ACOD Review

Parental misguidance---Adam Scott as a son trying to get his bitterly divorced parents (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara) to get along in ACOD
                                            Ever since I saw him in Step Brothers...I always knew that Adam Scott had the chops to be a leading man buried deep down inside of him. ACOD, which stands for Adult Children Of Divorce gives Scott the opportunity to prove to the whole world what I knew for years now. Not only is he absolutely delightful in this film but he is the anchor that keeps it afloat. If his character were played by just about anyone else...I would have been incredibly annoyed. As written, Scott's character is a prick, a loser and a constant whiner but he manages to make it work because he's so damn likable.

                                             In the film, Scott plays Carter whose little brother Trey (Clark Duke) is abruptly getting married to his short time girlfriend. Carter and Trey's parents, Hugh and Melissa (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara) are bitterly divorced. When I say bitter divorce...I am totally sugarcoating it. These two have not been in a room together for over 10 years because they can't stand the sight of one another. This presents a problem seeing that Trey wants both of them at his wedding and he recruits Carter into trying to make them get along. I'm going to stop with the plot there because an incredible amount of delightfully wicked twists pursue after this.

                                             The whole cast is great. Hugh is a total jerk about everything and Jenkins plays him perfectly. O'Hara is great as the bitchy Melissa who just wants to be left alone. Duke is very funny as the unspeakably oblivious Trey. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Lauren---Carter's dedicated girlfriend and she is quite good. Jane Lynch is funny as always playing the voice of reason for Carter. Lastly---Amy Poehler and Ken Howard play Hugh and Melissa's new spouses and are quite good. I particularly love how the film didn't write them off as evil people like most films of this type tend to do.

                                              The screenplay by Ben Karlin and director Stu Zicherman is quite sharp. It has a lot to say about the dangers of marriage and falling in love too quickly as well as the quirkiness and unpredictable nature of life in general. However, I must state that the cast really keeps this film afloat. Although the writing is razor sharp, almost every character is written in an unlikable fashion and the cast really does make this film better than it should have been.

                                              I really liked ACOD even though I was aware that I only really liked it because of what Scott and the rest of the cast do with the material. However, I can't complain about this. I have seen so many films this year that don't work at all despite great performances (Lee Daniels' The Butler, Afternoon Delight, The Fifth Estate, ETC) that I was delighted to see one that worked because of the performances.
(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and brief sexual content)

Bad Grandpa Review

Grandpa's got a brand new bag---Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) must take his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) to his dad in Bad Grandpa

                              Bad Grandpa is a hard film to review. It is one of those films where I can only judge the film on if I laughed or not. If I judge the film on quality, style, filmmaking, ETC then I'll be accused of trying too hard. This is also a hard film to review because in order to explain why I barely laughed at it...I will have to discuss quality and filmmaking aspects---specifically plot. Unlike the other Jackass films...Bad Grandpa attempts to hone in on a plot. The pleasure of the Jackass films were seeing a bunch of dumb guys practically kill one another as well as themselves. Sure---it's an incredibly acquired taste but I laughed at those films. With Bad Grandpa....the pleasure is gone. Don't get me wrong...I laughed at some individual moments but not enough. Also----there was no one thing that stood out as particularly funny to me in Bad Grandpa a la the car rental scene in the first Jackass.

                               The film stars Johnny Knoxville as Irving Zisman who, through a series of events, has to take his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) on a road trip to reunite with his father. Sure...this plot, as described, seems like a thin layer of nothing in order to get to the pranks and mishaps. However, they devote a good amount of time at the beginning and end to the plot. This is arguably the most detrimental flaw of the film. If you're going to make a film where the plot doesn't mean anything...don't spend around 30 minutes on said plot. 

                               Although I had to compare films...I have to compare this with Borat seeing as that's where this film is taking a lot of lessons from. However, Bad Grandpa is no Borat for many reasons. First---Borat had something to say about society while Bad Grandpa does not. I wasn't asking for a lesson about society in a film starring Knoxville in old man make up pooping on a wall. However, it would have helped quite a bit. Second----not many people watched "Da Ali G Show" before Borat came out so it was believable that the reactions were people's real reactions. Jackass 3D set a then fall opening weekend record so the fact that the reactions in Bad Grandpa are supposed to be natural is totally unbelievable. Third-----Borat didn't do anything too extreme while Irving does things that would surely get him thrown in jail or killed. Lastly----Borat is still one of the funniest and smartest  films I have ever seen while Bad Grandpa is dumb and 99% of the jokes fall flat.

