Metallica: Through The Never Review

The plot that never comes---James Hetfield rocks out with his band live in Metallica: Through The Never
                There's really three ways to look at the newest concert film, Metallica: Through The Never. You can look at it for what it is---a standard but incredibly cool concert film. You can look at it as an actual concert that you pay 16 dollars for rather than between 50 and 100 which, in that regard, it works brilliant. Lastly---you can look at it from the perspective of a film with all of the necessary elements (plot, structure, character, ETC) in which it sucks. This is a film that not only makes you feel as if you're at the concert but makes you feel as if you're jamming out with the band on stage. It may be the most well shot concert film I have ever seen, in fact. At the very least..the film comes in at a close second to Talking Heads' concert film, Stop Making Sense. That's why it's so unfortunate that writer-director Nimrod Antal (Predators) had to throw in a completely unnecessary and out of place plot that involves a roadie (Dane DeHaan)'s wacky night out.

                 I am not a die hard fan of Metallica as a lot of people are. Don't get me wrong---I think they're fantastic and four of the coolest guys in the world. However, I'm not obsessive about them. Watching them jam out in IMAX 3D (which is the only way you'll get any of the effect of the film) is terrific. It's amazing that these guys still have such raw talent and can still be so cool and charismatic on stage. The set decorations by Elizabeth Wilcox and cinematograph by Gyula Pados are absolutely stunning and the film uses its visual style to the nines. However, that plot does get in the way and almost ruins the entire film.

                 There are so many problems with the plot but I'll explain the two biggest reasons the plot is detrimental to the film. For one...the plot completely takes away from the concert aspect. When the audience sees these guys jamming out...they feel like they're up on stage with them. However, whenever even a shot of DeHaan's character comes up...it turns the film into an extended music video. The other reason is (and some may considering this a spoiler so skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to be told what happens) that the plot is never explained. There's people on horses wearing masks and the roadie has to get a mysterious bag to the band right away. However, even at the end...they don't explain why this all happened. The filmmakers simply leave the audience wondering why the hell they just watched that plot unfold. Also...there is an incredibly tasteless scene that happens before the band plays its final song that feels completely forced.

                   I can't give this film a complete endorsement due to the unnecessary, gimmicky and pretentious plot. However, if you happen to be near a theater showing this in IMAX 3D....go see it if you can. This is the closest you'll ever get to seeing an actual Metallica concert without paying any more than 20 dollars for it.
(3 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for some violent content and language)

Drinking Buddies Review

Beer me----Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson as work spouses who fall for each other while in relationships in Drinking Buddies
                              Walking out of Drinking Buddies....I had a thought rushing through my head that I never thought I would. I couldn't help but think that Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston---two of my favorite actors working today---actually made the film a lot less interesting. Kendrick plays Jill...boyfriend of Luke (Jake Johnson) who is desperately in love with his work wife Kate (Olivia Wilde) but doesn't quite know it. Livingston plays Chris....the man that Kate is dating despite the fact that they have absolutely nothing in common with one another.

                                I'll explain why Kendrick and Livingston made this a lot less interesting. All the stuff between Luke and Kate rings true and is in turns funny and touching. However, Jill and Chris have nothing in common with their significant others and yet the film never acknowledges that. By never directly saying just how little the two couples belong together....writer-director Joe Swanberg manages to make a film that is filled with some of the most incredibly awkward scenes in recent memory. For example....when Jill and Chris share an intimate moment (which is not a spoiler at all)....Swanberg obviously didn't know how to set that up properly.

                                The last half an hour is actually the best part of the film. I won't say what happens...I'll just say that it's the best part due to the fact that it focuses strictly on Luke and Kate. Also...the ending is perfectly non-eventful. Johnson and Wilde are terrific together. However, I found Johnson to be the only one out of the four who really tried and succeeded. Johnson is an incredibly funny guy and a damn good actor but when he's the best performer in a film that also features Ron Livingston, Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde...you know you're in trouble.

