Open Letters Monthly: Jack the Giant Slayer

Wow, I've been gone for a little bit, huh? This week was an abysmal one for writing, almost as bad as the weekend grosses for Jack the Giant Slayer, 21 and Over, The Last Exorcism Part II and Phantom. I'll return to regular posts next week, but while it's generally accepted that nothing good hits the movies this time of year, you would at least hope that an up-and-coming star and a generally reliable director would be enough to carry a potentially fun movie.

In an ancient age of kingdoms and legends, Jack is just a simple farm boy, tricked into trading his pony for a handful of beans. When one manages to send his house and a wandering princess into the clouds via a giant beanstalk, he joins a group of knights seeking to rescue the young woman from her fate. But they'll have more to contend with than heights, as charlatains, Giants and other dangers threaten to make sure that nobody - Jack included - will ever make their way back down to Earth.

Jack the Giant Slayer is directed by Bryan Singer and stars Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy, John Kassir, Eddie Marsan, Ewen Bremner and Ewan McGregor.

Click here for the full review at Open Letters Monthly.

Something Fishy This Way Comes

Today is Friday, March 23'rd, and I feel as though I'm officially reviewing the first Academy Award contender of 2012. There are a couple of reasons Salmon Fishing in the Yemen was my most anticipated film for March, over the likes of the exciting John Carter, indie Jeff Who Lives at Home, and the juggernaut atop everybody else's lists, The Hunger Games. The first was the casting; between Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas, there wasn't a single weakness anywhere in the actors presented. I'm a huge fan of Blunt, and McGregor and Thomas have been known for their outstanding work in the past. The second was the story, a unique tale that quickly distanced itself from the usual band of retreads that Hollywood pumps out with regularity. There wasn't any time in the past few months in which I didn't expect this film to be a great addition to the ranks of my Top 10 for the year, not just at the time of its release but far down the line as well.

Based on the book of the same name by Paul Torday, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen tells the story of fisheries scientist Alfred Jones (McGregor), who finds himself involved in an insane pipe dream, as he is hired by Yemeni Sheikh Muhammad (Amr Waked) in an effort to introduce the sport of salmon fishing to the dry Middle Eastern country. He is practically forced into the project by the British government, as Public Relations chief Bridget Maxwell (Thomas) desperately needs a feel-good news story from the Middle East as the ongoing war has hardly helped matters. While Alfred at first believes that the entire notion of introducing cold-climate fish to the arid desert is unfeasible, he gradually is persuaded by the charisma and brilliance of the Sheikh and his financial strategist Harriet Chatwode-Talbot (the lovely and talented Blunt), especially as it forces him away from his mundane everyday life and into something new and unknown. Eventually, he finds himself completely behind the project, but the daunting task of succeeding at what is barely theoretically possible is yet another matter.

Two actors I'll always watch

The acting, as expected, is as wonderful as I imagined. McGregor is, to the surprise of nobody, a natural at playing the insecure, know-it-all with a heart of gold. As the story's hero however, McGregor needed to be more than a stereotype in order to properly capture the distinct personality of Alfred Jones, and he gives us a show as close to perfection as any actor possibly can. It's actually amazing that in almost eighteen years of performing, McGregor has never been nominated for an Academy Award, as even his star turn in the popular-if-polarizing Moulin Rouge was close, but no cigar. His chances have to improve eventually, and hopefully he won't have to wait as long as Beginners co-star Christopher Plummer did to get one of those golden men. In the meantime, I'll simply enjoy every single one of McGregor's performances going forward. Blunt is still trying to make a name for herself in Hollywood, and I certainly hope Salmon Fishing in the Yemen helps her to that goal. It's hard to believe that it's been six years since The Devil Wears Prada, but stardom seems strangely elusive for the exceptionally talented Blum, who always seems to be in good movies that most people just don't bother to see. Here she commands the screen with her mere appearance, adding greatly just by opening her mouth and speaking. If that seems like limited praise, it's because I honestly don't know how to describe her importance to the film, other than that her mere appearance raises the standards of everything around her a million percent.

Waked's work is the stuff Academy Award nominations are made of.

