Prisoners

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How far would you go to find someone you lost? Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) shows that even the most honest and spiritual men can lose their sanity and moral standing in time of ambiguity. But in his defense, how sane can you expect a father to be when he's looking for his kidnapped daughter, and when the man with an obvious connection to the crime is allowed to walk free?

After a happy Thanksgiving celebration between neighbors, Anna Dover (daughter of Maria Bello and Jackman's characters) and Joy Birch (daughter of Viola Davis and Terrence Howard's characters) disappear during an unsupervised stroll through the neighborhood. When the Dover's teenaged son recalls seeing a suspicious RV earlier in the day, a search ensues and the vehicle is found. Inside is a man, Alex Jones (Paul Dano). Because of the lack of evidence in the RV and the fact that Jones has the IQ of a 10-year-old, he is released 48 hours later, to the extreme frustration of Mr. Dover. Convinced Jones is the man who kidnapped his daughter, Keller abducts Jones and tortures him for information, consistently hitting a dead end.

Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is assigned to finding Anna and Joy. Having solved every case he's been assigned to on the force, the task proves extremely difficult when he can't manage to get to the bottom of this so quickly. He follows several leads throughout the film's 2.5 hour runtime, even resorting to suspecting Keller himself.

Prisoners is a prime example of how adding minutes to the runtime doesn't make up for a somewhat weak resolution. I won't go so far as to say that the climactic confrontation between Keller and the abductor was a disappointment, but after all the buildup and events of the previous two hours, I was expecting a lot more in terms of excitement. 

Kept afloat thanks to a great cast (notably Jackman and Dano) and an enigmatic script, Prisoners builds up a beautifully complex story, only to leave a few issues not fully or clearly resolved once its belated ending finally arrives. But this didn't take away that much from my enjoyment of the movie. For the most part, I was enthralled and captivated. Also, there's a pretty clear giveaway of who really was responsible for the kidnapping. When you see it, don't overthink it. 

Rating: 4/5

Blue Jasmine

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Jasmine (Cate Blanchett), in her natural environment.

Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine has a lot to say about a lot of things. Honesty, materialism, faithfulness, dedication, family, kindness - just to scratch the surface. NYC socialite Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) moves to San Francisco to get a fresh start on life. Flashbacks illustrate how the relationship with her wealthy and adulterous husband (Alec Baldwin) crumbled and left her alone and without the abundant supply of finances she had become so used to. 

In California, Jasmine moves in with her adoptive sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins). Ginger is an ex-wife of a low-life contractor, a mother of two, and bags groceries for a living. She's currently seeing a mechanic (Bobby Cannavale) who is equally sleazy but better-hearted than her ex-husband. Jasmine can't be bothered to conform to her sister's unspectacular and challenged lifestyle, often openly criticizing her occupation, choice of men, and lack of ambition to better her life. She tells anyone who will listen how her stay at Ginger's is only temporary until she can get back on her feet.

Jasmine is too busy pointing out the imperfections in the lives of those she looks down on, and just can't come to the realization that she's not trying to change the things in her life that really need fixing. She tells Ginger how sad it is for her to be seeing a man who so closely resembles her ex. But when Jasmine finds love in California, it's with a man who can offer her everything her own ex-husband was able to. She loves no one - just a lifestyle. Anything that interferes with that lifestyle is simply an inconvenience that must be ignored or removed, which prevents her from facing her problems head-on. 

The movie definitely has that "Woody Allen" touch. Taking into account that I've only seen Annie Hall, that just shows how much of a signature Allen leaves on his films. There are a lot of "year's bests" here. I'd argue that Blue Jasmine has the best screenplay, ensemble performance, and lead female performance of the year so far. It's a little slowly paced, but Cate Blanchett's performance keeps the movie afloat from start to finish, and the flashbacks are included in a way that keeps things interesting. 

Blue Jasmine arrived at a good time. Just when I was about to say 2013 hasn't seen its share of high quality films, Blue Jasmine gives me hope for the rest of the year. And hey, in a few months, Oscar season will be in full effect. Hopefully Blue Jasmine is just the start of a potentially fantastic ending to 2013.

