Review: Warm Bodies

            It has been done! A worthwhile supernatural romance in a post-Twilight world has been released, and it goes by the name of Warm Bodies. Trailers for this film painted it as tacky, quirky, and one-dimensional, but thankfully, what is presented in the actual picture is far more than what was to be expected. When taken at face value, Warm Bodies is a tender, hilarious ball of undead fun.

            Based on Isaac Marion’s novel of the same name, Warm Bodies is the comedic tale of R, a self-aware zombie who falls in love with a living girl in a post-apocalyptic world. When the words “zombie” and “comedy” are mentioned in the same sentence, thoughts often go straight to 2004’s brilliant Sean of the Dead, as it remains the last word in the niche horror-comedy genre. Where Sean treated the re-animated dead with faithful accuracy to horror canon, however, Warm Bodies diverges and throws a massive wrench in the system. R is a rarity in that he knows that he is dead, he is mostly self-sufficient, and can even utter small phrases. This would never happen in any of George Romero’s zombie flicks, but Warm Bodies doesn’t try to fit that mold. Largely self-deprecating and satirical, this movie focuses on being as witty and romantic as possible in a world filled with walking corpses.

            Strange as it may sound, the love story that unfolds over the course of the film is truly very sweet, and somehow the undead element takes a back seat to the human element. Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer sell their characters perfectly, especially Hoult, who brings R to life with little more than grunts and facial expressions. This isn’t much more than a paycheck movie for John Malkovich, but he does what he does best in the scenes he’s given. All-in-all, Warm Bodies is a story-driven movie, but the acting never leaves anything to be desired.

            I’m still a fan of the Romero zombie, and wish with everything I am that the characteristics in Warm Bodies do not become canonized, but in this one-off flick they work great. From start to finish this is an entertaining zombie romance, which is something that if someone had told me beforehand, I would have checked their pulse.

Score: 3.4/5

Review: Mama

            When it comes to the supernatural, you can always count on Guillermo del Toro. While Mama was directed and co-written by Andres Muschietti, del Toro’s stamp is all over this film, and it’s apparent that his influence went much farther than his executive producer title leads on. In my review of Texas Chainsaw 3D I lamented the lack of modern day horror flicks filled with suspense, shadows, and originality, and it’s as if Mama came along to show me that there is hope yet. This is a horror movie in the style of the golden age, and it is beautiful and artistic throughout. It’s not perfect, and there are some confusing decisions, but on the whole Mama is a fun ride and is the best horror film in wide release since last year’s tongue-in-cheek Cabin in the Woods.  

            In my eyes, a horror movie needs to be one of two things in order to be truly successful: grounded in complete reality or based in the surreal, fantastic, and mythical. Mama is most assuredly the latter, and it’s in this arena that del Toro’s presence is felt most. Ghost stories like this are nothing if not dark fairytales, and the man who gave us Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the foremost experts in that field. The story revolves around two young girls who are abandoned by their father after he murders their mother, and they are “raised” by a supernatural mother dealing with her own inner demons. The children have no real human interaction during their formative years, which presents a problem for their aunt and uncle who are able to find and take them in. Jessica Chastain is wonderful as the reluctant, punk rock Annabel, and she is complemented perfectly by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The real stars here, however, are the two young children, who work in tandem with the darkness and shadows to present an ominous atmosphere. The human element is never lost, but the ethereal nature of the tale is what shines through.

The first two-thirds of Mama are filled with adequate jump scares, understated gloom, and non-stop foreboding, all to great success. It’s in the film’s final act, however, where viewers will either jump ship and dismiss Mama as cheesy, or realize the risks that the filmmakers took in bringing to life such a haunting, visceral tale of love and loss. Mama is a gothic fairytale at its finest, and the imagery presented is ghostly and fantastic (if not a bit too CGI-heavy). Muschietti, del Toro, and co. have done what hasn’t been done in quite some time and have given us a ghost story worth checking out. Mama isn’t an instant classic, but its surely an accomplishment when taken in context of the times.

Score: 3.8/5 

Review: The Impossible

            There are gripping, intense movies, and then there’s The Impossible. Juan Antonio Bayona’s film tells the true story of a family caught in the 2004 tsunami, and it is simultaneously hard to watch and hard to turn away from. Films centered on real life disasters, especially recent ones, can be touchy subjects, but The Impossible simply focuses on the incredible story of the Belon family and never exploits the ruin. Anchored by stellar performances from Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, the movie transports the viewer to Southeast Asia and never lets up.

