Movie Review: LAWLESS

LAWLESS

2012

R

"I'm a Bondurant. We don't lay down for nobody."

-- Forrest Bondurant

Lawless is a 2012 crime drama directed by John Hillcoat that is adapted from Matt Bondurant's 2008 novel, The Wettest County in the World. The story follows the Bondurants, a family of three brothers led by the eldest Forrest (Tom Hardy), who run an illegal moonshine business in Franklin County, Virginia in the midst of the Prohibition era. With the help of his brothers Jack (Shia LaBeouf) and Howard (Jason Clarke), Forrest has become one of the biggest suppliers of moonshine in the county. One day, a special deputy from Chicago named Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) is brought into the county in order to destroy the bootlegging businesses, and he immediately clashes with the Bondurant clan. He starts to rid the county of its numerous illegal distilleries, and he soon starts a personal vendetta against Forrest Bondurant. Youngest brother Jack finds a way to keep the business afloat, only increasing the tension between the brothers and the ever-present Rakes.

I first heard about this film about a year ago when it was still to be titled The Wettest County in the World. At the time, I took a passing glance, noticing it merely for its casting star power, but it didn't necessarily ring a bell as a must-see. When the film's trailer was released, however, something about the stylistic grittiness compelled me to at least give it a view. The film has opened to moderately positive reviews, but I can't quite say they've been entirely stellar thus far.

One of the biggest issues most critics - including myself - have had with Lawless is its screenplay. While there's definitely a strong and emotional story of family bonds and revenge hidden beneath it all, there seems to be a little too much extra storyline given to the film. At its core, the story should be about the three brothers and their loyalty to one another, regardless of how much they drive one another crazy. There were a few ancillary characters that turned out to be more important than they should have been, and it ultimately helps to bog down the story a little bit. Despite this, the film's climax and finale still prove to be quite strong, even with the obstacles along the way.

Where this film's strength truly lies is in its cast. Now, I have to start by saying that I have never been much of a fan of Shia LaBeouf. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but there have been times where I have downright hated his presence on-screen. However, I think Lawless will ultimately be the film where we as the audience see LaBeouf mature into a legitimate actor right before our very eyes. At the start of the film, he almost seems a little bit of touch, as he often does, but by film's end, there's a power and a grace to his acting ability that I haven't seen him convey before. I have to tip my hat to the young actor for breaking out of his acting shell and transforming (pun intended) himself into something entirely different.

The rest of the cast fills out quite nicely as well. Tom Hardy continues to prove to me that he is one of the better actors working in Hollywood today. You can place his performance in Lawless right next to his noteworthy turns in 2009's Bronson and 2011's Warrior. Pearce is also great as the film's central villain, and I thought he brought the film's second-best character (behind Hardy's Forrest) to the screen. Also worth mention for their smaller, albeit not entirely necessary, roles are Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska, who all manage to bring strong performances to the film.

At the end of the day, Lawless manages to bring together a very strong ensemble cast that ultimately falls prey to a less-than-stellar screenplay. Still, the strength of the performances helps to keep this film afloat, and an emotional second act gives the audience an opportunity to stay engaged and involved with the events on-screen. See it for Hardy and Pearce's performances, and be surprised by the growth of Shia LaBeouf into a legitimate actor.

Movie Review Summary

Grade: B+

Status: Should See

Trailer Breakdown: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

When the teaser trailer for the upcoming 2012 Christopher Nolan-directed film The Dark Knight Rises was released over the summer, I had every intention of creating a trailer breakdown for it. The time came and went, however, and the idea was tossed to the scrap pile. Now, we have two full-length trailers that have been released for the film, and I find it only fitting to bring you a trailer breakdown not only for the new trailers but also for the teaser I so terribly forgot. As I always do with my trailer breakdowns, I have gone through and watched the trailers a number of times and have written down some questions and comments that came to mind. Below for your viewing pleasure are the three trailers followed by their respective questions. Let me know if you thought of anything else while watching these videos - there's a high chance there is something I might have missed.

Now that you've been reminded of the teaser trailer, here are the thoughts I had whilst watching it:

1. One of the most prevalent images in the teaser trailer is that of the crumbling skyscrapers that ultimately form the "Batman" insignia. What might this mean?
Despite the penchant for the dramatic, I think this image is rather easy to decipher. If we remember the end of 2008's The Dark Knight, we have the Joker (Heath Ledger) behind bars, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) deceased, and the Batman (Christian Bale) run out of town and believed to be the villain. Because Dent supposedly will assume the graces as the hero and the evilest mastermind that Gotham has seen is now locked away, it might be safe to say that Gotham experienced a bit of a renaissance in terms of a drop in crime. However, with the visage of Bane (Tom Hardy) looming on the horizon, one can only imagine the destruction that Gotham soon faces. In a sense, the image of a crumbling Gotham is a sign of things to come.

2. Speaking of Bane, we actually catch a glimpse of him here in the teaser.
While this is a little old news by now, the teaser trailer was the first time anyone truly got to see Tom Hardy all done up as our central antagonist, Bane. Adorned with a massive breathing apparatus on his face and head, he still manages to send a shiver down the spine. We even get to see him square off against Batman in the final images in the trailer in what's sure to be a wonderfully-choreographed fight.

3. We're getting a lot of images and dialogue from the previous films. What gives?
I think this was done for a few of reasons. First, I think the filmmakers wanted to give everyone a recap of what had happened in the previous films while setting up this final chapter with something familiar. Secondly, I think they wanted to emphasize the finality of this film. Regardless of box office output and accolades, this will be the final installment in Nolan's Batman trilogy. They have two title cards that say, "Every hero has a journey. Every journey has an end." We also get a voice-over using dialogue from Liam Neeson's character in Batman Begins that says the following:

If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become something else entirely. A legend, Mr. Wayne. A legend.

And, at the end of the trailer, we get another title card that says, "The Legend Ends." All of this ties together to emphasize the finality of this film. Finally, I think that, by using older scenes, they didn't have to use as much material from the new film, which is probably a plus for them given the nature of how popular this movie will probably be.

4. What exactly is Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) saying in this trailer?
I remember that when this teaser first premiered, there was a lot of debate as to what exactly Oldman's character was saying while lying on the hospital bed. After a number of listens, here's what I was able to scrape out (Note: the conversation also includes a line from Christian Bale, either as Batman or as Bruce Wayne):

Gordon: We were in this together, and then you were gone. Now there is evil rising. The Batman has to come back.
Wayne: What if he doesn't exist anymore?
Gordon: He must... he must...

Now that that part's out of the way, let's talk about what it might mean. Obviously Gordon is referencing how he and Batman had worked together to bring down the crime in Gotham, but once Batman left, Gordon was left alone, waiting for evil to return. He knows he cannot combat it on his own, so he's essentially pleading for Batman to return to Gotham and reinstate himself as the vigilante power he once was. Wayne is obviously doubting whether he could possibly reprise his role as the Batman, but Gordon insists it must happen if Gotham is to remain alive.


And now, for the first full-length trailer:

So there's the first full-length trailer for The Dark Knight Rises; let's see what I thought about while watching it:

1. What's with the football game and the kid singing "The Star Spangled Banner?"
Right when I first saw this trailer, that was my initial thought. If you were only working off that first image, you would probably never guess that this was a trailer for a Batman film; however, it ultimately comes into play later in the trailer when we see Bane set off explosives that cause the football field to collapse. For those of you who may have seen the seven-minute prologue for this film at theaters in the past week or so, you'll know that Bane is going to be portrayed as a terrorist rather than your average criminal. That being said, his destruction of a public place seems to fit the mold a little bit better. And, with the crooning of the national anthem throughout the trailer, there's this odd sense of foreboding that the music somehow fits perfectly. It's an eerie combination, but somehow Nolan makes it work here.

2. What is all this talk about "war heroes" and "peacetime?"
The first mention of this in the trailer comes when Commissioner Gordon is coming up to give a speech at what appears to be a memorial for Harvey Dent. Two men in the crowd discuss how the mayor is going to let Gordon go in the next few months because he's a "war hero," and those aren't needed in times of peace. If you recall what I said about the concept of a "crumbling Gotham" back at the top of this post, I think this idea makes a little more sense. Allegedly, The Dark Knight Rises will take place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, meaning that there has been an extended time of peace and prosperity in Gotham. As a result, the mayor may think that Gordon is no longer necessary in his position. As we see later in the trailer, however, a new evil is, indeed, rising, as is evidenced by the quote, "There's a storm coming," which is said a little later in the trailer. It looks as though Gotham might be getting ready to experience a scene of utter and complete chaos.

3. Who is that woman dancing with Bruce Wayne?
This is actually our first real look at Selina Kyle, more commonly known as Catwoman, who will be portrayed by Anne Hathaway. Although we're not getting a ton of detail from the trailer, I think it's safe to say that Hathaway looks to be a bit feisty in this one, and I'm sure we can all breathe a heavy sigh of relief.

4. We get our "first" real snippet of Bane's dialogue in this trailer, but what does he say?
For those of you who have seen the film's prologue, you might know that there has been quite a discussion about Bane's dialogue in the film. I personally have not seen the prologue, but I know that many a moviegoer is scratching their head as to what exactly Bane said in his scenes. We do get one line of dialogue from him in this trailer, and it reads as follows:

When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die.

Because he has a breathing apparatus, it may be a tad bit difficult to understand exactly what he's going to be saying. I read an article chronicling the prologue that talked about how an unintelligible villain may have been Nolan's only real option after having an over-the-top and charismatic villain in Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight. To go in the polar opposite direction, Nolan may have done just enough to distance his Bane from his Joker so that audiences won't necessarily be able to compare the two. Instead, they'll be able to look at each villain as an individual and see how effective they actually are.

5. Finally, is the film going to get too bogged down with too many big-time stars?
I often ask this question whenever a film looks to have a massive cast list that includes a lot of A-list actors. Sometimes ensembles can work, but often times, there's just too much bravado on-screen for the audience to handle. Generally, I have faith in Nolan and his direction, so I'm holding out hope that this will all work out; however, here's a look at the major players who will be appearing in this film, some of whom I've already mentioned:

Christian Bale (as Bruce Wayne / Batman)
Tom Hardy (as Bane)
Gary Oldman (as Jim Gordon)
Anne Hathaway (as Selina Kyle / Catwoman)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (as John Blake)
Marion Cotillard (as Miranda Tate)
Morgan Freeman (as Lucius Fox)
Michael Caine (as Alfred)
Juno Temple (as Holly Robinson)

I don't know about you, but that seems like quite the crowded screen...


And now, for the latest full-length trailer:

Now that you've had the chance to watch the latest trailer, take a look at the thoughts that crossed my mind while watching it:

1. We're seeing a lot of familiar faces in the trailer, but we're also being introduced to what may be a bigger character than previously anticipated. What's up with that?

As you may have noticed, we are seeing quite a few characters from previous films as well as some we've already met in past trailers. We catch glimpses of Batman, Catwoman, Gordon, Lucius Fox, Alfred and Bane, but the biggest change here is that we're getting our first real look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character. As of right now, all that is really known about the character is that his name is John Blake, and he's a beat cop assigned to work under Gordon. However, if you've been listening to the rumor mill as of late, there's a little bit of talk that John Blake may be the character that stands up to take Batman's place should something terrible befall our hero. Perhaps it's just Internet rumor, but I wouldn't doubt Nolan taking a chance to leave his mark on the franchise.

2. I also thought there was a lot more action in this trailer.
Although previous trailers - as well as the previous films in Nolan's Batman saga - have shown quite a bit of action, I never truly thought of these films as strictly action-based. However, there's definitely quite a bit happening in this latest trailer. We're getting snippets of the opening scene - the one with Bane on the airliner - that has already been played for millions of fans, but it's the second half of this trailer that truly shows quite a bit of battle. We even catch a glimpse or two of hand-to-hand combat between Bane and Batman, which should be quite the treat for the audience.

3. Speaking of a fight between Bane and Batman... I thought I saw Bane holding a broken Batman mask?
Your eyes did not deceive you. As we've already seen in one of the film's teaser posters, this trailer confirms that there will be a scene in which Bane will toss away a broken Batman mask. In one strain of the comic books, Bane is the villain who finally kills Batman, and there's been a lot of talk as to whether Nolan will be going that route with his saga. The continued images of a broken down Batman and Bruce Wayne make it seem as though this might be the case, and this trailer even goes so far as to suggest that Bane may have a bit of a personal vendetta against Wayne. At one point, after hurting and terrorizing our hero, Bruce asks Bane why he didn't just kill him. Bane simply replies, "Your punishment must be more severe."

4. Should we still be worried that we won't be able to understand Bane?
After the first few trailers were released, there was a growing panic amongst fans that Bane may be entirely inaudible. I'm not sure whether this trailer debunks that idea or if we've just grown accustomed to trying to figure out his dialogue, but he seemed to speak more clearly this time around. The quote I gave you above is easily the most understandable line he's uttered in the trailers, but even another line - "I'm Gotham's reckoning" - is moderately understandable. Perhaps there's hope after all.

5. What will the relationship between Batman and Catwoman be?
It's starting to seem more and more apparent that the two will be allies during the film. The first full-length trailer made it seem as though the two might have a bit of a conflicted relationship, but this new one shows them working side-by-side on many an occasion. The two do happen to have one of the more interesting dialogue exchanges in the new trailer, however:

Catwoman: You don't owe these people any more. You've given them everything.
Batman: Not everything. Not yet.

I'll let your mind run wild with what that might mean. I have too many theories running through my head at the moment. 

6. Holy smokes, Batman! Is that the Batwing? 
Yes. Yes, it is. We finally catch a glimpse of the Batwing, and boy does it already look glorious. I know the cast and crew had some issues with the Batwing during filming, but the final product looks as though it should bring quite a bit to the table. I suppose we'll still have to wait and see.

*****

Ultimately, all of these questions will have to wait until the film is released this summer. Until then, I can tell you that I'll be waiting (im)patiently until I am able to see the film hit the big screen.

The Dark Knight Rises will be released in U.S. theaters on July 20, 2012.

Movie Review: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

2011
R


"She told me she had a secret, the mother of all secrets..."
Ricki Tarr

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 2011 dramatic film directed by Tomas Alfredson that serves as an adaptation of John le Carré's 1974 novel of the same name. Set in 1973 in the midst of the Cold War, it comes to the attention of the higher-ups in British Intelligence that there is a mole amongst those around them. After being forced into retirement, former agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is asked by his government to come back to Intelligence in order to clear up the matter. He starts by looking through the former head of Intelligence's - aptly referred to as Control (John Hurt) - apartment and learns that he had created a list of five potential suspects: the four men currently running British Intelligence as well as Smiley himself. With the help of a younger agent named Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley digs deeper and deeper as he tries to weed out the mastermind behind their intelligence woes. Just as things seem to be a little out of place, some new information from a somewhat disgraced agent named Rikki Tarr (Tom Hardy) once again helps Smiley's chase.

Now I know that the above synopsis probably seems a little bit confusing, but with as much information as is given during the film, I'd say I've done at least a halfway decent job of conveying the basic plot outline. I have not read the source novel, but from everything I've heard, it packs quite a bit of information and spy-related terminology into its 432-page duration, so to adapt such an exquisitely-written piece into feature film format must have been quite the endeavor. This is also the second time this novel has been adapted into any type of motion picture - the first was a seven-part television series in 1979 - and even that had difficulty keeping the novel's every last detail. So one can imagine that there would be some concern as to whether a two-hour venture into the story could possibly relay the novel's magnitude. In his review for the Daily Mirror, David Edwards wrote the following:

The big question - and one Le Carré himself asked when the film was announced - is whether such a hefty novel can fit comfortably into a feature-length production. In answering this, the writers have pared things back, meaning it's far pacier than the seven-part TV show. Unfortunately, the plot is every bit as bewildering with an overload of spy-speak, a few too many characters to keep track of and a final act that ends with a whimper, rather than a bang.

While there are some points with which I agree, I'm not entirely on board with Edwards's evaluation of the film's screenplay. On the one hand, I do think that there is just a little too much going on to fit into a two-hour film; I could see this having been expanded another thirty to forty-five minutes, and it might have worked a little more fluidly and made a little more sense along the way. As it stands, the film just starts, and it's almost as though the film requires the viewer to understand its beginnings beforehand. We as the audience are just thrown so much, and while it's all understandable when you sit back and think about it, it's just a tad bit overwhelming. If you're not able to sit back and pause the film from time to time to collect your thoughts, you may get left behind.

That being said, I thought the story and the twists worked excessively well. Once I was able to lock down on the storyline, I found a way to follow it and worked rather hard to keep up with it all, and I do have to say that it proved to be both clever and fulfilling. The consistent flow of facts and information was a tad bit much, but in the end, it all came together and painted a very incredible picture of the events that had led to the film's climax. While it's not the best screenplay I've ever seen, it proves to be an effective one, and for that, the screenwriters should be applauded.