Rating: 4.5/5

Mud

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Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey, & Jacob Lofland in Mud.

It's a rarity when a movie like Mud comes along. Truly unique film achievements that are incomparable to any other still find their way to the big screen but not as often as they once did. Motion pictures like Mud remind me why I love movies, and after all these years, they still have the ability to entertain, inspire and surprise you.

Texas teen Tye Sheridan stars as Ellis, a confident fourteen-year-old Arkansas boy. He and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) motorboat to a small island nearby. There, they explore a fishing boat, somehow nestled up in a tree. What they didn't expect to find was a squatter hiding away in the boat, who calls himself "Mud."

Mud (Matthew McConaughey) has a past. A past full of violence, heartbreak, frustration and murder - all because of Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), his lifelong love. After Mud kills Juniper's abusive boyfriend, she pledges to be with him. Hiding on the island for his own safety, Mud plans to get the boat down from the tree, bring it to shore, find Juniper and sail off together. Ellis and Neck agree to help. Neckbone helps because Ellis wants to; Ellis helps because he believes Mud and Juniper really love each other. Although Mud and Juniper only share one brief scene in the entire movie, their tortured past and tumultuous feelings can be felt as if they were together on-screen for the whole time. That's just one testimony to how awesome these performances are, and how well-made the movie really is.

Although the marketing and title suggest that Mud is the protagonist, he's really used to help illustrate the characterization and further the plot of the the true main character, Ellis. Tye Sheridan (who is already attached to four future film projects) is absolutely perfect as Ellis. Almost flawlessly is Sheridan able to showcase the wannabe toughness of the character, while simultaneously conveying the innocence that the role requires. You can see right through Ellis' macho facade and right to his vulnerability. Even though he punches three people in the face and hits on senior girls, he reacts the same way any boy would when he finds out his parents are getting divorced, or when his girlfriend starts to ignore his calls. With this performance, Tye Sheridan is the Tom Holland of 2013, and I can't wait to see what his future roles will bring to cinema.

The film is earnestly directed by Jeff Nichols, who also wrote the film's screenplay. Nichols' touch gives the movie its sincerity that will hopefully make it stand out for generations to come. Add those factors to the spot-on cinematography; the star making performance by Tye Sheridan; and the music that beckons you to rush to iTunes, buy the soundtrack, and listen throughout the night work to make Mud an early contender for the best movie of 2013.

In most of my reviews, you'll see that I try to make a connection or comparison to some other movie. This time, I simply can't. Mud is astoundingly unique, and at my very limited level of film expertise, I can't think of any motion picture I can compare it to, say it's better/worse than, or delve into the thematic differences. But this is a good thing. Mud goes to show that indescribably and utterly brilliant movie miracles are still possible, and deserve our attention and appreciation.

Rating: 5/5

Kick-Ass 2

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The good guys are here.

I loved Kick-Ass. It reminded me so much of a Tarantino movie with its over-the-top violence, dark humor and brilliant acting. Plus, like a Tarantino movie, I didn't realize how much I loved it until the second time I watched it and that my admiration would only grow with each additional viewing. Needless to say, my expectations for Kick-Ass 2 were very high. With a disappointing 29% approval from critics on RottenTomatoes.com, I hoped that the 71% of critics who gave it a negative review were wrong. Thankfully, they were.

I loved Kick-Ass 2. Loved it, loved it, loved it. I have no idea what the critics could've bashed about this movie. It had amazing, captivating action scenes, a solid script, comic relief, interesting new characters and great performances from all cast members.

After the events of Kick-Ass, this sequel follows high-school senior Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who moonlights as powerless-superhero Kick-Ass. He trains with Mindy, a freshman who dons the alter ego of Hit-Girl. Mindy, who was raised by her father to be a remorseless, ruthless vigilante, is forced into retirement after her guardian, police officer Marcus (Morris Chestnut), makes her start living a normal life. As a huge Hit-Girl advocate, I was a little sad to not see Chloë Grace Moretz in her costume for the bulk of the movie. Having said that, it gave a lot of room for Mindy's character development. Chloë, to no surprise, stole every single scene she was in, whether she was wearing her costume or not.

