THE EXPENDABLES 2

THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2012)

Grade: B-

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Yu Nan, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Liam Hemsworth, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Amanda Ooms, Jet Li, Scott Adkins and Chuck Norris

Premise: Barney Ross and his group of mercenaries travel to Albania to free the local populace from a crime lord who has been torturing the locals and mining plutonium.

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language

Is it possible for more people to bite the dust in a movie than in The Expendables 2? The movie is 102 minutes long and, I would guess, some 500 people meet their maker during the running time. Admittedly, they’re mostly faceless minions who are supporting a crime lord who’s hurting innocent people, but, still—death is not beautiful in this sequel to the 2010 shoot-em-up blockbuster The Expendables. Like the prequel, this movie is about the All-Star action heroes cast assembled to save the world (or at least small-to-medium-sized third world communities), but they wouldn’t be able to do the awesome things they do without some extras to kick, punch, shoot, stab, skewer, or otherwise maim. If the last decade’s Hostel and Saw franchises qualified as “torture porn”, than these two Expendables flicks unquestionably qualify as “action porn”. These movies are for dudes who wanna watch movies that feature a couple of one-liners, some manly camaraderie, and lots and lots of shooting. In fact, the bare bones script concocted (by star Sylvester Stallone and assistant Richard Wenk) for this movie barely qualifies as a “story”; it’s mostly an itinerary drawn up to get our team of recognizable over-the-hill heroes from one shootout to another, with big and bigger weaponry designed to help them out of “tight corners”.

But, still, as a guy, I love it. It’s fun stuff. (Is it bad to say I giggled to myself as various Asian/Eastern European militia were blown to bits by .50 cal bullets and pistol rounds, because I did)

Plot

I use that word “plot” loosely, but there you go. Most of the guys in this movie aren’t “acting”, they’re just “being”, because this movie cares less about their characterizations than the body counts they stack up. But for formality’s sake, I’ll do a brief roll call. Stallone is Barney Ross, the stacked and goateed manly-man who leads “The Expendables” mercenary team, which includes knife-happy sidekick Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial arts master Yin Yang (Jet Li), erratic Swede Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), hulking gun lover Hail Caesar (Terry Crews, and I’m not kidding about his name), and wrestling stylist Toll Road (MMA star Randy Couture, ditto about the name). Barney’s some-time ally/rival is called only Mr. Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his occasional employer is a humorless man named Mr. Church (Bruce Willis). At the beginning of this movie, the Expendables rescue Mr. Trench from some nasty Nepali militia with the help of their newest and (by far) youngest member, Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth). The mission goes well (well, for them—scores of random guys get blown to smithereens before these guys lift off in their ancient seaplane), but they barely get to enjoy the comforts of home before Mr. Church comes to them with another mission. Now the guys need to help a smart superspy (Yu Nang) find a secret cargo plane that crashed in the Chinese mountains carrying, among other things, a transponder designed to track plutonium deposits found in an Albanian mine.

Unfortunately, there’s someone waiting for them at the site, the transponder is lost, and one of the Expendables ends up cold and still. Enraged, the Expendables mark the killer, Villaine (Jean-Claude Van Damme) as their next target and hurry after him, to get revenge—and to stop him from harvesting the discovered five tons of weapons-grade plutonium. But Villaine commands vast numbers, and the Expendables may actually be out-gunned without the help of trigger-happy bounty hunter Booker (THE Chuck Norris).

What Doesn’t Work?

Well, okay, character development is mostly nil, and the dialogue consists mostly of mingled oaths and meaty attempts at humor, not to mention the more popular guys’ recycling of each other’s old catchphrases (“I’ll be back”, “Yippie ki yay”). There’s plenty for an even halfway-serious moviegoer to sigh and roll their eyes at, and I did both. A lot of the tension is also distilled by that old fallacy of a villain stopping to chuckle and then ramble after backing our heroes into a corner, giving them time to think up a plan/recover from injuries. And of those “heroes”, as in the last film, only three of them (in this case, Stallone, Statham and Hemsworth) really matter (also, some women might object to the idea that the women in these movies always find the beefy, mumbling Stallone attractive; speaking of women, there’s pretty much nothing that would endear this movie to female viewers. I mean, NONE). Also, of all the stars in this movie, it’s curious that arguably the most legendary one (Chuck Norris) is the one who has least purpose to be here. His role is pointless, and he doesn’t even kick anybody (though he does tell a joke).

What Works?

Like its prequel, The Expendables 2 is super fun. It’s more fun, in its own way, than even The Avengers, Marvel’s put-em-together-and-let-them-fight-baddies assembling of its own instantly-recognizable heroes. The actors don’t really matter, but they’re still fun to watch. Stallone gets most of the lines, but Couture gets to throw people around and yank them into suplexes, Crews gets to flex his muscles and blow 50-cent-piece-sized holes through people with machine guns, Jet Li takes on a small army of knife-wielding Asians, and Dolph Lundgren lifts up his heavy legs and kicks a dude straight off a balcony. Willis and Schwarzenegger even get into the action this time, getting to shoot up several roomfuls of bad guys and ripping both doors off a puny European-made car. Hemsworth takes over for the first movie’s Mickey Rourke as the person who actually does a little bit of acting, but my personal favorite is Jason Statham. After three Transporter movies, Safe, The Bank Job, and The Mechanic, it’s clear that, while he’s no Laurence Olivier, no one can take out a half-dozen or more faceless bad guys without breaking a sweat like Statham (one bit involving Statham donning priest’s robes in an old Eastern Orthodox church to catch a few thugs off guard is this film’s high point, nearly as fun as the Dolph Lundgren/Jet Li faceoff from the first movie). Oh, and Yu Nan brings a hint of gravity to her role as the token tough female.

Content:

Most of the bloodletting is done at a distance, but that doesn’t stop it from splattering. This movie reaches almost ludicrous levels in its depiction of people being blown away by walls of bullets (one guy in particular appears to receive as many bullets in the torso as Vito Corleone’s son Sonny in The Godfather). There’s also some cussing, but this movie is rated R for bloody violence (if you ever thought a movie where people shoot each other would contain simply people getting shot rather than being dismembered, boy were you wrong). Keep the kids and the squeamish far away.

Bottom Line (I Promise): It’s ridiculous, of course, but I’m a guy, and I enjoyed The Expendables 2, just like I enjoyed its prequel. There’s little story, little acting, and this movie even wastes a few of its stars, but its adrenaline-fueled shootouts are the stuff of a guy’s daydreams.

The Expendables 2 (2012)

Directed by Simon West

Written for the screen by Sylvester Stallone and Richard Wenk

Rated R

Length: 102 minutes

RED DAWN, LIFE OF PI

RED DAWN (2012)

Grade: B

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, Connor Cruise, Brett Cullen, Will Yun Lee and Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Premise: After the North Korean military conquers their hometown, a group of American teens and young adults gather weapons and rebel against the invaders.

