Movie Review: CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP

CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP

2011
R


"I'm like Tinkerbell - without applause, I die."
-- Conan O'Brien

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop is a 2011 documentary directed by Rodman Flender that centers around Conan O'Brien's 2010 comedy tour, "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour." The idea came to O'Brien after his highly-publicized departure from NBC after Jay Leno decided he wanted to continue appearing on television as a talk show host. NBC severed ties with O'Brien, prohibiting him from appearing on television for a period of six months. The documentary shows the creation of the tour's show as well as the ups and downs it put Conan through during the 45-show schedule.

I first heard about this film after it hit film festivals and was generally well-received. I didn't have the opportunity to give it a view when it hit theaters earlier this year, but you can now find it on NetFlix Instant Watch. Being a fan of O'Brien, I knew that I had to give this one a gander at one point or another, so it was just a matter of time until I sat down and did just that.

I honestly have some rather mixed feelings about the film. While it's an interesting, in-depth look at the creation of Conan's tour, it just felt a little bit empty and a little bit flat. There didn't seem to be anything truly redeeming about the film. Yes, we get to see a very personal side of a highly-publicized figure in today's society, but there are times where I wasn't quite sure I liked the Conan we got to see. At certain moments, he seems like a man who lets his celebrity and fame get to his head, but he immediately comes back and says that because he's so hard on himself, he has to be hard on the people that work for and with him.

(On a side note, be on the lookout for cameos from the likes of Jack Black, Jim Carrey, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jon Hamm and Jack McBrayer.)

In his review for the Arizona Republic, Billy Goodykoontz wrote the following about the film:

It's hard to feel sorry for a guy who banked millions for not hosting "The Tonight Show" anymore, but it's also fascinating to see a man this compulsively driven to get back in front of people and tell jokes, to hear the laughter, to soak in the applause.

In that sense, I suppose there's something rather interesting to see in Conan O'Brien Can't Stop. We see the sheer determination and will that he drives into his comedy tour. After his nasty NBC break-up, the fan support was overwhelming, and it's nice to see that a man in his position took the time to give back to that support, even if it took a physical and emotional toll on himself. Even if he has his moments where you want to hate him, you can't deny that Conan O'Brien is driven and dedicated. If that's all you get from this documentary, then I'd have to say it's a success. If you're a fan of Conan, this is a must-watch.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: B+
1.5 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

2011
PG-13

The Adjustment Bureau is a 2011 dramatic film directed by George Nolfi. It follows David Norris (Matt Damon), a junior congressman who's attempting to win one of the Senate seats in New York. After building a large lead in the polls, a publicity nightmare causes him to lose the election in a landslide. Distraught, he stumbles into a restroom to practice his concession speech, but he is caught by a woman (Emily Blunt) hiding inside. The two share an immediate connection and kiss just as Norris's campaign manager (Michael Kelly) walks in. The woman dashes off, and Norris is left to wonder if he'll ever see her again. He proceeds to stray from his scripted speech, instead choosing to berate the system that put him where he now stood. A month later, David happens upon the woman on a bus and learns her name is Elise. She gives him her phone number, and everything seems like it's all falling into place for David. When he gets off the bus and goes into work, however, he finds all of the staff frozen in place and being worked upon by a group of men in suits. After a short chase, David is captured and told by the leader of the men (John Slattery) that they are the people who make sure that things "go according to plan." They claim to work for someone called the "Chairman" who creates the plan for everyone in the world. They tell David that his plan does not allow him to be with Elise, but David cannot accept this. He spends the rest of the film fighting to win her love and keep both their "plans" on as good a course as is humanly possible.

Honestly, that's probably one of the worst plot summarizations I've ever given; however, I don't want to give too much of this story away before you have a chance to see it. The plot is actually rather intricate, and it would take me an entire blog post to go into all the detail surrounding everything that's going on. Because I don't want to spend that much time, I'll leave it to you to actually see the movie, which hopefully by the end of this post, I'll have given you enough reason to do so.

Like I said, the plot is rather intricate, but it never gets too over-the-top that it becomes confusing. You immediately get sucked into the story, and that's a huge plus considering that's it's a little off-the-wall. You have to pay attention to everything that's happening, for two reasons: first, if you miss part of the plot, you may have questions later in the story, and second, there's never really a dull moment in the film. This is also a huge plus in terms of making The Adjustment Bureau a successful venture. Yes, it should technically be classified as a drama, but you can easily call it a sci-fi thriller as well (in fact, IMDb lists it as such).

We also get some great performances from the actors in the film. Although nobody's really going to blow you away, everyone plays their part very well, giving us a very strong ensemble cast. Damon and Blunt are very good as our leads (although you could probably call Blunt's character supporting); however, some of the more memorable performances come from our supporting cast. Anthony Mackie does a fine job as a member of the bureau who's questioning the ethics behind what they do. And the always-great Terrence Stamp makes himself known in his limited amount of screen-time. We even get a couple of brief glimpses of Daily Show anchor Jon Stewart (as himself, interviewing David Norris) that prove to be rather humorous. Fine acting all around really helps The Adjustment Bureau fly.

For most of the film, I was completely drawn into the story, and for that, the cast and crew should be commended. As you'll notice below the picture, however, I could only give the film one-and-a-half thumbs up. I did so because I wasn't entirely impressed with the ending. Well, I shouldn't say that because it works well with the rest of the story, but I suppose I was expecting a little bit more of an emotional punch. The ending they give us is a little bit hectic, and the final payoff seemed a little too neat and gift-wrapped. However, I could very well be the only person who thinks this way - my friend Dréa happened to love the ending (and the whole movie, for that matter), so there's a good chance I'm in the minority with my opinion. Despite that, The Adjustment Bureau is still a very good film that's worth a watch, especially this early in 2011. It easily jumped to the number two spot for this year's films, only falling (well) behind Rango. Will that hold up? Probably not, but you should still give this one a gander if you have the chance.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B+
1.5 Thumbs Up