Author Archives: EJ Lee

The Kids Are All Right

May 12, 2012

“The Kids Are All Right” is a movie that echoes the complicated nature of real life relationships and marriage.  There is no winner, no clear protagonist, and no beginning, just history.  We jump into the family consisting of Nic, a perfectionist doctor who deals with stress by drinking wine; her wife Jules, who is more free spirited; Joni, who is quiet but smart and off to college in the fall; and Laser (yes the ridiculous name is acknowledged in the movie) who is 15 and acts like it.  Those people make up the family that is for the most part happy, but deep down has serious problems waiting to surface.  In other words, the problems were there and not directly caused by the future events that make up the movie’s main plot.

And that main plot is this: Laser and Joni, curious about their sperm-donor, contact him and find that he is a “cool” guy, besides being kind of self-involved.  He’s a bachelor with a successful organic restaurant who drives a motorcycle; very appealing.  The kids like spending time with him; but meanwhile Nic is panicking because she doesn’t want to be sharing her own time with her kids with him.  Jules is warmer toward him than Nic, and eventually (SPOILER ALERT UNTIL THE END OF THIS PARAGRAPH, if you haven’t seen the trailer) they begin an affair.

Because of this drastic change in family dynamic, the strings holding it together begin to unravel faster and faster, and that’s where this movie really starts to outshine others of its kind.  There’s always that typical family story of drama ending with a big tearful group hug.  This is not that kind of movie.  The characters each are so well acted and so well written that they become very real, and you get completely emotionally invested in them.  It’s so hard to pick sides when you’re watching, because you feel like you’re not sure who to believe.  We the audience don’t know exactly the way each character has always been for that family because only they know their history, so I felt like I couldn’t judge them based on their actions.  That’s how realistic these characters are; the actors gave them a history that we weren’t there to know or see, that affected the actions and reactions we did see.  That is so unusual in movies; normally we are given a beginning, middle, and end, but here we are given a middle and then more middle.

This unusual way of making a movie out of middles works purely because of how good the performances are.  There is no one in this movie who didn’t belong there.  The adults were particularly good.  Annette Bening had one of the most difficult characters; Nic’s perfectionist attitude so often comes off as annoying in movies, and here it did but not consistently, so her character remained likeable and relatable.  Julianne Moore had an equally difficult character and again was able to keep Jules from straying across the line of becoming the antagonist.  Mark Ruffalo as Paul the sperm donor astounded me.  I’m not usually impressed with Mark Ruffalo, but here he was brilliant.  It was so hard to nail down his character; I had the same trouble as the other characters did.  Which is of course the point.  The kids too were fully written and well acted.  Mia Wasikowska (who was Alice in the recent Alice in Wonderland) let her character grow with the events that took place, but I felt like I could’ve used more from her.  Josh Hutcherson as Laser surprised me at how good his acting has gotten, to the point where I wish he had been given more to do.

I felt towards the end that it could have been about 15-20 minutes longer.  There was a jump at the end that felt too far to advance the plot and timeline within it, and I just wanted to see each character get more screen time.  They each seemed so real that I wanted to know more about them and their history together.  The ending is satisfyingly ambiguous, so that it matched the unobvious beginning.  This is a character driven movie that was different from almost any I’ve seen, for the fact that it is so character driven.

Let’s address the fact that this movie obviously features a gay relationship:  In some movies having a gay couple can be a gimmick, or can seem forced; here it seems very naturally played, which adds to the believability of it all.  This to me seemed like a triumph that equaled the brilliance of the acting.  It is very difficult to sell a movie that features a gay couple, and this one in particular covers many of the issues that are going on around us right now..  Gay marriage, adoption rights, it’s all happening now, and here is a movie that doesn’t use that as a gimmick or a selling point.  It doesn’t preach gay rights, but it doesn’t need to; it’s all right there for those who want to see it.  I’d highly recommend it if you do.

My Londonderry NH net rating, 3 1/2 seeds.

Images The Kids Are All Right a Focus Features (c) courtesy

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The Avengers

May 5, 2012

“The Avengers” kicks off this summer’s movies, and it does it well.  This movie sets the bar extremely high.  There has been tons of hype surrounding it, and I feel – as does everyone I saw it with – that it more than lived up to it.

