Movie Review: SAVAGES, A Review by Frank Venuto

Title: Savages
Director: Oliver Stone
Actor(s): Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, John Travolta, Salma Hayek
Rated: R
Genre: Drama, Suspense, Mystery
Runtime: 2 hr., 9 min.
Release Date: 6 July 2012 (Theatrical)
Frank's Rating:


Synopsis: Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, homegrown industry-raising some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town...until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them. When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon-with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (Travolta)-wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel.

Frank's Review: Let me start by saying I have always been a fan of Oliver Stone's movies. From his conspiracy theory laden JFK to his ultraviolent take on crime and journalism in Natural Born Killers and of course who didn't love Wall Street.  Yes, I can even admit that I enjoyed parts of the oft panned Alexander. SAVAGES is no different. Starring Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, Benicio Del Toro, and John Travolta, the story revolves around the definition of savages: members of society that are regarded as primitive and uncivilized. That is what all the characters in this movie are in some way, shape, or form. I am jumping ahead a bit.
           
Stone uses a camera like another character in the movie. His uses of vivid colors interspersed with gray shots of the ocean splashing on the rocks are beautiful. He never ceases to amaze me with the way he sees the world in colors. Different ways of handling the filming either via hand held or in some instances using a security camera to tell the story keeps the audience interested and involved.

As far as his character development goes, I do feel Stone drops the ball here a bit. All of the characters fit into the story a little too neatly. But the actors pull off these characters well. Kitsch (Chon) and Johnson ( Ben) play the lead roles of the best pot dealers in the US. Kitsch is Hollywood's newest "it" guy and I feel this role was perfect for him. I at times felt like I was watching him in Friday Night Lights again. The journey of Johnson's character from the peaceful botanist to the do-anything-for-love-savage was my favorite storyline in the movie. The rest of the cast was good. However, Del Toro was GREAT. His turn as the strong-arm for the cartel was amazing. He is so smarmy and gritty you can almost smell him through the screen.

Where Stone falls short is this: I feel he sold the movie as an action packed flick. In reality, it is a drama and commentary on the USA's war on drugs mixed with shots of brutality. Stone's strengths in his movies usually lie within the conspiracies, but I feel he stretched it in this one. If he would have given us a straight popcorn movie I probably would have loved this film. Instead, because Oliver tried to shovel the atrocities of this story at us and then cop out in the end, he didn't allow the audience to see all of the people as Savages.

 All in all Stone gave us a good summer movie. The visuals were at times stunning and the acting was good. Out of 5 stars I would give SAVAGES a 3. Thanks for reading my review.

Like Frank's review? Want to know more about him or have a question for him? Check out his Guest Blogger Introduction HERE!

Movie Review: Take Shelter, A Review by Gary Dion

Title: Take Shelter
Director: Jeff Nichols
Actor(s): Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain
Rated: R
Genre: drama, thriller, indie
Theme: Apocalypse, mental illness
Runtime: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 14 February 2012
Website: Take Shelter
Buy: Amazon.com
Gary's Rating:


Synopsis: Following his acclaimed debut, Shotgun Stories, writer/director Jeff Nichols reteams with actor Michael Shannon to create a haunting tale that will creep under your skin and expose your darkest fears. Curtis LaForche lives in a small town in Ohio with his wife, Samantha, and daughter, Hannah, a six-year-old deaf girl. When Curtis begins to have terrifying dreams, he keeps the visions to himself, channeling his anxiety into obsessively building a storm shelter in his backyard. His seemingly inexplicable behavior concerns and confounds those closest to him, but the resulting strain on his marriage and tension within his community can’t compare with Curtis’s privately held fear of what his dreams may truly signify. Take Shelter features fully realized characters crumbling under the weight of real-life problems. Using tone and atmosphere to chilling effect, Nichols crafts a powerful psychological thriller that is a disturbing tale for our times.

Gary Dion's Review: I was looking forward to seeing the new movie titled "Take Shelter" starring the little known actor Michael Shannon. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. Michael Shannon was superb as a man who is having visions of approaching doom and danger, but are they visions of what's to come or of what is being distorted in his mind? Since his character's mother was diagnosed with mental problems, did he inherit these traits?