Rated PG-13 for intense action violence and language

Dan Bradley’s Red Dawn is one of those movies that delivers exactly what is expected, and is the better for it. Just over an hour and a half in length, it introduces us to its characters, sets in motion the crucial conflict, gives us some enjoyable camaraderie and fierce action, and ends on a note of sentimental but inspiring patriotism. Largely uncluttered by forced character development or unnecessary romantic interludes, it’s a genuinely decent remake (of the 1984 Patrick Swayze/Charlie Sheen film of the same name) and an engaging time at the movies.

            Spokane, Washington is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone. One ordinary weekend, a world-weary Marine war veteran (Thor’s Chris Hemsworth) comes unexpectedly home to visit his widowed father (Brett Cullen), the county sheriff, and younger brother (Josh Peck), the starting quarterback for the local high school football team. After a Friday night game in which the young QB nearly leads his team to an inspiring comeback win, the boys retire to a local tavern where the younger brother hangs out with his cutie-pie cheerleader girlfriend (Isabel Lucas) and a few school chums (Josh Hutcherson, Connor Cruise) and the older brother runs into an old acquaintance (Adrianne Palicki) who has a thing for him. Before anything can happen, though, the power unexpectedly goes out, forcing them all to return home.

            The next morning, both brothers awaken to explosions and a sky full of planes dropping armed paratroopers into their backyard and neighborhood. The intruders are North Koreans, and the brothers see them rounding up friends and neighbors while they frantically flee to the city’s wooded outskirts. They’re soon joined by some of their friends from the tavern, but not before they realize the younger brother’s girlfriend has been interned in a prison camp, and their father has been executed by a cruel Korean officer (Will Yun Lee). Distraught, the group vows to do something to avenge their father and their neighbors. With the Marine as their de-facto leader, they begin gathering weapons, food, and explosives, train, and become a new version of the “Viet Cong, the Mujahadeen, the minutemen”, your typical nagging pain in the butt to wealthy invading forces. Nicknamed “The Wolverines”, the group’s excursions soon both inspires the locals-and other rebel groups-to fight back, and earns the increasing ire of the Koreans, who vow to find and kill these guerillas.
            Like I said, Red Dawn isn’t complicated. You could have learned nearly everything I just described by watching the movie’s trailer, and, to please an expectant audience, the screenplay quickly gets down to business. You’re barely ten minutes in before the bombs start falling, and that’s only after a credits sequence set to real-life newsreel footage of President Obama, VP Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton describing the “danger” posed by the increasingly-mobilized North Korean nation. And as soon as the Marine gives his brief rallying speech and all the kids join the rebellion, you’re a two-second training-scene-blip away from the actual shooting and blowing up of bad guys. And hard-core action fans should be mollified to learn that the shoot-outs and chases are pretty legitimate—this isn’t a cutesy kiddie action movie like Spy Kids; the Wolverines bear assault rifles, machine guns, grenades and mines, and use them. And the action rarely stops—there is only the briefest of perfunctory character development scenes, and any serious romantic subplots are sidestepped. No, this is a shoot-em-up, kids and all.

            Given that shoot-first, develop-characters-later mentality, it’s hardly a surprise that Red Dawn is not an actor’s movie, but all the principles acquit themselves admirably. As he proved playing Thor and The Huntsman in blockbusters the last few years, Chris Hemsworth is a solid actor with considerable appeal—rather like a Jason Statham or a Dwayne Johnson, audiences will watch him do pretty much anything. Here, he’s the only actor with sufficient time to develop a character, and he makes it worth our while. Josh Peck, who came up a broad comic actor, struggles a little with more emotional moments, but is nonetheless a satisfactory second fiddle, and Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki and Connor Cruise all provide effective portrayals in supporting roles.

            Red Dawn is not perfect, of course. Shaky-cam is used to its usual disorienting effect here (rendering one fistfight almost completely unintelligible), many plot developments strain credulity, and one “important” character (the girlfriend played by Isabel Lucas) is left out to dry—more plot device than person. However, the movie’s last third is its best, containing its most gripping action sequence and its best-handled emotional scene. And it ends on just the right note.

            Bottom Line (I Promise): Red Dawn is an effective and engaging hard-core action flick with some solid actors and an intriguing premise. It feels shorter than it is, and it’s never boring. If you’re tired of serious dramas this time of year, this tense action flick might be worth your time.

 Red Dawn was directed by Dan Bradley and written for the screen by Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore, who based their work on the 1984 screenplay by Kevin Reynolds and John Milius; It is rated PG-13 and runs 114 minutes

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LIFE OF PI (2012)

Grade: B+

Directed by Ang Lee

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Rafe Spall

Rated PG (contains intense emotional content and some animal-related violence)

Slumdog Millionaire meets Cast Away in this visually-stunning adaptation of Yann Martel’s classic novel, which has a singular premise you can’t really beat: a young man survives a devastating shipwreck only to be stranded in the middle of the ocean on a small life boat with the wreck’s only other survivor, an adult tiger. While fear, wrath and hunger all have their place, the two eventually establish a respectful, symbiotic relationship where the boy keeps the tiger alive because having something to occupy his mind and emotion keeps him alive during hundreds of days alone at sea. Call it the ultimate coming-of-age story. Directed by Oscar-winner Ang Lee (whose impressive credits include Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), this film has been hailed as a shoo-in for multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture. It’s also been called “the next Avatar” and “a visual miracle”, and for good reason.

            Starting with a gorgeous credits sequence packed with sumptuous visuals of animals walking, crawling and wallowing in their zoo habitats, Life of Pi introduces us to the adult Pi (Irrfan Khan), a middle-aged man who has achieved respectable success after immigrating to the United States from poor India. When we meet him, he’s hosting a friend of a friend, a young author (Rafe Spall) who’s been told Pi has an amazing life story. In flashback, we learn of Pi’s youth. The younger of two boys born to a zoo owner (Adil Hussain), Pi was initially christened with a classic Indian name that is pronounced “pissing”. Thankfully, he found a way to boldly ensure everyone learned to call him Pi—yes, after the mathematical sign that means 3.14—and could soon occupy his mind with more important things than playground taunts, such as his first crush and his experience with different religions (to the chagrin of his reason-first father, he soon becomes a Christian Muslim Buddhist Hindu). And it may just be God who saves him when, as a teen (and played by Suraj Sharma), he’s the only survivor of the shipwreck that claims his family after they leave India for America with all of their animals in tow.

