The Grey (2012)

Rated: R

Genre: Action/Survival/Drama

Info: IMDb

Directed By: Joe Carnahan

Starring: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo

“The Grey” is the gripping tale of Ottway (Neeson), a stone faced hunter hired by an oil company to kill wolves and protect workers in a remote region of Alaska. In the beginning of the movie we see that Ottway no longer wishes to live and almost takes his own life. As fate would have it, his plane ride home crashes and it becomes his job to ensure the survival of those who did not die in the crash. What follows is a harrowing story of survival in which Ottway must struggle with both his inner demons and those roaming the woods around him.

I noticed a lot of people at the theatre had mixed feelings about this movie. Predictably, today’s ADD generation of movie goers were delighted during the action parts, but just could not handle the suspense or story. I, however, enjoyed this movie. Survival stories are slowly beginning to pop their head into entertainment with shows like “I survived” and “I shouldn’t be alive” and movies such as “127 hours”. This story is one that will keep you rooting for the survivors as they move inches towards civilization and eventual rescue.

The survivors are faced with some pretty rough hardships. The freezing cold and weather conditions. Starvation. Injuries. And worst of all, their plane crashed right in the middle of wolf hunting territory. Neeson and his gang of survivors are viciously hunted by weirdly large and aggressive CGI wolves (the viciousness of these wolves being the most Hollywood-esque aspect of the entire film). One by one, the survivors are picked off, either by the elements or by the wolves. No two guys really die the same, which was pretty cool. Also, each survivor is sculpted out and given unique characteristics and back stories, which separates this movie from a horror movie where people hardly even have names. You find yourself getting attached to certain characters and then being a bit upset when they bite it.

I enjoyed watching Neeson’s character do all that he can to stay alive, even though he is proven to be suicidal, just so that he can get the other survivors home to their families. The struggle that he goes through seems a bit too real, which ropes you into the film. The ending of the movie seems to be what some people were bothered by the most, but I felt that it was very fitting and satisfying.he highlight of this movie for me was the plane crash, which is so surreal, it’s scary. Also, there is a little tid-bit after the credits, but nothing really worth staying for.

4 out of 5 Knocks

Sleeping and Waking (2009)

Genre: Drama

Info: Official Website

Directed By: Joe Banno

Starring: Jeff Allin, Hope Lambert, Ray Ficca, Elizabeth Jernigan, Helen Hedman

Produced By: Jeffrey A Koeppel

Sleeping and Waking is one of those types of films that exemplifies everything that the idea of an independent film really is. That really isn’t necessarily a bad thing…or a good thing. Now going into a film such as this you really have to have an open mind of what story really is and by no means should you have ANY background in the motion picture business. Otherwise you will be gravely disappointed.

Sleeping and Waking is the exploration of life, being relationships, integrity, belief and self awareness. At least that’s my take on it. “Sullivan Daniels”, played by Jeff Allin, is an artist that  has a 2nd chance at life after an operation to save him from terminal canncer.  It is that 2nd chance that essentially removes him from his true being and what excites him about life, he become very unlikable.

Now as mentioned before, when seeing a film such as this, or any low budget independent film that is generally balanced by story alone, you REALLY have to view it with an open mind. I’ve done my best to view this with such aspect. I will get right to the point and say that these types of films I’m not a huge fan of. For many reasons which some go beyond that of the filmmaker within me.  Starting off I didn’t care for “Sully” at all, he had a very unlikable appearance and therefore it makes it harder to continue on this journey. I felt that at times it was over acted and then at points even under acted. It seemed to me that the director and the actors weren’t on the same page, as a lot of what the camera was telling us through angles, lighting and movement, wasn’t what the actors themselves were giving.  It seemed at times that it was set to stage as the actors were just ‘reading lines’ rather than performing them. It was this that the camera would make unnecessary movements or a cut would take place that would be too jarring and remove us (audience) from the moment. The dialogue could have used some work, it seemed as though there were too much gratuitous quips and comments that really tried its best at serving as the comic relief. Which really wasn’t ‘relief’ at all but more of poor attempt at pulling a scene in a direction in which it didn’t want to go.