The real star of this film however might be Waked, whose role seems tailor-made for generating awards buzz. As the charismatic, intelligent Sheikh Muhammad, Waked manages to imbue the role with everything needed and more, succeeding in becoming the heart and soul of the film in the process. I knew going in that he would likely be the best thing about the film, and his performance did not disappoint. The only disappointment is Thomas, whose part would fit in well with a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Whether she is running around shouting on the phone, mugging for photo opportunities or staring down the Prime Minister, her character is strong but without grounding in reality. This is no fault of Thomas, of course, but of a role so comically written that it throws off the film's entire dynamic without even trying.

Yes, he gets "It's So Big" a lot...

And unfortunately, this is a film that gets off the rails more than once on its quest to get from start to finish. While the central idea of transplanting Salmon into Yemen is a unique idea itself, just about everything around it is tepid, predictable and forced to the point where you can see the whole plot coming a mile away. Director Lasse Hallstrom has been revered in the past for his adaptations of The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, and The Shipping News, but his work on Salmon Fishing in the Yemen feels surprisingly amateur, most notably with sudden musical score changes when something dastardly is about to happen. The conflicts in the film feel contrived to the point of exhaustion, as though Hallstrom attempted to express his views on culturalism in the Middle East without actually knowing anything about the subject. Additionally, some scenes that should have definite significance (such as McGregor walking against a tide of people to compare him to the upstream-swimming salmon) are wasted, as they are presented without any specific context. The inevitable romance between McGregor and Blunt is also predictable, though at least the story complicates things by starting these two off with preexisting romantic relationships.While the scenes featuring Kristin Scott Thomas are in fact humorous, they detract from the film by being TOO funny, contrasting sharply with the seriousness of the rest of the tale.

John Krasinski, you lucky bastard...

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen overcomes these problems thanks mainly to an acting corps that consistently raises the bar on talent, and a believable romance that works much in the same way as fellow 2012 release Friends With Kids, albeit with a bit more class. There are definitely issues with the story and how it's told, but those two major factors push this title above most of the recently released mediocre movies, turning it into the #2 Film of 2012. While I think you could push this film aside and focus on the other good titles that were released this March, it also makes the perfect counter for if and when you're not interesting in seeing the big, showy special effects-laden films that have dominated the box office these past couple of months. Waked's performance especially makes this film a must-see, and even if you don't see it in the theater, it would definitely be worth a rental this summer. I for one am glad I saw it on the big screen, but Salmon Fishing in the Yemen wasn't the game-changer I was certain it would be.

The Ass-Kicking of 2012

The career of director Steven Soderbergh has been a strange one. After his debut film Sex Lies and Videotape made him a household name (and earned him the Palm D’Or at Cannes) back in 1989, Soderbergh went on to become one of the most popular directors of the modern era, with a filmography that includes Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the unimaginably successful Oceans trilogy. While some of his work is perhaps a bit overrated (the mediocre Contagion comes to mind), anyone should be able to appreciate the boundaries he attempts to breach with his filmmaking. That creativity of his has become more pronounced in recent years, as 2008’s Che was so long it had to be split into two parts for theatrical release, and he took an enormous chance in hiring then-active porn star Sasha Grey to headline his street-level look of humanity in The Girlfriend Experience. He’s even the director behind the Channing Tatum stripper biopic Magic Mike, due out later this year. But the most anticipated of his new films, at least in my eyes, has been the female-centric action film Haywire, starring former MMA fighter Gina Carano. Carano had been approached by Soderbergh to star in his new action film back in 2009, and as she had just lost a high-profile match to Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos and was looking to get out of the MMA spotlight, she took him up on the offer. It would not be her first film appearance (That would be the cult film Ring Girls), but this would be the first major motion picture to feature the potential action star out in front, where the world could see what so far only a few had actually witnessed of her abilities.

Gun play thankfully is kept to a minimum

Told in flashbacks, Haywire relates the story of how mercenary Mallory Kane (Carano) has come to be on the run from her former employers after they framed her for a crime she did not commit. The scion of a military family and a former marine in her own right, Mallory was the best agent the firm had, and was just about to take her earnings an move on to more relaxing climes. Now she must fight her way through a private army of goons, assassins and generally unlikable sorts to learn why she has been betrayed, and attempt to reclaim her old life by any means necessary.

Yes, our old friend (and Oscar snub) Fassbender is here...

