STONE

 Often, those people who society judge the most are the ones who are locked behind prison bars. However, in the new Overture drama ‘Stone,’ starring Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich, the misconception that prisoners deserve to be judged the harshest is quickly revealed and proven to be wrong. The movie also shows that those people who are the first to point out other people’s faults are often the ones who have something to hide.

‘Stone’s very simplistic plot follows convicted felon Gerald “Stone” Creeson (played by Norton), who is up for parole after serving eight years of a 10-15 year sentence for accessory to murder and arson. In an effort to get released, he tries to convince correctional officer Jack Mabrey (portrayed by DeNiro) that he’s become a spiritual person, and has changed his ways. Stone even has his wife Lucetta (played by Jovovich) seduce Jack, despite the fact that Jack has been married to his wife Madylyn (portrayed by Frances Conroy) for 43 years.

As in all of his roles, DeNiro proves what a committed actor he is by throwing himself into the role. Despite the fact that Jack attends church every week, reads the Bible with Madylyn and seeks advice from one of the bishops at his church, DeNiro still makes the character despicable. Viewers will more than likely loathe Jack, despite his protests to Stone, Lucetta and Madylyn that he is a good person. He constantly judges people and controls those around him, especially his wife, and doesn’t understand why people become upset with him. While Stone is the prisoner and doesn’t always know right from wrong, he at least admits when he knows he’s made mistakes; Jack is definitely the more hated character in the film, as he does whatever he pleases, and doesn’t care who he hurts in the process.

While DeNiro gave another great performance, Norton is the one to watch in ‘Stone.’ While Stone gives Jack an “I don’t care what you do to me” attitude when he first meets him, Norton is able to convincingly turn his character’s personality around. He makes the audience believe that Stone truly wants to better himself, and has become spiritual in the process. While Stone wants Lucetta to constantly harass Jack to get him to expedite his case, Norton is able to turn Stone’s priorities around as the plot goes on.

Jovovich also shines in her role as Lucetta, creating the perfect femme fatale. Not only is she able to convince Stone that she still loves him, even after he spends eight years in jail, she also uses her hidden sexual charm to lure Jack in to help her. Lucetta is also able to lead Jack into compromising situations at work by bringing him presents, and enters into a dangerous personal relationship with him that affects his marriage. While Jovovich doesn’t have many scenes with Norton, when they are on screen together, viewers are left thinking Lucetta really does love Stone. But when Jovovich is next to DeNiro, that belief totally turns around, and viewers are left thinking Lucetta wants to be with Jack.

While Stone and Lucetta’s drive to convince Jack to recommend he be released from prison is the driving force behind the plot, Overture relies more heavily on the actor’s portrayals of their characters to sell the movie. DeNiro, Norton and Jovovich act well off of each other, and really give tension to their relationships. Fans of any of these three actors will surely like this thriller.

Stone - Official Trailer [HD]

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1         

is the seventh installment in the Harry Potter franchise, in which Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ronald Wesley (Rupert Grint) are on a mission to find and destroy the horcruxes, mystical objects that grant immortality, so that the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is unable to use it to his advantage. 

The focus of this film is really the acting among the three actors who have been together for so long, and how they have made each character they play their own, and that’s really important when you have a setting when there’s not a lot of action going on, overall, but I’ll talk more about that a little later.

I’ve been a fan of the Harry Potter films for quite some time now, and if you haven’t been, The Deathly Hallows Part 1 isn’t going to change your mind. To everyone else, however… well, I hesitate to say that you’re going to love it.

 

The tone and wonder of the first few films are almost completely extinct due to the heavy subject matter that has been the focus since the end of the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the past two films have taken the dark subject matter and injected it with a lot of action while the storyline starts coming together and the big picture becomes clear. However, in a film such as this, the characters are on a voyage type of mission, not unlike the events of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. In a fantasy series, and specifically one where it’s a film adaptations dedicated to the special effects and wonder that is affiliated with an epic (and I mean that literally, there are dragons in Harry Potter) story like the events in Harry Potter. And as plenty have noted, the movie is extremely faithful to the book, but this kind of story truly works better in novel form, as opposed to film.