                                 Swanberg is obviously an incredibly talented man. He was great in You're Next and he has done some very solid mumblecore films such as Uncle Kent, LOL and Hannah Takes The Stairs. Drinking Buddies falls far short of the mumblecore spectrum. This doesn't really affect the film either way except to let me say that I think Swanberg, when writing and directing, should stick to his roots.
(2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language throughout)

Afternoon Delight Review

Strip teasing----Juno Temple as a stripper who gets invited into the home of a well intentioned woman (Kathryn Hahn) in Afternoon Delight

                                                         Afternoon Delight introduces a side of actress Kathryn Hahn no one has ever seen before. Hahn is generally one of those people who plays a fairly large supporting role but never goes beyond that. Here...she gets the opportunity to shine in his first leading role and shine she does. However, the film is lacking in many aspects. That's not to say it's a terrible film. It's just that for her first starring role...Hahn gives a great performance but the film isn't there to back her up.

                                                         In the film...Hahn plays Rachel...a well meaning wife and mother whose husband, Jeff (Josh Radnor) doesn't seem to be excited by their marriage anymore. She doesn't, either but she's at least working to improve it. Rachel meets McKenna (Juno Temple)...a seemingly innocent stripper at a gentleman's club. When Rachel runs into her on the street again....she invites McKenna to come live with her and Jeff.

                                                         While Hahn proves herself as a force to be reckoned with....the whole films rings false a lot of the time. Radnor is also quite good but I never bought that Rachel and Jeff would have ever given each other the time of day much less be married and have a kid. And yes...I know that the plot involves their marriage being on the rocks but still....it's so unbelievable that these two people would EVER fall for each other. Also..the relationship between Rachel and her pretend friends feels forced and pandering. The only relationship I bought was that of Rachel and McKenna but that even fell completely apart in the third act.

                                                          The film also tries to force sentimentality where it's not needed. A good example is a scene in which Rachel is talking to her therapist (Jane Lynch) who spews into rants that have nothing to do with what Rachel was saying. Eventually...Rachel confronts her and the therapist is a bit insulted. Later....well, you know where this is going. There are multiple scenes such as that one that ring completely false. First time writer-director Jill Soloway obviously knows what she's doing and intended to do something very specific. It's just that she didn't know how to construct it properly. 

                                                           It's not that Afternoon Delight is terrible. In fact...I kind of enjoyed it. I don't expect realism in all of the films I go and see. I don't want to walk out of Lethal Weapon and say "what an incredibly realistic film that was." However, this film should have been more realistic and less gooey. Hahn is the main reason to see this film. If it weren't for her...I may be telling you to avoid it like the plague.

(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong sometimes graphic sexual content, language and some drug use)

Riddick Review

The dark night----Vin Diesel returns as a man who can see in the dark being hunted down by mercenaries in Riddick
                                        Perhaps I'm not the right person to review this film. I really didn't like The Chronicles Of Riddick or Pitch Black so maybe this just wasn't for me. Still---my opinion on this film needs to be heard. Riddick might be the single worst film I have ever seen. Like I said...I didn't really like the previous two films but I didn't despise them, either. At least those films had a thin excuse for a story. In the newest reboot---there is no story, theme, idea or anything being put up on screen. I'll lay the film out for you right here to save you 10 bucks. First 30 minutes or so---Riddick (Vin Diesel) walks around and occasionally blandly kills something. Next hour-----bounty hunters who have come to kill Riddick stand around and spew the worst dialogue this side of The Room. Last 30 minutes----boring action that should have happened earlier takes place. There....I just saved you 10 bucks as well as two hours of your life.

                                        The film has something to do with some bounty hunters or something. Honestly----I was so incredibly bored by the time this film actually showed any hints of a story that I didn't even try to find a story when it *kind of* appeared. The film is completely hideous in every way possible. The action set pieces are so obviously green screened and look even more painted on than anything. Having seen this on an IMAX sized screen....I legitimately walked out of the theater with my eyes stinging. Vin Diesel has always been quite the charming actor to me. However, he obviously doesn't care here. At least he was having fun in Furious 6. Here...he knows how pointless it is for this film to exist.

                                         I can't write a review of this film, however, without mentioning the performance of Jordi Molla...an actor who has been in other films and has never really become a well known name, either. In this film....Molla is so unbelievably bad that his performance stands out as by far the worst of the year. As with the rest of the film...his performance is all the more frustrating because it's bad without reaching so bad it's good or fun level.

                                         Absolutely nothing works in this film. NOTHING!!!!!!!!!! It's a completely incomprehensible, despicable mess. Riddick is by far the worst film of the year and this is the year where such duds as A Haunted House, Scary Movie 5 and After Earth have come out.
(0 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity)