47 Ronin

47 Ronin directed by Carl Rinsch, starring Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, and a host of other Asian actors.

Not a bad movie but not a good movie but entertaining nonetheless.

In this movie Keanu Reeves has the type of role he's known best for: not a lot of dialogue and just blank stares or looks at things or people.  Thus it's the best role for him and he does what he does best with those sorts of roles - makes it seem effortless, which for him I guess it might be.

I expected more action from this movie but was surprised by the quieter scenes that seemed to focus on character and storyline.  I did like those scenes as it fleshed out the characters and really held the storyline together well and then the action scenes kicked in and were surprisingly good.  This is one of those rare movies where the storyline is built around the action scenes and not the other way around.  It's also one of those rare movies where the action scene aren't ruined by heavy editing and a pathetic use of the hand held camera for "realistic" effect.  I mean the director seemed to actually want to audience to know what was going on during the fight scenes, which is a rarity now-a-days. 

If you're looking for an entertaining movie that is quiet with some bits of action then this is the movie for you.  It doesn't break any new ground or try anything new but it is surprisingly assured of itself.

Jack Ryan: Shaow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Christ Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, and Kenneth Branagh.

I had low, low expectations going into this movie, so in the end I sort of enjoyed it but for all the wrong reasons.  The reason I had such a good time watching it was because as the movie continued to soldier despite being one of the worst ideas for a movie, I had a good picking it apart - the movie is that bad.  I don't even know where to begin on how bad this movie.  I got the same feeling from this movie I got from the latest Die Hard movie - that somewhere in Hollywood there was an action movie script lying around that someone picked up and got the bright idea of changing a few names in the script and low and behold they had a Jack Ryan movie despite the screenplay not being written fro Jack Ryan.  The previous Die Hard movie had the same feel.

I mean this movie has nothing in comparison to the Jack Ryan Tom Clancy created or the Jack Ryan portrayed by Alec Baldwin or Harrison Ford.  Jack Ryan is an analyst not an action man like James Bond, moving him into that sort of action realm defeats the whole purpose of him as a character.  It's his mind and analytical skill that he's  known for - not his fighting skills.  This movie just doesn't get it.  Keira Knightley does what she continues to do in every movie she's in - namely that is suck.  It's amazing because I had more sympathy for the villain Branagh played in this movie than any of the other main characters.  Such is the charm of Branagn and seeing him paired up in a scene with Pine or Knightly is to watch a true actor act versus two wannabees who seem lost in even the simplest of parts.  Branagh's part is utterly cliched but he chews up every scene he's in and makes the movie more watchable than the two main stars.

A movie to watch but for all of the wrong reasons. 

True Detective: Season One

True Detective: Season One created by Nic Pizzolatto, starring Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, and Michelle Monaghan.

WOW!

HBO does it again with this detective series - or is it more of a mini-series? - (10 episodes) that spans a few decades as it tells the story of two detectives trying to solve the murder of a woman.  The mystery is very compelling as it had me up in the wee hours of the night to watch it - saying just one more episode - just one more episode then I'll go to bed.  Moody, beautifully shot and wonderfully acted. Television over the years has slowly become so much better than movies.

Ultimately this show is a character study of Harrelson and McConaughey's characters.  What a wonderfully, complex sort of characters these two detectives are and they become wholly fleshed out by the two actors playing them.  This is without doubt some of the best work of both of these actors as their acting and output into these detectives balanced out the murder mystery both were trying to solve.  As the mystery deepens so does the complexity of the detectives, which says a lot of the writers of this story as they invested as much into the characters as they did into the mystery.  They had a good hook of the mystery but didn't let it overshadow the characters in the show - unlike some desperate housewives or lost people.  Good characters can make anything compelling but good characters mixed a good story line make everything even that much better.  I really got involved in the story line.  It was strange and was everything I look forward to in a good murder mystery with little or no loose ends not tied up by the end of the show.  

Philomena

Philomena directed by Stephen Frears, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan.