But the advantage that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 has over other stories where the central theme is finding an object/destroying an object, and being removed overall from the rest of the world’s cast of characters is that Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have been playing these characters since they were children, and have spent the majority of their lives as their respective characters, so you honestly believe the events that are going on with the characters. Also, the chemistry between the actors is a direct replica of the dynamic between Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

The Good:

It’s all actor/character driven and the team of Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint sell every moment that they are on screen. It’s a great character movie to showcase how the relationships have grown between the central characters and gives the actors the room to flex their art before-with they wrap with the all out epic war for the survival of good within a dark world. Also, the directing and cinematography was fantastic, everything looked flawless, and the look of the movie suited the mood of the story, so everything worked in complete synergy.

The Bad:

It’s not really bad, but it’s a slow-paced movie. It’s not poor pacing, and the pacing’s not off, it’s just that the movie just moves slowly, and for a film that’s over two hours, it can start to wear on you a little. And, as a fan of the action and fantasy that’s been such a big part of the Harry Potter mythos, it felt like the movie was one hundred percent preparation for Deathly Hallows Part 2. On the other hand, the creative team behind the movie sold this tension, which worked to its benefit in the long run, since we’re only getting half of the story.

Conclusion:

As I said before, this installment isn’t going to make new fans, and if you’re just looking for the action and apocalyptic drama of the later films, this movie won’t whet your appetite, but Part 2 probably will, so be patient. But, if you’ve truly fallen in love with these characters, and you honestly care about everything that’s going on in Harry’s world, you won’t be disappointed. You’ll be depressed and want to cry, but you’ll still leave the theatre satisfied.

 

 

 

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer Official HD

THE EXPENDABLES

In the same vein as 2010’s Predators, Sylvester Stallone’s ambition with The Expendables was to transport modern audiences back to the action cinema zenith of the 1980s, when enormous muscle-bound stars utilized equally enormous firearms and slaughtered thousands of bad guys with ease.

After resurrecting the ’80s aesthetic with 2008’s Rambo, Stallone has given the ailing style a new life to deliver an old-school, action-packed wallop of a cinematic experience. Armed with the most charismatic ensemble of “badguys” to grace cinema screens since 1987’s Predator, along with enough testosterone and manliness to make your spleen explode, The Expendables is a blast; an epic old-fashioned manly movie with infinite replay value. Led by the cigar-chomping Barney Ross (Stallone), the titular Expendables are an elite team of professional mercenaries. Following a violent scuffle with a bunch of pirates, the team is offered a job by a certain Mr. Church (Willis) to travel to the isolated island of Vilena and overthrow a dictator (Zayas) whose strings are being pulled by former CIA operative Monroe (Roberts). Upon arrival at Vilena, though, Ross and his second-in-command Lee Christmas (Statham) discover that there’s more to the assignment that meets the eye, and they choose to decline the job. Yet, Ross becomes haunted by a brave young woman named Sandra (Itié) who willingly chooses to remain in Vilena and fight the evils of her homeland. Consequently, the Expendables suit up for battle - this includes Christmas and Ross, along with Yin Yang (Li), Toll Road (Couture) and Hale Caesar (Crews).More than anything else, The Expendables benefits from a fast and furious pace. The film is a taut, fast-moving actioner that never lulls.

 

While the film is probably 30 or 40% action, the areas of exposition between the loud explosions and blood-letting are filled with something;  interesting plot development, engaging tough-guy banter, one-liners and nail-biting sections of anticipation. It sustains momentum in the lead-up to the final half hour, when the film truly takes off in exhilarating ways. Stallone’s interest in gory combat scenarios and penchant for amazing, visceral action is retained in The Expendables with a climax capable of shaking the theatre walls via the rollicking sound mix and Brian Tyler’s epic score. There’s carnage aplenty throughout the action scenes; men are blown to pieces, men are sliced to pieces, necks are broken, bones are shattered, and there are massive explosions to pieces too *smiles*. 