            At first accompanied by several animals, Pi is soon left sharing a lifeboat with the beautiful but ferocious Bengal tiger, who, through an amusing mistake in paperwork during his delivery to the zoo, is named Richard Parker. Though Pi manages to construct a buoy of sorts out of the boat’s life jackets, paddles and netting, he knows the only way to survive the rough seas is to get in the boat itself, even though roughly half of it is occupied by Richard Parker. Though Pi gets a lucky break one day when the tiger foolishly leaps overboard in pursuit of some tuna and can’t clamber back into the boat, Pi can’t find it in his heart to kill the animal or leave it stranded. He soon devises ways to distinguish “his half” of the boat from “its half”, to feed it, and to even get shade and collect fresh water for them both. The tiger never gets past the growling and snarling stage, but Pi comes to realize he would have long expired of loneliness and despair if he weren’t forced to stay awake and alert because of the predator’s presence.

            Life of Pi is, truly, an amazing visual spectacle, from the incredibly convincing tiger and rough, rocking seas to flocks of flying fish, gorgeous sunsets and powerfully intimidating storm fronts approaching from the horizon. This is a movie that inspires awe, and it deserves terms like “lovely” and “beautiful”. In fact, Pi is so visually impressive (probably a given for several different technical categories at the Oscars) that you’re soon convinced that even the scenes of the two grown men talking or strolling through a park are filmed in a way you’ve never seen.

            As Pi, Suraj Sharma gives one of the year’s most raw and wonderful performances, and Irrfhan Khan is steady and moving as his older self. This film is rich with emotion, from Pi’s weeping over his dead family to his frustration with the immovable predator to his desperation in literally fighting it for food when a large fish flops aboard the lifeboat. Many people will probably cry, and few won’t be touched. Regrettably, the power and wonder of the story’s signature passage renders the end a little dull (you kinda wish the magic would never end), but it’s still powerful and inescapably moving.

Bottom Line (I Promise): I haven’t read the book, but it’s definitely on my list after I was touched, thrilled, and moved by the movie adaptation. Life of Pi is gorgeous (in 2-D as well as 3-D), intense, and memorable.

Life of Pi was directed by Ang Lee; the screenplay was written by David Magee, adapted from Yann Martel’s novel; it’s rated PG and 127 minutes long

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Grade: B
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Mackenzie Foy, Peter Facinelli, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Michael Sheen, Maggie Grace and Dakota Fanning
Premise: Edward and Bella's young child, Renesmee, is immediately in danger upon her discovery by the Volturi, according to an ancient decree that vampires cannot have children due to the newborns' instability and reckless bloodlust.

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and strong violence (including multiple decapitations)

And it's time to exhale. After five movies in five years, over $2 billion in worldwide box office revenue, and multiple parodies and spinoffs and imitations, The Twilight Saga has come to a close. May the rejoicing (by cinema purists and manly men) and weeping (by most women and an admittedly fair number of men) begin!! Director Bill Condon's Breaking Dawn - Part 2 wraps up the story of vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and his great love, vulnerable-human-turned-immortal-vampire Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), having covered in five films what author Stephanie Meyer depicted in four lengthy best-selling novels.

I'm not gonna lie: it's a little hard to believe it's over. I got on the Twilight bandwagon shortly after the release of the first film in November 2008, read the first three books and saw two other movies, but, bored and slightly irritated by the rampant cheesiness and schmaltziness of both the books and the movies (but mostly the movies), I didn't bother to read the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, or see last year's Part 1, also directed by Condon. But, coming into the theater to see Part 2 after finally breaking down and admitting I kinda wanted to see it, I decided to set expectations aside and watch and just hope the romantic stuff didn't get too gooey. While I snorted and sniggered my way through a fair amount of cheesy dialogue and amusingly-obvious special effects (and rolled my eyes during a putrid romantic scene or two) I was actually rather impressed. Certainly, Part 2 made for a breezier, more entertaining time at the movies than the talky Lincoln, which I saw yesterday. And while it won't prove an Oscar winner and didn't leave me wanting more installments, I'm glad I saw it. It's a pleasant feeling.

Plot: Part 2 picks up right where Part 1 left off, with Bella Cullen (a thankfully more coloured and expressive Stewart) now a mother and a vampire (for the uninitiated, Bella married her vampire lover, Edward Cullen, in the last version, became with child and would have bled to death during labor if not for Edward's biting her and setting her on the fast track to immortality). While she's still getting used to some of her new characteristics--like crushing super strength and an all-consuming thirst for blood, human or animal--life is as good as it's been for Bella since she met Edward (Pattinson). She doesn't have to keep her distance or tread carefully around him, his kindly surrogate father (Peter Facinelli), or her new "siblings" (including Kellan Lutz's Emmett and Ashley Greene's Alice), she's now super-fast and graceful, and her daughter, Renesmee (played as a toddler and child by Mackenzie Foy) is healthy and happy and growing quickly.

*NOTE* Since she was conceived by an immortal vampire and a human, Renesmee has inherited some characteristics from each, and grows at about ten times the rate of a normal child.
*NOTE #2* Renesmee's name is a combination of Bella and Edward's respective mothers' names, Rene and Esme.
*NOTE #3* Remember Bella's werewolf friend and ever-smitten second-rate crush Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner)? Well, he's still around. Why would he still be around since he's officially lost out on the girl of his dreams? Because, in keeping with the werewolf "tradition", he has recently "imprinted" psychologically and emotionally on the woman deemed to be his future mate...Renesmee.

Well, as Renesmee grow, Bella hones her new powers, reaches out to her doting but confused father (Billy Burke), and Jacob's constant presence is increasingly accepted by Bella/Renesmee's extended vampire family. But trouble arrives in paradise when a fellow vampire (Maggie Grace) traveling through the area spots Renesmee and then hastens to tell the Volturi--the ruling vampire regime--about her. After all, the Volturi, led by Michael Sheen's charismatic Aro and Dakota Fanning's quietly-sadistic Jane, uphold vampire law, and vampire law dictates that immortal youngsters are not tolerated due to their tendency to be unstable and destructive (they're usually decapitated and burned like all criminal vampires). When Bella's surrogate sister Alice gets wind of this (she can see the future), she warns the rest of the family that they have "until the snow sticks" to gather evidence of Renesmee's mortality and credible witnesses...before the Volturi come to kill her and anyone who tries to defend her.

What Works?
Quietly, it seems, the Twilight Saga has come into its own. Thanks to Bella's marrying Edward and Jacob's connection to Renesmee, Part 2 is freed from the I-love-him, but-I-love-him-too whining that made the previous installments so insufferable at times. And the "white-face" makeup used to make the vampires look pale and immortal has thankfully been applied with less ferocity this time around--Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Ashley Greene and Peter Facinelli all have more color than they've had in the four other films combined (regrettably, this pleasing development does not apply to either Kellan Lutz's Emmett or Michael Sheen's Aro, both of whom look like they're dying of some hideous disease). Taylor Lautner also keeps his shirt on for almost the entire movie (the girls in the audience only had one chance to squeal and whistle during a de-shirting), another check in the "Thank Goodness" box. And, because Part 2 has an actual point and needs to take several steps to get there, there's not a lot of down time, so Pattinson and Stewart have less time to sit around murmuring and cooing sweet nothings to one another.