            The opening scenes of calm before the storm are brief, but there is enough heartfelt emotion to develop the characters in a short frame of time. The Belon family comes across as a loving family of five who are truly happy to be together at Christmas in Thailand. It’s not long before the horror that is the tsunami hits, and one of the more enthralling survival tales in recent memory really picks up.

            For a majority of the film’s first half, we follow Maria (Watts) and the Belon’s eldest son Lucas, who are separated from the rest of their family in the chaos. The two fight through unthinkable turmoil together, and the mother-son bond is overpowering and intense. Whether it be debris, rushing water, thirst and hunger, or thoughts of their family, Maria and Lucas weather every obstacle thrown their way. You will cringe with every injury-ridden step Mara takes, and your heart will feel for Lucas as he helps her along the way. Young Tom Holland is fantastic as Lucas, and The Impossible may represent the launch pad to stardom for him. McGregor’s Henry is with the other two sons, and it’s terribly heart wrenching to watch the man stop at nothing to find his wife and son.

In terms of filmmaking, there are multiple elements that compliment the actors impeccably. The cinematography truly puts the viewer smack in the middle of the action, and the feelings of panic and stress refuse to cease. The score perfectly compliments every scene, and the makeup is some of the more impressive work in recent cinema. The characters on screen truly look near-death, and their wounds are so realistic that you can feel the pain.

            The Impossible will bring you to tears, make you want to vomit, and make you cringe in pain, but most importantly, will make you thankful for the relationships you have in life. The emotion and intensity on screen throughout the film are unrelenting, and go a long way towards making The Impossible a truly well done adaptation of a real life nightmare.

Score: 4/5

Review: Texas Chainsaw 3D

            What has happened to horror movies? A proud genre that once relied on suspense, shadows, and imagination now settles for cheap, calculated jump scares, or tries to put a fresh “spin” on classic characters to no avail. Unfortunately for Leatherface, Texas Chainsaw 3D is one of the worst culprits of the latter, and is a disaster at nearly every turn.

            The film disregards all other entrants in the TCM series and picks up moments after the original ends. We are treated to mere minutes of nostalgia, as the notorious Sawyer family is reunited on screen, complete with John Dugan in Grandpa’s chair. A welcome surprise was Bill Moseley, who fills in for the late Jim Siedow, and does a nice job portraying Drayton Sawyer. But alas, all good things come to an end, and the characters we know and love are burned to the ground by angry townsfolk, setting the stage for the rest of the film. We are then transported to what seems to be present day, and are introduced to a young grocery store employee named Heather (Alexandra Daddario). When Heather learns of her maternal grandmother’s passing, she and her friends set out on a road trip to collect her inheritance, and thus arouse Newt, Texas’s most violent citizen. At this point, the general incompetence of Texas Chainsaw 3D is already apparent, as the supposed 20-something Heather would actually be 38 years old if she was a newborn in the opening scene set in 1974. Regrettably, this incorrect math is simply the beginning of the ridiculousness that unfolds over the rest of the movie.

            Slasher films aren’t typically lauded for the performances of their actors, and it’s as if TC3D purposely tries to stay true to this. As Heather’s boyfriend, Trey Songz answers the question of whether or not there is anything more irritating than his music by showing that his acting is equally as awful. The rest of Heather’s friends play cliché, clueless young adults looking for nothing but a good time, and the character development provides zero reason for the audience to care for them. The script is insultingly dumbed down and grates on your nerves more so than the revving of any chainsaw. The only character that the film attempts to persuade the viewer to relate to is the one that should be left in the shadows the most: Leatherface.