There’s one important thing to remember when watching Haywire: if a character other than Mallory has an ass, it’s most likely going to get itself kicked. Soderbergh designed Mallory to be a versatile weapon of mass destruction, and Carano fills that gap admirably by beating up anybody that gets between her and victory. Mallory is also shown as being extremely dedicated, living by a moral code, incredibly intelligent and knowing exactly what she wants and how to get it. The only real flaw with Mallory is that she really HAS no flaws, with only the diminutive stature she brings against her larger, male opponents anything close to a weakness. Seeing her in action, it’s apparent that slight edge doesn’t last long, and as one character advises another, thinking of Mallory (or Carano, for that matter) as just a woman “would be a mistake.” With amazing camera work, Soderbergh captures elements both beautiful and ugly in the fight scenes, moving between graceful athleticism and brute force whenever necessary. There are precious few action heroines in the business, and Carano’s addition is one not to be taken lightly, even for a moment.

Turning an Uzi into a blowtorch in six easy steps...

Speaking of Miss Carano, I would have settled for her performance to be dry, dull, and propped up by the more experienced names on the cast list. I honestly wasn't sure an untrained actress would be able to carry such a burden on her first major attempt, and figured that the reason Soderbergh surrounded her with such talent was to offset her own limitations. Silly me. Carano, while not always perfect, still manages to do a whole lot correctly, turning Mallory from a potential black hole of personality into an real life character, one with all the strengths I listed earlier. I don't doubt that the offers will start rolling in, and Carano will amass a decent film career thanks to this amazing start. That said, her supporting cast slouches only slightly, and while not everyone is worth their weight in gold, they do enough to help propel the story forward. Ewan McGregor is smarmy and sly in the main antagonist role, a reversal put to good effect in the case of his usually charming demeanor. In small roles, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum and Bill Paxton do their share of adding to the film when need be. And Michael Douglas chews the appropriate amount of scenery as a government suit. Despite a sagging Antonio Banderas, this is a well-acted film with deep characters and believable interactions, and is as great as it is thanks to Carano being able to carry it on her shoulders for most of the time.

Guess who'll win this one

Despite a well-told and fast-paced tale, a few details still manage to go missing, and some leaps in the film's logic aren't always cleanly explained when they are. Regardless, Haywire should be considered a success both in the final product and in the casting of Carano in a leading role. What the MMA hoarded for four years is finally out of the box, and I'll be sorely disappointed if this talented young woman doesn't go from being the "Face of Women's MMA" to the face on movie posters across the nation. There are a few female action stars in Hollywood right now, but I have little doubt that this woman has the strength, charisma and determination to best them all. At least for now, she stars in the #1 film of 2012.

I Hate You Jim Carrey: And Other Reasons I Didn't Want to See this Movie

It's true. It's all true.

Okay, maybe HATE is too strong a word. More accurately you might say that I never GOT why people so adamantly loved Jim Carrey, this overly-goofy comedian whose career has surprisingly not been derailed by several missteps over the course of his now thirty years of acting. What I hated the worst about seeing him in anything was that he COULD be funny, and then go completely over the top in a way that I thought ruined the joke. Fortunately for him, many people disagree, and while he's far from the box office draw he was back in the nineties, he's still one of the hardest working comedians in Hollywood, and while I may not be his biggest fan, I have to at least respect what he's done and the awards he's been recognized with. But that doesn't mean I want to go out of my way to see one of his films, either.

Who knew Rodrigo Santoro had a side job as "The Situation"?

So you can imagine my surprise when, this past Wednesday, I was checking out film times online and was disturbed to find that there was not ONE film available that I had not either seen or had more than a tiny interest in. Blue Valentine was at the top of my list, but hadn't come to town yet. Country Strong wasn't coming out until the weekend. And what the heck is Fei Cheng Wu Rao II, anyway? So it was with some trepidation that I decided to see what my friend Dan (he of the Southland Tales recommendation) had been calling his favorite film of 2010, I Love You Phillip Morris. Starring Jim Carrey.