The latter also allows Part 2 to get past the clunky and awkward "acting" done by the main two in the other chapters. There's a lot to be done, and a lot of new faces to familiarize the audience with (or at least introduce them to), so this film doesn't rest nearly as much on the slight shoulders of Stewart or Pattinson. Part 2 isn't going to get any closer to snaring an Oscar nomination than the other installments in the franchise, but decent contributions are given by nearly all involved, including Stewart (having fun, for once), Peter Facinelli, Michael Sheen (clearly having a ball), and the earnest and surprisingly poignant Billy Burke.

The last third of the movie also builds up to a breathtaking action sequence that is nearly as awesome as teenage boys have figured this series could be all along if all the vampires and werewolves stopped whining and moaning and just had at each other. Chalking this movie's popcorn factor far beyond any of the previous films', this battle royale contains some cool mano-a-mano duels and a few stupendous twists (the audience in the theater gasped as a whole at least once, and I heard multiple people gasping "What!? But that's not in the book!"). On that basis, as a guy, I must admit that this movie left me rather satisfied.

What Doesn't Work?
Not all of the actors are free from the stale-white face makeup that heightens the cheese factor in these parts, and no vampire-playing actor is spared the blood-red eye contacts, which go from distracting to gross and back, depending on the actor. And there are enough gooey exchanges between Stewart and Pattinson for you to get antsy hoping for the action to start. And Taylor Lautner--though spared the unenviable task of devoting the whole of his screen time to either showing his abs or pining for Stewart--has lost his luster. Once this series' breath of fresh air (back in the New Moon days), he is here more annoying than anything. Some of the CGI is iffy, and, of course, the requisite slate of dialogue contains a few howlers ("How DARE you nickname my daughter after the Loch Ness monster!"). The good news is....this is finally over.

Content:
There's no cussing and, apart from one early scene of partial nudity and heated kissing between Stewart and Pattinson, nothing more than playful innuendos to offend/disturb younger viewers. The big battle does contain a lot of dismemberments (ripping the heads off their foes is a favorite vampire pastime, if you didn't know), but, of course, there's nary a drop of blood spilled. Ironic for a vampire movie, huh? Mostly, if your preteen or young teen daughter wants to see this movie with her fellow young Twi-hard friends, there's nothing that's gonna give them nightmares.

Bottom Line (I Promise): I'm not saying this is official (and it doesn't matter that much, anyway) but The Twilight Saga might just have ended with its best, most entertaining installment. Busy and brisk enough to do away with most of the angsty material that held the other films back, Part 2 is actually kinda cool.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Directed by Bill Condon
Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg; Based on the novel "Breaking Dawn" by Stephanie Meyer
Rated PG-13
Length: 115 minutes

LINCOLN

LINCOLN (2012)

Grade: B-

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gulliver McGrath, Lee Pace and Jared Harris

Premise: Shortly after being re-elected for his second term as president, Abraham Lincoln struggles to pass the 13^th Amendment and free the slaves despite assurances from friends and colleagues that it will prolong the Civil War.

Rated PG-13 for language, intense emotional content and some disturbing war-related images

Lincoln is one of those movies that will clearly divide those who appreciate moviemaking as a craft and those who simply watch movies for entertainment purposes. A serious, “art-house” weekend alternative to the more conventional Twilight Saga finale, it comes with the highest possible pedigree. It’s the 28^th feature film directed by Steven Spielberg, it stars two-time Academy Award-winner Daniel Day-Lewis as one of the most recognizable leaders in world history, features a sprawling cast of fine actors young and old (Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, Gulliver McGrath), and chronicles one of the most important legislative decisions in the history of the United States (and maybe the world)—the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which outlawed slavery forever in America.

It’s a great story, and you’d be hard-pressed to find an event in history that has changed our country’s landscape and culture as dramatically as the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, but Lincoln is one of those movies that had me, personally, leaning back toward the “movies-for-entertainment” camp. As a self-proclaimed snooty, high-falutin’ movie critic wannabe, I’ve seen a lot of movies, and I’ve gone out of my way to see and enjoy movies that most people would never watch and have never heard of. But, Lincoln, though a stirring historical narrative, is no Civil War action picture. It’s not a romance, and it’s not a comedy. It is a historical drama, focused on one of the toughest decisions any of our presidents has had to make, it takes place almost entirely in the offices and courtrooms and corridors of buildings in Washington, and the word for it is talky. It’s good stuff, but after two-and-a-half hours became more than a little tedious.

Plot: After being re-elected in the midst of the Civil War’s fourth full year, Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis) decides it’s time to get his amendment passed, to one-up the Emancipation Proclamation by freeing all American slaves, once and for all. However, everyone from his fiery wife (Sally Field) to his Cabinet members (David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook) agree that “it’s either this amendment or the Confederate peace, you cannot have both”. With Reconstruction looming even while the War rages on, many of even Lincoln’s closest supporters believe freeing the slaves any time soon would be a grievous mistake, and they know the Confederacy will prove even more stubborn to keep fighting if an attempt is made to take its slaves away. So, while secretly courting a few top Confederate officials to discuss terms of peace, Lincoln publicly places his amendment before the House of Representatives again. The sides are clear: some, like stodgy Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones) have fought their entire lives to get slavery abolished. Others, like fiery Fernando Wood (Lee Pace), believe white people are morally and biblically superior, and that it would be a degradation to society to free them. Going with his gut to pursue the amendment before the peace, Lincoln leaves the Confederate officials in the care of General Ulysses S. Grant (Jared Harris) and recruits a team (James Spader, John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson) to work on persuading any moderate or “lame duck” representatives to vote pro-amendment, to generate as much in-favor support as possible. Meanwhile, a more personal distraction arrives in the form of Lincoln’s oldest son, Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who has dropped out of Harvard and desires to join the army against the wishes of both his parents.

What Works?

It’s impossible to discuss Lincoln without focusing on the man at its center, and one of America’s most decorated figures is brought to vivid, entrancing life by the gifted Daniel Day-Lewis. While some have quibbled about the voice chosen—low and quavering, not quite “commanding”—the actor not only looks the part but makes Lincoln a man of powerful conviction and deep wells of emotion. Between his knack for sly jokes and twinkly optimism and his equally convincing explosions of anger and feeling—not to mention the enormous frame and the oft-present top hat—Day-Lewis does enable you to believe that, somehow, you are watching the Abraham Lincoln, a man we’ve all heard about and seen in books but rarely studied up close.