Adding to the confusion was the score. I feel as though a films score is almost as important to what we’re seeing, it assists in the emotion in which the director is conveying throughout any given scene. There was a time early on in the film that I thought that the composer actually lifted a piece that was in the original “Nightmare on Elm Street”. It was off by just a few notes.  That in itself was enough to take me out of the moment and the filmmakers ‘lost me’ as an audience member. Sadly to say this was a painful 90 minutes, or 75 minutes as I found myself dozing off for a quarter hour.

I believe that this story has potential, maybe in written form or as a play, just not a motion picture.

1.5 Knocks out of 5

Black Swan (2010)

Rated: R

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Info: Official Website

Directed By: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

If you are looking for a movie that will make you feel uncomfortable, while simultaneously confusing you and grossing you out, then look no further.

“Black Swan” is the story of Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a sheltered and determined ballerina. The story revolves around the ballet “Swan Lake”, with Sayers landing the lead role of “Swan Queen”. Sayers’ ballet teacher, Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) is cold, brilliant and sexual, and has one goal in mind: To put on an entirely original and groundbreaking performance of “Swan Lake”. To do so, he fires his lead role (Winona Ryder), and replaces her with Sayers. Ryder is not too thrilled, and winds up in the hospital with horrific self-inflicted injuries. This is just a glimpse of what is in store for Sayers.

Sayers’ home life leaves much to be desired. She lives with her mother, Erica Sayers (Barbara Hershey), who ended her career as a ballerina due to her being pregnant with Nina. She now lives vicariously and obsessively through her daughter, passively blaming her for never landing a lead role herself. Nina does not seem to have any friends, or much of a personality. All she knows is ballet. She definitely doesn’t lack in the discipline department. We see that Nina tortures herself for her craft. She deforms her body to suit that of a professional ballerina, years in the making. Her feet are crunched into tiny ballet slippers, she is too slender and bony. We also catch a glimpse of an obsessive scratching/picking habit, addressed by her mother. As the story unfolds, strange happenings occur. Nina begins to see a doppleganger, and suffer from hallucinations. It is not long before the movie begins to feel like Adrian Lyne’s “Jacob’s Ladder”.

Aspects of this movie which seem to be the most important are what you will be questioning the entire length of the film. The most horrific thing about the entire story is the realization that it is very probable that real-life ballerinas treat themselves as portrayed in “Black Swan”. Where as Natalie Portman’s character obviously has a history of mental illness (perhaps opened widely by the pressure brought on by a lead role, her mother, and her teacher’s insistence that she release her darker side in order to better fit the part of the black swan), it is still a very realistic tale. It is important to walk away from this movie knowing that the main character was obsessive to the point where her own mental and physical health no longer mattered, as long as she succeeded in her career. She is far too worried about being “perfect” and “beautiful”, that she overpasses all warning signs that she is harming herself.

All in all, if you try to figure out what is going on in “Black Swan”, you might be disappointed. However, if you are able to see what is right in front of you on the screen, and understand the story, you will thoroughly enjoy it. There is some neat camera work, a lot of tastefully erotic scenes, and a great classical soundtrack (a backwards rendition of the music from “Swan Lake”). I would not be surprised if the movie is nominated for multiple Oscars®, including a win for Portman in the “Best Actress” category.

4.5 Knocks out of 5

THIRST (2010)

Rated: Unrated

Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Short

Directed By: Pushpak Jain

Starring: Abhijeet Rajput, Shashank Bharadwaj

This movie is disturbing, for a few reasons. It is just under 12 minutes of two guys wandering around a barren wasteland, with no real dialogue. We are given no back story, whatsoever. The first half of the movie is full of glorified pan-shots, in which the actors are walking.

Then, just over six minutes in, something happens… action is introduced. One man is down to his very last sip of water. Right before he can drink it, the second man attacks him. A small scuffle breaks out, and neither man gets the water. They decide to improvise. What follows is one of the weirdest scenes I’ve ever seen: The two man take turns smashing each other in the hand with a large rock, and drinking each others’ tears and blood. The last shot is both men, dead, covered in blood.

