.  Besides the intense Bana (terrific in the superior Spielberg-helmed Munich), earnest work by the intelligent and attractive Hall, supporting cameos by the talented but underutilized Hinds & Broadbent—the standout here is British-Pakistani hip-hop artist-via-Oxford graduate Riz Ahmed…bringing real menace to his sinister role as an MI5 operative.  This kid has a future on-camera.

Production values for this $30 million (boxoffice.com) UK-USA production are pro across the board.  In the end, however, I wish this movie had more to offer than just technical largesse.  At least I’m still grateful for Kate Beckinsale.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A paranoid thriller for the new Millennium, CLOSED CIRCUIT posits timely questions and scenarios yet leaves us rather indifferent about their outcomes.  A good cast, solid technical facets and the lure of political intrigue saves this one from being a complete dud—but this road has been travelled before by better films and filmmakers.

 

 

IMDB:                 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2218003/

Wikipedia:          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_Circuit_(2013_film)

Official Site:       http://www.focusfeatures.com/closed_circuit

The World’s End

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, V]

Distributor  Focus Features

Technical 35mm 2.35:1

Genre(s) COM/SCI/THR

Runtime 109 mins.

Country United Kingdom

Budget $20M

 

CAST

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike & Pierce Brosnan

 

CREDITS

Director: Edgar Wright;  Screenwriters: Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; Producers: Nira Park, Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner;  Director Of Photography: Bill Pope;  Production Designer: Marcus Rowland;  Editor: Paul Machliss;  Costume Designer: Guy Speranza;  Music Composer: Steven Price

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Newton Haven, UK—1990: Gary, Andy, Steven, Oliver & Peter are best friends who plan on celebrating their high school graduation by completing the Golden Mile—an epic 12-pub “crawl” where the lads must drink a pint in each and eventually land at the final stop…The World’s End.  Naturally, they don’t make it past Pub #7!!

2013: Alcoholic, unemployed and depressed—a now 40ish Gary (Pegg) is suddenly inspired to gather his mates for one last attempt at conquering the Golden Mile pub crawl.  Despite reservations about hanging with Gary again, they show up one Friday afternoon—no longer boys but men: Andy (Frost)—the estranged best friend who is now a lawyer and family man; Steven (Considine) is a wealthy businessman; bachelor Oliver (Freeman) is a successful realtor; and Peter (Marsan) has a boring job and boring family life.

Returning to Newton Haven, the men begin their pub crawl amidst people they grew up with—but who don’t recognize them.  Downing one pint after the next at each pub on the crawl, the men come across Oliver’s sister Samantha (Pike)—whom Gary & Steven both loved in high school.  She’s happy to see Steve and less than thrilled to see Gary, of course.

The weirdness kicks in when the men get into a bathroom brawl with some lads—who turn out to be robots!!  Escaping to the next pub, the guys and Samantha are informed by a trusted local that aliens have taken over the town and created robot facsimilies of the residents—this is all confirmed by their beloved former high school teacher Guy Shepherd (Brosnan)—now a robot himself.  When the protagonists rebel, every robot in the town is sent in after them.

In the midst of this body-snatching nightmare, Gary pushes the men forward to the next pubs—after all, they must finish the crawl!  Along the way, they lose Oliver & Eddie—who are replaced with cybernetic doppelgängers.  Reaching The World’s End for that last sacred pint, Gary, Andy Steven & Samantha end up confronting the robots’ disembodied “Network” (paternally voiced by the great Bill Nighy).  The final battle will have truly cataclysmic results!!