            Named Jed Sawyer this go around, Leatherface starts TC3D as his usual hulking, monstrous self, but the plot does nothing to enhance this image. The main purpose of TC3D is to provide some sort of commentary on the family unit while humanizing Leatherface with forced empathy, and it’s a terrible choice. By painting the skin-mask wearing psychopath as a childish victim, the veil is pulled back on what was once an unexplainable terror. Leatherface is far more effective as a mysterious cannibal and butcher than he is as an unintelligent baby of a man. The image of Leatherface dancing with his chainsaw in frustration at the end of the 1974 original is downright haunting, while in this film we get to see him exchange emotional glances with his long-lost cousin. The plot makes the police, hell bent on ridding their town of the menace, the bad guys, and makes Leatherface an antihero of sorts. By doing so, Leatherface’s previous crimes are essentially thrown out the window, as it seems as if he does nothing but protect his beloved family when threatened. The Leatherface that I grew up with protected his family, but would also stop at nothing to butcher anything or anyone who he came in contact with. The concept of showing Leatherface in this light was a risk that the filmmakers took, and it falls so incredibly short of being effective that it nearly taints his terrorizing legacy. It should be noted, however, that Dan Yeager does a great job in his portrayal of Leatherface, and it would have been interesting to see him in the role with a better plot around him.

            Gunnar Hansen, the original Leatherface, makes a cameo in Texas Chainsaw 3D, but that should be the only association made between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and TC3D. This is a poor attempt at bringing a new, softer side to a horror legend, and there isn’t enough gory fun to make it worthwhile. The 3D is pointless and annoying, the acting and script are terrible, and the plot is nonsensical at best. Do yourself a favor and avoid this movie at all costs, and the real Leatherface will still be able to effectively massacre your dreams.

Score: 1.5/5

Review: Django Unchained

Despite sharing a release date with the fantastic Les Miserables a mere two weeks after the juggernaut that is The Hobbit hit theaters, Django Unchained stood out as the most anticipated film of the holiday season, and with good reason. Quentin Tarantino’s spaghetti western tale of a slave-turned bounty hunter captivated audiences with simply the previews, and thankfully, the film meets the lofty expectations it set for itself. There is an aura around Tarantino’s films that is difficult to explain, but Django fits the Tarantino mold to a T and will sit nicely on the shelf with such classics as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Inglourious Basterds.

            Everything that we have come to expect from Tarantino is on full display in Django, and while the tactics don’t pave new ground, the film contains nary a dull moment. Filled with stylish, over-the-top violence and brilliantly witty dialogue, this is a near 3-hour film that you wish was 4. As he did in Inglourious Basterds, Christoph Waltz steals every one of his scenes, and plays the perfect outspoken partner to Jamie Foxx’s quiet, badass Django. The relationship that the two form throughout the course of the film is quite endearing, and it is one that only Tarantino could build given the circumstances that the two characters live with. While Waltz and Foxx are most assuredly the stars of Django, there is a colorful cast of characters around them, and their performances go a long way in telling this story.

            It’s not often we get to see Leo DiCaprio play the villain. What with his dashing good looks and boyish charm, one can understand why this is the case. In his role as plantation owner Calvin Candie, however, DiCaprio masterfully uses his charm to bring a sinister, snake-like side to the film. The character is simultaneously charming and evil, and Leo nails the dichotomy perfectly. Don Johnson is great in his brief role as the owner of a separate plantation, and Samuel L. Jackson (complete with fantastic make-up work), is so believable as Candie’s head slave Stephen that you truly forget it’s him. The casting could not be more perfect, and each of the actors involved gave their all, knowing full well that there would be at least a bit of controversy considering the film’s subject matter. This is the Inglourious Basterds of the mid-1800s, and though Spike Lee may have a problem with it, the film is never purposely disrespectful. Any and all comically exaggerated violence is reserved for scenes not involving the act of slavery, and the subject is presented in a historically accurate manner with a serious tone. Sure, this is a bloody, hysterical, fun-time picture that involves slaves, but slavery itself is never the butt of any joke.

            Django Unchained is equal parts buddy comedy, historical fiction, spaghetti western, and even superhero film, a mix of genres that not many other directors can pull off. Once again, you can feel the love that Tarantino has for classic cinema, and the homage he pays to the films most important to him is sincere. While Django does reference many other film styles, the unique combination is Tarantino’s trademark, and it works as well here as it ever has.

Score: 5/5

Review: This is 40

             I really wanted to like This is 40. With Judd Apatow at the helm bringing back characters from what I believe is the best film he directed (Knocked Up), this seemed like a no-brainer hit. Couple that with the fact that that the stellar duo of Paul Rudd and Mrs. Apatow, Leslie Mann, were reunited on screen, there was no way This is 40 could falter, right? Wrong.

