blast-o-rama.

The pass for this screening of Green Zone was provided by B. In addition, this “mini-review” will be appearing in their newspaper. Thanks, guys!

Despite what the director, lead actor and (especially) the trailers may make you believe, Green Zone is anything but the 4th Bourne film.  In fact, if it’s part of any series, it’s part of the seemingly never ending line of political thrillers revolving around the ongoing conflict in Iraq.  Soldiers are just pawns in a game put together by the fat cats in Washington, the public doesn’t know the truth, and honestly, you’ve seen this story told a thousand times before.

You’d think that with a great cast including Matt Damon, Brendan Gleeson, and Amy Ryan, you could at least count on Oscar quality performances, but no, Green Zone‘s cast seems to sleepwalk through performances as basic and predictable as the script.  The only bright point seems to be Greg Kinnear, who chews scenery as Clark Poundstone, a member of Pentagon Special Intellegence.  His character is a cut throat political player, and Kinnear seems to revel in every minute he’s on screen.

But the real issues of the film come down to an awkward, action-heavy third act, which seems tacked on to please audiences who need a resolution to a real-life conflict that has yet to have one, and the heavy handed direction of Paul Greengrass.  Look, I loved the shaky feel of the Bourne films too, but not every single scene needs to rock back and forth like they’re at sea.

It all comes down to this – if you’re looking for a great film set against the backdrop of the Iraq conflict this weekend – don’t go see Green Zone. Redbox a copy of The Hurt Locker instead. At least Kathryn Bigelow knows how to set a camera steady.

In the interest of full disclosure, the passes to tonight’s screening of The Book of Eli were provided to me by the fine folks at b.

When you put together a film designed to juxtapose the guiding light of religion and faith with the bleak world of a post apocalyptic society, the last thing you’d wager a filmmaker would want to leave the audience with is a feeling of indifference.  Unfortunately, with it’s paper thin characters, miscast actors and plot cobbled together from dozens of films that came before it, The Book of Eli takes these elements and reduces them to a grey-brown mixture of ineffectiveness, much like the color palate of the film.

The movie starts off strong enough, casting Denzel Washington as Eli, a man wandering through a world reduced to a sun-bleached pile of rubble.  It’s in these opening moments that the film is strongest – shot wonderfully on the digital camera of the day, the Red One camera, with a beautiful Nine Inch Nails circa Ghosts I-IV style score by Atticus Ross.  It places Eli almost as a wasteland equivalent of the classic wandering samurai, moving from location to location, fighting those who stand in his way and incur his wrath.  Honestly, I could’ve gone for two hours of just this.

Shortly after a gory and brutal fight sequence, Eli arrives in one of the few settlements remaining in this desolate world, a town lead by Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a corrupt mayor with a taste for books. It’s here that the film starts to sputter out, just inches away from the starting line.  Carnegie is after the last remaining copy of the Bible, a book which Eli so happens to have – something Carnegie doesn’t know.  But after Eli gets into another scuffle, this time with Carnegie’s men, Carnegie decides he wants Eli to be part of his “crew”, an understandable thought given that Eli just murdered 90% of his men.  And Carnegie, being the paper thin corrupt leader stereotype which Gary Oldman is trying to breathe life into, tempts Eli with everything he can. Food, water, and even his own “stepdaughter”, Solara (a painfully miscast Mila Kunis).  But Eli is a man of faith! He must continue on his trail to the “West”.  These temptations do not stop him.  And even at the threat of personal harm, Eli continues on.

Of course, this isn’t without a few hitches, the first of which being Solara.  Solara, now playing the role of the sidekick that won’t leave the hero alone, continues to follow Eli, despite his warnings that the world isn’t safe for a pretty lil’ girl like her.  Which brings me to my biggest problem with Kunis in this role.  Mila Kunis can do great work – when given the right script.  I thought she was the heart and soul of Forgetting Sarah Marshall!  But with her perfect looks, nary a hair-out-of-place style, and general lack of grime (compared to the other characters), she stands out like a sore thumb in this bleak future.

As I’m sure you can imagine – with Eli leaving his town with the Bible (and with Solara in tow), Carnegie and his men follow them West, into a clunky third act.  Strangely enough, this is where the movies most effective scenes (minus the stunning opening) lie, but by juxtaposing a rather humorous sequence with two older residents of a farm alongside a wonderfully shot shootout sequence which had me recalling the best moments of Children of Men, the effectiveness of both scenes is rendered null and void.

And it’s from here that the movie rushes to wrap up every loose end, combining a sequence lifted directly from Children of Men (rowboat with important cargo), a twist ending which feels tacked on (and I doubt would hold up on a second viewing), and a hamfisted hint towards a sequel – or trilogy, given that studios love them these days – leaving me feel cold.  You’d think a film which is based in faith and religion would leave you fired up, but instead, none of the passion of Eli for his beliefs, or Carnegie for his…uh…want to run more cities? (it’s barely addressed), or Solara’s want to…uh…do…something(?)can be felt at any time during the film. It’s a zero sum game.

