MOVIE REVIEWS |
INTERVIEWS |
YOUTUBE |
NEWS
|
EDITORIALS | EVENTS |
AUDIO |
ESSAYS |
ARCHIVES |
CONTACT
|
PHOTOS |
COMING SOON|
EXAMINER.COM FILM ARTICLES
||HOME
Sunday, August 28, 2011
SUMMER FILMS 2011
Summer Bummer: Mostly Poor, Disappointing
Films From The Studios; Promise And Strength Elsewhere
A scene from "Cars 2", John Lasseter's film was a let down, especially after the
initial "Cars" of 2006.
Pixar
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
FOLLOW
Sunday,
August 28, 2011
Summer could be said to be a "dump" season as much as January is for films, and
this summer was largely a failure where fresh, invigorating and exciting films
were concerned, in Hollywood, although a few Tinseltown productions were
impressive. The independent market provided the best movie mileage, as it
has for a number of years.
Here are the summer's biggest disappointments, poorest films and best pictures,
ranked in order from the most disappointing film first, etc:
Biggest Disappointments
"Super 8" - After one of the best opening half
hours in a film this year, J.J. Abrams fails to build on what he has, and a
bright start becomes a lazy, distracted movie and an overblown edition of a
Spielberg alien adventure akin to "War Of The Worlds", "E.T." and "Close
Encounters". (Mr. Spielberg, a mentor of sorts to Mr. Abrams, produced
"Super 8".) Like last year's
"Toy Story 3", the best moments in "Super 8"
happen early and very late (in this case during the end credits.) Despite
a good premise and vision, Mr. Abrams doesn't sustain the story. This one
soon falls fast and flatter than a pancake, with plenty of holes and loose ends,
though Michael Giacchino's music score is excellent, as are Elle Fanning, Ron
Eldard and debutant Joel Courtney.
(Released in the U.S. on
June 10.)
"Cars 2" - Pixar and John Lasseter are hoisted on
their own petards with this eye-popping but empty, expedient
auto-adventure, which took a big detour with its 007-type spy adventure
interrupting its race-car comedy mood. Michael Caine can't save this
messy, auto-piloted vehicle designed to speed away with your money and any short
attention spans it captures in the process. (Released in the U.S. on
June 24.)
"The Help" - Kathryn Stockett's
best-selling novel is said to
be a strong, effective account of racism, violence and relationships between
black servants and white housewives in Mississippi in 1963 but on the big
screen Ms. Stockett's childhood friend Tate Taylor reveals little of that
power. Comedy and caricature are on the menu rather than an effective
depiction of the era and subjects of the film's title. The film feels
fabricated and hollow as a result. "The Help" belongs to a genus of films
("Driving Miss Daisy", "Mississippi Burning") that sanitize or rewrite the
history of race and race relations in the South for audience comfort, frankly
for the comfort of many in its white audience. (Released in the U.S. on
August 10.)
"One Day" - Another adaptation whose film edition
misses something its forerunning book captured. Ironically, David Nicholls
adapted his own best-selling book about two friends and potential lovers who
catch up on July 15 each year over 25 years. Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess play the duo but their chemistry is weak, as is Ms. Hathaway's English
accent. Any intended sympathy for certain characters from the book doesn't
translate to the big screen. The film is generally miscast. Several
actors look out of place for Mr. Nicholls' material. Lone Scherfig's
direction lacks potency and the film's style is as tedious and annoying as
everything else about "One Day". (Released in the U.S. on
August 19.)
"The Debt" - This film starring Helen Mirren,
Jessica Chastain, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Worthington among others, opens on
Wednesday. Review to come.
Leslie Mann in "The Change-Up",
directed by David Dobkin.
Universal
Poorest Films
"The Change-Up" - The most dreadful film of the summer is the worst so far in
2011, and Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman and Leslie Mann are lost, awash in
misogyny, misanthropy and consistent horror-type gags involving babies, women
and general mindless stupidity. David Dobkin's comedy panders to the most
guttural and cynical as it torpedoes notions of family life and singlehood.
(Released in the U.S. on
August 5.)
"Green Lantern" - Ryan Reynolds, so good last year
in "Buried",
is buried in a
second forgettable summer 2011 film, the lifeless, putrid "Green Lantern",
possibly the poorest film adaptation of a DC Comics superhero. Mark Strong and
Blake Lively also star, as do Peter Sarsgaard and Tim Robbins, who looks as if
he's about to burst out laughing in some scenes. (Released in the U.S. on
June 17.)