The movie revolves around the assembling of “The Avengers”, a team of the world’s superheroes that is called together for the first time to answer a threat to Earth itself, from Loki, a demigod with a huge army at his command and an intersteller portal made from a “teseract”, a blue cube with that contains an infinite source of energy.  S.H.E.I.L.D., a government agency in charge of weird stuff like superheros and alien energy sources, is lead by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who forms the Avengers when the teseract is stolen by Loki.

The potential for this movie to be confusing was a huge worry coming into it.  How do you establish the storylines and backstories of six characters, not to mention members of the S.H.E.I.L.D staff plus a villain?  This movie makes it look easy.  I had the advantage of having seen all the past Marvel movies with the exception of any Incredible Hulk movie (I have a feeling very few people have seen those).  But, even for someone who hasn’t seen all the backstory movies, “The Avengers” takes the time to introduce you to everyone without it feeling forced or obvious.  My wondered how they’d handle The Hulk, because he’s had so many different movies and actors play him in the past ten years, and Mark Ruffalo hadn’t played him in any of those.  I was therefore shocked to find that he quickly became my favorite character on screen.  Ruffalo plays Bruce Banner with a kind of sadness and subtle self-hatred that doesn’t feel overdone or melodramatic .  He’s a very complicated character, and this movie takes the time to let us get to know him and find out why, without overshadowing everyone else.  Everyone gets their moment in this movie, even Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who haven’t had their own movies and of whose background we know very little.

The remarkable thing about the movie is that even though there is an astounding amount of great character development, there are also tons of amazing action sequences.  There are several battles before the climax, which takes place in Manhattan – a classic location for superhero fights.  I was impressed at how realistic the ending battle was.  Even the police and firemen of NYC were used believably, which is rather rare for a superhero movie.  Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate the genius of Joss Whedon (the writer and director).

The other brilliant aspect of the movie was the humor.  It’s hard to correctly use humor in an action movie.  It can be overused, or used at awkward times so that the audience is suddenly reminded that they’re watching a scripted dialogue.  Or it can just be used for cheap laughs, or to have a break between explosions.  Here, it was used well at least 85% of the time.  The dialogue – especially Tony Starks – was quick and clever, and the jokes were many but not to the point of overpowering the plot advancement.  I know I need to see it again to even catch all of them.  Also it wasn’t just spoken dialogue; there were many sight gags that worked extremely well, especially the few thrown in for the hardcore fans.

Only issues I had with this movie: A bit too long. Slightly. Also it was hard to truly feel threatened by the villain – he was never very intimidating.

Need I go on?  Just go and see this movie, already.  I’m serious, it was incredible, and a fantastic way to kick of the summer.

My Londonderry NH net rating, 3 1/2 seeds.  

Images The Avengers a Paramount Pictures (c) courtesy

Visit the The Avengers website for trailers and promotions.

 

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Graduation Top 5

April 28, 2012

Since nearly everyone I know is only a week or two away from graduating, I figured I’d do a top five of graduation movies. So if you’re graduating high school or college this year, or if you’re a parent with a graduate, then here are some movies for you to enjoy while you eagerly await the end of finals.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Why, you ask? Well, because it’s about two boys who are in their last few weeks of high school. Ferris and Cameron are two people with almost opposite personalities, but they both share an insecurity about their future, because neither has any real plan. They’re feeling pressured and trapped by that, and so they take a day off and do awesome stuff in Chicago. We’ve all had that day; skip school and go to Hampton Beach on the first nice day and not worry about graduation or real life for a whole day. It’s great right? There’s nothing better than a day off, as this movie demonstrates magnificently. For any of you students out there, or even you grown-ups who have real jobs: take a day off at least once in your year and do something awesome.

Animal House

This movie is a perfect example of what the parents of a college freshman are dreading. “Animal House” is the story of the Delta House, the frat with the worst reputation at Faber College. The Delta House isn’t picky about its members, unlike the other fraternity on campus that’s exclusively rich white guys. When Delta House gets shut down, it decides to seek revenge on the Dean and the other frat, leading to the ultimate showdown during the homecoming parade. This movie is basically what everyone wishes college could be like. It’s also the source of the “Toga Toga Toga” chant, so it should be mandatory for every incoming freshman to watch this movie and understand where that came from.

Accepted

This is a recent one, but I thought it was pretty decent as far as college movies go. Bartleby Gaines gets rejected from every school he applies to, so to save himself from the fury and shame of his parents, he invents a college to get accepted to. Only problem is, the fake website he made for it was so good that it fooled several hundred more kids into being accepted too. There’s also a rival fraternity and everything just so you don’t forget that you’re watching a stereotypical college movie. All in all though I was entertained, so I’d recommend it.