A small movie with a simple premise: finding a lost/stolen son.

On this one premise does the movie rest and on this one premise does the movie soar.  Helped along with some absolutely great acting by Dench and Coogan who pretty flesh out their characters and bring them to life in some great and wonderful ways.  Frears' directing and tight editing help to bring everything together as they all end up creating  a compelling story of a mother looking for her lost/stolen son, while at the same time making bringing up questions of social class and religion without being preachy. 

Make no mistake though this is Dench, Coogan, and Frears' movie without a doubt.  They invest themselves wholeheartedly into the story line making the journey completely engrossing.  The main reason I wanted to see this movie was that it teamed up Dench with Coogan and on that note the movie was totally worth seeing just for them and the relationship they create as the movie moves along to it's bittersweet ending. 

It's the simple premises that are the hardest to pull off because they are so simple people see to want to put other flashy things in their to distract from how simple the story is.  But with strong characters and a desire to explore those characters life, there doesn't need to be anything flashy or distracting - just let the characters move and breath and the viewers will be buy into everything being presented.  Frears understands this and lets Dench and Coogan move the story and this movie is all the better for it. 

Out of the Furnace

Out of the Furnace written and directed by Scott Copper, starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Forest Witaker, Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, and Sam Shepard.

I'll get this out of the way first: this a great movie, with great characters.  There's a theme that runs throughout the movie and interweaves throughout most of the characters - finding a movie with a solid theme now-a-days is hard but one that touches the characters of the movie is even harder.  This movie also represents the working class people of American with respect and not in a joking, stupid way that Hollywood seems to think they are.

The cast list alone makes this movie worth watching - and let me tell you everyone in this movie does a great job of bringing this story to life.  Christian Bale proves once again what a great, brilliant actor he's become, no matter what role he's playing.  In all honesty he's almost touching the mountain top of Daniel Day-Lewis, and I'm not joking about that.  This movie is directed by Scott Copper, whose last movie was Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges, and Out of the Furnace proves Crazy Heart was no fluke.  This is a great sophomore effort by Copper as he continues to create great characters and lets them move and breathe in his story.  His stories are very character driven and are all the better for it as I can tell he really cares about them and he treats his character with respect as he doesn't let them ever get out of character but they stay true to the roots he's laid down for them.  Just based on this I can tell you I'm looking forward to his next movie.  This is a director, that right now, needs to be on the radar, his next movie will determine how much of his own hype he's swallowed.  Here's hoping he hasn't taken that pill but remains true to himself as these first two movies proved what a unique voice he has. 

A couple of things I really liked about this movie.  The title of the movie Out of the Furnace lays down the theme, which I found to be getting out of whatever Furnace (heat/work/trouble/relationship) the character might be in.  This theme is clearly woven into the lives of the characters in the movie.  Bales characters works in the Furnace of the movie so his getting "Out" of the Furnace takes on a more literal meaning.  Casey Afflecks character's Furnace deals with him getting Out of the Furnace that the war in Iraq has brought to his life and the means and measures he'll go to get Out of that Furnace. These are just two of the characters I found where the theme played in their lives.  I won't go into more detail about the other characters but I'll let you find it in the other characters.

I really like the production of this movie.  It really felt like a working class town.  The clothes, the sets, the on location shooting helped to bring this story and characters to life.  This movie has strings of The Deer Hunter and Winter's Bone running throughout it but didn't seem as if anything was stolen but more borrowed - paid homage to - inspired by - because this movie was its own beast in all ways, shapes, and forms. 

Hellboy Volumes 1 - 6

Hellboy Volume 1 - 6 created, written and most drawn by Mike Mignola, with various artists filling in in later stories.