While none of the other actors get anything close to the time Day-Lewis does to flesh out their characters, many make solid, memorable contributions. Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones have already gotten Oscar buzz for their stirring performances, David Strathairn is his usual reliable self, and Lincoln is packed with many other respectable actors all deserving of notice. In fact, the cast is so big and so good some fine actors (like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jared Harris) are given only bits of screen time when they clearly warrant more.

All the aesthetic production values are superb, from the wigs and the suits to the costumes and the sets. The cinematography is great—while most of the movie takes place in offices and courtrooms, placing a premium on lighting and angles, there’s a dazzling outdoor close-up of the Capitol building, a slow panning of a devastated battlefield in Petersburg that drives home the horror of the War, and a truly moving moment when Gen. Grant, having accepted Lee’s surrender at Appomatox, takes off his cap to his rival and fellow countryman, and his subordinates respectfully follow suit.

Oh, and did you know that even old men in wigs can be funny? For a movie that can be stuffy and talky, it packs a surprising number of jokes that allow the audience to giggle.

What Doesn’t Work?

Lincoln is long. Though its 149 minutes probably place it somewhere in the middle of Steven Spielberg’s output, it feels about twice that. It’s a quality film, but, again, the word I come back to is tedious. There’s precious little to get the pulse racing, and the old-time dialogue—which renders about a third of the conversations unintelligible—doesn’t help. Though the actors are good and the history meaningful, it’s also disappointing that Lincoln lacks the typical Spielberg pizzazz. It seems like such a quiet, unexciting movie for the director, who’s most famous for his action/adventure fare and classic set pieces. But is that really his fault? Or the movie’s? I guess I just wasn’t expecting such a straight-up, no-frills character study.

Lincoln also takes a couple extra scenes to end, taking it to a rather overly-sentimental stopping point.

Content:

Lincoln mostly consists of men talking, but there are a few grim visual reminders of the War going on in the background that is oft-mentioned (remember, this is Steven Spielberg directing—a man famous for his graphic depictions of war and its costs in Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List). Some of the details do get gory. There’s also a fair amount of cussing and some heated/emotional discussions. Mostly, this is a tame film, but it’s the slow-burn history-class presentation of the material that will (and, in some cases, should) keep people away.

Bottom Line (I Promise):

It tells an important story and it’s undeniably well made, but Lincoln lacks regular entertainment value outside of a truly impressive performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, and it will not prove the most exciting two and a half hours you’ve ever spent in a theater. It’s far from Steven Spielberg’s best film, and I wouldn’t recommend it to many people, but it’s still an effective portrait of a man who continues to inspire millions.

Lincoln (2012)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Screenplay by Tony Kushner; Based on the book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Rated PG-13

Length: 149 minutes

SKYFALL

Skyfall (2012)
Grade: B+
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney and Berenice Marlohe
Premise: James Bond fights to stop a sadistic cyber-terrorist from destroying MI6.

Rated PG-13 for strong violence and blood, disturbing images, and two brief sexual scenarios

The best thing I can say about Skyfall, the 23rd movie in the 50-year-old James Bond canon, is that even if you've seen some or most or all of the previous 22 entries, you still won't know what's coming. Characters live and die, alliances are made and broken, an unbreakable titular hero is hurt and nearly killed, and surprises leap out of the woodwork. Director Sam Mendes (an Academy Award winner for American Beauty) channels the recent Dark Knight series by proving unafraid to put a popular character in an unusual setting, substitute some brawn for brains, fleshen out the characters and the drama, and create a real movie, with a real plot. Most James Bond movies have been pretty straightforward--guns, girls, gadgets, cars, "Bond, James Bond", saving the world, and a few shaken martinis--but by the end of Skyfall, there has been fear, pain, pleasure, shock and sadness, and you may have forgotten you're watching a James Bond movie at all. And that's quite an accomplishment.

Plot: After suffering a near-fatal injury during a fracas with a terrorist named Patrice, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is hardly ready for duty. But when a cyberterrorist hacks into and then blows up the headquarters to his agency, MI6, 007 hustles back into action. As the world reels in alarm, Bond's superiors, M (Judi Dench) and Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) inform him that a very important piece of information has been stolen, namely, a hard drive containing the names of NATO agents undercover all around the world. Patrice appears to have been the middleman, but the real culprit is clearly someone with disturbingly intimate knowledge of computerized weaponry, London, and MI6. With the help of fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) and new MI6 tech-wizard Q (Ben Whishaw), Bond tracks Patrice in the hope that he will lead him to the criminal mastermind. The strategy works--though, as Bond discovers, the mastermind is not someone to be trifled with, a super-smart someone (Javier Bardem) with an arsenal of weapons, a small army, and decades-old plans to seek deadly revenge against his old boss, M.

What Works?
Unlike many recent Bond movies (like the four late-90s, early-2000s chapters starring Pierce Brosnan), Skyfall does not overdose on action, gadgets, overacted villainy or wan attempts at romance. The usual Bond bits are in place--the martini, the car, the gun, the gadget, etc...--but Skyfall never feels like a cookie-cutter creation. The story and acting nuances are all too good for that. Mendes was out to make a real film, and he has.

Heading a very good and memorable cast, Daniel Craig continues to prove tough, amusingly gruff, and delightfully dogged as Bond, here putting his serious acting chops to work as the character battles old age, injury, drunkenness, and some of the shadows of his past. Though fierce, he's immensely likeable, and it's getting harder and harder to remember that this same role was once played by Pierce Brosnan (or Sean Connery). Possibly the biggest bonus Skyfall has in its favor is a fleshed-out role for M. Instead of simply standing on the sidelines or sitting in an office barking orders, Judi Dench gets to get her hands dirty, making household explosives and defending MI6 against court prosecutors while suffering from guilt and showing both her age and her secret fears. Other major characters (who you might hear from again, *hint hint*) are well-played by Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw (whose young, confident, energetic Q is one of this movie's real treats).

However, what really makes Skyfall work is its primary villain--that cyberterrorist, Silva, played to deranged and frighteningly unpredictable perfection by Javier Bardem. Coming on the scene at about Skyfall's midpoint (right as it's beginning to feel a little long and slow), the actor gives the proceedings an immediate boost of adrenaline with a performance that reminded me of both his own previous portrayal of a merciless, debased hit man (in No Country For Old Men) and Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson's crazy-sadistic portrayals of The Joker. Silva is a man who's suffered both physical and emotional pain, and he's all the scarier for his desire to stop at nothing to make sure the right people pay. While one doubts Silva could hold his own in a fistfight with Craig's Bond, Bardem all but steals the show with his scary-memorable performance, by turns fey, flamboyant, and terrifying.

Also, the typical Bond movie theme song--Adele's "Skyfall"--is terrific, and it's set to blazingly-colorful opening credits.