It’s a shame when you can tell that the crew of a film worked so hard to bring their A-Game to a project, but The Book of Eli proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, no matter how many great actors you pair together, no matter how many great films you crib from, at the end of the day, it can be rendered ineffective if the passion never makes it to the screen.

As I write this, it’s 11:11pm on Thursday, December 10th, 2009.

I’m about 40 minutes, and a dinner past getting out of Avatar, James Cameron’s latest opus.

It’s taken him 12 years to return to the big screen, having last blown away the entire cinematic world with Titanic. And if you’ve been following this site, you know that I’ve been watching this project, and been skeptical every step of the way.

I went to the “Avatar Day” showing, which was meant to wow…and was left underwhelmed.

Did Cameron still have it? Had Fox put out nearly $300 Million for nothing?

The answer is simple: James Cameron has done it again, with the massively scaled, revolutionary film Avatar.

When reviewing a project such as Avatar, it’s difficult to breakdown the film into the traditional review.

Is the plot surprising and interesting? Not quite. If you’ve watched the trailers, you’ve probably already figured it out. Boy becomes Na’vi. Boy as Na’vi is supposed to hang out with aliens for the military. Boy as Na’vi meets Na’vi girl. They fall in love. Military wants to destroy Na’vi to get access to a super rare mineral. Boy as Na’vi doesn’t like it and change sides.  It’s broad strokes, no wheels are being reinvented here.

Is it the acting? Not really there, either. Sam Worthington is somewhat bland (albeit servicable) as Jake Sully, the parapalegic Marine who agrees to enter the Avatar project after his twin brother passes.  Zoe Saldana, in a mostly motion capture role as Neytiri, a Na’vi warrior princess, is your typical strong tribal girl type. Michelle Rodriguez appears as…Michelle RodriguezTrudy Chacon, literally the same role she’s always been.  Sure, Stephen Lang chews up scenery as Colonel Miles Quaritch, a sort of R. Lee Ermey, Giovanni Ribisi is fantastically sleezy as the leader of RDA, Parker Selfridge, and Sigourney Weaver plays a fantastic role as Dr. Grace Augustine, a pseudo Dian Fossey for the Na’vi people, but it’s not about the acting.

I’d even say some moments are cringeworthy, like the mineral being called Unobtanium (ugh.), and a really surreal Na’vi prayer sequence which reminds me far too much of the rave sequence from The Matrix Reloaded. I can already hear the detractors now.

So if it’s not the plot…and not the acting…and some of it is cringeworthy…what is so damned exciting?

Pandora.

Pandora, the planet which serves as the backdrop for the entire film, is one of the greatest creations in cinematic history.  I know, that must be hyperbole.  But honest to God, it’s not.  A pure CG creation, you’ll find yourself in disbelief at how few of the settings are not traditional sets.  I know much has been spoken of the quality of the Na’vi people, and the other creatures which populate Pandora, but my same qualms from “Avatar Day” remain in the final film.  There are moments where the CG is flawless. You believe the Na’vi are real. You believe the creatures are real. But the plasticine sheen of the finest 3D graphics still rear their ugly head at moments, taking you out of the moment, even briefly.

Despite this, though, the feeling of a real Pandora never fades.  The flora, the fauna, the bugs, the sheer atmosphere of it all. It remains completely real.  There has literally been nothing like this on screen before.  And it is this realistic feeling of the environment, the tangible quality of the setting of Avatar which raises the stakes and heightens the drama, making a standard plot and formidable at best acting feel like such a revolutionary film.

Was this by design? Perhaps.  The film’s pacing would certainly lead you to believe so.  The plot follows a rather linear pace, slowly revealing the world of the Na’vi to the viewer through Jake Sully’s eyes, showcasing their tribal world through almost small vignettes, as he acclimates himself not just to Pandora, but the Na’vi people. Heck, even the story, which I called predictable above, has properly inserted nuance and detail, making what would otherwise be a dull experience enthralling and interesting.  But as the film goes on, you realize each element is key, and it all pays off in an absolutely stunning final battle. And oh what a battle it is.

If you believed from Titanic that Cameron has gone soft, he proves you wrong, with a stunning 20+ minute final war sequence between the Na’vi people and the ex-military mercenaries of the RDA, putting creatures against technology in an all out battle on a scale rarely seen on screen. The closest comparison I could think of was that of the final battle in Return of the King.  The “King of the World” has come to reclaim his title as the best action director in Hollywood today, and I do believe he took it.

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t speak of the 3D technology at play. After all, it’s what pushed this film forward.  While there is never a moment where they play the “IT’S COMING AT YOUUUU” card, the 3D tech adds a level of depth to the world which underlines the alive feeling of Pandora.  I can’t say it enough – this is something which has never been done on this scale before, and it just has blown everything else out of the water.

