Gigantic

Gigantic

When it comes to family and relationships, there are no small surprises.

Synopsis: Brian (Paul Dano) a run of the mill mattress salesman has wanted to adopt a Chinese baby since he was young. As he precedes closer to his goal, he becomes involved with a young client named Happy. (Zooey Deschanel) Brian soon finds out that the family he thought he didn't need is exactly what he yearns for.

Breakdown: Gigantic is about family and how each one is messed up in it's own right. That doesn't make a movie. It was like watching a hodge podge mixture of scenes that didn't necessarily come to together in the end. There didn't seem to be any centralized idea or theme other than family is messed up sometimes and relationships can be messy. Then to completely throw a wrench into the mix, Brian has random throw downs with a homeless man that turns out to be himself??? This is also never explained. The ending is what saves this movie.

Paul Dano and Zooey both do a great job of playing quirky off the wall characters. John Goodman plays Happy's dad was comical at best. The movie was choppy and boring at some spots and way too exciting at others.

Overall: It's a movie that tries to be an indie success story very hard.

Rating : 3 stars

wanna know more?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176251/

State of Play

State of Play

Find the Truth

Synopsis: After the murders of a drug junkie and and innocent pizza boy are linked to the suspicious suicide of congressman Stephen Collings (Ben Affleck) assistant and mistress. Reporter Cal McAffrey (Russel Crowe) and blogger for the Washington Globe Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) find themselves working on a story that is thick with government conspiracy. As Cal and Della dig deeper into the mystery involving Collings mistress, Sonia they soon find that Collings was set up by a corporation on the brink of privatizing and controlling homeland security. With time running out and the Globe's new management putting a hold on their story, Della and Cal needs to find a credible source that hasn't died yet.

Breakdown: A I wrote the synopsis for this one I feared I'd run out of blogging room. State of Play was a decent suspense thriller but it lacked a certain consistency. While the plot was generally centralized it shot off in several different directions that at times felt contrived and made the movie slightly hard to follow. Cal starts by following one story and then switches to the next one and then back to his original lead. At the same time he is dealing with his inappropriate relationship with Colling's wife, butting heads with his editor (Helen Mirren), and attempting to help his old college bud who is Collings the congressman. Della's character was good and well formed but seemed almost useless, she did very little to advance the story on her own accord and seemed more like Cal's assistant. The ending attempted a twist surprise but actually ended up coming off more like "now what is going on"?

Acting was solid all around. I'm not a huge Crowe fan but he did a pretty good job. McAdams I thought did good for what she was given, her role was like as mentioned before almost not needed. I give props to Jason Bateman who plays the sleazy source that ends up being the last piece of the puzzle. He did a great job!

Kevin Macdonald directs State of Play and the pacing and flow were good but the plot just didn't quite keep it all together for me.

Overall: State of Play was entertaining and while it's not some blow your mind thriller it's definitely worth a rental.

Rating: 3&1/2 Stars

wanna know more?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473705/

Factory Girl

Factory Girl

When Andy met Edie, life imitated art.

Synopsis: When Edie Sedgewick(Sienna Miller) and Andy Warhol(Guy Pearce) meet there is an instant electrical spark. Andy quickly befriends Edie and introduces her to the infamous Factory where his best creations are born. A cess pool or creativity, sexuality, drugs and art Edie is pulled in immediately and becomes entranced. Andy decides to make Edie a superstar and so she becomes one. However things run paper thin for Edie after a brief affair with a musician(Hayden Christiansan) that pushes Andy away for good. Broke and brokenhearted Edie wanders down a path of drugs, broken promises and hopeful redemption.

The Breakdown: Factory Girl is like watching a very beautiful and hypnotic train wreck. You wanna look away but you just can't. You can't help but feel sorry for her, and can't help but feel like Warhol was a dick!

Sienna Miller is absolutely mesmerizing as Edie Sedgewick. Capturing a Kate Hepburnesque presence she captures Edie's ability to make a room freeze in time. Guy Pearce does an amazing job recreating Andy Warhol that is spot on.

Overall: It was a short peek into a life that was cut way to short.

Rating: 4 stars

wanna know more?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432402/

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

No one can survive becoming a legend

Synopsis: Mark David Chapman(Jared Leto) came to Ney York city in hopes of meeting his idol John Lennon. As infatuation soon turns to obsession he comes to the conclusion to shoot John Lennon. Along the way Mark encounters several new yorkers who lean all to soon that there was indeed something just not right.

Breakdown: Chapter 27 is a quick snapshot of what the viewer assumes a very disturbed individual. I was slightly disappointed by how the movie only chronicled Mark David Chapmans three days in New York City and not more of his life and how he arrived at such a fanatical state. However after learning about Chapmans obsession with Catcher in the Rye and the very title itself alludes to the alleged 27th chapter of said book. It made sense. The internal narrative was great and I thought moved the story along in the same fashion that J.D. Salainger wrote Catcher in the Rye. The end where Chapman begins to breakdown and doesn't know if he is or isn't gonna shoot Lennon was well done. I felt nervous almost as I watched (leto) pace across the screen and heard his frantic voice. However those who didn't read Catcher in the Rye I feel may be left in the dark a bit. Chapter 27 is definitely aimed at not the typical viewer but one who may have to do a little homework.

Jared Leto should have gotten a commendation on his job. Not only did he have to do twice the work (act and voice over), but he underwent physical changes including gaining an outstanding 67 pounds. He pulls off such an amazing job and is truly convincing playing a man who has become truly unhinged. Not to mention the stress of basically having to carry the movie, with little to no supporting characters his only help is Lindsey Lohan who plays Jude a fellow Lennon fan that Mark befriends.

There were a few slow parts but overall the movie flowed quite well. I love how J.P Schaefer (director) mixed the end scenes with actual footage from Lennon's death.