                                I can't say I didn't laugh a couple of times. There are a few funny scenes but nothing that really made me do anything more than chuckle. Nicoll is perfectly cast and having worked with Knoxville on the god awful Fun Size a year ago....their chemistry is very realistic. However, it's just not that funny at all. Knoxville is convincing but this is definitive proof that a little bit of Irving goes a very long way.

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

Escape From Tomorrow Review

It's a small film after all---Roy Abramsohn and Katelynn Rodriguez as a father and daughter taking a trip to Disney World in Escape From Tomorrow
                       Escape From Tomorrow gets the honor of the most simultaneously bizarre and tame film I have ever seen. It's weird to the point of insanity and yet it plays it significantly too safe. The film is written and directed by first time director Randy Moore, whose running gag is that this is a truly messed up horror film being shot in secrecy at the various Disney theme parks. The only problem is that Moore never really does anything with the location and focuses more on the half baked plot thus having the gag of the Disney park locations become tired very quickly.

                        I suppose I shouldn't tell of the half baked plot since Moore obviously doesn't want people to know about it. He has gone so far as to only release a minute long trailer that says nothing about any of the events in the film. However, I will say that once the big (and may I say fairly obvious) reveal is shown...the film still goes on for another twenty minutes. It was exhausting to sit in the theater and watch a film that essentially consists of one joke milked endlessly.

                         Moore starts out with a delightfully twisted opening scene but goes nowhere from there. The film is too tame with its subject matter, perhaps due to the fact that they didn't want to get sued by Disney themselves when it should have been going all out. If you're going to make a film that attempts to demolish Disney's reputation...at least attempt to make a film that actually says something evil or mean spirited about Disney.

                         The cast is also terrible. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since star (and most well known cast member) Roy Abramsohn was previously most notable for playing Groucho Marx in a completely unknown TV film. Still....they have easy material to work with here. No one is exactly asked to play Gandhi and yet no one can pull of anything except annoying the hell out of the audience.

                           Escape From Tomorrow is a rather boring film that could have and should have been so much more. The film consists of bad actors saying terrible lines, most of which don't even relate back to the initial premise. If "Seinfeld" was a show about about nothing...Escape From Tomorrow is a film about nothing.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is Not Rated)

The Fifth Estate Review

Return to sender----Daniel Bruhl and Benedict Cumberbatch as Daniel Berg and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate
                    The story of WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange is among one of the most fascinating stories of all time. It changed the way every single person looks at media as well as the spread of information and turned the whole world flat on its face. That's why it's so incredibly disappointing to see a film with great actors and a story as fascinating as the one of WikiLeaks that somehow still manages to be what is perhaps the dullest film of the year. The Fifth Estate drags on for so long and is so tedious that I started to question if this story is as fascinating as I thought it was. Fortunately...I googled the story minutes after the final credits rolled and my faith in the story was restored.

                     The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks and Daniel Bruhl as Daniel Berg, a man who played a vital role in the success of the website. These are two terrific actors playing very interesting people and still managing to come across as wooden. I'm not blaming Cumberbatch or Bruhl. These two actors might just be incapable of giving a bad performance and they're both fantastic here. It's just that the screenplay by Josh Singer (who has only worked on quality television such as "The West Wing" and "Fringe" prior to this film) is so intent on constantly reminding the audience that Assange was a weirdo and that Berg helped lay so much of the foundation that the audience never gets anything beyond that. There is a subplot involving Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie as defense politicians who are desperately trying to stop WikiLeaks but that story goes nowhere. The film is so one sided in its argument against WikiLeaks that it never explores the story with any depth or grace.

                       Another problem I had with the film is that none of the characters are ones anyone can get even remotely attached to. In one way or another...these are all completely reprehensible people and there's no way to root for anyone. I know that perhaps this is the point but it's detrimental to a film that's already really bad to have characters who aren't even connectable through hate. In other words...by the end of the film, I didn't feel any emotions for a single character.