            This is 40 is marketed as a straight up comedy about the trials and tribulations of a middle-aged couple coping with the fact that the big 4-0 is finally a reality. However, the film plays out over two agonizingly long hours of Apatow letting go of some deep-rooted emotions that are the farthest thing from humorous. It reads like more of a therapy session, with the family unit (all Apatow’s, with Rudd in his place), venting their every last issue with one another amid an aimless plot. The pacing and arguing will wear you out, and the supposed jokes that one would expect from an Apatow production are so few and far between that they fail to bring light to an otherwise gray picture. I appreciate the realism of a married couple that is portrayed here, it’s just too much over far too long of a time for it to work. What starts off as a light-hearted foray into one family’s life is quickly clouded in a fog of depression. One would expect at least a bit of tenderness in a film about an every day family with every day struggles, but in place of romance there is only dysfunction.

            As to be expected, the bright spots in the film are Rudd and Mann, who do their best with the material and are as convincing as can be. Paul Rudd is nearly impossible to dislike, and his onscreen chemistry with Mann is undeniable. The two feel like a real couple, which makes the disorder that plays out in front of your eyes that much more uncomfortable. Albert Brooks and John Lithgow are superb in their supporting roles as the aloof and estranged fathers of the couple, and even Megan Fox does a great job flaunting her best assets to fit the part. On the whole, the acting in This is 40 is really quite excellent, it’s just a shame that the performances couldn’t have taken place in a more endearing piece. Melissa McCarthy provides what is without a doubt the funniest scene in the film, and her outtakes that play over the credits are worth a bigger percentage of the ticket price than the preceding two hours.

            At the end of the day, This is 40 is much more Funny People than it is Knocked Up, as it fails to find the balance between real life drama and escapist humor that Knocked Up hit so perfectly. I still trust Judd Apatow, and will still see almost anything with Paul Rudd’s name attached to it, but This is 40 is anything but what we’ve come to expect from their past collaborations.

Score: 2/5

Review: Les Misérables

I’m not afraid to admit that I enjoy musicals. I will say, though, that the only time I saw Les Misérables performed was when I was in 8^th grade on a school trip to watch the high school do it. Needless to say, watching Les Mis on the big screen was essentially my first introduction to the heart-wrenching characters and story given to us by Victor Hugo, and I’m kicking myself for not experiencing it earlier. This adaptation is beautiful in the ugliest, most perfect way possible, and should be the mold that future musical adaptations follow.

            The music at the core of the story is spot on thanks to one of the more daring directions in recent cinematic history from director Tom Hooper. The actors in the film were all required to sing their parts live as they acted, as opposed to being able to lip-synch to a shiny, studio-produced track with no soul. The tactic works so well that I’m not sure the film would be the same without it. Gone is the pitch-perfect, high-gloss soundtrack that adaptations like Rent gave us, and instead Les Misérables is colored by sweat, blood, and snot-stained singing that is never sonically perfect, but fits the story like a glove. It is deeply moving to watch the characters, all gritty and torn, sing from a place that only someone as dejected as they are could. Every actor in the film performed this way, whether a singer by trade or not, and nearly everyone met the challenge head on.

            Speaking of the actors, if Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway don’t receive any Oscar noms for their roles as Jean Valjean and Fantine respectively, a serious injustice will have occurred. These are two people who have proven their acting chops before, but neither has ever been able to affect me so deeply as they did here. Their tears seem to come from somewhere real, their singing (especially Hathaway’s I Dreamed a Dream, the film’s spotlight moment) consistently hits home, and their presence is magnetic. I truly can’t say enough positive things about their performances here, just know that Wolverine and Catwoman deserve any and all praise that they receive. The surrounding cast of characters is great as well, and although singing obviously isn’t Russell Crowe’s forte, his looming presence is enough to make up for it. It should also be noted that film newcomer Samantha Barks will melt even the iciest of hearts when she performs On My Own as Éponine. Something tells me this will not be the last time we see Ms. Barks, and I look forward to what is next for her.

I had no expectations when I went to watch Les Misérables, and after three unrelenting hours glued to my seat, I’m not sure expectations would have mattered. This is a gorgeous musical adaptation supported by fantastic scenery, classic music, incredible performances, and the entire spectrum of the human emotional scale. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy musicals or not, Les Misérables transcends genre and is merely a profoundly stirring tale of love, loss, and glory. The characters on screen may be miserable, but the experience of watching them couldn’t be more different.

Score: 4.8/5