 

THE CRITIQUE

THE WORLD’S END is a terrific genre mash-up courtesy of the talented limeys responsible for the comedy gems Shaun Of The Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007)—all of which are considered equal parts of the unofficial “Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy”.  For those of you unaware of British culture and cuisine, Cornetto is a popular British ice cream brand—so the in-joke between the filmmakers and cast is that a different flavor of this ice cream is prominently featured in each of the films.  Yummy.  Full disclosure: I never heard of the brand either…

Anyhoo, the movie is based upon co-writer/director Edgar Wright’s exploits as a young pub crawler—and as both Wright & co-writer/principal actor Simon Pegg have intimated, a way to poke fun at their British cultural drinking mores.  I guess that pub crawls really does exist in all cultures and nations in one form or another—but there is something so charming about the British and their deep love of booze and soccer… GO MANCHESTER UNITED!!

[Seriously, let’s ignore the soccer hooliganism and focus on the pub crawling instead.  Besides, I’m a New York Cosmos fan!]

Screenwriters Wright & Pegg do a terrific job of incorporating the very human emotions of a life unrealized (in Gary’s character) as well as the fears of hitting 40 (the rest of the cast)—something I can almost relate to…as I’ve already reached the demographic age.  They also touch upon facets such as non-conformity, community, forlorn love, alienation, progress and the generational gap (our ribald heroes are the adults now…and the youngsters are the “robots”)—yet envelop the structure in a cocoon of physical and emotional comedy that does not bog the movie down in any way.

The details in the script are also very focused—e.g., check out the names of the pubs that the protagonists patronize in their epic crawl.  Each one is indicative of the characters themselves, or the situation they’re in at the moment.  The final pub is called The World’s End for a reason…

Directing with his usual flair, Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim Saves The World, Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) handles the proceedings with cinematic perception.  He knows the story, knows his cast (most of which are Wright regulars) and knows how to convey it all via the camera lens.  I love this guy!

Speaking of the cast, having Simon Pegg & Nick Frost reteam is like seeing Abbott & Costello or Bob Hope & Bing Crosby or Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis back on the big screen.  Yes, a ballsy analogy—but these Brits are quite funny together.  The supporting cast members (Considine, Freeman, Marsan & Pike) are all game, with each one getting a fair amount of screen time to ply their trade.  Also, it’s nice seeing former 007 Pierce Brosnan in a small but pivotal role.

Production values are top-shelf across the board for this (surprisingly low-budget) $20 million movie (boxofficemojo.com).

I loved the handsome anamorphic/widescreen-lensing by American cinematographer Bill Pope (Matrix Trilogy, Scott Pilgrim Saves The World, Darkman)—beautifully capturing the lovely British towns where the movie was collectively shot (as well as at the famed Elstree Studios—home of the original Star Wars trilogy).  Incidentally, sequences set in 1990 were filmed in the 16mm film format while the modern day sequences were filmed in standard 35mm.  Yes, I said it…on film!!  Makes me so very happy.

Other tech credits are sweet: tight cutting by veteran Aussie editor Paul Machliss (Scott Pilgrim Saves The World) accentuates the nifty VFX by prolific house Double Negative (Scott Pilgrim Saves The World, Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) and versatile production design by Wright veteran Marcus Rowland (Scott Pilgrim Saves The World, Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz)—the latter artisan charged with utilizing real pubs as well as those built in the studio—and giving each pub its own unique individuality.  Finally, the robust fight sequences were coordinated by stunt coordinator Brad Allan—a member of the famed Jackie Chan Stunt Team.

All told, THE WORLD’S END is loads of fun.  That this comedy veers into science fiction territory in such an easy, organic fashion is another feather in the filmmakers’ collective caps.  Take some The Big Chill (1983), mix in a hefty amount of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956/1978) and temper it with an Arthurian and/or Quixotic through line—and you have the recipe for a great movie.  Have a pint on me fellas, you’ve earned it!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

The third time’s a charm for England’s comedic trifecta of comedy (Wright, Pegg & Frost) as THE WORLD’S END proves to be a winner.  A game cast, witty and intelligent screenplay, handsome widescreen lensing, solid production values and organic genre mash-up makes this one an enjoyable romp through Merry Olde England.  I only wish visiting my hometown was as entertaining!

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213663/

Wikipedia:            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World%27s_End_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.focusfeatures.com/the_worlds_end