                         The Fifth Estate is definite proof that great acting can't save a lousy screenplay and stale direction. There is an interview at the end of the film with the real Assange. This is a major flaw by director Bill Condon to include this part in the film because it makes the audience realize that a five minute interview with Assange himself is significantly more interesting than anything in his film.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language and some violence)

                     

Zaytoun Review

At war with itself-----Stephen Dorff as an Israeli fighter pilot who befriends a Palestinian boy (Abdallah El Akal) in Zaytoun
                               Although many people do not like it at all---I love John Waters's Cecil B Demented. The main reason behind my love for it is the excellent work of Stephen Dorff in the film. However, that was the last time I could ever say I saw Dorff give a decent performance. When you have films such as Feardotcom, Deuces Wild, Shadowboxer, Alone In The Dark, Immortals, Cold Creek Manor and the infamously ghastly Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star on your resume...you're not exactly batting a thousand and neither is your agent. In fact---my least favorite Dorff performance and film was Somewhere...a film that somehow won people over despite the fact that it was literally just Dorff looking and acting depressed for two hours. Now comes Zaytoun....a film that features Dorff in an incredibly miscast role as Israeli fighter pilot Yoni.

                            The film follows Yoni as he unrealistically befriends a Palestinian boy named Fahed (Abdallah El Akal.) It is at this point that the audience is injected with the most awkward mix of road trip comedy and depressing war film one could imagine. The conflicting tones of the film make it too lightweight to grip the audience and too depressing to entertain the audience. What the audience is left with is just an unnecessarily long and drawn out relationship that features no chemistry whatsoever.

                            Dorff is, as previously mentioned, completely miscast here. His performance is so simultaneously lackluster and over the top---I was surprised when Nicolas Cage didn't show up as Ghost Rider. Akal is alright here considering it's his first starring role (he certainly outshines Dorff) but he's not exactly going to be getting calls anytime in the immediate future for another performance. What he plays here is a prop that the film revolves around. Although Akal admittedly tries his best...Fahed is such a cliche, unrealistic character that it's hard to buy anything that's coming out of his mouth.

                            There are admittedly a few good parts about Zaytoun. It creates a nice looking atmosphere and has one or two compellingly shot war scenes. However, the film is too awkward and too jarring to be considered anything other than a failure. I'm tempted to say watch it on cable when it comes on Encore! or Starz but that would just be unfairly taking two long hours of your life away.
(1 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is Not Rated)

                             

Don Jon Review

When nudity calls---Joseph Gordon Levitt and Scarlett Johansson as a couple who share very different tastes in film in Don Jon

                                      We've all been there. That relationship in which pornography is a massive argument point. Now with Fifty Shades Of Grey's popularity skyrocketing day by day---it seems as if the writing and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Don Jon is more relevant than ever. This isn't anywhere close to being the most realistic film in the world but it does make many good points about the state of relationships nowadays.

                                        The film stars Levitt as Jon---a lothario who shares much in common with "Jersey Shore"'s Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino in his respect for women. He sleeps with them, immediately watches porn and plans to never see them again. That is until he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson)---a woman whose life has always gone her way and doesn't respect the idea of porn. She does, however love cliche romantic comedies. This gives Jon the task of having to hide his porn addiction from her.

                                        While I can not honestly say everyone should go out and see this film---I can say certain groups will love it. First off---couples, oddly enough will enjoy it because they will see much of their own relationship in these characters. Of course---fans of Levitt (myself included) will be glad to see what a confident and even excellent writing-directing debut he has made. I would also say that people who enjoy study the art of filmmaking and especially aspiring filmmakers should see it to observe what can be done for their first time making a film.

                                         The supporting performances are also great. Glenne Headly is great as Jon's mother who is enthusiastic about him possibly finding the one. Julianne Moore is excellent as a classmate Jon befriends. Saving the best for last...I can not forget Tony Danza as Jon's father. He is also pretty obsessed with sex but doesn't see eye to eye with Jon on anything. There's a very funny argument involving the use of TiVo, in fact. 

                                          Like I said----Don Jon is going to turn a lot of people off. Whether that be because of its redundant (albeit well done) scenes, because of its subject matter or because of the constant graphicness both visually and orally. However, I enjoyed myself thoroughly while watching it and can honestly say that while it is not flawless (the ending, while sweet, still left me pretty cold, for example)---it's a nice surprise and a great debut for Levitt's other talents.

(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong graphic sexual material and dialogue throughout, nudity, language and some drug use)