Man on a Ledge (2012)

Starring: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Génesis Rodríguez, Ed Harris

Director: Asger Leth

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Crime, Action

Rating: C+

I suspect I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I should have.  By which I mean, I enjoyed this movie when I realize that it wasn't really all that good.  It's fun and the action is good and the tension is definitely there - although, I'm absolutely terrified of heights, which I suspect played a lot into that.  This movie really freaked me out, but I'm like that.

Man on a Ledge follows Nick Cassidy (Worthington), a former cop and an escaped convict.  He was imprisoned for stealing a $40 million diamond from David Englander (Harris), which he swears he did not do.  At the start of Ledge Nick checks into the Roosevelt Hotel under a false name, goes to his room on the 21st floor, and steps out onto the ledge.  When negotiators arrive, he insists that he will only talk to negotiator Lydia Mercer (Banks), a negotiator who is on leave of absence following a failed negotiation leading to the suicide of a policeman a month earlier.  Unbeknownst to the police, while Nick is distracting them his brother Joey (Bell) and Joey's girlriend Angie (Rodríguez) are on the building across the street, planning on breaking into Englander's vault to prove Nick's innocence.

So... yeah.  The plot is a bit much, and at no point does it enter into believe-ability.  From how he escapes from prison to the whole heist, and the general plan to clear his name, is just all over the top.  It's just... yeah.  It's kind of all over the place.  I think the idea in general was an interesting one, but the way they did it was a bit preposterous and just too much.  You have to suspend your disbelief a lot in order to follow it, although I will grant that it does play in rather nicely to the theme of "corrupt cop" that movies tend to like.

I think the thing that makes this movie really work for me, however, is the dramatic tension between Banks and Worthington.  Regardless of how believable the rest of the film is, I really believed her character.  Her motivations were real, her struggles were real.  She really wanted to help him, whoever he might have been.  I believed that, although I think it went too extreme at the en.  The whole "corrupt cop" plot didn't work well and kind of jeopardized the loveability of Banks' character.

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Skylar Astin, Alexis Knapp, Adam DeVine, Ester Dean

Director: Jason Moore

Genre: Comedy, Music

Rating: A

"Nothing makes a girl feel more like a woman than a man who sings like a boy."

 I was really excited about this movie.  I figure it would be a lame comedy that I would love, just another one of those bad movies that you watch and really enjoy but know are bad.  I was really wrong: this ended up being a really amazing movie that I absolutely loved, and despite the fact that it was a cheesy comedy it was also legitimately good.  I laughed so hard during Pitch Perfect, despite the film's inclusion of period moments of bodily fluid humour.  I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I'll say it now: I hate humour that involves some sort of human waste or bodily fluid.

Pitch Perfect follows Beca (Kendrick), an anti-social music lover who dreams of being a music producer but is being forced by her father to attend Barden College, where he works.  While at first she fulfils the anti-social requirements eventually she is pushed into joining the Barden Bellas, one of the campus' four acapella singing groups - other groups include the Bellas' primary rival, the all male Treble Makers, lead by Bumper (DeVine).  The Bellas are lead by seniors Aubrey (Camp), who believes that the group can win it all using traditional methods, and Chloe (Snow), who's more inclined to make some changes.  Rounding out things is Treble Maker and fellow freshman Jesse (Astin), who very quickly takes an interest in Beca.

The thing I liked most about Pitch Perfect was that this movie knew exactly what it was and just went with it.  It was a lame comedy and never once tried to be anything other than that.  There were a few more dramatic moments - notably when it came to Beca's relationship with her father - but for the most part it was one liner after one liner. Rebel Wilson and Elizabeth Banks in particular were awesome, with just about everything that the two of them said being a joke.  What I really liked about the humour, though, was that there were a lot of moments where the joke completely took me by surprise and left me thinking "wait, what'd they just say?" then laughing once it sunk in - and I wasn't the only person in the theatre reacting like that.  The other thing that worked about it was the fact that even in the more dramatic moments, or even just the singing, they did a lot of cutaways to other jokes.  Elizabeth Banks' character, very minor role, is one of the commentators of the competitions and one of my favourite moments is a cutaway to her and the other commentator rocking out to the song.  It was just perfect.

One thing that has the potential to take away from the overall film is the fact that a lot of the characters fill a stereotype of some sort.  I found that it worked and I didn't personally need more development on any of the characters, but I'm sure that others might have a problem with this. Jason Moore took some stereotypical people and had fun with them, and I applaud it.

People Like Us (2012)

Starring: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Hall D'Addario
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Genre: Drama
Rating: B

The basic plot of People Like Us, at least as told by the film’s trailer, is one that I feel like I’ve seen before – heck, it’s one that I feel like I’ve seen several times.  I’m not certain what it says about me and the movies that I watch, but I suspect that it’s a lot.  Fortunately, however, the movie is a lot more than just what its trailer presents, and in that I was thoroughly satisfied.  There is a lot that is rather typical of movies of this genre, but it feels like it’s been put together in a new way and the film succeeds in avoiding being predictable.  While People Like Us does have its shortcomings, I found it to be a really enjoyable movie.

