Stand Up Guys

First Hit:  Very enjoyable to watch acting pros work.

Val (Al Pacino) is getting out of prison after spending 28 years behind bars. His best friend and running mate “Doc” (Christopher Walken) is there to pick him up.

We quickly figure out Doc has to kill Val because he killed mob boss Claphands' (Mark Margolis) son during a job many years ago. Killing Val is about revenge. Because Doc has until 10:00 AM the next day to kill Val, Doc and Val go out and have some fun.

One of the decisions they make is to rescue the one other member from their earlier days. This third member is Hirsch (Alan Arkin) who was their driver on the jobs they use to pull. The overall camaraderie between the 3 guys is amazing as they make their way through the night doing things they want to do together.

The scenes in the diner with Alex (Addison Timlin) are precious. Yes, there are scenes that are predictable but the way Walken, Pacino and Arkin work the script, their experience as great actors’ is evident.

There are truly funny parts through the snappy and wonderful delivery of the script and it revolves around a believable heartfelt story of friendship.

Walken is superb as an aging crook who is trying to find a little peace in his life by doing right especially to his granddaughter. Pacino gives the best performance in years in this film. Arkin continues his streak of great performances in the past couple years. Margolis is solid as the unforgiving no nonsense crime boss. Lucy Punch as Wendy the Madame at the house of prostitution was a perfect choice as the daughter of the original Madame. She was witty, fun and business like all in one. Timlin was sublime as Walken’s granddaughter. Julianna Margulies plays Hirsch’s daughter Nina and makes the very most of this small role. She is what you focus on when she says her lines. Noah Haidle wrote a fun although, at times, predictable script. Fisher Stevens directed these excellent veteran actors with aplomb.

Overall:  A totally enjoyable film because you watch excellent actors doing what they do best.

Lay the Favorite

First Hit: Funny at times and Bruce Willis is the best part of this film.

Beth (played by Rebecca Hall) frustrated with her lackluster life, leaves for Las Vegas looking for dancing and money. What she ends up with, because she’s good with numbers, is working for a bookie named Dink (played by Bruce Willis).

Dink is married to Tulip (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones) who is a very high maintenance, strong, pushy, wife that demands attention and money. Rebecca becomes Dink’s good luck charm and he makes some good money with her as part of the business. But, as we all know, gambling isn’t about having a good luck charm and Dink goes sideways when he starts losing.

Rebecca starts to work for Dink’s close friend and fellow bookie Rosie (played by Vince Vaughn). She discovers that Rosie has some bad work habits and decides to try to go back to work for Dink.

This film has no point that hasn’t been tread before. It is about trust, it is about finding your swim lane, it is about being open, honest and truthful. To this end it is OK.

Hall is delightful to watch as is Willis, but Zeta-Jones character seemed telegraphed. Willis, it probably the best thing about this film as he does the wide swings of winning and losing bets, very well. Hall is nice, easy and joyful to watch. Her mistakes (as her character) or telegraphed and I saw myself giving eye-rolls toward the screen with some of her choices. Zeta-Jones was poorly directed, had a mediocre script, or just had an off day. Vaughn was Vaughn, which means he doesn’t really act, he’s just the perfect wise guy, always talking and sometimes the role fits him – this one does. D.V. DeVincentis wrote mediocre but somewhat adequate script. Stephen Frears directed this and got a good performance from Willis and Hall.

Overall: Lazy Sunday evening film because it won’t require much concentration.

Playing for Keeps

First Hit:  Predictable film, some strong moments, and generally disappointing with this strong cast.

George (played by Gerard Butler) is a finished professional soccer player from Scotland. He was famous, blew through his money, and is now looking for work.

He’s also is divorced from Stacie (played by Jessica Biel) who is living with their son Lewis (played by Noah Lomax) and her fiance (played by James Tupper). While trying to find a job he moves near his son and ex-wife and becomes the soccer coach for his son’s team. He is a hit and the team begins to score and win games.

