Side Effects

First Hit:  An outstanding film; finely crafted with excellent performances.

I cannot say enough about this film because the drama setup and then to have it evolve into a complex crime thriller was fantastic.

I was fully drawn in by the story but it was the fine acting by Jude Law (as Dr. Jonathan Banks), Rooney Mara (as Emily Taylor) while being outstandingly supported by Catherine Zeta-Jones (as Dr. Victoria Siebert) and Channing Tatum (as Martin Taylor).

The film subtly draws you in to feel a deep sadness for Emily and Martin as they attempt to put their lives back together after he comes out of prison for insider trading. The descriptions of, and watching Emily experience her depression were extraordinary – I completely believed her.

What made this film work was the wonderful writing and the amazing direction by Steven Soderbergh. This film explores depression, the use of pharmaceuticals to treat depression, the law and how it works with double jeopardy and mental health, pharmaceutical companies, relationships, and greed encased in a whole and complete film.

Mara was unbelievably great and I bought the story hook line and sinker. Her performance in this film will set her apart from a small group of very good actresses into greatness. Law was outstanding. His strength as a man and openness as a human being were all exposed as he knew something was up and wasn’t going to stop trying to figure out what the real story was. Zeta-Jones in a secondary but critical/pivotal role was very very good. Tatum was physically only in the first part of the film but his presence set up the rest of the film and therefore he’s part of the whole film. Scott Z. Burns wrote a sublime script. It was interesting, full of twists but not for effect, they were there to move the story forward and drive to a very interesting end. Soderbergh directed this film with perfection - cannot say anything more - perfect.

Overall:  This is a really great film.

Rust and Bone (De rouille et d'os)

First Hit:  Superior acting in a dark, moody and excellent film.

This film is rarely a “feel good film” but the superior acting by Marion Cotillard (as Stephanie) and Matthias Schoenaerts (as Alain van Versch) make this a very strong film.

Alain and his son Sam (played by Armand Verdure) are homeless and trying to get to his Alain’s sisters house. His sister Anna (played by Corinne Masiero) and her husband Richard (Jean-Michael Correia) welcome him and his son although there isn’t any love lost between them.

It is clear at the beginning that Alain is self-centered, arrogant, and selfish but he does love his son. He doesn’t think through his actions and generally does what he wants when he wants to. As a security guard, he meets Stephanie after she’s been hit while drunk at a dance club. He takes her home meets her lover but leaves his number anyway.

Stephanie is an Orca trainer at a water show. She loves what she does, but it is clear her shadow self is part of her life. A mishap with the Orcas and she loses her legs. Depressed and suicidal she reaches out to Alain. His selfish but caring manner has her come out of her shell.

There begins the story of their redemption for their actions and a willingness to grow into acceptance of who they are and what they want.

Cotillard is sublime in this role. The variety of emotions, feelings, and actions are done so well that this role is Oscar worthy. Versch is very good as a kind and selfish brute. Masiero was strong as the sister who finds ways to make her life work. Correia was great to seen again and, as always, wonderful as the sister’s husband who tries to make peace between the occasional warring siblings. Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain wrote a very strong script. Audiard directed this film with strength and elegance.

Overall:  A very wonderful film which deserves any Oscar recognition it gets – probably more.

Broken City

First Hit:  Disjointed in telling the story, OK acting, and in the end, not enough to make it worthwhile.

Try as I might, I didn’t see enough in the opening credits nor in the video tape review to make me believe that Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) did something wrong or so wrong that the commissioner Carl Fairbanks (Jeffrey Wright) and Mayor Hostetler (Russell Crowe) tell him he must retire.

I guess I missed something and this part is important to the believability of the story. However, the film supports this premise, of the wrongdoing, by indicating that Taggart was a hop-head and drank too much during his time as a undercover cop.

The killing in question is of a young man who supposedly killed Natalie Barrow's (Natalie Martinez) sister. For his support, Natalie and her family embrace Taggart which includes Natalie living with him as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Mayor Hostetler runs the city of New York with an iron fist and with corruption based decisions. It’s done because this is the way cities work, or so they say. Anyway Taggart wants to make things right.