Following a failed business deal, Sam (Pine) is threatened with an investigation from the FTC – the only way to avoid it is to bribe an FTC official with a new deck for his home.  Before Sam can begin to complete the deal to get the needed materials, however, he discovers that his father has died and he must travel to L.A. for the funeral – something which he rather desperately tries to avoid doing, resulting in the two of them missing the actual service.  It becomes quickly apparent that Sam had a great deal of issues with his father, who he views as having essentially been a negligent jackass, however he does hope that he might inherit a sum of money which will help to get him out of debt.  He doesn’t, however; instead he inherits his father’s sizeable record collection and is tasked with delivering a shaving kit full of money to eleven-year-old Josh (D’Addario), Sam’s previously unknown nephew.  Sam embarks on a mission to get to know his half-sister Frankie (Banks) and Josh, while straining his already tenuous relationship with his mother Lillian (Pfeiffer), potentially ruining his relationship with his girlfriend Hannah (Wilde), and is repeatedly summoned by his work and the FTC.

My one big problem with People Like Us is the whole FTC subplot.  I don’t object to it on principle, I just can’t help but feel that the movie didn’t really explore it.  The whole subplot of Sam’s job, debt, and impending legal troubles were all interesting but only briefly mentioned.  It’s like a great Greek drama; all the action in that regards takes place off screen, and Sam never really seems to deal with the consequences.  As the film is wrapping up, this whole plot kind of looms over things, a forgotten thread.  The problems with Hannah are similarly treated, but in the end I felt this was pretty well handled.  The whole surprise half-sister plot, however, is handled far better, as is the exploration of Sam’s relationship with his parents.  I especially loved the way that Pfeiffer portrayed Lillian, from the character’s mannerisms to the sheer expression of emotion.  It’s clear that a lot of thought was put into her, as well as the other characters, and I loved how Pfeiffer appears as this dishevelled, unglamorous, mourning woman.  She really showed a vulnerability in this role, as did Banks.  My two favourite characters in this movie were Lillian and Frankie, who were these strong and yet vulnerable women.

The character that I didn’t really like was Josh, played by newcomer D’Addario.  I don’t think the actual portrayal was bad, I just didn’t like the kid in general.  I found him to be this rude, obnoxious little brat and spent a lot of the movie hoping that someone would slap him for his attitude – that and give him a haircut.  I also really wanted someone to slap Sam for his attitude and the way that he treated the people in his life.  There was a lot about him that made me think that he was more like his father than he realized.  That having been said, I really did enjoy the journey that the movie took.  I might have focused more on the negatives in this review, but it was a good movie, with a good journey.  It told an interesting story and it made you root for the characters.  I didn’t want Sam and Josh to get slapped because I hated them, I wanted them to be slapped because I was certain that they were good people who just needed some sense knocked into them.  I was really happy with the way that the film ended too; with the exception of the FTC subplot I felt like things had been nicely wrapped up.

Recommendations: June 29

Magic Mike - I'm going to quote the Cineplex Magazine's description of this movie: "Based on Channing Tatum's real-life experience working as a stripper".  This is a movie about male strippers.  I'm going to say that again: it's a movie about male strippers.  Based on Channing Tatum's real life.  This could be absolutely horrible, and it'd still be worth seeing.

Ted - Seth MacFarlane's transition into the big screen, Ted is about a kid who wishes for his teddy bear to be real, then grows up.  I'm not really sure what to expect from this movie; I think it could be really good or really bad.  We'll definitely have to wait and see.

People Like Us - Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Elizabeth Banks, People Like Us is about a man who finds out that his father had another family and that he has to give his previously unknown, half-sister $150,000.  I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie and have been since I saw the first trailers for it.  I'm interested in seeing the journey that these characters go on, from Pine's struggling businessman, to Banks' alcoholic, to Pfeiffer's grieving widow.

Take This Waltz - The second film from Canadian Sarah Polley, Take this Waltz is about a woman, Margot (Michelle Williams), who is in love with her husband (Seth Rogen), while attracted to her neighbour (Luke Kirby).  As Michelle Williams appears to be on a kick as of late, I'm certain this'll be a great movie, although I am a bit nervous about Rogen's part in it.  I usually enjoy his movies, but I don't think I've ever actually seen him in a drama.

21 Jump Street - An amazing combination between comedy and action, 21 Jump Street is about two rather failed cops who are sent to a high school to pose as students and uncover a drug ring.  I really enjoyed this movie, and recommend it to others.

The Artist - The 21st century's take on a silent film, The Artist is about a silent movie star who bemoans the coming era of talkies.  While I haven't actually seen this movie yet it was a huge success last year, winning 107 awards during the award season, making it the most awarded French film in history.  Definitely an artsy movie, this film is a must-see.

Mirror Mirror - The year's first Snow White movie, Mirror Mirror was ridiculously overly sugary, but in a good way.  Something to check out when you're in the mood for some easy entertainment.

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle tells the story of Walls' childhood and family, both which could be described only as unconventional.  There's something about this book that just kept me reading, while also gave me the firm desire to yell at Walls' parents.