What Doesn't Work?
Skyfall's main weakness is that it gets too long for its own good, albeit right in the middle. Bond's meeting with this installment's resident "Bond girl" (Berenice Marlohe) and then a skirmish with some hard-faced Asian baddies barely raises the pulse. At least one other major development is kind of glossed over, an unfortunate detail seeing as this particular plot point strains credulity. However, Skyfall's second half--essentially one long chase sequence--redeems its sometimes-plodding first, giving us breathtaking action as well as looks into the hearts and souls of Bond, M, and Silva (in this movie, you learn more about Bond's past than in all 22 previous parts combined). My only other complaint would be that Marlohe's performance, while decent, is unnecessary--the only time Skyfall feels like other, lesser James Bond movies is by trying to force the "Bond girl" storyline on us.

Content
The sex scenes are brief, and the cussing is minimal, but Skyfall is a hard PG-13 because of its level of intense action and its dark, unrelenting content. Silva may be odd, but he's an unpredictable nut case who will kill anyone who gets in his way. He also sports a gruesome disfigurement people will remember long after the movie. Skyfall probably isn't a very good film for kids.

Bottom Line (I Promise):
Not quite as good as the now-classic Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's first go-round from back in 2006, Skyfall is nonetheless an impressive, engaging Bond movie that, between its featured standout performances (by Craig, Dench, Bardem, and others) and its promise of other great things to come, makes you really look forward to the next one. Mission Accomplished.

Skyfall (2012)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan; based on characters created by Ian Fleming
Rated PG-13
Length: 143 minutes

PARANORMAN

ParaNorman (2012)
Grade: A
Featuring the Voices of: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Tucker Albrizzi, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Casey Affleck, Jodelle Ferland, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Bernard Hill, Elaine Stritch and John Goodman
Premise: A boy who can see and speak to ghosts is called upon to help save his town when an ancient curse lets seven dead figures rise from their graves and walk the streets.

Rated PG (contains dark themes, rude humor, intense action and scary images)

Huh. Clearly I identify with movies about outcasts. ParaNorman is at least the third movie I've reviewed (after January's Hugo and September's Let Me In) that focused on a young man who was, if not completely unknown to other people, looked down upon and viewed as weird or different or outcast. A loner by nature, I guess I enjoy these movies so much because each gives that "outsider" a chance to fit in, be it with just one special person (as was the case in Let Me In), a family (a la Hugo) or, possibly, a whole community, as is the case here. Thus, with a story of an outsider coming into his own set as the basic framework around a thrilling adventure equipped with a heartfelt moral, ParaNorman is a treasure. It's a feast for the eyes, a laugh riot, an engaging twist-and-turn tale and an exercise, it turns out, in feeling good and making connections. What's not to like?

Oh, did I mention the zombies? There are zombies. In today's beyond-the-grave-obsessed culture, that can only be a plus ;)

Plot: Norman Babcock (voice of Kodi Smit-McPhee, the lead in Let Me In) can see ghosts. Yes, he can see the imprints of souls those who have passed on in or near his town of Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts, and he can speak with them. One frequent visitor is his recently-deceased grandmother (Elaine Stritch), who was the only person who even pretended to try and understand him. His parents (Leslie Mann and Jeff Garlin) and older sister (Anna Kendrick) tolerate his oddities with exasperation bordering on outright annoyance. And, at school, no one pays him any attention outside of a nasty bully named Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Though Norman finds something of a kindred spirit in similarly teased and nerdy peer Neil (Tucker Abrizzi), he becomes even more alienated from everyone else when he gets a vision of paranormal happenings during the school play and freaks out in front of everybody.

The vision, though, was important. The town of Blithe Hollow is particularly famous for the event the school play was emulating, the trial and execution of a witch by Puritan townspeople nearly 300 years before. Every year on the anniversary of the killings, things start to get weird, but, in the past, all supernatural activity has been held in check by Norman's eccentric uncle (John Goodman). When that uncle keels over dead (and promptly visits Norman as a ghost), Norman realizes it's up to him to read from "the witch's book" at her gravesite and the graves of the seven particular settlers who saw to her killing. However, Norman's been grounded by his parents, and he can't get to the gravesites on time on the eve of the 300th anniversary. Ominous clouds form in the sky, and the decaying bodies of the seven Puritans, headed by a still-bewigged judge (Bernard Hill), rise and move into town, causing damage and distress. In a panic, Norman and Neil, aided reluctantly by Norman's sister and her crush (Casey Affleck) try to get to the site of the witch's grave to read from the book and put her spirit at peace.

What Works?
Like the similarly-delightful Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005), ParaNorman manages to portray dead bodies, severed body parts, ghosts and other grisly images in a way that evokes both unease and glee. Thus, while certain scenes are appropriately creepy and cringe-worthy, it also hits home run after home run in the slapstick department (one stand-out gag, involving a dead, lulling tongue, is by turns horrifying and hilarious). I was rolling in my seat during the bulk of the film, which not only makes a night of the living dead scenario about as funny as Dumb & Dumber but also tickles the funnybone with tongue-in-cheek societal stereotypes (gun-toting rednecks, ditzy, simpering girls and lugheaded he-men) and crackerjack visual magic. The animation is superb--if it's not quite as glossy as a Pixar creation, it's nonetheless realistic as well as effectively gritty and creative.

The voice cast is superb, populated as it is with respectable but not necessarily A-list names. Smit-McPhee, who played a lonely outcast with paranormal company in live-action in Let Me In, has the perfect earnest and unwhiny voice for the grown-beyond-his-years hero. He really brings Norman to life. Mintz-Plasse is a scream as the snotty but wussy villain. Goodman continues building his diverse repertoire with expressive voice work as Norman's uncle, and Kendrick, Affleck, Albrizzi, Garlin and Mann all make sure this is a rollicking good time. All of Jodelle Ferland's work comes in the more down-to-earth third act revelations about the witch's history, and she, McPhee, the animation team, and the poignant dialogue come through with a message about being different and still loving and forgiving that really means a lot, especially in a "different" movie like this. I definitely didn't expect such a heartfelt message from a movie with ParaNorman's quirky looks and story--Score One for the screenwriter (Chris Butler) and directors (Butler and Sam Fell).

What Doesn't Work?
At 92 minutes, ParaNorman is briskly-paced, but it takes a few extra, unnecessary minutes to get around to the witch's story, adding a step or two to the storyboard and climactic spectacle that could have been done without. At least one gag is also dragged out considerably too long. However, these are small complaints. Most of this movie is a wonder.

Content
Can you not tell? From Norman's penchant for watching brain-eating-zombie movies to his fake-severed-head lamp and the appearances of all the ghosts he encounters--not to mention a brief, hammy death scene--ParaNorman is loaded with themes and ideas that might spook younger kids, as well as some of their parents. A mild cuss-word or two is dropped, and there are a few low-key innuendos as well. But, for the most part, it's the in-your-face nature of the darker themes that might make people uncomfortable.