However, as expected the parents of the kids on the team want to influence the coach to play their kid or provide special coaching. Making it more complex is that George is a ladies man and all the divorcees want a piece of him in more ways than one. To this end we have Uma Thurman (Patti) who is married to Carl (played by Dennis Quaid).

Patti wants to have an affair with George while Carl, who influences the team and George with money, will kill anyone who has an affair with his wife. There is also Denise (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones) who has influence at ESPN and uses her sexuality and connections to influence George.

Lastly, there is Barb (played by Judy Greer) who is freshly divorced and is prime for sex. Besides the predictability of the film, it sets things up but then lets them go. Example: Carl gives George a bunch of money for the team and George uses it for his rent and deposit on his new digs but there is no consequence for this action.

Butler is good and fits the role well but it just seems so predictable. Biel is very good and she and Butler create a wonderful chemistry. There are a couple of scenes when they are speaking with each other that were really strong. Quaid’s role was odd and not very well thought-out. Zeta-Jones was good and created some fun in the film. Thurman is oddly interesting as a lonely unhappy lush wife. Greer is one of the more interesting people in the film with her emotional jags. Robbie Fox wrote a bland screenplay. Gabriele Muccino directed this film in a very safe way. There wasn’t anything that really stood out or was detrimental. It was safe.

Overall:  This film would be a good Sunday evening family DVD or streaming watch.

Gambit

First Hit:  Mildly entertaining in very few places.

Harry (played by Colin Firth) feels unappreciated as a lowly art appraiser and employee of egoist Lionel Shahbandar (played by Alan Rickman).

To get his boss back he thinks of a plan to duplicate a Monet piece where the original is currently in Texas and owned by PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz). Harry gets PJ to be part of the plan by telling her she will get a $500,000 if she pretends to sell her Monet to Shahbandar for $12 M.

What will really happen is that they will sell a forgery made by Major Wingate (played by Tom Courtenay). In this very lame comedy things go array with their plan but, as expected, come together in the end. Wading through the wasted screen time for the few real funny bits (Harry in an old woman’s hotel room with no pants) is painful.

Firth is occasionally funny but more time is spent on being in no-man’s land. It is like we have to wade through a lot of junk to get to any good stuff. Rickman is simply not a good comedic film villain. Diaz is OK, occasionally funny, but mostly seems pressed to make this film work. Ethan and Joel Coen didn’t create much of a screenplay and it was probably made worse by the lazy and unfocused direction of Michael Hoffman. 

Overall:  This was a time waste.

Silver Linings Playbook

First Hit: A well-acted film about how people can find peace in their lives by looking from within. 

Pat (played by Bradley Cooper) leaves a mental hospital where he found himself after an outburst of anger where he nearly kills his wife’s lover. Justified?

No and this is what the film is about. It is about finding other ways to recognize and re-channel feelings that can lead to strong physical and emotional outbursts. He still loves his wife Nikki (played by Brea Bee) and believes she will come back to him if he loses weight and becomes a nicer and more rounded individual.

His father Pat Sr. (played by Robert De Niro) is not the best example for him to follow. His entire life is wrapped up in the Philadelphia Eagles and his passion is so high that he is permanently banished from coming to the stadium games because of fighting.

While at his friend Ronnie’s (played by John Ortiz) house he meets Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence) who also has a history of acting out. Her acting out is through sex with anyone after her husband dies.

This story is about how these two find the silver linings in their own lives through their relationship.

Cooper is strong and good as a guy who is focused on getting his wife back if only he can act right but finds his buttons being pushed from every vantage point. De Niro is good as the father seeing how his own behaviors contribute to his son’s struggles to find himself. Lawrence is amazing (Oscar worthy) in this role. Her eyes showing both strength and vulnerability in this role show why she’s one of the very best young actresses to make the scene. Ortiz is wonderful and perfect as Cooper’s true friend. David O. Russell wrote and directed with very wonderful script. I loved how he was able to have 3 – 4 people yelling all at once, yet have each point be clearly made.

Overall: This was a very fine film and deserves to be seen.