Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

This movie capped the Thanksgiving holiday. You know the feeling, post-family conversations and catching up, you've lazed around all day and now it's post-function. You are tired yet not ready to hit the sack. That's the perfect time to start watching. Be warned. You will begin watching and it's brutal, and not in a good way, not at first.

This parody, loosely based on Walk the Line, pulls liberally from many musical genres and pop culture. With so many turns, where to start? At the beginning...once John C. Reilly enter the picture, the film shines. His acting is so genuine, he should have been nominated for an Academy Award (I was happy to learn that he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy). Reilly not only embodies but exudes Dewey Cox. The songs are fantastic--most of them catchy with clever and witty lyrics. Reilly performs almost all the songs himself and even Jenna Fischer sings one. Reilly, Judd Apatow and others involved with the film penned the songs themselves.

Walk Hard is epic. It tells a layered story that isn't as flimsy as you'd expect. It traces the life of this made-up icon through his waltzes with different musical genres trying to find himself and wrestle the demons that torment him. Gratuitous fun is a plenty: the intro-to-drugs scenes led by Tim Meadows, the sink-ripping and references to being cut in half. This is no Scary Movie 4 (parts of which I did enjoy). The five of us watched this one and we loved it (except for the one who fell asleep); however, I wonder if I misquoted how much they liked it. Did we like it because we were sleepy and on the drink? I re-watched it yesterday and it passed the test. I enjoyed it more upon second viewing. The humor is good, the scenes are surprisingly fun. The Beatles scene is brilliant. It's fast, funny and original. The behind-the-scenes of this one is super interesting--depicting how they wrote the music and worked with Reilly as a singer. It's like watching a band documentary making-of. If you haven't seen this one yet, see it soon. If you've seen it already, see it again. I'll be adding movie and soundtrack to my collection. It's a brilliant musical comedy art piece. I would compare it to the Rocky Horror Picture Show but that isn't fair to RHPS, which is a masterpiece. Think of Walk Hard as RHPS's "little indie cousin who could."

There are so many cameos that you are sometimes distracted from the action trying to figure out who's who. You have not only Jack White and Jack Black (can't be a coincidence) but add to that Paul Rudd, Craig Robinson, Jason Schwartzman and many of the Freaks and Geeks alums.

Director and co-writer: Jake Kasdan (co-wrote with Judd Apatow)

Country: US

Genre: Comedy/Spoof

Run time:  96 minutes (felt like longer--in a good way)

Scale: 4.5

Boy A (2007)

(Spoiler Alert: Read at Your Own Risk!)

If you only read the movie description on the DVD case, you'll be apprised of storyline but I'll write freely, so please heed the spoiler warning. Boy A, we learn, was a lonely boy growing up with a mother dying of breast cancer. She never leaves her bed and pushes away her son when he comes looking for motherly support. His father is completely checked out--sits in front of the television and barks at Jack to not bother his mother. We never see his face. The young pre-Jack boy befriends another lonely boy--a sociopath with a short fuse. Pre-Jack falls for the allure of a friend. You learn the sad path in flashbacks spread through the course of the movie. Jack and his friend are accused of the brutal killing of a 10-year old girl. The boys are tried, convicted and sent to prison for a long time.

After rehabilitating for approximately 10-12 years (I'm guessing), Boy A is set upon the world with his new moniker, Jack Burridge (Andrew Garfield). His caseworker, Terry (Peter Mullan) is fond of him. He's put everything into helping Jack. He remains as Jack's lifeline, guiding 24-year-old Jack through his new life identity and supporting him while Jack learns how to socialize in his new world, while keeping his former identity and violent past a secret. Jack finds a job, meets some mates and falls in love. A sub-plot involves Terry's son finding him and wanting to get to know him after years of estrangement. Seems that Terry didn't see his son or make an effort and now he's getting to know him as his son tries to figure out his dad's motivations for having been an absent father.

