Film Gate Reviews: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

A night of partying and jokes for three poorly-devised characters.

“Bachelorette” is like a high school reunion, an excuse for thirty-somethings to throw logic, respect, decency and maturity out the window. Regan (Kirsten Dunst), Gena (Lizzy Caplan) and Katie (Isla Fisher) are gathering for the wedding of their high school friend (aka, the butt of their jokes). And they are determined to have one hell of a party. The problem is that is just like any other day in their life and the film doesn’t seem to suggest that that might not be a good thing.		2012 Directed by: Leslye Headland Screenplay by: Leslye Headland Based on the play by Leslye Headland Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan

Unstable characters and deceitful genres make it a tough family to like.

The problems with “Mighty Fine” begin with the genre. Let’s make this clear, it’s not the comedy it was advertised as. There are a few moments and lines at the beginning that aren’t as serious and fairly humorous, but it’s a drama. The plot quickly devolves into a full-on family drama with serious issues where the characters need to rely on their internal strength to rise above.		2012 Directed by: Debbie Goodstein Screenplay by: Debbie Goodstein Starring: Chazz Palminteri, Rainey Qualley, Jodelle Ferland and Andie MacDowell

Nonsense comedy and extreme violence that did not fit together.

“Revenge for Jolly” is a crime drama masquerading as a dark comedy. It starts out very serious. Harry (Brian Petsos) is a good guy who has done bad things and is in over his head. But then bad guys kill his dog and he and his cousin, Cecil (Oscar Isaac), are out for revenge. And then with another bad decision Harry kills a guy. Ha ha ha, isn’t that hilarious?		2012 Directed by: Chadd Harbold Screenplay by: Brian Petsos Starring: Brian Petsos, and Oscar Isaac

Tried to turn an unbelievable true story into a fun ride but forgot about the stupidity.

“Lay the Favorite” has many dissenters, most complaining that it’s completely unbelievable. It’s true, it is. Beth (Rebecca Hall) is a ditzy bimbo who quits her job as a stripper and moves to Las Vegas to become a cocktail waitress. A great idea! (Sarcasm). Instead, as soon as she arrives, she gets a very lucrative job as a sports bettor for a bookie who isn’t a bookie since bookmaking is illegal. Apparently, she’s a genius with numbers and words.		2012 Directed by: Stephen Frears Screenplay by: D.V. DeVincentis Starring: Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, Joshua Jackson, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Arkansas, a boat, a tree, two boys, girls, love, snakes and Mud.

Mud (Matthew McConaughey) is the central adult character. He lives in a boat in a tree on an island in Arkansas. And he is dirty. He probably hasn’t bathed in weeks, if not years. He also muddies the truth a bit – just a bit, to reflect his version of the world. Our teenage boy protagonists hesitantly take him at his word – there’s no reason for him to be any less dependable than their own parents and guardian.		2012 Directed by: Jeff Nichols Screenplay by: Jeff Nichols Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Ray McKinnon

A plethora of actors show how to make a dysfunctional family dramedy funny.

“The Oranges” centers on two families, each with mom and dad and former teenage daughter (now a twenty-something daughter), living across the street from each other in West Orange, New Jersey. It’s kind of like a dysfunctional family dramedy except the families really do function normal enough and well enough prior to the beginning of the plot. And also it’s a comedy. It poses some fairly serious questions but presents them all in a light-hearted, humorous fashion.		2011 Directed by: Julian Farino Screenplay by: Ian Helfer, Jay Reiss Starring: Leighton Meester, Hugh Laurie, Alia Shawkat, Oliver Platt

Famous scenes and symbolism re-imagined beautifully but also problematically.

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’” I have been frequently convinced that Baz Luhrmann does not know how to read, but I do have the advantage of literacy. However, I am not Nick Carraway and am not compelled to follow his father’s advice that opens Fitzgerald’s classic novel.		2013 Directed by: Baz Luhrmann Screenplay by: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton

See girl travel back home and slowly think about changing her depression.

“See Girl Run” sees Emmie (Robin Tunney) missing her old high school boyfriend. She’s married now but decides she’s not happy and wants to revisit her life with Jason (Adam Scott). Jason still lives in their hometown, is the local star of a seafood restaurant and is in a dead-end relationship. And the whole movie is reinforcing those same concepts over and over again.		2012 Directed by: Nate Meyer Screenplay by: Nate Meyer Starring: Robin Tunney and Adam Scott

A peculiar relationship dissected as subtly as possible.

“Like Someone in Love” is Abbas Kiarostami’s follow-up to the mind-bending relationship drama “Certified Copy”. Dissection of the title alone provides so many interesting clues and directions for the film to take in addition to what was analyzed previously. And while it does in fact address those interesting ideas (indirectly), it is as minimal as any film-going audience could possibly stand.		2012 Directed by: Abbas Kiarostami Screenplay by: Abbas Kiarostami Starring: Rin Takanashi, Tadashi Okuno, Ryo Kase