As The Wire teaches us, there are only two days in prison: The day you go in, and the day you come out

Carrey plays real-life conman Steven Jay Russell, notorious for his uncanny ability to escape prisons. Over the course of the film, Steven becomes a conman to fund his excessive lifestyle, gets sent to prison for the whole conman "thing", enters a homosexual relationship with the Ewan McGregor as the titular Phillip Morris, then tries to build a relationship with Morris outside of prison walls, only to fall back on old habits. In all this Steven is portrayed as both a shrewd and conniving con artist and prison escapist and as a man who would do anything for the people in his life who he cares for.

"Ah wish ah knew how ta quit yoo"

What's surprising about this film is that while it could have easily traipsed down that road into silliness for the sake of silliness, I Love You Phillip Morris displays a good amount of heart, even if that heart is seemingly displayed most often by the film's criminal lead. In fact, many of the crimes Stephen commits over the course of the film are supposedly blamed on his need to fund luxurious lifestyles for he and his lovers, especially Morris. Sure, there's plenty of crude gay sex jokes - enough to perhaps make a whole second film - but thankfully they don't make the whole movie. While a few scenes go a bit to far in an attempt to be serious and tear-jerking, the film's excellent humor manages to remain valid throughout the story's arc and manages to keep even the more reserved viewers entertained. Also, this film might be the first film in recent memory that actually effectively uses voice over dialogue to enhance the story. Usually, when a film gets a voice-over, its because the story is so weak that you need guidance to move the film forward. Here, it's more of a friendly muse that takes the journey with you.

Flowers? How gauche!

The acting was actually quite good, despite this being a Carrey vehicle. Okay, to be honest, Jim Carrey wasn't at all bad here. His Stephen Russell is immensely likable, somewhat inspiring and laughably goofy, a mix that would usually result in confusion and shrugged shoulders, but actually works out fairly well here. As I mentioned before, Carrey was provided excellent dialogue and jokes, but only he had the timing to make it all consistently humorous and entertaining. That I could even walk away from the theater uncertain how to feel about a multiple-convicted felon speaks volumes to his performance. While I thought he still exhibited a bit of over-the-topness that detracted slightly from the film's delivery, it wasn't enough to say I didn't like him here. But I actually thought he was overshadowed by a very good McGregor, who plays the effeminate and light-hearted Phillip Morris. Owning the role, the worst thing I can say about McGregor is that despite having his name in the title, he was far too small a presence in the actual film, so dominated by Carrey is the plot. Former Lost refugee Rodrigo Santoro does a decent job as Jimmy, a former flame of Stephen's. He's not given much, but occasionally is given a chance to shine. Better off is Leslie Mann as Stephen's former wife an the mother of his child. She's really only given much to do in the beginning, but she remains a presence throughout the film and I really liked what they did with the character, even if it might not have been very realistic overall.

Fantasizing about a human centipede...

The film does suffer a few flaws. Some things are a bit unrealistic, but this is not surprising as in most "based on true story" films there are often exaggerations made to make the story more entertaining. The film seems to want to be serious at odd times, and some of the more serious scenes feel out of place in such a comedic film. And one of the film's final lines, stating Stephen Jay Russell was an embarrassment to the state of Texas "and Governor George Bush" seems like an obvious ploy to make him more likable in the eyes of the more liberal viewers who are most likely to be watching this movie. Finally, I thought the gay themes were a bit cliche, with stereotypical performances in the gay roles not deviating from what one might expect from them (note that I don't say they are inaccurate, simply stereotypical).

Yes, it's Carrey and McGregor... for 93 minutes

In the end, it doesn't matter what I think about I Love You Phillip Morris, or for that matter what anyone else thinks. The film had trouble finding distributors in the US for more than a year and has struggled mightily in limited release capacity where it has shown. A forthcoming plan to expand the number of theaters showing the film seems like a risk at best and foolhardy at worst. But it does have one big thing going for it: It's already turned a profit playing overseas. Releasing in Europe, Japan and Taiwan early in 2010, the film has already grossed $18 million, much more than it's purported $13 million budget. So you see? No matter whether I like it or not, anything they do now is simply money in the bank. That said, I did thoroughly enjoy this film, even if I thought it was nowhere near the top of my 2010 movies. If you don't feel comfortable with a title that so flagrantly lets its pride flag stand at attention, you won't like this film. Period. But everyone else should get a chuckle at this film's humor and charming personality, as it may go down as one of 2010's most underrated titles.