Simply put, Avatar may not have changed the story, but it has changed the way the story is told. A new watermark in the world of science fiction storytelling.  Welcome back, Jim. May you take less than 12 years, next time.

Cracka-thoom!  Cracka-Thoom!

Hear that? That was lightning striking twice. Or, in other words, the career so far of Jason Reitman.

Since breaking into the public consciousness with 2006′s Thank You For Smoking, and then moving into 2007′s Oscar darling Juno, Reitman has had a perfect record for producing high quality films.

Cracka-thoom!

With this year’s Up in the Air, Reitman has done the impossible. He’s made lightning strike thrice.

Like Thank You For Smoking, Up in the Air is at it’s core a story about a charismatic man who does a terrible job terribly well.  But unlike Nick Naylor, George Clooney’s Ryan Bingham isn’t a man who defends the Tobacco Industry, his line of business is quite different.  Ryan is hired by companies to let employees go, and in this economic climate, business is very good.

Bingham is a master of efficiency.  Spending 322 days on the road, he flies from city to city, laying off dozens of workers from dozens of companies. But he has it down pat.  You aren’t fired, you’re being let go. It’s not the end of the road, it’s the first step towards destiny. For every down he finds the up, and by God, you find that your life is better without this lousy job. ‘Cause who needs it…and who needs anything really? Ryan certainly doesn’t.

Living in hotel rooms, airports and out of suitcases, the only thing Ryan has tying him down is a small apartment near his office in Omaha, Nebraska. But that’s just for show. His life truly is the road. A master of frequent flyer and regular customer programs, he’s on his way to 10 Million Airline Miles. And it’s never been easier.

Until he slows down.

For all of his life, to paraphrase a Roots lyric, Ryan Bingham has been nose to the grindstone. He doesn’t need to belong, because he simply is. Life is easier for him unencumbered. No baggage. Little luggage. Family? Sure, they exist, but he pays them little mind. He moves forward and moves on.  His life is all about solving the inefficiencies at companies, so his life has to remain a well oiled machine.

But it’s once two women enter his life, that, to finish the afformentioned lyric, his head goes into the stars.

The first is a fellow loner – an older, wiser, sexually forward woman named Alex, played wonderfully by Vera Farmiga.  She lives her life just as Ryan does. A member of exclusive clubs, with no baggage, head on straight, life moving forward.  The other, Natalie (the breakout performance of Anna Kendrick) intends to change his world entirely. A 23 year old hot-shot college student, she moves to make Ryan’s job more efficient. Why fly to each company when you can handle these firings by teleconferencing? What’s the purpose of the money and manpower in the air, when it all can be done from a centralized location? What does the human touch have to do with any of it?

That last is a question that Ryan himself uses to build barriers in his life, but he soon discovers may be the one thing in life he’s great at.  In a last ditch effort to keep his life the way he likes it, Ryan takes Natalie on the road, to show her the ropes…and that’s where our story truly takes flight, to pardon the pun.

To explain the rest would be to spoil the film, but we fast learn what Ryan is truly made of…as does he.

As Ryan Bingham, George Clooney wears his trademark charisma and candor as a mask, to hide the true man beneath it all, and honestly, it’s the best role he’s ever played.  Subverting his trademark style, Clooney digs deep, and while he has no true moment of catharsis on film (my one gripe toward the film) you feel the shifts in his life.  And, just as importantly, you see how and why he’s so god damn good at his job.

And that brings me to the unsung performers of this film. While Kendrick, Farmiga and Clooney might be looking at Golden Globe and possible Oscar noms, the real life unemployed bring this film’s emotional core to the frontline. While putting together the film, Reitman did a casting call for actual unemployed people of all ages, races and genders, and not only asked them how they feel post firing, but did a mock firing with them, to get true responses out of them. These people were only told that it was for a film on “unemployment”, and it is their so called performances that bring an amazing realness to the difficulty of the job that Ryan Bingham has.  These sequences are peppered with performances by great character actors like J.K. Simmons and Zach Galfinakis, who add their unique abilities to some of the most memorable firing sequences.

Of course, I’d be terrible to overlook the solid directing of Jason Reitman. He’s a man who’s flown many flights in his time, and obviously loves it as much as his lead character does, and it shows.  The opening sequences are shot with an amazing fluidity, a funky rhythm which almost makes the art of checking in for your flight…sexy, as bizarre as it is to say. But as the film moves on, he opens up the shots, lets you breathe in the world…just as Ryan Bingham chooses to do the same.

Up in the Air pushes the importance of real, live interactions and connections in your life, and honestly, I can’t think of a better movie this Christmas for you to see with a loved one, based on that alone.  Truly one of the year’s best films, it comes with my whole hearted recommendation. Bravo, Jason. You’re 3 for 3…and this may just be your best film yet.