Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Judd Apatow was on fire. I just caught this on cable, and think I might have laughed more at this one than the other two (much more successful) Apatow films of that year, Superbad and Knocked Up. It's silly and more of a straight up, winking at the camera parody than a perfect mirror image like Hot Fuzz, but it has some great moments. And some really ridic cameos.... maybe the most random cameos of various people portraying famous musicians ever. After being heavily disappointed with Ray and Walk the Line (in structure and over-melodrama, not performances), this was a great send-up. Every biopic cliche, every Behind the Music episode structure was made into comedy. It was about time John C. Reilly, one of the best supporting character actors ever, got to be the lead guy. He's great, as always.

Summer movie blowout

Here's a quick recap of some summer movies I had the chance to see recently.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - in theaters now -

To complete my recent Guillermo-obsession, I saw the original and now the sequel. I enjoyed both of them a lot. Del Toro has a great visual style, loving the whimsical and fantasy but using it the right way. He also knows this series deserves a sense of humor, and it delivers. I don't know about the bad guys, but the heroes are great.

Wanted - in theaters now -

Another comic book adaptation, but this one is all flash and not much else. I like James McAvoy, and he does well as a loser who finds out he's actually special. This has some crazy action sequences, but it might have the most annoying script I've heard in a while. The dialogue and most of the story is grating, but the action pulls it out just enough for it to be decent.

Mamma Mia! - in theaters now -

N wanted to see this, and I can't argue with a rock musical. If you like ABBA, you'll like it. It's boisterous and fluffy without ever getting too serious.

The X Files: I Want to Believe - in theaters now -

A lot of people have been complaining about this because it's not very groundbreaking. While I do agree that it is mostly just a longer regular episode, I like that. I never thought they were great at continuing story lines; I just went for the freak of the week. This has some juicy developments on Mulder and Scully, but it's mostly just one more story of someone creating weird problems somewhere. Billy Conolly is creepy as a priest with dark secrets and maybe psychic powers. It might be a long episode, but it's a good one, and I was happy to see Duchovny and Anderson back on screen.

Step Brothers - in theaters now -

A great pairing of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly trying to outdo each other in ridiculousness, this doesn't have much structure but is hilarious for the most part. The guys do everything they can to be destructive and immature, although it nearly falls apart in the end. Add in some great cameos, and it's a lot like Apatow's recent hits: great humor, some slow spots, not much story, relationships, and male genitalia.

The New World - 2005 -

I never sat down and watched this long epic throughout, but I'm glad I did. Terrence Malik is a visual master who doesn't mind if he takes too long, because he wants to get a beautiful picture and mood down. Colin Farrell is surprisingly toned down as John Smith, early pioneer, and Christian Bale arrives halfway to keep things interesting. This was shot by Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men), so it's worth it just for the cinematics.

Lars and the Real Girl - 2007 -

As with many offbeat indies, this film has an eccentric main character, who lives in a small town and has a nowhere job... but this time, the protagonist has a real delusional problem: he's in love with a doll. It sounds silly, and it is, but of course the gentle townsfolk don't want to hurt him, so they play along. It's easy to be cynical of this movie, but the acting is good enough that you can believe it. Ryan Gosling, one of the best young actors there is, throws himself into the main role, and damned if he doesn't make you feel for him. Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider are his family that have to put up with him. This is a sweet tale with some comedy, but it wants more touching and acceptance than all-out laughs. It's hard at times to play along, but the people in the film do, and it creates a nice indie piece.

Fido - 2006 -

Here's another offbeat indie that had a goofy premise: what if there was a big zombie outbreak, but we figured out how to control them and made them slaves? Yeah, it sounds kind of like the ending and bonus material of Shaun of the Dead, but with a satiric take on corporate life and false 50's life.... so I guess it's ripping off Pleasantville as well. But it's got some nice gags and swipes at society.

It begins as a young boy gets his first zombie (Billy Conolly, making quite a career for himself). His parents, the underrated Dylan Baker and a feisty Carrie-Ann Moss, are mixed. The dad doesn't like it, but the mom grows to understand why the boy needs him. They are threatened by new neighbor and big brother honcho Matt Czerny, who is high up at the all-powerful zombie corporation / dystopian force. Throw in a solid Tim Blake Nelson as another nutty neighbor, and this faux-50's but also post-zompocalypse neighborhood is a strange place. When the zombie (affectionately named Fido) eats the neighbor, it creates a panic, and the boy has to save him. It's a nice mix of humor and horror, but not nearly on the same level as SOTD. It's a bit too smarmy for its own good, and although writer/director Andrew Currie is cleverly trying to make a social commentary, it doesn't have the success of other new mixes. But it's a good shot, and a nice early effort for him.

films in brief

Here are some short reviews for a few things I saw recently.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL - 2008 (in theaters) -

Just like most Apatow projects, this is a relaxed comedy with romantic tinges; a relationship story with some great gags. Jason Segal is a lovable lunk, and Mila Kunis steps it up as his new love interest. The comedy comes in moments here and there, and it's good but not overwhelming. I just love Segel, Kristen Bell, Jack McBrayer, and Paul Rudd too much to give it a bad name. It's decent comedy without much fanfare.


DOGVILLE - 2003 -

I'll be honest. I have no idea what to make of it. I wanted to see this for years and I finally got around to it and, well, let's just say that Lars von Trier is an intriguing director. This looks like a play, but it's a film: an original concept, shot on a stage, but with no audience, and with some of the set fixtures missing.... like, I don't know, WALLS! Yeah.... very strange way of filming, mixing theater standards with film and leaving that out. I think it could be comparable to dark stage plays like Ibsen. I also thought of William Faulkner, not that this is the same class as those great writers, but that's kind of the dark tone. It goes in weird directions, but the cast is amazing. Lauren Bacall jumped in and Nicole Kidman had just won an Oscar when she did this.

I'm torn because I think he could've done well if he shot it normally, but of course he won't, because he started that whole Dogma 95 movement and he has to be different. I found that a lot of people think it's anti-American, but it seems more to me like a dark examination of human nature, especially regarding the myth of small towns making good people. If you like indie or foreign pieces, it's def worth a look, but know that it's three hours long and a trip.

LUST, CAUTION - 2007 (just out on DVD) -

Ang Lee's erotic thriller is a strong period piece. In 1930's China, a woman caught up in rebellion tries to get close to a powerful government man. This starts a little slow, but picks up dramatically towards the end. Beautiful, intense, and emotional, this might have lost audiences because of its rough sexual scenes, but it's a very good drama.

THE BRAVE ONE - 2007 (just out on DVD) -

I skipped this Jodie Foster drama last year, skeptical of vigilante films, and it most certainly is that. But then I saw that it's also directed by Neil Jordan, who does a lot of sensitive and gender-confusing fare (The Crying Game, Breakfast on Pluto), so it shouldn't be totally macho. Foster, a popular NPR-type radio host in New York, goes into full revenge mode when some thugs kill her husband (Sayid from Lost). She also befriends a detective, Terence Howard, who starts to wonder about her intentions, while unknowingly steering her towards a crime boss he can't convict. This is emotional and pretty dark, and I'm not sure if the message is deeper than I want it to be. I can't imagine Jordan ever wanting to remake Death Wish with a female lead, but I get that feeling here. Maybe there's more than I see, and I suggest taking a look. It's gripping, but does it take sides too easily?