Overall: Chapter 27 is a disturbing look into a killers mind as he approaches the moments before he kills John Lennon.

Rating: 3&1/2 stars

wanna know more?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488988/

Sunshine Cleaning

Sunshine Cleaning

life's a messy business

Summary: Rose Lorkowski(Amy Adams) is a struggling single mom whose life has reached a breaking point. After countless dead end career choices she enlists the help of her sister Norah Lorkowski(Emily Blunt) to start a bio-hazard cleanup company. While her small business steadily grows Rose simultaneously deals with a dead end affair with her ex high school fling, her eccentric father(Alan Arkin) and her son Oscar(Jason Spevack) whose is in need of a private school. Rose soon learns that cleaning up the mess some leave behind after they die is only half of what her job entails and while she learns to cope with her own life she also helps others cope with their loss.

The Breakdown: Sunshine Cleaning is one of those movies that kinda sneaks up on you, the trailer is nothing spectacular and the first half or so is rather middle of the road. Then as you least expect it the movie is over and you are left wanting more. The movie follows Rose a typical single mother character whose life is hanging on by a thread. Her son Oscar your typical trouble youth is obviously acting out from an unstable home life. Her sister Norah and her father fill in the typical dysfunctional family and throw in the man she is sleeping with who will never leave his wife and you have the basic structure of a thousand or so movies. However Sunshine is different in many ways. The mix of this rag tag group coupled with the fact that Rose and Norah are cleaning up gruesome crime/death scenes makes for a quirky yet familiar film. The normal viewer may never know what it's like to clean up a bullet the head suicide, they can however relate to Rose and her families issues. Rose and Norah soon learn that their new found business is a lot more than just bleach and hazard suits, the two sisters are often their to comfort and console the survivors of the said tragedy.

Amy Adams and Emily Blunt both do great jobs in leading and supporting roles. Emily pulls of a believable disheveled youth and Amy is there to pick up the pieces. Alan Arkin amazing as usual plays the almost sleazy dad with a constant get rich scheme.

Christine Jeffs directs this beautiful comedy/drama. The first half is a bit slow and filled with the normal cliques of the drama genre, but it picks up rather nicely after that. There is a scene where Norah is sent to clean a scene by herself and she flashbacks to her own mothers suicide that was so well done. Produced by the same team of Little Miss Sunshine, Cleaning definitely has a similar feel to it, so if you liked that film you are bound to enjoy this one.

Overall: A touching movie about the people who help us piece our lives back together. Great acting!

Rating: 4 stars

wanna know more?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862846/

Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia

Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do You Have What It Takes?

Summary: Julie & Julia is a dual true story film about the uncanny Julia Child(Meryl Streep) and how she changed the world of cooking forever, and the story of how Julia inspired lowly cubicle worker Julia Powell(Amy Adams) to change her own life forever.

The Breakdown: So admittedly I knew very little about Julia Childs life. What a great look into what a truly amazing women she was. The dual true story format was inventive and worked wonderfully. I just don't think there would have been enough material for either story to make two separate movies. I was slightly disappointed at the lack of depth to the Julie Powell side of the story. I couldn't help feeling like why should I care for her character? The contrasting moments in both Julia and Julie's lives were done wonderfully and tied the movie together nicely versus leaving the viewer feeling like they were watching a series of unrelated events.

Both ladies gave great performances but the trophy truly goes to Meryl Streep whose portrayl of Julia Child was impeccable. She gives life and gusto to a visionary that was often laughed at because of her appearance. Stanley Tucci who plays Julia's husband was great as well. Their chemistry is very real and heartwarming. Amy Adams does a great job for the most part as a downtrodden Julie Powell who looks to her idol for a new lease on life.

Nora Ephron who directs Julie and Julia comes form a handful of similar titles more often than not dubbed "chick flicks". The pacing and flow of the movie was good. There were a few lagging parts and as mentioned before at one point Julie Powell seems like nothing more than a crazy blogger who only cares about readers and comments(sound familiar).

Overall: Julie & Julia is a very earnest and entertaining film about the power of setting goals and road we take to get there.

Rating: 4 stars

wanna know more?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/

(500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer

This is not a love story, this is a story about love.

Tom(Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a hopeless romantic who when he meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) believes he has found his one true love. However life had a different plan in mind. As Tom gets swept into a whirlwind romance with Summer he soon learns that love does not always go according to plan.

Right off the rip the narrator informs us that this story doesn't end well and it's certainly not a love story. That being said 500 days is a very witty comedy/drama about the scars that a failed relationship can leave on a person. What is great about this film is that most viewers will easily relate to either Tom or Summer as both characters are from different ends of the spectrum. However in the course of the film they end up meeting in the middle of sorts which drives home the lessons learned from failed relationships point.

500 days doesn't follow a chronological flow but jumps around from day 1 to day 101 then to day 440. Not a fan of movies that don't follow a linear path? Don't worry it's not hard to follow at all and the cuts from day to day to day illustrate 500 days' central theme beautifully. The scene where Tom attends a party thrown by Summer shortly after their breakup is amazing. The match up of expected outcome and reality was inventive and nicely shot. It illustrates how we often set up a situation in our minds to go one way and the reality of it can often be and usually is entirely different.

The acting from Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel are amazing! At several points in the film you feel deeply for them and at the same time understand why the relationship failed. The sidekick like co-workers and the sharp tongued sister are funny at parts but generally forgettable. Marc Webb who until 500 days has done a handful of music themed projects did a great job on this film. The flow of the film is evenly placed with a few slow patches but nothing that would make it a deal breaker.

Overall- A great film about how a relationship changes one from the little things to the big things.

Rating - 5 stars

wanna know more?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/