Once the bone-crunching climax draws to a close, you’ll be left wanting more. You’ll also be left wondering what exactly Stallone is smoking (probably IGBO!) and why more Hollywood filmmakers aren’t smoking the same thing. The Expendables features a great deal of outstanding hand-to-hand combat in addition to the shootouts, and Stallone’s embrace of old-school cinematic techniques is refreshing in an age of CGI-laden bullshit like Transformers. While some have complained about the film’s “shaky-cam/fast-cutting” techniques, they’re not pronounced to the point of distraction. Every inch of the choreography is discernible (if you can’t follow the action scenes, you’re blind I guess), as opposed to The A-Team for which you had to wait until the smoke cleared to figure out what just happened. Meanwhile, CGI was used at times for blood and flames, but it looks phoney on only two or three occasions. Unsurprisingly, the critics sharpened their knives in anticipation for The Expendables, and the film ended up being skewered rather harshly. Yet, those critics dismissing Stallone’s magnum opus as a brain-dead action extravaganza are basing those criticisms on untruths. In previous years, Stallone wrote and directed both 2006’s Rocky Balboa and 2008’s Rambo which built and solidified the filmmaker’s reputation for constructing heartfelt action movies, and The Expendables further reinforces this talent. Following the nail-biting opening action sequence, well-paced exposition and character development takes centre stage. Mickey Rourke (in his role as Tool) shows up on a few occasions throughout this section, and his appearances constitute the movie’s heart and soul. With this inclusion, there’s a human element to the action that’s lacking in traditional blockbusters (even the much-acclaimed Inception was marred by boring characters and a lack of humanity). The film underscores that these tough guy mercenaries are people, not automatons without a conscience, and this accentuates the dramatic intensity when the team march off to battle. With this in mind, it’s slightly disappointing to report that character development is lacking. While Ross and Christmas are developed adequately, and Yin Yang is allotted an acceptable amount of development, Toll Road and Hale Caesar are neglected in this department. Additionally, there’s a subplot regarding Christmas’ love life, yet this is only present in small fragments. Of course, these faults are nothing an extended version couldn’t fix. And, thankfully, the characterizations are solid - each member of the titular team possesses their own personality and traits, while the dialogue is a constant source of amusement. Contrasted against the other men-on-a-mission movies of 2010 (The Losers and The A-Team), The Expendables features a likable, fun bunch of tough guys portrayed by an ideal cast.

Speaking of the cast, it’s the biggest selling point of the enterprise. It reads like a laundry list of everyone’s favourite action heroes. Thankfully, each actor is terrific, right down to the supporting cast. Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham are an ideal pairing of lead performers - their banter is amusing, and their camaraderie feels genuine. Neither star deserves an Oscar, but both afforded a much-needed intensity to key scenes. Alongside this duo, Jet Li also impresses as Yin Yang, while Randy Couture and Terry Crews (my favourite guy from “Everybody hates Chris”) are infinitely likeable. Dolph Lundgren is the film’s biggest surprise: he’s an absolute standout as Gunnar Jensen. In the past, the Dolphster has delivered dud performances, yet he’s in fine form here - this is his most nuanced and believable work in years. Added to these badguys is Mickey Rourke, who’s an outright scene stealer as the Expendables’ handler. In terms of villains, Eric Roberts oozes evil as Monroe and WWE wrestler Steve Austin is menacing as a henchman, but David Zayas barely registers as General Garza. Another of the biggest selling points of The Expendables is the much-hyped single scene featuring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. It’s over too quickly, to be sure, but it’s a terrific, hilarious, and well-written scene. The punch line is a humdinger.