Bottom Line (I Promise): Gut-bustingly-funny, wondrously-animated, intriguing and surprisingly-touching, ParaNorman is a really good time--a smart, funny movie for the family. Please don't be put off by the beyond-the-grave themes. I promise you, this movie has its heart in the right place.

Oh, and there are zombies. Did I mention the zombies?

ParaNorman (2012)
Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell
Screenplay by Chris Butler
Rated PG
Length: 92 minutes

HOPE SPRINGS

Hope Springs (2012)
Grade: B
Starring: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell
Premise: A bored housewife whose marriage has lost its luster enrolls herself and her husband in a week-long Intensive Couples Counseling.

Rated PG-13 for language, constant sexual references, some sensuality, and some intense emotional content

Not too long ago, I was speaking fondly to my mom of her parents--my grandma and grandpa, who’ve been married for 51 years and are parents of six, grandparents of 22 and great-grandparents of six. Since my grandfather got past his serious alcoholic stage nearly 30 years ago, their marriage has been steady and positive. It's darn near impossible to think of one without the other. Anyway, in the conversation, I mentioned to my mom how awesome it is that her parents are still married, that they've stayed together through thick and thin, and that they're past the stage where they have to worry about what they look like, and whether the other finds them physically attractive. At that point, my mom stopped me and went "whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm pretty sure they do still worry about being physically attractive." Well, I was surprised. Typical twenty-something, right? What? Old people don’t care about being physically attractive! Obviously! According to my mom, they do. And going along with such an idea, it’s clear that part-emotional, part-psychological and part-biological desire to be attractive to people—let alone the person you give yourself to, who you’re closest to—doesn't fade along with your hair color and your youthful "attractiveness".

Such is the idea behind Hope Springs--that a couple who has seen several decades together, still live together and have had children together, who aren't divorced, aren't separated, and aren't at each other's throats, might not necessarily be the perfect couple. There's no financial crisis and no question of adultery, but the relationship has lost its luster. The film opens with an agonizing scene in which meek housewife Kay (Oscar-winner Meryl Streep, very good in a subdued role that requires her to look all of her 63 years) enters the guest bedroom, in which her husband, Arnold (67-year-old Tommy Lee Jones, terrific), sleeps. She's wearing a slinky blue dress that shows plenty of cleavage, has put on makeup and primped herself. She even leans against the inside of the door just so after entering. His response: "What?" He thinks she must have a logical reason for coming inside. Is her room cold? Is something wrong? Realizing they're on totally separate wavelengths, Kay is mortified and can't even speak. She leaves the room and goes to bed alone.

A wife not being able to tell her husband she wants to have sex—let alone a wife of 31 years? Hope Springs is all the more effective because it ups the stakes, focusing on the sort of couple most outsiders would assume isn't having problems (they're still together, aren't they?), and then taking a peek, revealing troubles a couple of any age could have.

Plot: Kay cooks, cleans and works day hours in a clothing store. Arnold works a white-collar job in an office that undoubtedly pays well. However, despite a big house, healthy, happy grown children and all the physical comforts they could want, Kay is not happy. After Arnold threw out his back some time before, he found it was more comfortable to sleep alone in the guest room. He never came back. And they almost never talk. Every morning Kay makes Arnold a bacon-and-egg breakfast that is ready just as he sits down to read the paper (in silence). Once he's eaten, he gets up, tells Kay what time he'll be home, gives her a peck on the cheek, and leaves. They usually eat dinner in silence, celebrate holidays/anniversaries by buying "gifts for the house" (like new cable subscriptions or water heaters) and then Arnold falls asleep in an armchair watching instructional golf shows on ESPN. Kay feels lonely and disconnected, but she's too quiet/soft-spoken/intimidated to say anything outright. But, when she hears about an Intensive Couples Counseling offered by a Dr. Bernard Feld (Steve Carell) in Maine, she signs them up for it and even pays the entire cost. Arnold is appalled at her sudden hefty expenditure and reluctant to go, but he can see it means a lot to her and grudgingly takes a seat beside her on the plane.

The counseling sessions—with the couple and Dr. Feld—are exactly what Arnold feared they would be. Kay's not too fond, either. They're asked about how often they have sex (it's been almost five years), what they like about sex, why they don't touch each other anymore, whether they still find each other attractive, and challenged to try different touching exercises. They try to fumble through it—Kay shyly and Arnold grumpily (and because he doesn't want them to have wasted $4,000)—but, slowly, they start to open up. Secrets are revealed. Resentments are revealed. Pains and fears are voiced. They talk more than they have in years. However, in the midst of these sessions, Kay realizes the pain may have gone too deep. Even a nice date and a few honest storytelling sessions may not be enough.

What Works?
The actors do. This is a change of pace for both leads—Kay is very unlike the strong-willed, dynamic, resourceful women Streep usually plays, and Arnold is just a regular old man, a big change for Jones, who usually plays the coolest, smartest, wittiest character in his movies. Both are terrific. It's a bit of a shock seeing Jones nearly in tears contemplating a failed marriage and 31 years on the hook, while Streep embodies and acts out fears any woman of any age can relate to (when an embarrassed, agonized Kay cries out "I can’t do this; I'm not sexy!" late in the film, it truly hit me; how many people of any age have that exact fear?). The actors also bravely chart waters (like sexual references, admissions about sexual fantasies and even moments of physical intimacy together) that are usually reserved for actors at least a few years younger, and they do it memorably.

The film’s success rests with those two leads, which would be a great anchor for any film. The only other actor with significant screen time is Carell, who puts his typical understated everyman-ness to good use. But the depiction of Kay and Arnold’s relationship, and all the ins and outs, all the regrets and worries and resentments and mistakes, is what Hope Springs is all about. The movie also ends with a hell of a funny joke.

What Doesn’t Work?
Any movie about a rebuilt relationship is going to have a hard time not getting wishy-washy in its third act, and Hope Springs is no different—though I have a hard time remembering a movie where you wanted it to happen more. If anything, the movie feels a bit short. The structure of the movie also feels a little uneven; most of the sessions are depicted in three or four minute segments where more would have been nice (we only get a fraction of the typical “I first saw him/her when….” story). Some of those moments would have benefited from being fleshed out more. But the big thing Hope Springs does right is depict both people thoroughly—neither Kay nor Arnold is the bad guy or the perfect partner, and we are able to see in both what would attract and repel the other.

Content
I know what you’re thinking: a movie starring old people that’s all about sex!?! While no sex is depicted graphically, terms like “orgasm” and “climax” and “oral sex” are brought up repeatedly, and there are some heated make-out sessions and a lot of conversations about sexual fantasies and desires. Most kids would just be bored by a movie featuring three people sitting in an office and talking, but even those who stay might hear things a little beyond their sensitive ears.

