1984 Private Defense Contractors, Mandalay Vision, Studio Babelsberg,
Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver
Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) works in a factory and is supposed to be taking his medicine to keep him under control. But the talking dog and cat in his apartment tell him not to take them. He meets the new girl Fiona (Gemma Arterton) in the office, and he’s madly attracted to her, but when he accidentally kills her, he’s not sure what to do. Luckily the cat and dog can help him plan his next move.
This is a very weird movie. Jerry is clearly unstable, but we’re supposed to recognize that and go through this film anyway. There is no way to know what is real and what is Jerry off his rocker. Personally, I didn’t really care. Since dogs and cats (and deer) don’t really talk, then I assume that is Jerry’s deranged mind, but beyond that, who knows. The script for this very, very dark comedy (that’s not really very funny) is pretty weak. I just didn’t find it humorous, and I just didn’t get it. There are some people who really got a kick out of this movie, but for me, it didn’t work at all. I don’t think this is worth the effort, and I would definitely say skip it. What a waste of time.
Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Neal McDonough, Amy Smart, Tom Berenger, Bill Duke, Chris Marquette, Kevin Chapman
Ace Detective Bud Carter (Willem Dafoe) takes down contract killer Jesse Weiland (Matt Dillon), but he’s not the one he’s after. With a lot of persuading Jesse is convinced to rat out the mob boss who is Bud’s real target. But when the mob puts a hit on Carter, and Jesse knows his days are numbered as well, the two have to work together to take down the mob in this Louisiana bayou crime thriller.
Unfortunately we’ve seen this movie over and over again. It’s a very common story, but one that is enjoyable just the same. As crime stories go, this one isn’t bad, but it is something we’ve seen before, so that takes away from the enjoyment. Willem Dafoe is really good as the rogue cop fighting the system and trying to get the big score, even when he’s told to let it go. We’ve seen this character before as well, but Dafoe really does a good job in the role, and I usually enjoy his performance in anything he takes on. (Am I the only one, or does he always seem like Jack Kennedy since his breakthrough role as the president?). Matt Dillon is a bit off in his portrayal of Jesse. He gives his best here, but it’s just hard to accept him in this kind of role. He just doesn’t seem like the gun for hire type and that might have been a miscast here. Other than that, it’s an interesting crime thriller and though it’s a bit hackneyed, if that kind of story is what you’re looking for, this one has a lot going for it.
Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey, Brady Coleman, Richard Robichaux, Rick Dial,
Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) is a small Texas town mortician who is a very friendly guy. He makes friends with everyone with his mild and gentle demeanor, but especially the elderly ladies who flock to him. But he strikes up a close friendship with a mean old lonely widow who is the richest lady in town, and one whom everyone either hates or fears. But when she turns up missing, the sheriff (Matthew McConaughey) has his eyes on Bernie, but no one in town would believe anything but the very best of good old Bernie.
This is a very dark comedy, but done is a very light way. This is based on a true story, and just like all the townsfolk who can’t believe anything bad about Bernie, even though we know the truth, we can’t accept it either, and we keep waiting for the surprise ending to come. In the end, I guess it is a surprise at that. But this is done in the mockumentary style of so many other great jokester films, but yet it’s supposedly “mostly” true. The characters in this film are really good, and I think I’ve enjoyed Shirley MacLaine more in this film than I have in any of her films in a long time. She is really mean and funny at the same time. She does a great job and really shows her skills. The movie is really funny in a dark and twisted way, and not so much laugh out loud funny, but it runs at a high level of humor all the way through from start to finish. Even the discussion from the townsfolk as to whether Bernie is gay or not is never resolved and both sides have a good argument. Also good is Marjorie Nugent’s (Shirley MacLaine’s character) stock broker who is hilarious. He’s the most concerned about poor old Marjorie, but everyone simply believes he’s mad because he can’t get his hands on any more of her money now that she only trusts Bernie. That’s probably true. Available as a “Watch Instantly” film on NetFlix, this was a very pleasant surprise for me. I had no clue what to expect, but with the cast, I was willing to take a chance on it. I was really glad I did.
Mandalay Vision, Saint Aire Production, 10th Hole Productions
Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Yaya DaCosta, Kunal Sharma, Eddie Hassell, Zosia Mamet, Joaquin Garrido, Robecca Lawrence
Nic and Jules (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore) are committed in a loving, but certainly strained, relationship. Each was artificially inseminated and they had two children, a boy and a girl. Nic is a doctor and s very controlling and demanding whereas Jules is kind of happy to have someone in charge as she is very insecure, and has struggled with her brand new career as a landscaper. In the past she has failed at most jobs and spent most of the time as a stay at home mom. The children Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutherson) are teens, Joni is 18 and Laser is 15.  Laser very much wants to know who their sperm donor father is, but you must be 18 to inquire and if the donor refuses it is kept secret. Laser begs Joni to request the name.  The father is Paul (Mark Ruffalo) a co-op farmer and a restaurant owner, though he has always shirked any kind of responsibility. Reluctantly Joni agrees to try to contact him for her brother. They meet, but both Paul and Laser want to try to build some kind of bond, so they start to bring Paul into the family bit by bit. The mom’s agree, for Laser’s sake, but it gets uncomfortable as he gets more and more involved. Paul hires Jules to landscape his yard, and the two spend much more time in the bedroom than actually working on the yard. This triggers Nic’s jealousy and as things progress it really gets out of control for everyone.
This is a strange film. I cannot say I was completely blown away by it, neither did I hate it. Sort of like a syncopated rhythm, it keeps you off balance all the time and you always feel you’re a little too close to the edge of the cliff and about to fall all the time. If I were to describe it, like Stephen Wright once said, “You know that feeling when you’re leaning back on your chair and it goes a little too far and you feel like you’re going to fall but you catch yourself at the last second??? Well I feel like that all the time.”  That’s the feeling this movie gives. It’s nice that Jules has feelings for Paul, but what the heck? Everyone is pretty creepy and a little off. Eventually though, most of the chaos gets resolved, and all in all it’s not a bad movie. It’s just not hitting on all cylinders and missing the mark a little bit. For example, the love scenes between Jules and Paul are not extremely graphic, but it feels really uncomfortable watching it, and I found myself looking away, feeling almost embarrassed for the actress. Also, there seemed to be something going on between Paul and his daughter Joni, but that is too creepy to even think about. It’s only hinted, but it also causes you to feel uncomfortable. Perhaps that’s what the director is going for, an uncomfortable and unflinching look at real life without any filters.
