Two 2013 films that have hit theaters:
Rush
RUSH follows the colored rivalry in Formula 1 racing between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Unfortunately, this is being helmed by director Ron Howard, plus a screenplay by Peter Morgan, so the competition must be scrubbed and cleaned throughly so that even the neanderthals in the audience can follow along. For instance, when Hunt learns he's essentially blackballed and has no car to drive, he's playing with a couple of electronic toy cars, one of which flies off just when the despair sinks in. This is then followed up with that classic annoying stable, the drunken breakup between a concerned girlfriend and a mouthy man. Frankly, this really old-fashioned mode of filmmaking was not palatable in the slightest. Howard does craft some truly memorable moments, such as Lauda's painstaking recovery and his first race back after a near deadly injury, but Morgan's by-the-numbers plot is so ridiculous to take seriously. Also, except for that one race, all of the racing sequences largely consist of quick cuts between accelerating wheels and worried reaction shots. None of the races last longer than two minutes, so there's no time to take them in or match up the film's message about the frailty of being behind the wheel. The sole saving grace of the movie, beyond some of Howard's direction, is the acting talent. Chris Hemsworth continues to show he has the chops to coordinate with his handsome looks as the charismatic yet reckless Hunt. But it is the breakthrough performance of Daniel Brühl as Lauda that truly takes the spotlight. He brings a sensible humanity and likability to the character, despite the film's constant showing of Lauda being an intelligence-driven racer, who's often shrewd to his co-workers and socially inept. I would also say that forever-in-the-shadows Olivia Wilde and newcomer Alexandra Maria Lara were delights, if only their characters were more fleshed out beyond being female hanger-ons to the two drivers. Some of you may think this is a mighty triumph of a drama but I'm just not a sucker. I will gladly take the magnificent documentary SENNA any day over this Best Picture wannabe.
FINAL REVIEW: 2 / 5
Escape from Tomorrow
Well, this was kinda disappointing. ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW has been on a publicity high, ever since it made its audacious debut at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The sheer fact that writer-director Randy Moore was able to film a great majority of the film inside the confines of the intensely guarded Disney World is astonishing, further expanded by the fact it was able to avoid litigation by Mickey Mouse's lawyers and be able to reach general audiences. Upon finally seeing it, I'm a bit sad that the movie is more of a vacation comedy than it is a psychological thriller at the happiest place on Earth. A schlubby guy is fired from his job over the phone, on the last day of his family's Disney visit. As they walk around the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the father starts to breakdown from all of the sensory overloads and the consistent presence of two frolicking French girls. It further surreally falls apart with the arrival of a Lesley Ann Warren stand-in and a scientist who operates within the signature Epcot globe but the focus is instead more on the guy's burning loins and his embarrassing behavior. The black-and-white digital cinematography is quite striking, particularly when it wants to haunt the audience with the sight of a CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED-like kid or disturbing behavior being acted within the Disney grounds. Obviously, not everything could be easily shot in Disney World, so there are some unfortunately bad scenes done in a green-screen studio. A valiant effort but it is unable to beat EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP as the best film to wreck havoc to Disney parks.
FINAL REVIEW: 3 / 5
No comments:
Post a Comment