I'm sorry I missed this one in the theater. I was captivated throughout, watching the likeable Jack. Garfied creates a well rounded character. His vulnerability is worn self-consciously in his expressions and body language. He brings life to a boy who would be otherwise detested and unlikable. You, the viewer, are privy to his general crime but you don't get the specifics until close to the end and at that point, you are even more confused. Then, you are struck with the reality. Jack is complicit but also a victim. The ending is likely to spur an ethics debate about his role in the crime. That's what I loved about it. It leaves you confused about what he did or didn't do. It's a simple, yet layered story that questions, among other things, if innocence can be regained.

Not a feel-good; it's a well constructed dark movie that doesn't flinch at reality and the choices we make regarding good and evil.

Director: John Crowley

Country: UK

Genre: Drama

Run time:  100 minutes

Scale: 4

Pusher III: I'm the Angel of Death (2005)

Pusher III is the best offering from the Pusher trilogy. The more I contemplate, the more I like Pusher II, but Pusher III has complex emotional elements that were missing from I and II.

Pusher III takes place in the span of one day--a long and hectic day. Past-his-prime drug lord Milo (Zlatko Buric--who has a role in all three Pushers) is on day 5 of sobriety and seems likely to relapse as the tensions escalate the second the movie opens. His demanding daughter is celebrating her 25th birthday and he's to cook for the party of 50, while also trying to sell off ecstasy pills about which he's clueless. His colleagues are young and letting him know he's old and needs to evolve or else. He's presented with so many hurdles that it's no wonder he's tempted to use at every turn. The tension building and plot complications are gripping. You're there with him at every stressful step. He's an empathetic and likeable character. You see him tiring of his life as each turn gets more difficult. I don't want to spoil the plot happenings but he does reach his breaking point and things get messy. The ending drags on; the violence is savage and hard to watch (think hammers and industrial garbage disposal), but this is a great movie. Gives the dark side of Copenhagen a peep. Even though Pusher was lame (IMHO) and Pusher II isn't as great as Pusher III, it works well as a trilogy...gotta have the potatoes with the meat.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Country: Denmark

Genre: Action/Gangster

Minutes:  100 minutes

Scale: 4.25

Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands (2004)

I watched Pusher well over a year ago. I don't remember many of the details, but I remember that most of the characters were unlikable. This makes it difficult to connect with the movie and you end up with an uncomfortable distance. The main character was a dealer. He was emotionally dead, except about his dog (if I recall correctly), but even that wasn't enough.

Earlier this year while at Dan's birthday party, he asked me if I'd seen the Pusher Trilogy. It was then that I learned that it had been a trio of movies about drug dealers. I told him I'd hated Pusher, so I figured it wasn't for me. He mentioned that Pusher II had starred Mads Mikkelsen, whom I admire. Mikkelsen is one of the Danish Golden Boys of Cinema. He's an excellent actor with great acting chops and an enticing face.

Tonny (Mikkelsen) has just been released from prison. Doesn't take long to figure out he's a screw up. What does he want most? To be a good thug and gain the love and appreciation of his hard-as-nails gangster dad, but daddy already has a favorite--Tonny's half-brother, Valdemar (approximate age: 8). Tonny can't make a right move. He's everyone's scapegoat and can't escape his loser-dom. No one respects him and he's used to it, joining in on the laughter. These moments are especially difficult to watch because although his motivations are questionable, you can't help fall for the fact that all Tonny wants is to be liked and respected, which eludes him. He's told he has a child from a past hook-up. Again, we learn that it's his fault, although it isn't certain the baby is actually his. He's reluctant to take the paternity test, although as the movie progresses, it seems he's more afraid of the child not being his. The only thing he seems good at is connecting with this kid; when he holds the baby, his reaction is palpable. The movie is cold and distant because of the world it plays in; it's violent and you realize this is no lightweight movie. It's favorable to stay in character and away from that maudlin vein that takes dark topics and glibly molds them into "touchy-feely" pieces of crap. I can't say that I'm not a victim of wanting a bit of that...a scrap to help me connect but this one was on my mind for a long time afterwards. The ending is especially symbolic. It speaks leagues to Tonny doing something to get the love that's been elusive.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Country: Denmark

Genre: Action/Gangster

Minutes:  100 minutes

Scale: 3.5

Big Love, Seasons 1 & 2 (2006-08)

 

This HBO series is about a polygamist and how he juggles the demands of three families, the business needed to sustain them and the issues that come up trying to keep his families satisfied while managing the endless issues that crop up. Bill (Bill Paxton) is well cast as the patriarch. First wife, Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and second wife, Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) are often at odds. Carefree third wife, Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) is the easiest for Bill to oblige. Polygamy can be a headache and Big Love delves into the constant trials faced by Bill, his ladies, his business partner, his extended family and all of their kids.