Dave instead joins Justice Forever, a group of heroes who have been inspired by his actions. Members include a born-again Christian and former mafia informer (Jim Carrey), a twenty-something whose sister was murdered and found in a dumpster (Lindy Booth) and a middle-aged married couple whose abducted son was never found. I was pleasantly surprised how well each of the new members of the Justice Forever were introduced and developed. No one's character felt forced.

Meanwhile (and that is the actual word that shows up on the screen), Chris D'Amico plots his revenge against Kick-Ass for killing his crime-boss father. He forms his own alliance of super villains to counter Justice Forever, and they quickly start killing off the good guys. The ongoing turmoil between Dave's and Chris' conflicting trials lead to a gleefully violent confrontation.

Kick-Ass 2 was funny, action-packed and a remarkably well-made sequel. It's right on par with the spirit and cinematic atmosphere that made me fall in love with the first Kick-Ass. Does this sequel measure up to the original in every way possible? No. Kick-Ass was more original and funny, and I wasn't a fun of some of the subplots here (such as the one with Dave's friend Todd). But Kick-Ass 2 is still extremely enjoyable in its own right. It's one of my favorite movies of 2013 so far - hands down. And I just have to say it again - I loved it. It was just what I had hoped for and then some, and was the most fun I've had at the movies this year. Bring on Kick-Ass 3.

And can we please just get Chloë Grace Moretz her well-deserved Oscar?

Rating: 4.5/5

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

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With the Twilight Saga out of theaters, something naturally had to take its spot. I mean, what else are 11-15 year-old girls going to hype about now? The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is a perfect choice to fill the vacancy. It's based on a book series with a small, devout following, and like Twilight, the movie has a lot of potential that it fails to bring to fruition.

New York teenager Clary (Lily Collins) lives with her single mother. She has no idea that both she and her mother are both "shadowhunters" by blood and are entrusted with killing the demons that walk the Earth. When her mother disappears, Clary is forced to confront her past and search for the secrets of her family's history (and one of those secrets is a total Star Wars rip off). Clary meets fellow shadowhunter Jace, who introduces her to a team of demon-killers who hide away in a secluded area of the city. The group, along with Lily's human friend Simon, seek to get to the roots of Clary's past and save her and her mother.

I truly wasn't expecting much from this movie, but was slightly impressed by a few takeaways. Lily Collins gave a stellar performance, and she did all the best with the material that was given to her. There was a decent amount of comic relief, and I was surprised at how good it was. These were really about the only things I can say I truly enjoyed about The Mortal Instruments. It was over 2 hours long, and believe me when I say they used up far too much time. The pacing and story of the first half originally had me on track to give this a 3.5/5. But as more characters were introduced, more plot devices were thrown in, more mindless action dominated the screen, and more twists occurred, I lost interest and just wanted it to end. 

The Mortal Instruments is no failure of a movie; it's just not an achievement in any significant way. But if you're dragged to the theater by someone who "just has to see it," you won't be totally disappointed. There is an interesting story here, but it's just not good enough to recommend. If you have the option, go see Kick-Ass 2 instead. In case you didn't read my review on that, I loved it.

Side note: Humans in this movie are referred to as "mundanes" by the shadowhunters. Is it just me, or don't the first two letters of that word already help serve as a derogatory term for humans in a different literary universe? 

Rating: 2.5/5

2 Guns

NBC

Let's face it. The concept of two polar-opposite lawmen working together is no stranger to the big screen. First was Lethal Weapon, then came Rush Hour, and we've seen a few others along the way. Now, we have 2 Guns. It's entertaining, no doubt. But it only has some of the elements that make a buddy-cop action-comedy a hit. 

DEA Agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and Navy Officer "Stig" Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) are both set up by their respective department superiors to steal drug money hidden in a bank as undercover thieves. Both, however, are initially unaware that they both work for the U.S. Government, each seeing the other as a crook. To top it all off, they find out that the money they stole was not actually money from one drug kingpin but percentages from local drug lords who use the bank as a depository to pay off the CIA for silence. Bobby and Stig spend the rest of the movie trying to cut their ties with the money, clear their names, and, in the most captivating and entertaining way possible, bring all the bad guys (there are a lot of them in this movie) down.

