The new Star Trek movie is a sequel to a 2009 film "Star Trek" that reintroduces, re-energizes, and reinvigorates the original series and movies giving us a cool origins story of the crew of the Enterprise. The film will deliver the goods for fans of the show and movies and also win over new fans who have not yet been initiated into the series. In fact, you don't even have to have seen the first movie in this new series to enjoy "Into Darkness".
Actors such as Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto do a great job of embodying the characters that have already been inhabited by the likes of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. They breath new life into the old characters and riff on the established conventions of the series. Pine in particular does a cunning Shatner-like impersonation but never falls into the trap of being simply an imitation - he has all of the swagger of the Shatner original but adds new dimensions and depth to the character.
The special effects are fantastic and the action sequences are quite unforgettable and breath-taking. You are left little time to take catch your breath as there is constant action and excitement. There is never a boring moment.
The interactions between the various members of the crew is well-done and interesting. There is a cohesiveness in the group of actors and they work well together. There are funny moments too. Some of the lines will bring a smile to the face and a laugh to Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike.
The main enemy in this picture is Khan. Fans of the old Trek movie "The Wrath of Khan" will remember him. The actor who plays him, Benedict Cumberbatch, does a great job and is complex and often even sympathetic.
I saw the film in 3D and the effects will really immerse you in the film and keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a fantastic Summer blockbuster.
Thoughts and insights on film, television, and other aspects of culture by Matthew J. White.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Great Gatsby (2013, Baz Luhrmann) **/****
Baz Lurhmann's "The Great Gatsby" is a visually appealing, faithful adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Jazz-era novel. It features Leonardo DiCaprio as the title character and his performance is good. Carey Mulligan plays Daisy Buchanan in a role that leaves much to be desired. It is not a very complex or demanding role and Mulligan does little to bring the character to life. Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway, the story's narrator and main protagonist. His Carraway is not as an appealing character as Gatsby and Maguire is not charismatic enough in the lead to carry the picture.
I saw the film in 3D and the effects are somewhat wasted because it is not a story that requires the use of the 3D effect. There are some cool scenes where the 3D immerses you in the story more and creates an eye-popping landscape when used effectively but other than a few scenes, the effects are not necessary.
I also didn't like the use of modern hip-hop music in a movie taking place in the 1920's. Luhrmann's choice of using this modern music takes away from the verisimilitude of the film and like the 3D effects, is off-putting and distracting.
This is a pretty boring movie to sit through. Even though I read and enjoyed Fitzgerald's novel, I felt that the inconsistent performances and lack of restraint on the part of the director Luhrmann took away from the overall enjoyment of the movie. His attempt to boost the adrenaline of a somewhat slow-moving story is unsuccessful. What you are left with is a boring, over-the-top, inconsistent and disappointing spectacle.
I saw the film in 3D and the effects are somewhat wasted because it is not a story that requires the use of the 3D effect. There are some cool scenes where the 3D immerses you in the story more and creates an eye-popping landscape when used effectively but other than a few scenes, the effects are not necessary.
I also didn't like the use of modern hip-hop music in a movie taking place in the 1920's. Luhrmann's choice of using this modern music takes away from the verisimilitude of the film and like the 3D effects, is off-putting and distracting.
This is a pretty boring movie to sit through. Even though I read and enjoyed Fitzgerald's novel, I felt that the inconsistent performances and lack of restraint on the part of the director Luhrmann took away from the overall enjoyment of the movie. His attempt to boost the adrenaline of a somewhat slow-moving story is unsuccessful. What you are left with is a boring, over-the-top, inconsistent and disappointing spectacle.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Beginners (2010, dir. Mike Mills) ***.5/****
Mike Mills' "Beginners" is a quirky, intelligent, and bittersweet comedy-drama. It is a film of relationships - complex, troubled, and sometimes unsatisfying ones. It features Christopher Plummer in an Oscar-winning performance as Hal, a man who after his wife dies, confesses to his son, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) that he is, in fact, gay and always had been.
We are given three separate but interweaving facets of time in "Beginners". In one, we see Oliver in his childhood and his various interactions with his mother. Now that we are given the information that his dad will turn out to be gay, it makes his mother's predicament all the more poignant and sad. She has an unfulfilling relationship with her husband and we know why. This, in turn, is reflected in her relationship with Oliver which will affect his own development and eventual relationships in adulthood.
A second time period is in the near past when Hal confesses he is gay and decides to live a new lifestyle out of the closet. We are introduced to his much younger boyfriend, Andy (Goran Visnjic) and their own complex relationship. Soon, Hal is diagnosed with a fatal disease and we are shown his struggle with it and eventual death.
Finally, the last time period is the most recent one and features Oliver and his attempt at a new and exciting relationship with Anna (Melanie Laurent), a girl he meets at a costume party.
All of these time periods are interspersed with each other and gives us awareness of the characters various motivations and psychologies. Oliver, we learn, has never had a serious relationship and his new one is troubled as a result and there is question as to whether it will last.
The performances are fantastic in this movie. Plummer deserved his Oscar. McGregor is great and Laurent, who you might recognize from "Inglourious Basterds" is endearing and cute. Even the dog Arthur is given subtitles which add depth to the canine performance. I liked everything about this movie: the acting, the quirky inter-titles and offbeat humour, and examination of relationships and how our past effects the present in many different ways.
We are given three separate but interweaving facets of time in "Beginners". In one, we see Oliver in his childhood and his various interactions with his mother. Now that we are given the information that his dad will turn out to be gay, it makes his mother's predicament all the more poignant and sad. She has an unfulfilling relationship with her husband and we know why. This, in turn, is reflected in her relationship with Oliver which will affect his own development and eventual relationships in adulthood.
A second time period is in the near past when Hal confesses he is gay and decides to live a new lifestyle out of the closet. We are introduced to his much younger boyfriend, Andy (Goran Visnjic) and their own complex relationship. Soon, Hal is diagnosed with a fatal disease and we are shown his struggle with it and eventual death.
Finally, the last time period is the most recent one and features Oliver and his attempt at a new and exciting relationship with Anna (Melanie Laurent), a girl he meets at a costume party.
All of these time periods are interspersed with each other and gives us awareness of the characters various motivations and psychologies. Oliver, we learn, has never had a serious relationship and his new one is troubled as a result and there is question as to whether it will last.
The performances are fantastic in this movie. Plummer deserved his Oscar. McGregor is great and Laurent, who you might recognize from "Inglourious Basterds" is endearing and cute. Even the dog Arthur is given subtitles which add depth to the canine performance. I liked everything about this movie: the acting, the quirky inter-titles and offbeat humour, and examination of relationships and how our past effects the present in many different ways.
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