The direction is not great, but it is good. The actors were faced with the difficult task of telling a story without words. The only real issue I could find with this film was the editing and sound, but, for a student film, it is not bad at all. The very end of the movie has a warning about wasting water, turning the entire experience into a threatening public service announcement. It states that, “This is not a social message. This is a warning”. It is obvious that the filmmakers have talent, now they must gain more experience.

3 Knocks out of 5

Watch it here!

Tiny Magic (2003)

“Tiny Magic”

Rated: Unrated

Genre: Drama/Short

Info: Official Website

Starring: Matthew Mesler, Stephanie Cadman, Rebekah Boisvert

Directed By: John Takacs

“Tiny Magic” is set in a shadowy bar. As it begins, on stage is a hip woman reading poetry. When she is finished, a mysterious young man with long hair takes the spotlight. He is able to make a magic wand levitate. He then takes a seat at the bar. An attractive young woman orders a drink, and the magician sparks up a conversation. He impresses her with a neat magic trick. She kisses him, and walks away. We see that the magician actually holds the power of telekinesis; he is able to move objects with his mind. He uses his power to slip a note into the woman’s jacket, across the room. He then exits the bar. The woman reads the note, which has a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. The magician returns home, and falls asleep. We see that he is now in a wheelchair, and he uses his power to walk.

This short is worth the 18 minutes or so. The creators of this film are able to pull off an interesting story within a short period of time. They leave us wanting more, asking ourselves such questions as: Who is this man? How did he gain these powers? Will he pursue a relationship with this woman?

The fact that these questions spring up means that the makers of this film did something correct… they told a decent story. Though at first, the lack of lighting is an annoyance, it soon becomes another aspect of the story. The acting is decent, and the direction is unmistakable. I expected the movie to fall off in the end, but it did the exact opposite, giving us a nice twist. Overall, it’s a decent movie, and it works well as a short.

3 Knocks out of 5

The Talk of “The Town” (2010)

“The Town”

Rated: R

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

Info: Official Website

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm

Directed By: Ben Affleck

Things tend to mature with age, whether it be a fine wine, a Cuban cigar, or even Ben Affleck. In an attempt to step forth from the shadow(s) of his first directorial debut (“Gone Baby Gone”), Affleck shows his growth as a director in this adaptation of Chuck Hogan’s “Prince of Thieves”.

Ben stars as Doug MacRay, a failed professional hockey player turned professional high-stakes bank robber. During his latest heist with his cronies, a routine encounter turns into what can be detrimental to his getaway plan; Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) spots a tattoo on Jem’s (Jeremy Renner) neck. They kidnap her, torture her and finally release her. Considering she is a witness and can identify them, Doug starts to follow her. It’s not long before attraction sets in and feelings start to brew between the two. So much so that Doug considers moving away and beginning a new. However, that is not the case when Mobster boss forces Doug & co. to go through with one last heist and all the while holding Claire’s life in the balance.

For being Affleck’s 2nd approach to direction, this was a 1-2 punch affair, 1 punch and 2 misses. The action was well choreographed, and had all ingredients to a good action film…car chases, explosions, shootouts, etc. Like a magician Affleck puts a lot of noise and distraction in your face, from creative costuming (Nun’s, skulls, etc) to the highly effective score to cover mistakes and make it seem like a movie we have never seen before. With “iffy” accents, muffled dialogue, and fluffy conversatons, this tends to fall short of a solid plot to make “The Town” nothing more than glorified eye-candy.

The bizzaro-like Italian Job characters are extremely 1 dimensional which makes all that much harder to connect on a personal level and put the audience on the side of the criminals. The foursome, Doug, Jem and two others that appear to be no other than a pair of “lackeys”, don’t deliver the connection we need as an audience to feel like we’re going on an adventure.

Overall, it was average. A well-done to Affleck for seemingly maturing as a director but he also receives a “dis-satisfactory” for being too distracted by his aforementioned position to achieve his “Affleck” status and make us comfortable. Besides, being from Boston you’d expect him to be able to naturally deliver the love-to-hate accent, but this is not the case and it only serves as an additional distraction.

2.5 Knocks out of 5