The show took a while to unravel and become compelling. Toward the end of the first season, it took a turn that I can only describe as Sopranos-light, but this made it just a little more interesting. It was more like the writers ratcheted up the conflicts. By the end, I wasn't sold on it but I was sure I was on board for season 2.

Season 2 was readily available at the library (a place that never fails). It held interest. Things have gotten much more sinister. I'd like to get into some plot details but they're all so sticky and tangled that it's hard to summarize in a few words. In conclusion, I'm looking forward to season 3, which happens to kick off on HBO (which I now have) in January (not long to wait). I wonder how long they can keep this going. It's no Sopranos or Six Feet Under, at least not yet. Will season 3 deliver? Stay tuned.

Broken (2006)

Aspiring singer Hope (Heather Graham) leaves Ohio for Los Angeles with big dreams. She meets bad boy Will (Jeremy Sisto) on a deserted beach. They start dating, fall in love, blah, blah, blah. He gets her hooked on heroin until she works her way out of his life and back to her depressing one as a waitress in a diner where people seem to only order drinks. The climax of this movie occurs in this very diner when Will returns to get Hope back regardless of whether she wants him or not. Michael Goorjian (Justin from Party of Five), a puffy and almost unrecognizable (post plastic-surgeried?) Linda Hamilton and Jake Busey appear in supporting roles).Despite two great leads, Broken is boring and pointless. A few scenes were visually stunning but the movie just doesn't deliver. The soundtrack was the most enjoyable part. Steer clear.

Director: Alan White

Country: US

Genre: Drama

Run time: 97 minutes

Scale: 1.5

Bleak House (2005)

In high school, I had some tough English classes. My junior year in Ms. O'Neill's class, most of our grade was to be garnered from a term paper on a famous work of literature. While exploring the idea of Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, I read the first chapter. It was dense and hard to get through, so I decided on Tennessee Williams instead. (On side note, I recently learned that back in the day, authors got paid per word, rather than entire piece, which explains a lot, Mr. Dickens.)

That said, the BBC adaptation of Dickens' ninth novel, Bleak House, made me regret my decision. Despite its length, 15 installments over three DVDs, I couldn't stop watching. So much going on in this tale. At its center, there is a court case Jarndyce v. Jarndyce. The case has been going for years and years caused by two contrasting wills. There are two minors at its center. Then, there is the orphan, Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin). Her character reminded much of Jane Eyre...she is a young girl of little means. She is identified as "not fair" in her beauty, yet she is a hard-working, strong and kind woman, who ends up winning the hearts of several men. Miss Summerson carries around pain from the cruel aunt who raised her and made sure to let her know that she had be her mother's disgrace. But, will Miss Summerson discover her past? Learning her past could destroy lives.

The cast is enormous and includes many eccentric characters. Even minor characters are quirky. They possess fabulous names, including Smallweed, Tulkinghorn, Clamb, Dedlock, Flite, Skimpole, Woodcourt. The actors relish in calling out these names in a bombastic, entertaining fashion. (I'm reminded of Newman saying JER-ry and Jerry saying NEW-man.) Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock is cast perfectly. The cold and emotion-less Anderson and her much older, craggy-faced husband are an interesting couple. Mr. Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) is the scheming blackmailer. Mr. Guppy (Burn Gorman), as the young solicitor in training, is also a delight, except during his stalker moments, which thankfully don't persist.

Period pieces are not for everyone. Think of this one as a mystery/drama. I found it extremely watchable.

Directors: Justin Chadwick, Susanna White

Country: UK

Genre: Drama

Run time:  470 minutes

Scale: 4.5