Grease

Yeah, I know, you’re shaking your head and saying I’m crazy for including this. But come on. It’s a classic, and an actually entertaining movie. Everyone knows the story: guy and girl have a summer romance, guy is secretly a jerk at school, girl finds out when she happens to transfer to the school he attends, and angst ensues. And song and dance. The tunes are catchy and it’s all about a group of friends last year of high school, so what’s not to love?

The Graduate

You knew this was gonna be on here. “The Graduate” is a classic that everyone should watch at least once. Dustin Hoffman plays Ben, who just graduated from college and is feeling the pressures of the real world. So he begins an affair with Mrs. Robinson, the mother of the girl his parents want him to date. Much drama follows. I watched it purely because it was referenced strongly in “(500) Days of Summer” (a fantastic movie, go see it). But if you haven’t seen it, it’s one of those movies you have to see just so you can say you have. Also Mr. Feeney from “Boy Meets World” is in it, so what’s not to love?

Congratulations and best of luck to all of this year’s graduates!
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Superhero Movies To See Before “The Avengers”

April 21, 2012

With the release of “The Avengers” just two weeks away, I thought I’d write up a guide on how to mentally prepare yourself to see this movie.  From the critics’ responses so far, it will not be one to miss, so start getting excited and follow this list of movies to see before “The Avengers” comes out on May 4th.

Iron Man (1 and 2)

In Iron Man 1 we met Tony Stark, a genius who’s inherited a hugely successful weapons manufacturing business.  Tony was captured on a trip to Iraq for a weapons demonstration, and he is forced to build a replica of his most recent weapon.  But instead, he builds a massive iron suit to blast his way out and escape.  During the capture he has been outfitted with a chest plate that is essentially an electro-magnet which is keeping shrapnel from moving in his bloodstream to his organs.  This then becomes what is called an “arc reactor”, and is what keeps the Iron Man suit running.  

In Iron Man 2 we begin to meet some of the main characters of “The Avengers”: Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).  That’s mainly why it’s an important movie to watch.  This sequel is entertaining enough but it’s packed with plot/characters and has a rather anti-climactic ending.  If you’re only going to watch one Iron Man movie, stick with the first, but 2 is still a fun ride.

Captain America

In this movie we are being introduced to Steve Rogers, a tiny young man from Brooklyn who is determined to enlist during World War II.  He’s got a lot of heart and determination, but his tiny body and his asthma hold him back.  But he gets enlisted in a mysterious special program, where he proves himself during boot camp,  so he is chosen to be injected with some new science juice that makes him really big and muscle-y.  (This stuff has been made the help of Howard Stark, Iron Man’s dad.  Connections!)  Steve becomes Captain America, a mascot of the Army during WWII, until he is actually able to go into combat.  The action in this movie isn’t well planned out, and the editing is at times very choppy and awkward, but Captain America will be an essential part of The Avengers (you’ll just have to see this movie to find out how that’s possible).

Thor

Thor was a mess of a movie and I’d tell you not to bother, but unfortunately it shares a villain with “The Avengers”, so unless you’ve seen it you’re going to be confused.  A brief synopsis (this will be very basic; more than a quarter of the movie is spent trying to explain itself).  Thor is one of two sons of the king of the realm of Asgard (another planet).  He is arrogant, handsome, and powerful.  But, as you may expect, he does some impulsive things due to his arrogance, and is banished from his home, to Earth.  There he meets Jane Foster and Erik Selvig, astrophysicists.  Thor also attracts the attention of S.H.E.I.L.D, a secret government organization (they play a prominent role in Iron Man 2), who arrive to try and figure out why there is a giant hammer stuck in a rock in the middle of the desert.  There’s also some trouble with Ice Giants, plus betrayal and all that jazz; it’s very complicated and I really didn’t walk out confident that I understood it.  Again, I’m only recommending this one because these movies will share a villain.

 

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My Week With Marilyn

April 14, 2012

“My Week With Marilyn” was a surprisingly captivating movie.  I wasn’t that interested in Marilyn Monroe, but this movie actually made me care about her story and wonder about the person she was.  It’s based on a memoir by Colin Clark, who is our main character.

