Choice Words
The realm os science fiction literature has generally had good fortune in films. This is particularly because the rules of this genre can be bent in all kinds of directions, leading to stories that range from epic ambitions like Ridley Scott’s classic Blade Runner to quiet, subdued tones like last year’s Never Let Me Go. There’s a rich field of stories that are available with the genre, and while not all of them are hits, a lot of them make good use for their tales of existentialism and thoughts on humanity. This particular film certainly tries to make the most out of those suggestions, and until about the last twenty minutes, it actually succeeds at exploring these ideas.
Speaking of Blade Runner, this film also comes from a short story from the legendary Philip K. Dick. This one has Matt Damon as David Norris, a young Congressman whose political ambitions to become a New York senator are dashed one evening. While practicing his concession speech, he gets inspired to speak from the heart by Elise (Emily Blunt), who he eventually falls for. The problem with that is it isn’t according to plan: a plan that is determined by a group of mysterious men sporting long coats and grey fedoras. They monitor the world under “The Chairman” to make sure people are on the path of their own fate. David discovers them, and battles with trying to create his own destiny against their own.
For most of the film, there’s a great exploration on the messages of fate vs. free will, as well as lofty philosophical ideas of humanity, existentialism and even religion. First time director George Nolfi does a capable job of taking these high minded topics and laying them out in a genuine way. It never really becomes convoluted, and I was along for the ride. However, the film eventually runs out of smart things to say and devolves into a chase movie in which mountains of explanatory dialogue begin to cheapen the excitement of the film. It’s understandable that it couldn’t have ended on a more nihilistic note, but as it is, the ending lets out a lot of the steam the earlier parts built up.
Still, another saving grace for the film is the authentic chemistry between Damon and Blunt. Both are well cast in their roles, and are positively charming. Both of them also working exceedingly well together, and you are able to buy the relationship between the two of them. This is far beyond the best work the two of them have done, but they are quite fine in these roles and do their jobs to sell the premise. Other supporting turns from John Slattery, Anthony Mackie and Terrence Stamp as the “Observers” are good additions to a well rounded ensemble that continue with an entertaining film.
There are issues with this film, particularly in the last act that suddenly becomes a dumb, mainstream chase film. However, most of the film doesn’t indulge in such territory, and is actually pretty smart in its storytelling and tender character moments, particularly between Damon and Blunt. In the end, it’s another example of why I love science fiction so much, and while it may not be on the epic scale as something that Ridley Scott could pull off, I still enjoyed enough of it to recommend.
B
Wedlock
Early in the year, it can be quite difficult to find quality films to see. It’s no secret that most studios consider these first few months of the year a general dumping ground and refuse to release decent movies into the marketplace (however, thanks to Zack Snyder, March is starting to look a little better). Still, even the good movies that come out are usually few and far between the mediocre ones. So then you have to start an active search to find the films out there that are worth seeing, and trust me they are out there, it’s just that some of them are difficult to find. That is why I am so grateful of the “On Demand” option part of digital cable. It allows for hard-to-find movies available to the general public, something I’m very grateful for. In this case, it’s especially true because the movie actually has yet to be released theatrically. Whenever you can see it, I hope you can because it’s a nice little film.
The always reliable Michael Angarano stars as Sam Davis, an arrogant and full-of-himself author of children’s books who only has time for himself. On a dreary New York weekend, he and his emotional best friend Marshall (Reece Thompson) take a trip out of town for a few days. Unbeknownst to his friend, Sam is actually crashing the wedding of Zoe (Uma Thurman), a woman he met in the city who he has refused to let go, even with her boorish fiancé Whit (Lee Pace) getting in the way.
I have to admit that I wasn’t totally on board with the first half of the film. At first, writer-director Max Winkler (son of Henry Winkler, by the way) creates a rather rushed and awkward tone and not all of it really works. There’s talent on display, but he doesn’t really let it play out in an authentic way, and everything feels rather forced. Then the hectic tone starts to calm down, and characters start becoming a focal point. By the end, I completely bought into almost all of these characters, and credit should be given to how Winkler manages to mature this material as it goes on.
Even though Angarano is relatively young, he’s been an actor that has shown up in enough projects to leave an impression. I was worried at first that his age might have been a problem with buying into this premise, but Angarano makes it work in the end. He can be rude in the beginning (he might even be too good at it), but he handles the change in his character very well. As the film goes on, the more emotional side is brought out and he’s fantastic at revealing the layers that are being pulled back. Thompson accomplishes a similar set of circumstances, only in a smaller scale. Still, it’s a joy to watch him interact with Angarano, and they create a believable friendship. Thurman could have used a little more emotional meat to work with, but as is, she services the story as much as needed. I think Pace steps close to overacting, and Jake Johnson just feels unnecessary as the erratic, drug addicted brother of Zoe who unjustly chews the scenery whenever he can.
The film hits some rough territory in the beginning, particularly with an over-the-top tone that makes all the emotions and situations feel forced and false. However, soon the story matures and the characters start to feel real and the tenderness feels genuine. Because of that and some stellar performances, I got into the film despite the shortcomings in the first half. I’m thankful that there’s a decent smaller film in the beginning of the year, and it is one that is certainly worth checking out.
B+
No comments:
Post a Comment