Fortunately, the acting is strong enough throughout the film that it easily counterweights the issues with the aforementioned screenplay. Oldman is fantastic as our leading man, bringing a quiet but strong performance to the screen, but to be fair, I'm not sure anyone expected anything less from him. Some of our supporting actors also give great performances. Be on the lookout for Toby Jones and Colin Firth, both of whom play more antagonistic characters but play the parts well. Hardy is fantastic once again, slowly but surely making a statement as to his overall acting ability. John Hurt was also quite good in his limited appearance. I'd also like to make mention of Cumberbatch and the always great Mark Strong, who both turn in grand performances. Ultimately, this is a fantastic ensemble cast all around.

Despite this, at the end of the day, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy falls a little bit short of its lofty expectations. I was incredibly excited to see this film from the moment I first saw the trailer, and when it managed to garner incredibly favorable critical reviews, my eagerness only grew. Sadly, it was just a little too puzzling from time to time, and ultimately, it couldn't find a way to hook me like so many other dramatic thrillers have in the past. It seems as though a fan of the novel would be best-prepared for a film like this, but seeing as I was not familiar with it at all, I had to go into the film a little bit blind. As a result, I had to fight to stay with the story, and that's not always the best way to experience a film.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: B+
1 Thumb Up

Movie Review: KUNG FU PANDA 2

KUNG FU PANDA 2

2011
PG

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a 2011 animated film directed by Jennifer Yuh that serves as a direct sequel to the 2008 film, Kung Fu Panda. Now that Po (voiced by Jack Black) has been named the Dragon Warrior and knows the ways of kung fu, he has teamed up with the Furious Five to keep the people of China safe. When Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) learns that the evil Lord Shen (voiced by Gary Oldman) is slowly and methodically destroying the kung fu masters, he sends Po and the Five to stop him and save kung fu. Along the way, Po starts to learn about his mysterious past, ultimately discovering that it is strangely intertwined with Shen's own past. Despite being sent to dispatch of Shen's evil plot, Po finds himself desperately seeking the answers of his own life, putting the lives of the Five - as well as the rest of China - in jeopardy.

As far as sequels go, I'd have to say that Kung Fu Panda 2 is definitely a legitimate addition to the story we received three years ago. It's not easy to make a sequel that lives up to an original film as good as that 2008 venture, and although I don't think this film quite reaches those heights, it's definitely worth giving a gander if you enjoyed Po's first go-around. At its core, we're getting a two-component screenplay. On the one side, we have the linear storyline of Po and the Five doing their best to combat Shen's path of destruction. However, the intertwining story of Po's early days is cleverly inserted bit by bit as he slowly accesses the full memory of his past. I did have a couple of issues with the screenplay, however. At times, it seemed like it was making some pretty drastic jumps in time and logic. There was many a moment that I thought some crucial scene of explanation had been missed. As the film continued along its path, most if not all of my questions were answered, but I personally thought that this was one story that didn't benefit from jumping straight into the action. We got all of the answers, but there was a good chunk in the beginning where I personally felt confused.

Like the first film, the caliber of voice acting is very good this time around. Jack Black does well with our titular character, but the vocal performance doesn't seem as novel as it did three years ago. I thought that Shifu, one of my favorite characters from the first film, was a tad bit under-utilized. In fact, I think that most of the Furious Five (voiced by Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan and David Cross) was a little less present than in the first film. Tigress (Jolie's character) gets a little bit more of a story, but that's about it from our other kung fu heroes. If there's anyone who's fantastic, it's the addition of Lord Shen, a peacock hellbent on taking rule of China. With a dash of superb animation - especially with his eyes - and the voice of an always-creepy Gary Oldman, Shen makes a rather menacing villain for this particular film. I applaud the creation.

Speaking of the animation, I'd have to say that Dreamworks has once again outdone themselves. It's top-notch, really, although it doesn't quite reach the visual brilliance offered by Rango, but it's definitely a beautiful sight to behold. Again, major kudos to Dreamworks for their effort here.

Overall, I'd have to say that Kung Fu Panda 2 is a fun continuation of a story that I have loved since it first hit theaters in 2008. Although this film doesn't quite reach the heights of its predecessor, it serves as a great successor in almost every regard. Would I say you have to see it in theaters? Maybe, if only for the visual aspect. Take that away, and it's definitely a for-sure rental in the future, but the beauty of the visuals should be enough to draw you to the theaters. It's a fun ride regardless, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B
1.5 Thumbs Up