The movie is a big mystery, keeps you guessing what's going on and wondering what's real. There are many intriguing scenes and tense moments but the trip in between these are too long and wearing. In the end, there is a worth while finale but by that time I was ready to go to bed. 30 minutes or so shorter may have allowed the movie to move along a little better but at least the performances by both Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain (who plays his wife) were worth watching. Just be ready for some down time if you do wish to partake in this film.

Reviewed By: Gary Dion

Like Gary Dion's review? Check out his author & book recommendation post HERE and check out his Guest Blogger Information HERE.

Mia's tidbit: Have you watched Take Shelter but can't make sense of the ending? Stay tuned for my Saturday post on what people are saying about the "ambiguous" ending and why I think there is no ambiguous ending!

2/20/12 **UPDATE** My Take Shelter Analysis has been put on hold! I will update everyone when it gets posted!

Movie Review: DRIVE

Title: Drive
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Actor(s): Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan
Language: English
Rated: R
Genre: Action/Drama
Theme: heist-gone-wrong, stunt/getaway driver
Runtime: 100 mins
DVD Release Date: 31 January 2012
Website: drive-movie.com
Buy: Amazon.com
My Rating: 3 1/2 stars


Synopsis: Ryan Gosling stars as a Hollywood stunt driver for movies by day and moonlights as a wheelman for criminals by night. Though a loner by nature, “Driver” can’t help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband. After a heist goes wrong, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). Soon he realizes the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash and is forced to shift gears and go on the offense.

**The Following Review May Contain SPOILERS**

My Review: I had no plans to review this movie because I had very low expectations going into watching it. It was sort of a Ryan Gosling weekend-- I had just watched Crazy Stupid Love with a girlfriend of mine (which is a great romantic comedy that I highly recommend). The next night I popped in Ides of March (also starring George Clooney) which was not a bad movie, but I'm not big into politics so it was one of those films that was good but not enough to add to my collection. I was supposed to watch In Time next (still plan to) but Drive was just sitting there and I thought to myself, Mia, if you don't watch it now, it will just sit there until you're forced to return it. Why not finish the weekend with Ryan Gosling and get it over with?

Drive completely caught me by surprise. Based upon the trailer and plot summaries such as the one above, I went into the movie thinking it was going to be just another typical action film along the lines of Fast and the Furious and The Transporter. I couldn't have been more wrong. Ryan Gosling plays a character only known as "Driver". By day he is a stuntman driver in movies and works on cars at a shop owned by his only/older friend named Shannon. At night he offers his services as a getaway driver to clients who need speedy exits after unsavory activities (such as robbing places). The opening sequence is set up by Driver's simple rules:

"There's a hundred streets in this city. You don't need to know the route. You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you're on your own. Do you understand?"

The chase scene that follows is unlike anything I've ever experienced before in an action car film. As the driver starts to navigate his clients through the dark streets with the police following behind, I was sitting there waiting for Ryan Gosling to start spewing cheesy one liners that Vin Diesel or Jason Statham and other action stars have become famous for. I was waiting for the suspenseful music to start pumping. I was waiting for---SOMETHING familiar to happen on the screen. Instead, the scene was done in almost complete silence, except for the sound of the police through his scanner and his own car radio. This technique built suspense way more than the normal high speed chases we see in movies. I found myself holding my breath at every turn. Talk about intense!

While the opening sequence was an amazing chase scene, the rest of the movie plays out more like a drama with the main focal point on characterization. Driver is a lonely, introverted man that seems to only feel alive when he is doing dare devil stunts on movie sets or taking the risk of getting caught every time he accepts a "getaway" side job at night. The feelings he develops for Irene and her son are foreign to him--driver's background is never really revealed in the movie, but you get the impression that he had an unhappy childhood or rough upbringing that has molded him into the man we see onscreen.

Although many people think the elevator scene is the turning point in the film (and in many ways it is) for me it's the motel scene with Christina Hendricks' character, Blanche. Up until then we know him as a lonely, under-the-radar type character. But this new development shows that he is an angry man, that under that cool exterior is suppressed rage just waiting to be unleashed.

There were a few things going on in this film that had me a bit confused. However, I eventually made peace with these issues once I connected the dots. Driver had a distinct jacket with a scorpion emblem on the back. He rarely takes it off, even when it's covered in blood and he walks onto one of the movie sets in front of people. I at first thought that was a bit unrealistic but after watching this movie a 2nd time, I realize that Driver is not your normal man. I'm not saying he is supernatural or anything like that, but he definitely has some hero-esque qualities about him. Like Superman with his cape, Driver has his jacket.

The music and font chosen for the credits were two other oddities that had me scratching my head at first. There was a lot of pop songs in the movie done in the style of the 80's or early 90's-- definitely not something you would expect out of an action film. The font at the beginning and end credits is done in cursive and is a hot pink color. Again, let me remind you, this is not your typical action movie.

I originally gave Drive a 4 star rating but after watching it a 2nd time with my boyfriend and father, I knocked it down to a 3.5. Here's why. My only major gripe with this film is the very long periods of silence. I know this sounds weird and it's hard to describe what I mean but there are many scenes where Driver and Irene just stare at each other-- or Irene would ask him a question and it would take him forever to answer back. This goes on a lot during the film and may be annoying for some viewers who have short attention spans. I won't lie, it even annoyed me the first time around because I put the movie on real late at night and had trouble with keeping my eyes open during those scenes. BUT, I do GET it. I know this was purposely done by the director. There are moments of awkward silence and just when you think nothing is going on and let your guard down, all hell breaks loose. Someone is shot, or stabbed-- you get the point. So in a way, you are rewarded for your patience. This works for me but others may find this annoying.

My other issue is more of some errors that my boyfriend and father pointed out because they are car men. In the beginning, Driver uses a Chevy Impala which are automatics. During the chase scene, my father pointed out that the car was shifting gears as if it was a stick shift and Driver had his hands on the wheel the whole time. This may sound trivial, but now I find it annoying since my boyfriend has a stick shift and I know what a car sounds like when it's shifting gears. Also, there was a scene where Driver hits another car head on TWICE and his headlights are completely fine and intact. Again, I never noticed it before, but now that I know it's there, it's annoying!

If you are looking for an action/drama that doesn't quite follow the normal Hollywood formula, then give Drive a chance. If you like art house films, then this is DEFINITELY a film you need to see!



Other Thoughts: I'm not a huge fan of movie tie-in books, but apparently the one for Drive by Dave Sallis is pretty good. Also, there is this really cool interview with the director of Drive that gives you details on how he even came up with the idea to make this film-- which Ryan Gosling had a big part of. You can read the interview HERE.

Movie Review: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

Movie Title: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Director: Rebecca Miller
Actor(s): Robin Wright, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves
Language: English
Subtitles: n/a
Rated: R
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 98 mins
DVD Release Date: 2 March 2010
Buy: amazon.com, half.com, ebay.com
My Rating:


Synopsis: At fifty, Pippa Lee (Robin Wright) positively glows with female serenity, the devoted wife of a brilliant publisher thirty years her senior, proud mother of successful twins and a lovely and adored friend and neighbor. But, when her husband spontaneously decides that they should leave New York for a retirement home as a "pre-emptive strike against decrepitude," Pippa finds her beatific persona unraveling in alarming ways. The truth is, the gracious woman of the present day has seen more than her fair share of the wild side. She has finally found love and security in a family of her own. And now, that cozy world, too, is in danger.


**The following review may contain SPOILERS**

My Review: Since this movie has such a long title, I am just going to refer to it as Pippa Lee in this post. I bought the dvd back in March of 2010 after reading about the film and the Oscar Buzz surrounding Robin Wright over her performance. I'm not quite sure why the story intrigued me when I read about it in Entertainment Weekly. Maybe it's because of the many actors that I heard were in it-- Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Alan Arkin, Maria Bello, Robin Weigert, Julianne Moore among the few. Nevertheless, I bought the dvd and it sat on my shelf, collecting dust until last night.

Like the synopsis explains, Pippa is a middle-aged woman married to an established publisher, Herb Lee, that is 30 years older then her. She speaks softly and eloquently, dresses properly, and within the first few minutes of the movie, you get the impression that she is your stereotypical well-to-do "housewife." But there is a sadness in Pippa's eyes as she sits around the elegant dinner table (obviously a housewarming dinner party) among her close friends, grown son, and Herb. Only the movie viewer seems to notice because all of the attention of the dinner guests seem to be focused on Herb. It is this way throughout most of the movie-- people do not come to visit Pippa but her popular husband. No matter how involved she tries to be, whether it is asking a direct question to the couple's company, or having a say in her daughter's dangerous yet interesting career choice (you soon find out that their is a wedge between Pippa and her daughter) it all somehow comes back to Herb. She always seems to be a small speck of dust in her husband's very large shadow and perhaps was content to be that way for years. But not anymore. Something has definitely changed by the time we meet Pippa, and through her first person narrative we get to see glimpses of her previous life-- or should I say the many, "private" lives that this intriguing woman has lived to get her to her current state of mind.

Because they moved from the fast, busy life of the city to the quiet, somewhat sterile retirement home in the country, you can feel Pippa's boredom. Her children are grown and out of the house, her husband is retired, and she no longer has the city lifestyle to keep her distracted. Now in this new environment, her only responsibility is to maybe get involved in a charity, cook, and take care of her husband which requires checking his blood pressure several times a day due to multiple heart attacks (which most likely has forced him to retire). Despite her husband's advancing age and health issues, he is by no means an invalid and even himself is bored. Herb has pride and the viewer gets the sense that he does not like Pippa hovering over him. In Pippa's new liftestyle, she has plenty of time to reflect and I think that is why this movie is so relatable. Most of us know what it is like to have too much time on our hands and how that can lead to productive activities or destructive thinking and behavior.

I gave this movie a 4 out of 5 star rating for a few reasons such as the colorful cast of well-known actors, the neatly woven flashback scenes, and the ability to keep an element of surprise. I have watched countless movies in the past that incorporated flashback scenes. Some worked well while others have left me bored or scratching my head in confusion. In order to find out why Pippa has such sadness in her eyes, or why she married a man 30 years her senior, or why there is such a rift between her and her daughter, seeing glimpses of her past are essential. I actually looked forward to the flashback scenes because they were not only well done but the character portrayals were executed nicely by well known actors. Pippa's mother, Sookie, was played by the talented Maria Bello of Coyote Ugly, History of Violence, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor fame. I don't want to get into too many details about Pippa's mother since it is their complex relationship that sets off a series of events which eventually brings us to our present day Pippa, but I will say that Maria Bello did an amazing job. It was really nice to see her play such a dramatic role.

Two other actresses that surprised me were Robin Weigert who plays Pippa's Aunt Trish and Julianne Moore as Kat, Trish's lover! I first saw Robin Weigert in the HBO hit television show Deadwood, playing the infamous Calamity Jane. The actress just blew me away in that show (if anyone knows anything about the real life Calamity Jane or has watched Deadwood, you will know exactly what I mean) so to see her in something completely different was a delight even if she did not have much screen time. The beautiful Julianne Moore also surprised me by playing the bold lesbian lover of Trish who sort of gets the teenage Pippa into a little trouble. Why I was shocked that Julianne Moore played a lesbian is beyond me since she has proven over her long successful career that sometimes it is the smallest roles that leave the biggest impressions after the credits roll. (Plus I have recently found out that Julianne Moore has played another lesbian in a recent movie called The Kids Are All Right which has been getting some great reviews. I want to see it but it is currently only playing in select cities. Grrr!)