"Transformers: Dark Of The Moon" - Everyone familiar with
Michael Bay's films knows what they're in for, but his latest frolics in the
carnage of 9/11/01 during a prolonged action sequence whose realism is eerily
reminiscent, if not intentionally similar, to the attacks on New York City's
World Trade Center towers ten years ago. Mr. Bay's film is furnished with
talking inanimate objects and wind-up toys as human beings (and vice versa.)
The good and bad robots are indistinguishable during the action sequences. Why
spend millions on action fight sequences if you can't distinguish the
participants in them? Mr. Bay's film did benefit the makers of Aspirin however,
as sales (and attention spans) soared through the roof. (Released in the
U.S. on June
28.)
"The Hangover Part II" - A trace-over of the
original and wildly funny 2009 film, but with far lazier and disastrous
results. Ken Jeong, a talented actor, goes into negative, screechy overdrive
and brings what was a funny character into a full-blown racist stereotype of an
Asian. It's excruciatingly painful to watch Mr. Jeong here, and the movie is
savage, violent, shallow and devoid of laughs, more a limited chuckle fest than
a cheeky, slick comedy. Everything about the film is either frantic or slow
motion -- and always tired. (Released in the U.S. on
May 25.)
"30 Minutes Or Less" - Economical tasteless comedy
about a pizza delivery man who has to rob a bank in order to get money for two
slacker criminals and save his own hide, goes nowhere fast. Ruben Fleischer
directs a pitiful story based on actual (and tragic) event where a pizza
delivery man was killed in 2003. Aziz Ansari plays the stereotyped sidekick to
Jesse Eisenberg, but his character is an exhausting spectacle of caffeinated
anxiety stuck on repeat. The film is replete with racial stereotypes and looks
unfinished. If the characters were forty years older, "30 Minutes Or Less"
might have been hilarious. (Released in the U.S. on
August 12.)
Best Summer Films
John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and
Leeon Jones in "Attack The Block".
Sony/Screen Gems
"The Tree Of Life" - Terrence Malick's spectacular
impressionistic vision was so beautiful and impacting that it lingered for many
days, and got better after repeated viewings. Meaningful, magical and
masterful, "The Tree Of Life" was about something in a summer of Hollywood films
that were about little. Brad Pitt and Sean Penn play father and son
respectively over different time periods, Pitt in the 1950s, Penn in the here
and now. A universal experience, Mr. Malick's non-narrative drama dazzled us
with visions that 3D couldn't replicate. (Released on
May 27.)
"Road To Nowhere" - A film-within-a-film, Monte
Hellman's neo-noir about a murder mystery and a movie does everything right,
down to its stellar direction, script and performances. Dear Academy Members:
please consider Shannyn Sossamon for best actress. Her work as Velma Duran and
as Laurel Graham is terrific. The actress brings a strong, cerebral approach to
both characters. Ms. Sossamon captures atmosphere, attitude and feeling so
well, and her composure and calculations are so good you often cannot tell which
character she's playing at any one time. (Released in various U.S. cities
at different times beginning in
June.)
"Senna" -
Asif Kapadia's
exciting, moving and entertaining documentary has the ingredients of a feature
film. Filled with dynamic personalities and genuine drama, this account of
Formula One racing champion Ayrton Senna not only gives us insight into the
world of competition and Formula One but also a multifaceted look at one of the
sport's greatest champions and ambassadors. (Released in the U.S.
beginning in early
August.)
"crazy, stupid, love." - Romantic comedy done
right. Finally in 2011 a Hollywood film showed us the ups and downs of love in
memorable, entertaining ways. A fine ensemble cast made this film funny, warm
and unexpectedly moving.
Marisa Tomei is one of many standouts. Glenn
Ficarra and John Requa direct a film that makes fun of romantic comedy and
evokes some of the stronger adult dramas and romances of the 1960s and 1970s.
(Released on
July 29.)
"Attack The Block" - Joe Cornish wrote and
directed this clever sci-fi horror-comedy about estate toughs in South London
who defend their part of town from an influx of aliens from outer space or
thereabouts. The revelation of this film, aside from its script, is the major
feature film debut of John Boyega, charismatic and proud as Moses, a young man
who becomes a thankless hero. The film is a sly mix of 1950s B-movie sci-fi
horror and 1990s urban drama and it works well. Jodie Whittaker also stars.
(Released in various U.S. cities beginning on
July 29.)
COPYRIGHT 2011. POPCORNREEL.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
FOLLOW
SUBSCRIBE TO THE POPCORN REEL MOVIE
REVIEWS RSS FEED
MOVIE REVIEWS |
INTERVIEWS |
YOUTUBE |
NEWS
|
EDITORIALS | EVENTS |
AUDIO |
ESSAYS |
ARCHIVES |
CONTACT
| PHOTOS |
COMING SOON|
EXAMINER.COM FILM ARTICLES
||HOME