Wahlberg was good enough; it was the film’s story telling that let him down. Crowe was OK but it didn’t work for me. Wright was dark and puzzling in his role because you never really got that he cared about anything but holding on to his job. Martinez was OK as a minor character. Alona Tal (as Katy Bradshaw) as Taggart’s secretary was delightful and the best thing about the film. Catherine Zeta-Jones was OK as the disenchanted wife of Mayor Hostetler. Brian Tucker wrote a tired and uninteresting script. Allen Hughes directed this very forgetful film.

Overall: Wouldn’t recommend paying to see this film.

Gangster Squad

First Hit:  Violent and overdone.

This film is loosely based on the take down of Mickey Cohen as the gangster supreme in LA. Cohen (played by Sean Penn) came from the East to run LA for the mob.

The Chicago syndicate is finding Cohen to be unruly and not following their orders. The reality is that Cohen wants it all for himself. At a meeting with a Chicago representative he tells him that he’s old and will not follow Chicago’s rules. The funny thing is that Penn looked older than the guy he was talking to. Then there was Nick Nolte playing Chief Parker and quite frankly they needed to pick someone else.

To rein in Cohen, Parker gives Sargent John O’Mara (played by Josh Brolin) the freedom to pull together other cops who will leave their badges at home and stop Cohen any way they want. Sergeant Jerry Wooters (played by Ryan Gosling) is one of the people he chooses. He’s chosen because he’s smart and has a similar history as O’Mara.

One of the more difficult things is that Wooters has fallen in love with Cohen’s girlfriend Grace Faraday (played by Emma Stone). The film’s plot isn’t that interesting and the amount of overt violence by both the police and Cohen’s crew is uninteresting. Maybe the taking back of LA from Cohen went just as the film suggested, but it is not worth making a film about.

Penn is good at times and overdone at other times as Cohen. This is not his crowning role or film. Nolte is a waste and fully uninteresting as Parker. He didn’t bring anything of value to the role. Gosling is good, has some wonderful touching moments as only he can. Stone is OK as Cohen’s girlfriend but there lacked a depth of history as to how she became his girlfriend in the first place that made the whole thing unrealistic. Will Beall wrote a very mediocre script and Ruben Fleischer’s direction was at the same level.

Overall:  This film is not worth seeing and is forgettable within hours after watching it.

Promised Land

First Hit:  A film with a message about change in the United States.

How long will small towns survive in the United States, especially when work has gone wanting? How will they feed their families, send their children to college, and continue the life that was once mostly farming.

Steve Butler (played by Matt Damon) comes from one of those towns and he saw how his family lost their home and farm. He works for “Global” which leases farms where there are natural gas deposits, by giving the farmer a financial down payment and part of the profits from the gas they extract from the property.

The issue is that the system they use is called “fracking” which uses water and chemicals in their drilling to break up the shale and release the natural gas trapped in the shale. Problem is that it can contaminate the groundwater.

Steve is excellent at getting people to sign these leases because he’s honest and believes in giving people another option for their land. He's been through it and therefore believes in what his is doing. His co-worker, Sue Thompson (played by Frances McDormand), is his partner and is good at selling the leases. During the “selling” of the townsfolk in a community meeting at the gym, one of their townsfolk Frank Yates (played by Hal Holbrook) tells of the dangers of fracking. Steve indicates that there may be issues but Global takes the necessary precautions.

Then there is Dustin (played by John Krasinski) who rides into town in a light green truck representing Athena Environmental Group. He pushes for the townsfolk to vote against Global. It becomes a battle of wills, the truth and what is right between Dustin and Steve.

The battle is about the use of fracking and Alice (played by Rosemarie DeWitt) a local, pretty and eligible school teacher.

Damon, as usual, is outstanding. He plays the earnest thoughtful man who is willing to learn more about himself, and does this better than any actor I’ve seen. McDormand is wonderful as the sidekick who also frets about how much time she is spending away from her son. Holbrook’s resurgence as an actor in film has been wonderful and this performance continues to show his fine abilities. DeWitt is good as the attractive kind woman that captures the heart of the lead. Titus Welliver (as a store owner) is fantastic as the amused and interesting store owner. John Krasinski and Matt Damon wrote a wonderful and thoughtful script. Gus Van Sant’s direction was very good and some of the shots are absolutely brilliant.

Overall:  This was a thoughtful film and continues to have me asking questions about what small towns will do as farming is being taken over by conglomerates and manufacturing is being moved offshore.