Another actress worth mentioning is the eccentric Winona Ryder who plays Sandra, the much younger friend of Pippa. Sandra is unhappily married to an older (but not quite as old) friend of Pippa's husband Herb. They come over for dinner often so it is quite obvious how close both couples are. I can't give away too much detail but I do have to comment how dreadfully thin Winona Ryder looks in this film. At first I seriously thought it had something to do with her character Sandra. I kept thinking, okay, by the end of the movie it will be revealed that she is starving herself or she has some sort of eating disorder because of her unhappiness and constant negative responses her husband gives her. None of this happens of course and while it can be left open for interpretation, I still can't get her skinny image out of my head. (Winona has not starred in any big blockbuster movies in recent years, staying in indie flicks and usually playing minor or supporting roles like Pippa Lee. I do have the 2008 movie The Last Word in which she plays the main lead so when I get around to watching it, I will write a review for it.)

Okay, lastly and definitely not least, I must say a few words about Keanu Reeves performance. Keanu plays Chris Nadeau, the enigmatic son of Pippa and Herb's neighbor and friend Dot Nadeau. Before Pippa is ever introduced to Chris, Dot comes by to talk to her about how upset she is with her 35 year old son who must move back home do to his current divorce and lack of job. Dot feels that at his age he should have a career and seems to blame him for his failed marriage. She seeks out Pippa's council since everyone thinks that Pippa is wise and graceful and filled with all the right answers. Pippa finally meets Chris at the Nadeau residence to pay her respects after Dot's husband passes away. She is invited in by a guest or relative and I couldn't help but notice that the walls of the living room were painted a bubblegum shade of pink which I thought was kind of odd. Pippa goes to find Dot in the house and hears arguing coming from one particular room (which you soon find out is Chris' room). When Pippa knocks on the door to announce to Dot that she has arrived, Chris yanks it open and I think her spoke volumes. At the door is a shirtless Keanu Reeves--I mean Chris--with a huge tattoo of Jesus that spands from his collar bone down to his stomach/abdomen. It's so in-your-face that it left Pippa and even myself, speechless for a moment. Then of course I asked myself, when, why, how? It just made Keanu's character even more intriguing. Besides the shirtless, irritated Chris and the obvious argument that he was having with his mother, the other thing that you can't miss is the drastic change in color. Instead of bubblegum pink, Chris' room is a bright green and his bedsheets are yellow. There may be a few people that think I'm crazy for this analysis but within those few minutes--from the time Pippa enters the house to when she comes face to face with Chris--something told me that Chris' issues somehow stems from his childhood. I'm not saying Dot is a bad mother because you can tell she genuinely is concerned for her son, but...it's just a feeling I got from the extreme color schemes in the house. Like Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves is another one of those actors that you really don't see much of in recent years. Despite this, I really like and enjoy his acting despite critics saying that he has no range.

Okay now for the minor reasons why I didn't give this movie a perfect rating. While I absolutely loved the flashback scenes and the pertinent information that is given to us so we as the viewer can fill in the gaps in Pippa's life, I feel that some things could have been elaborated on. Again, I don't want to give away too many details but one thing that bugged me was Pippa's father and brothers. Her father was a reverand and she had at least 3 or 4 older brothers. I understand that her mother had issues and that it lead to Pippa moving out to seek refuge with her Aunt Trish. But why didn't her father step in? Why didn't any of her brothers, who most likely were out of the house and living on their own offer her a place to stay? Okay now hold that thought and let me go back to Aunt Trish and her lover Kat. Without giving away too much detail, Kat sort of causes a little trouble between Aunt Trish and Pippa. In my personal opinion, a 16 year old Pippa should not have been held accountable and I was shocked when Pippa was dumped on the street to fend for herself. Why didn't Trish reprimand Kat? Why would she be mad at an underage Pippa? And going back to her brothers, why didn't she go live with them? The movie made no mention of a fight with her brothers or even her father. I just could not understand or find it believable that not one brother kept in touch with her, even later in Pippa's life. I wish the script had elaborated a little more on her relationship (or lack there of) with her brothers.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is one of those movies that may be sitting on your shelf collecting dust or you have passed several times at the video store because you just aren't sure if you are in the mood for a drama about a middle aged woman going through a sort of midlife crisis. But it is much more then that. With a great array of actors and a few surprises here and there that keeps you interested until the very end, this is definitely one of those movies that is worth giving a couple of hours of your time to. (Especially on a rainy day or with a friend or mother!)

~Mia~