Colin (Eddie Redmayne) is a twenty three year old son of an upper class family who sets off on his own to join the movie business in any way he can.  In London he becomes the third Assistant Director to Lawrence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) on the new picture he’s directing and starring in with Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams).  Colin is likably determined and very naïve.  He works hard at his job but wastes no time in asking out the pretty girl from the costume department (Emma Watson), before Marilyn arrives and he (and strangely, the movie) completely forgets about her.

In Michelle Williams’ Marilyn it’s easy to see why she got the Oscar nod for Best Lead Actress.  Her Marilyn is complicated, unhappy, and strangely wild and unpredictable.  She has a manic energy but a paralyzing fear of being abandoned or unloved.  On set, Olivier is impatient with her nerves, as she struggles with the puzzle of being a film star wanting to be taken more seriously, while surrounded by serious actors trying to be film stars.  The directors (all men, of course) are all irritated with her while the other actress (Judi Dentch) and her acting coach (Zoe Wanamaker) try and give her the confidence to perform.  Colin strikes up an accidental friendship with her when she decides that she can trust him.  Colin is soon the only person she will see or confide in, and there is a long sequence in which they take a trip to the country together and suddenly become romantically involved.

Colin is well intentioned enough for the viewer to continue liking him, realizing that it is not he who is taking advantage of her state of mind, but the other way around.  It’s often said in the film that Marilyn is famous for breaking hearts, and it’s clear why from the moment she walks on screen.  Colin falls swiftly in love with her, and she allows and helps him do so, despite being on her third marriage.  It’s difficult to explain why this doesn’t feel like the “same old story”.  Maybe because this movie realizes that it is.  Maybe because it’s easy to relate to and empathize with the position Colin is in.  Maybe because we have all known people who share some of the traits that made Marilyn so irresistible.  How many of us can say we wouldn’t have done the same things he does, after seeing the movie?

One of the only things I disliked about the movie, other than the pointless voiceovers at the beginning and end, was how it doesn’t really pay off at the end.  In the end, what has Colin learned?  Is he a changed man?  Are any of the characters?  It’s difficult to say; you may have to decide for yourself.  As for me, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, trying to it all out.  So, in the way, the movie did its job.  I found it to be, overall, surprisingly good and a very enjoyable watch.  I’d actually highly recommend seeing it.

My Londonderry NH net rating, 3 1/2 seeds.  

Images My Week With Marilyn a Weinstein Company (c) courtesy

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The Sandlot

April 7, 2012

What better way to celebrate the beginning of baseball season than by watching one of the greatest baseball movies!

“The Sandlot” is an account of the summer adventures of a group of boys living in an average suburban town in 1962.  Scotty “Smalls” just moved into the neighborhood and is soon inducted into the group by Benny Rodriguez, the best baseball player in town.  The boys play baseball all day every day at the Sandlot.  They’re good and have no patience for Smalls, who’s never played.  Over time he learns from the boys and feels at home with them and in the neighborhood.  The story is told from the perspective of a now grown up Smalls, so it’s got a reminiscent voice over effect that sort of holds the story together.

The movie isn’t really about the plot or the development of the characters.  It’s really about getting the viewer to identify with the situations and the adventures the boys have.  They’re all very relatable, purposefully making the viewer remember their own similar experiences along with the older Smalls’ voice over.  The boys’ adventures are the greatest hits of kids’ summer favorites: swimming in the public pool, sleeping in tree houses, ghost stories, baseball games, carnivals, rival teams, and investigating local legends.

In between the boys’ various summer adventures, “The Beast” looms behind the fence of the Sandlot.  Then one day when they lose a ball over the fence, Smalls gets his step-father’s ball from home, which is also lost over the fence. The situation then goes from bad to worse when Smalls reveals that the ball was signed by Babe Ruth, who he hadn’t heard of (not knowing anything about baseball).  The boys devise various plots to retrieve the ball from The Beast, an enormous dog whose yard is a graveyard of balls and toys of every kind.  Just when they’re ready to give up, Benny is visited in a dream by Babe Ruth and is told the key to retrieving the ball and says the famous line, “Heroes are remembered but legends never die”.  The rest?  Well you’ll just have to watch it for yourself and see.

The key to appreciating this movie is this: watch it to remember your own summer memories.  You’ll relate to the boys, the situations, and the whole emotion of the movie.  Maybe the best way to go about it is to watch it with a younger kid who would look past any out-dated special effects and just get involved in the characters and the story.  That’s really what the point of it is, to be able to remember your own summer friends and adventures.

My Londonderry NH net rating, 3 seeds.

Images The Sandlot a Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (c) courtesy

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