Bottom Line (I Promise): Sure, it’s a little mushy and preachy, but Hope Springs is a moving, honest movie about what people desire and need in relationships, even relationship that have lasted decades. It’s a great chance to watch two experienced actors at the top of their game try something new.

Hope Springs (2012)
Directed by David Frankel
Written by Vanessa Taylor
Rated PG-13
Length: 100 minutes

FLIGHT

Flight (2012)
Grade: B-
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, Brian Geraghty and Melissa Leo
Premise: An airline pilot whose plane is in freefall manages to maneuver a crash landing that saves most of the passengers and crew on board. Called a hero and a genius, the surviving pilot is nonetheless snakebitten by accusations that his flagrant alcohol use contributed to the crash.

Rated R for Language (including some frank sexual dialogue), graphic depictions of drug and alcohol use and addiction, an intense plane crash sequence, and a scene of graphic nudity

It's the first week of November, which means more and more movies will be hitting theaters that have their eyes on the prestigious little golden statuette by the name of Oscar, and already, on the 2nd, here is a tasty early course that is all but guaranteed at least one nomination. That film is Flight, a fictional drama that has the sometimes-nightmarish feel of a true story, directed by Forrest Gump's Robert Zemeckis and featuring as its lead one Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award-winner who here has his deepest, best role in years. It's not a perfect movie, but the actor makes it memorable. While Flight is kicked off, and anchored by, an airline jet journey that ends badly, it really focuses on the tempting but increasingly-ugly escape hatches of denial, pleasure, lies and addiction. It's a film many will relate to, and many more will need to learn from.

Plot:
While William "Whip" Whitaker's (Denzel Washington) life has its ugly spots, it's difficult to say he's just barely surviving. He's a military veteran employed in the lucrative mission of flying passenger planes all over the world, and he can easily delve into those things he truly enjoys, such as alcohol, cocaine, and nighttime romps with beautiful airline employees like stewardess Katerina Marquez (Nadia Velazquez). After a night (and morning) of enjoying all three, Whip is scheduled to fly a lazy mid-morning route from Orlando to Atlanta. Sure he has a stranger (Brian Geraghty) for a co-pilot and there are some looming storm clouds, but Whip knows this business. He's even able to spike his orange juice and coffee with vodka bottles from the airliner's drink cart.

However, he has just barely reached clear blue sky through a heap of turbulence-causing stormclouds when his plane randomly plunges downward, hurtling toward a quiet suburban neighborhood. While passengers scream and pray and his co-pilot panics, Whip leads the plane into a risky maneuver that manages to get it to the ground largely in one piece. Casualties are minimal, though the rough landing does result in a few deaths. However, the general consensus among the relieved public and early federal aviation investigators is that Whip is a hero; his quick-thinking and know-how saved 96 of a possible 102 people. But a toxicology report done before he wakes in the hospital reveals the copious amounts of alcohol and cocaine in his system, and the bottles of vodka he used on his in-flight drink are found--a problem, seeing as he suspended the dispersion of beverages on board the plane due to the early flight turbulence. When lawyer Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle) brings these grievances to light, Whip panics, and, having previously dumped away all his alcohol in a fit of grief and fright, begins drinking again. He sees his coke dealer (John Goodman) again. He brings a fellow junkie (Kelly Reilly) he met in the hospital into his secluded farm hideout. But he can't escape the press. He can't escape the lawyer. He can't escape an upcoming televised hearing about the events that led to the plane crash. And, of course, he can't escape himself, and his reliance on drink to save him from the pain of his past and present.

What Works?
For a long movie, Flight cruises along pretty well, depicting with ease the difficulty someone would experience in being hailed a hero while he (and others) recognize his obvious flaws. Washington is tremendous in the role. The tortured, in-excess Whip is his juiciest role in years, and, for an actor who's been accused more and more of doing the same-old, same-old, or having nothing new in his arsenal, this goes a long way. While the charisma and screen presence I mentioned in my recent review of Washington's Safe House are in evidence, this is the first time in a while I can remember seeing Washington play a character who can seem small and huddled. You can see fear and doubt in his eyes. Though the actor has played villains before (like in Training Day) he's almost always had a sense of nobility and courage about him. That almost-regal essence is almost gone here, where the words that would more accurately describe Whip are weak, pathetic, pitiful, even repulsive. Washington pulls out the stops in a performance that can be flat-out unlikeable--he covers his insecurities with explicit tirades and hair-raising insults, he lies and cheats and begs and pleads, and, like so many addled by addictions and insecurities, he only needs the slightest opportunity to alienate those closest to him. It's a truly awesome tour-de-force.
While Washington (probably in line for his sixth career Academy Award nomination and first since winning Best Actor for 2001's Training Day) gets the lion's share of the credit for the film's success, he does have support. Reilly, Cheadle, Greenwood, Brian Geraghty and Tamara Tunie all contribute ably as people touched in different ways by Whip, be they good, bad, or ugly. Tunie has a particularly-good moment as a flight attendant who's known Whip for eleven years and is aware of his alcoholic tendences; her eyes fill with emotion and sad knowingness as a surprisingly-pitiful Washington pleads with her to feign ignorance. The all-important plane crash is also a suitably gripping, terrifying experience.

What Doesn't Work?
The movie's tone--mostly sobering (pun intended)--is usually interrupted by the appearances of an oddly-quirky John Goodman, who seems to have strolled in from another film. And Reilly's junkie is given a surprising amount of screen-time early on for someone who disappears halfway through the movie. There's also a curious--and rather aggravating--scene in which Geraghty's now-crippled co-pilot and his hyper-religious wife call the plane crash preordained and offer to pray with the troubled Whip. While it may be an attempt to add a new dimension to Whip's story and ordeal, it's so short and brief it feels a little more like a half-baked attempt to show a bit of scorn toward people who would label such a disastrous event as "an act of God". In any case, some of the "praise Jesus" dialogue felt a little farcicial, and why cut away right as Geraghty begins praying with Whip after setting it up in such a serious manner?

At two-and-a-quarter hours, Flight does drag in places, and a sentimental U-turn late in the running, while redeeming Washington's character and, possibly, the audience's mood upon leaving, seems a little unnecessary.

Content: Flight is very rated R, from two early (and unnecessary) scenes of graphic nudity and graphic sex-related dialogue to repeated scenes of Washington, Reilly, Goodman and others snorting coke. All these scenes felt in-excess; while it helps non-drug users understand the addiction to show the scene once, why so many times? And why, in one late scene, almost as a comic relief? There's also a fair amount of four-letter words and a few bloody images during and after the plane crash, but the majority of the drama is accomplished through what Flight conveys about addiction and personal demons.

Bottom Line (I Promise): Flight isn't a must-see unless you're a huge Denzel Washington fan, but it does have a lot to say about the demons of addiction, lies, and denial.

Flight (2012)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by John Gatins
Rated R
Length: 138 minutes