Let's Pretend this Never Happened - I haven't actually read this book yet, but Let's Pretend this Never Happened is getting a good reception and debuted at number two on the New York best seller list.  This is a memoir by blogger Jenny Lawson about the things that people like to pretend never happened.

Water for Elephants - This is one of the best books I've ever read.  By Sara Gruen Water for Elephants tells the story of Jacob Jankowski though two periods in his life; one as an old man, in a nursing home, reflecting on how his life has turned out, and one where he's a young man beginning to live said life.  At the start of the Depression, Jacob jumped onto a train that would change his life and, inadvertently, joined the circus.  If you have the time, check out this book.

The Hunger Games (2012)

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley
Director: Gary Ross
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: A-

The film adaptation of the bestselling book, The Hunger Games brings us to a dystopian world where every year two tributes, one male and one female, are selected from each of the twelve districts of Panem to participate in the Hunger Games, essentially a televised fight to the death.  Think “The Lottery” meets Gladiator, with an element of Big Brother.  The film is set around the 74^th Hunger Games and follows District 12’s female tribute, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) as she struggles to overcome the odds and survive.  In order to be able to return home, she must be the only surviving tribute at the end of the games, including District 12’s male tribute, Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson).

The film does lose some of the novel’s story and doesn’t go into as much detail in regards to the political background of Panem.  I don’t actually feel that further detail is needed, though.  There was a war, it ended badly, and as a consequence the winners imposed a hugely cruel consequence – the Hunger Games.  What further background information is really needed?  The actual games aren’t as action packed as one might have expected – but the book itself isn’t that action filled either.  I really liked the way that they handled the action that they did show.  I also really like the way that they show the backstory and what’s going on outside of the Games; the book is very cerebral and only follows Katniss. The movie, however, avoids utilizing narration and instead shows you the things that book-Katniss only thinks about.  My one problem with the film is that I felt it cut too much of the relationship between Katniss and Peeta.  Some of my favourite parts of the book were the moments between the two of them, so I was disappointed to have that aspect of the film marginalized.  I did really like the film’s ending.  I really felt that it ended things on a happier note than in the book.

What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

Stars: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro
Director: Kirk Jones

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Rating: C

What to Expect When You’re Expecting is another one of those movies very, very loosely based on some already established trademarks.  This time the focus is on the book that tells you all about what you’re going to go through when you’re pregnant.  With that in mind, What to Expect tries to present itself as the love child of Bridesmaids and Love Actually, following the lives of five loosely connected couples, each dealing with the trials and tribulations of impending parenthood.  If that sounds a bit lame, it’s because it kind of is.

The problem with What to Expect is that it doesn’t seem to know what kind of comedy it wants to be, or even if it’s entirely committed to being a comedy.  The genre of movie seems to change with each of the core couples, resulting in a lack of cohesion.  While this would be fine if the movie was a series of shorts connected by a similar theme What to Expect isn’t a film like that.  The Cameron Diaz/Matthew Morrison elements appear to be an attempt a spoof of so-called celebrities who appear in ridiculous reality TV shows, with what seems to be a rather heavy handed jab at Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser fame.  Elizabeth Banks/Ben Falcone bit is attempting to recreate Bridesmaids with Banks playing the Kristen Wigg role (complete with the actress who played Wigg’s awkward roommate playing Banks’ awkward assistant).  Dennis Quaid is Falcone’s father, with Brooklyn Decker as his much younger trophy wife, thus filling the role of the father who doesn’t get it and the inappropriate stepmother that we’ve seen far too many times at this point.  The story Jennifer Lopez/Rodrigo Santoro pairing is more your traditional romantic comedy; they’re an infertile couple looking to adopt, although Santoro’s character isn’t entirely sure he’s ready to be a father.  Santoro’s part doesn’t end there, however, as he joins a daddy walking club, featuring Chris Rock.  Thus, his part of the story descends into your typical Chris Rock type movie, wherein Chris Rock makes himself look good by surrounding himself with goofs.  The final pairing is Chace Crawford/Anna Kendrick, a pair of twenty-somethings who get pregnant after a one night stand and must deal with the consequences.  Of all the stories, this is the least comedic, more of a dramatic romance than anything else.

The stories themselves are a bit unevenly handled.  Some of them get a lot of screen time and really give you a sense of who the characters are, while others are a bit sidelined.  While some of these stories deserve to be sidelined – particularly the Quaid/Decker one – some of the front runners aren’t really strong enough to carry the film the way that they do – especially the Diaz/Morrison one.  The thing that works with a film like Love Actually is that while it has a large number of stories going on at once each one is well developed, each character unique.  What’s more is that the stories are all interconnected and support and add to each other.  Part of the fun of the movie is figuring out just how they’re all connected (there are even flow charts).  This is lost in What to Expect.  The characters are very, very loosely connected and thus the stories don’t really support each other in the same way.  The film does learn from other American attempts at a loosely connected film with an ensemble cast in that it has fewer characters and thus fewer plots.  The characters do get more attention, for the most part, but would benefit from more cohesion in the film.  In the end, I wanted less of the Banks/Falcone and Diaz/Morrison stories and more of the Lopez/Santoro and Crawford/Kendrick stories.