It's no surprise that two-time Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg are able to light up the screen with their brilliant chemistry. Watching these two talented actors stand in front of the camera and do what they were born to do made for a fun hour and forty-five minutes. Although their characters didn't set aside their differences and start working together until around an hour into the movie, when they were together it proved to be worth the wait.

2 Guns is good summer entertainment, but it's not worth sacrificing time or money that you may not readily have available. My biggest complaint is that the plot suffered. That's disappointing, especially after the Lethal Weapon movies and Rush Hour proved how essential the plot is to this type of movie (Disagree? Compare Rush Hour with its sequel). Furthermore, there was a strong presence of the theme of hierarchal corruption that wasn't as fleshed out as it should've been. But of course, Marky Mark and Denzel carried the movie all by themselves, and when their guns were blazing in the final shootout, I was enjoying every minute.

So, no, 2 Guns doesn't rank as highly as Rush Hour or Lethal Weapon in my eyes. But on an uneventful summer afternoon, it's really not a bad way to spend $9. There was a clever sense of comedy that the movie carried throughout its entire runtime, and the action scenes and the two leads took care of the rest.

Rating: 3/5

The Way Way Back

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In the months leading up to The Way Way Back's release, I kept asking myself why it had that title. When I finally sat down in the theater to see it, I noticed the movie opened up with a shot of 14-year-old Duncan sitting in the way way back of the car. Cue the internal "oooooohhhhh." Coincidentally, the film ends with a very similar shot. Maybe that's not even the real meaning of the title. Maybe I missed some deeper meaning or underlying themes. If I did, oh well.

Duncan and his mom Pam (the astoundingly-talented Toni Collette) head down to the cape with Pam's boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and his daughter. As we literally see from the start, Duncan wants no part of this journey to build a new family, instead preferring to go live with his father. 

Clearly a social hermit, Duncan finds solace from his 3-month hell trip at Water Wizz, a water park within biking distance from Trent's house on Cape Cod. After bonding with the owner, Owen, and the staff one day, Owen offers him a job, which Duncan gleefully accepts. Over the course of the rest of the film, Duncan begins to come out of his shell with Owen's help while confronting the issues that lie behind the threshold of his mom's boyfriend's home. 

The film offers what seems to be a pretty accurate insight into the mind of a 14-year-old boy like Duncan. He's portrayed by Liam James, an unknown to those who haven't watched "Psych" or "The Killing" on TV. Liam gives it his all here, especially in the scenes that demand much of him dramatically. Thanks to him, we have a truly charming and likable lead heading this movie. However, the movie's scene-stealer was clearly Allison Janney, a marginally alcoholic neighbor of Trent. Both the lines given to her character and Janney's performance made for one of the best parts of the movie.

Did Steve Carell really deliver Trent to me? Steve Carell, as an unfaithful, ignorant, and casually cruel father figure? He began to sell me towards the end, but overall, I saw him as Michael Scott on a bad day and with an occasional temper. I will give him props for one key thing - they way he called Duncan "buddy" while clearly sending no endearment with the sentiment. 

This movie is a sheer delight. It's worth going out of your way for, and the first movie of 2013 I can honestly say I'm excited to watch again in the near future. But in the advertisements, you'll see it's "from the studio that brought you Little Miss Sunshine and Juno," and was written and directed by 2 of the 3 Oscar Winning writers of The Descendants. Does this movie compare to these three Oscar-winners for Best Screenplay? The answer: no - but only for one reason. In all three of those other movies, it is the characters that are well established, who are then placed in situations that further the plot. Here, we are presented with interesting and plot-furthering scenes, but don't always care about the underdeveloped characters that are the scene's key players. As seen by The Descendants, Juno, and Little Miss Sunshine, characters should be priority one. As long as we care about them, the situations they get into will take care of themselves. 

Rating: 4.5/5