Yes, The Expendables is dumb at times, as it features enemies who are slow to respond and can’t shoot straight. Yes, The Expendables is clichéd and largely predictable, too, but the movie should not have been any other way. Granted, any summer blockbuster is clichéd and brainless, but one’s willingness to overlook these aspects depends on how fun the ride is. Whereas something like Clash of the Titans is bland and empty, the fun provided by The Expendables is very pervasive and persuasive - you simply will not care about its pedestrian script. Sometimes you have to put aside your instincts as a film critic to enjoy such a ride. As far as I’m concerned, Sly can continue creating these awesome, manly blockbusters for as long as he likes, as I’ll certainly continue to pay to see them and you should too.

'The Expendables' Trailer HD

Avatar: Special Edition Movie Trailer Official (HD)

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

A word of warning – you’re going to hear and read a lot of hyperbole about this movie. This is why – ‘The Social Network’ is smart, tense, and absolutely invigorating to watch. It is a triumph for crew and cast and the audience as well (a major exception being the real-life people these actors portray). 

Whether Network is the defining film of this decade, the last, or the next remains to be seen – and in any case, if this is the kind of wordplay on hand, we must be really starving for a non-condescending, genuinely interesting motion picture to pop up in theatres. At the very least, David Fincher’s new film refuses to spell out proceedings – legal and otherwise. 

Ben Mezrich’s book “The Accidental Billionaires” is the jumping-off point for Aaron Sorkin‘s exhaustively studious screenplay, balancing machine-gun wordplay with unexpected (and often delightful) moments of caustic humour. Sorkin draws on a well of information available in this day and age to take us back to an ancient time in human history – Harvard, 2003.A young(er) Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) breaks up with Erica Albright (Rooney Mara, owning two scenes in the film and making us look forward to her taking on the mantle of Lisbeth Salander in Fincher’s next), comes back to his dorm room and hatches…something. From there, we leap between the trial levelled against Zuckerberg by a variety of defendants, former and apparently only friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield…also exemplary) sharing sad and damning glares with Zuckerberg. The other defendants include Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) and a very amusing Armie Hammer, playing privileged twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

What ‘The Social Network’ undoubtedly is, is a film of the moment, attuned and engineered to appeal to a generation who grew in the midst of one young maven who had the means to put out a killer app and keeps it running. How much truth or fiction is in Sorkin’s script is frankly, irrelevant – it is a problematic account if you choose to scour for true and false details but the film is not about Zuckerberg, or Saverin or even Napster founder Sean Parker (a toned-down Justin Timberlake). 

The film is about Facebook, a journalistic approach that doesn’t allow for much characterization but wrings meaning out of action – the pacing and dialogue are evidence to that, anchored by Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall’s spectacularly tight editing.Everyone in ‘Network’ is on the move and downtime as well as self-reflection are allotted rarely and in small doses – Fincher’s eye for composition and blocking is (here comes the hyperbole) reminiscent of Kubrick and you have to commend the man for making Harvard frat parties look like, well, beautiful orgies of flesh and alcohol. Fincher plays host to Sorkin’s dialogue and moves his camera adeptly to match the pace – breathlessly sometimes but still and unmoving at others. 

The cinematography, by Jeff Cronenweth, who also lensed ‘Fight Club’, is alluring, Smokey and tinted during the Harvard days or all polished steel locked into the office where the Facebook settlement will be decided.

‘The Social Network’ is equally tempting, so sleek and impeccably delivered that it is easy to get sucked in – a compliment and a warning. 

Don’t come to this film for an account of the truth, strange and ribald as it may or may not be. See it because as a piece of film making, it is grand, a time at the movies that will put your brain in traction. And that’s a whole lot of something.You should also be prepared to get inspired, be encouraged to start something or anything and like the mustard seed, wait for it to grow into what has never been seen or imagined.‘

The Social Network’ is showing at Silverbird Cinemas... you should see it!