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Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
For God and country... Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo
When you ask yourself "Is this the same movie I saw ads for?" it's usually not a good sign but in this case it is. The ads sell Zero Dark Thirty as a pure action movie which it defiantly is not. The hunt for Osama Bin Laden was a long and arduous process and director Kathryn Bigelow does a remarkable job illustrating the devotion and sacrifice that was required to finally find him. It's a unflinching look at the tactics and internal politics that evolved over the years it to bring Bin Laden to justice.
There is a sense of of tension and urgency that drives the movie forward from the first moments of the movie. As Maya, Jessica Chastain ably acts as the fulcrum around which a strong ensemble cast revolves. Her strong portrayal of an agent who's determination turns to obsession in her ceaseless campaign to find Bin Laden is central to the success of this movie.
Bigelow has made one of 2012's best crafted films that should be in contention for much recognition (and rightfully so) during award season. A strong script, solid visuals and good performances from a talented ensemble cast make Zero Dark Thirty one of my favorite movies of the year..
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
... and this has been The Mack Minute. Find more of my reviews @ http://mackminute.blogspot.com/
Skyfall (2012)
Chicken Little was Right
Bond is back... both literally and figuratively. The first two Daniel Craig era Bond films took the franchise in a distinctly different direction. They were both good movies but somehow weren't fully Bond. Craig's Bond is a new Bond for a new age; tougher, edgier, and more serious. Bond had lost some of his charm and pretty much all of his sense of fun. Going into Skyfall I was resigned that my and my father's Bond was completely gone. It was a pleasant surprise to see I was wrong.
Skyfalll hits the sweet-spot between Octopussy and Casino Royale. It preserves the energy and grittiness of the new Bond but brings back just enough of the old Bond's levity to remind the audience that Bond is supposed to be fun.
Beyond the solid script and heart stopping action, Skyfall is far and away the most visually striking Bond movie yet. Whoever is is doing the location scouting and production design also deserves special recognition. Skyfall is the perfect way to celebrate 50 years of Bond. It pays homage to the storied history of 007 while pioneering a new trail for Bond to venture for years to come.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
... and this has been The Mack Minute. Find more of my reviews @ http://mackminute.blogspot.com/
The Three Musketeers (2011)
Dumas for Dummies
2011's The Three Musketeers will never be accused of devotion to it's source material, Dumas famous novel. While it doesn't have a strong script, excellent acting, or even a loose grip on reality it does have absurd fun in bucket fulls. It's a movie that you turn of all the parts of your brain that handle higher functions, sit back and hold on for the ride.
It's Renaissance-punk styling and and it's dedication to flash over substance may not have won it any acclaim, but it sure does make it a visual treat. It's one of those movies that if you go in looking for a challenging mentally stimulating movie you'll be sorely disappointed but if ya got a bowl of popcorn and hankering for madcap adventure this i the movie for you.
Good movie? No. Fun movie? Yes.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
and this has been The Mack Minute. Find more of my reviews @ http://mackminute.blogspot.com/
Banshee (2013)
Tis the (Mid)Season ...
Banshee, the first of several new mid-season shows to premiere, tries to bring something unique to the already crowded crime drama genre. While the final vote is still out the pilot gives some hope of it's potential success. That is not to say that there aren't any issues. The biggest of which is the base premise of the show and your ability to accept it and enjoy the ride. OK so a guy fresh out of jail on the run from mobsters who want to kill him for some reason leaves the state (parole officers tend to look down on that) in search of his share of the loot from heist that sent him to jail and his women goes to Amish country and with help of circumstance and his Asian cross-dressing super computer geek hairdresser friend becomes the new sheriff
and breathe. If that hasn't scared you off yet you may be in for some fun .
As a premium cable show it does have it's requisite allotment of sex and violence. Quality of production sit it some where between HBO and Starz. The pilot does feature one of the more intense, stunt heavy car chases I've seen on a TV show. Which is a good sign of their willingness to spend on the production of the show.
With solid acting and writing Banshee makes a good lead off batter for the mid-season premieres. While it didn't knock it out of the park , it defiantly makes it on base. We'll just have to see if the rest of the season can bring the show home for the score.
Rating: Show: tentative 3.5 out of 5 stars - Episode: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars
... and this has been The Mack Minute. Find more of my reviews @ http://mackminute.blogspot.com/
Seven Psychopaths (2012)
Crazy About Shih Tzus
Seven Psychopaths is a dark and violent "comedy" that is very reminiscent of classic Coen Brothers movies. While writer/director Martin McDonagh doesn't quite reach their level of deftness and whit in his script, he has created several entertaining psychopaths for his actors to inhabit.
Woody Harrelson channels just enough Mickey Knox into his portrayal of his unstable Shih Tzu loving mobster to make him my favorite loon in this flock. Colin Farrell adeptly plays the straight man role of the dysfunctional drunk writer around which this story rages. Playing the common man acting as the lens through which the audience can relate is one of the roles that Farrell has the most success in playing. It's when he is called on to carry too much dramatic weight that wheels tend to fall off his performances. Christopher Walken doesn't phone it in and brings a dollop of his low key genius to the screen.
The absurdity of the characters goes hand in hand with the appropriately disjointed plot. You can't expect a story about the misadventures of a couple crazy dog kidnappers, a drunken screen writer and his semi-fictional psychopaths to walk a straight line can you? While the soundtrack and cinematography are nothing to write home about they don't detract from the film.
Those yearning for a return of a Fargo / Barton Fink era Coen Brothers sensibility wrapped in enough violence and gun play to keep even a psychopath happy, with a side of Shih Tzu, look no further you've found your fix.
and this has been The Mack Minute. Find more of my reviews @ http://mackminute.blogspot.com/
Django Unchained (2012)
Tarantino being Tarantino
Django Unchained is a bit of a conundrum, largely in part due to it's creator Quentin Tarantino. I have had long love/hate relationship with his movies. When he debuted in 90's with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction I rode shotgun on the Tarantino bandwagon, but as time wore on and more and more of his personality came to light I started to sour. Tarantino strikes me as that kid in middle school that got crammed in a trashcan and rolled down the hill and who was rejected by cheerleaders in high school. He has spent the rest of his life trying to prove to all of us that he really is cool. That desperation for hipness bleeds through in everything he makes. This is not to say he is without talent because he does have a sharp eye and a feel for jaunty banter. He also has a encyclopedic knowledge of film history and flair for homage. That can be double edge sword though, what differentiates insightful reference and a lack of his own voice?
That brings us back to Django Unchained which is Tarantino's spin on spaghetti westerns. It's Tarantino through and through. From soundtrack to visuals it all screams "LOOK HOW COOL I AM!" and occasionally it's right. There are scenes that feature genuine humor and visual flash as well as some solid performances in particular from Sam Jackson, who steals all of his scenes. All of this is smothered in Tarantino juice and there's the rub. If you love him you'll the love movie but if you think he's a pretentious douche bag this movie won't change your opinion. So many of his conceits took me right out of the movie from his typical "hip" soundtrack to Jamie Foxx's sunglasses.
Django Unchained like most of Tarantino's movies is unapologetic in it's violence and often wanders the gray wastes of where just tasteless ends and where offensive begins. One has to question if he makes these forays for anything other then shock value. Despite all of Tarantino's efforts, he doesn't quite drive me away. Beneath it all Django Unchained is a serviceable revenge tale with several water cooler moments but beyond that? ... More shock then awe.
... and this has been The Mack Minute. Find more of my reviews @ http://mackminute.blogspot.com/