After all of the comics I've read over the years to finally sit down and plow through the entire six volumes of Hellboy was fun, without a doubt.  But I've got to say I really like my stories with long arcs and definite ending.  Hellboy is loads of fun as Mignola plays with all sorts of myths, gods, and crazy ideas but I did find the lack of a long arc not as much fun as if it's there.  Then by saying that in the last two volumes finally there were three long arcs that dived into the past, the present and future of Hellboy and those were by far the best three stories I read throughout the whole six volume series.   As they added some much needed mythology and history to Hellboy that I felt he was lacking and only hinting at up until that point.

One of the best reasons to read these is for the gorgeous art by Mignola.  There really is no one else out there who even compares to line work he does and it is very refreshing for him to finally find a character that completely gels with his style.  I don't find to many artist where this happens and to gaze upon the marriage (and it is ultimately that) of Mignola and Hellboy is to see a blossomming relationship develop over time.  Mignola's love for Hellboy and the stories he tells with Hellboy is ever present in each and every volume.

Another reason I love Hellboy is that he is one of the truest blue collar superheroes out there.  He's always getting his hands and hooves dirty, getting beat up, not knowing what is always going on until it's to late, or just wanting to sit down and drink a beer.  This blue collar mentality I will always like about Hellboy because not very many superheroes have blue blood running through them.  A lot of them claim to have it but in the end it is mostly pretend - not so with Hellboy.

Trouble with the Curve

Trouble with the Curve directed by Robert Lorenz, starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, and John Goodman.

This movie by no way reinvents the wheel by the story it tells as it deals with relationships - specifically with a dad and his daughter.  Cliches abound and nothing surprising really happens. 

Will all of that said I really enjoyed this movie as the actors - Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, and John Goodman - are the reason this movie was so good.  They totally lifted the material above the cliche level, making this movie an enjoyable watch.  I'm going to continue to heap praise on the chemistry between Eastwood and Adams.  It was an amazing thing to watch, as they made a father and daughter relationship totally believable and with this movie Adams continues to prove she is one of the best American actresses out there as well as one of the best actresses out there period.  She took a pretty simple role, committed herself to it, and made it work in wonderful ways.  I will continue to see any movie she stars in.  Even Justin Timberlake, who when he first got into acting I rolled my eyes but has proven he's a much better than I had originally given him credit for.  I've eaten crow on that one for sure and I'm not ashamed to admit.  John Goodman proves once again that he's one of the best character actors in the business as the continues to dazzle in small roles - Argo, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Flight to name just a few.  Clint Eastwood is well, Clint Eastwood.  Over the years he has lifted himself into the icon status so there's not really much that can be said about him but that he continues to do very good work, proving that age doesn't matter - at all.

Orphan Black: Season One

Orphan Black: Season One, starring Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris, and Kevin Hanchard.

This is a wildly over the top TV show that's origins are rooted in the premise, "What if you saw someone who looks like you kill themselves right in front of you?"  Then off of that origin the show spins into a more wildly crazy - but in no way out of control way- story: that of multiple clones of one person.  The whole cloning story is handled with great care and technique that make this a - more or less - sci-fi show and for that I'm grateful.  But don't get me wrong the scenarios the characters are placed in are extreme to the max but the show works despite this because I found the characters wholly interesting and not stupid.  That not stupid part plays a huge bonus in this show, believe me.

This is one of the first shows I've seen in a long time where I really liked all of the secondary characters as well as the main characters and they all play off of each other very well.  Ultimately this is the Tatiana Maslany's show as she plays multiple clones of herself with all sorts of accents, mannerisms, and personalities that it really does start to boggle the mind as more clones become introduced in other episodes and she takes on more characters - all different.  She is helped along the way by an incredible wardrobe department that really constructs the different clones with their wardrobe.  It is the actors, and characters they play, who really make this show click.  They really invest themselves into the story and the characters so much so that the acting and dialogue between become more fascinating than the cloning storyline, which is a good thing as the the writers know this and write towards that.  Characters sell this show and the writers really like the interaction every character has towards each other.  This is not Star Trek in any way and that's a good thing.  Science nor ideas are the star of this show, characters move everything along in all the over the top scenes and story line.  Looking forward to season two.