The Town (2010)
Directed by Ben Affleck
Length: 123 minutes
Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use
Ben Affleck continues to build a reputation as an acclaimed director with his sophomore effort The Town. Much like his previous effort 2007's Gone Baby Gone, The Town is a gritty crime drama that takes place amongst Boston's Irish neighborhoods, where crime, violence, and an unspoken code of silence are the norms. Not only does he direct, but Affleck also stars and co-writes the screenplay for a trifecta sure to garner Oscar attention. But the real question is does The Town mix the same emotional intensity as Gone Baby Gone with the heist-drama of classics such as Heat?
The film takes place in Charlestown, Massachusetts - a small community located in Boston where more bank robberies and armored car heist occur than in any other area in the United States. Ben Affleck (The Company Men, Extract) stars as remorseful criminal Doug MacRay, the brains behind the heists who dreams of escaping to a different life. Joined by his trigger-happy best friend James Coughlin, as played by Jeremy Renner (The Avengers, The Hurt Locker), Doug and his crew soon become an efficient and lethal crew capable of eluding the cops and minimizing exposure. That is until James decides to take a hostage - Claire Keesy played by newcomer Rebecca Hall (A Bag of Hammers, Please Give) - during a heist, who the crew fears will make them. Tasked with keeping an eye on Claire, Doug soon meets and falls for the former hostage, accelerating his desire to leave his life of crime behind. Unfortunately, Doug and his crew's latest actions have drawn the attention of the FBI, lead by Don Draper himself Jon Hamm (Sucker Punch, Mad Men) as Special Agent Adam Frawley.
The performances from the cast are solid; however, they all lack the emotional connection that made Gone Baby Gone so powerful. Renner excels as the tightly-wound James, ready to explode on anyone who stands in his way. Equally impressive is Hamm, still the epitome of Mr. Cool with his laid-back swagger and dry wit. While Affleck's performance is not at all bad, I had trouble sympathizing with the character of Doug. It is not that his actions are so reprehensible, simply Affleck's character lacks emotional depth - what you see is what you get. Additionally, without revealing much, the ending feels forced and not organic to its genre.
Where the movie may fall short in terms of emotions, the action is indeed top-notch. Several car chases and heist scenes avoid the plague of so many action scenes today, a.k.a shaky camera work with queasy camera pans. The action flows fluidly and feels realistic while avoiding being too over-the-top. Particularly, the shoot-out set at Boston's historic Fenway Park will soon be recognized as one of Hollywood's finest.
Though The Town has once again earned Affleck positive acclaim as a director, his sophomore effort does not quite reach the standard set by his debut. The action may be of a high quality, but the connection between the audience and the characters feels more of a surface variety as they lack true depth and conviction. While some of the initial hype surrounding the film and potential Oscar buzz may be an overstatement, The Town is a solid film that certainly warrants a viewing. I found myself thoroughly entertained; just be prepared to leave the film wishing for just a little more.
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Favorite Quote:
Doug MacRay: "We gotta do somethin'. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it after we're done, and we're gonna hurt some people."
James Coughlin: "...Whose care we takin'?"
Oscar Nominations:
Best Supporting Actor - Jeremy Renner
Easy A (2010)
Directed by Will Gluck
Length: 92 minutes
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving teen sexuality, language, and some drug material
Hollywood mourned the untimely passing of 80s iconic director John Hughes last year. Since that time, the sense of nostalgia surrounding his films has seemingly grown as new generations of viewers surface. While his films were never considered classics in the most literal and traditional sense of the word (a la The Godfather or Citizen Kane), Hughes's filmography included such gems as Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club as well as several others that overcome their 1980s cultural references and appeal to mass audiences. Boasting troubled protagonists with witty humor and sex appeal, the audience often cheered on the renegades as they combined serious social concerns with big laughs.
Much in this fashion, Easy A is a modern take on the Nathaniel Hawthorne classic The Scarlet Letter with all the elements of a John Hughes classic. Set in the dangerous jungle known as high school, modern girl Olive, played by the sexy and quirky up-and-comer Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love; Zombieland) , struggles to be noticed until a rumor surfaces concerning her recent deflowering: except Olive is still a virgin. Fact or fiction, Olive's sudden social status allows her to assist the social outcast of her high school by starting rumors of their "hooking up" for payment in the form of a gift card. While the male outcast see their reputation boosted, Olive becomes known as the school whore, earning the ire of the fundamentalist Christians, led by the perfectly casted Amanda Bynes (Canned, Living Proof) as Marianne. Soon Olive struggles with balancing her school persona with her true nature as she loses her friends and self-respect.
Emma Stone really shines in Easy A and certainly will be a force in the coming years. Capable of being sexy, funny, or even one of the guys, Stone is the type of actress that appeals to a mass audience. Beyond Stone's personal success, both Stanley Tucci (Burlesque, Margin Call) and Patricia Clarkson (Legendary, Shutter Island) are outstanding as the progressive parents of Olive. On several occasions, their playful banter and modern parent-rearing techniques steal the scene. Also impressive is the monotonic, "cool teacher" bit by Thomas Haden Church (Don McKay, Zombie Roadkill) as Mr. Griffith.
Easy A is an instant classic and a proper homage to the late John Hughes. The laughs are constant and big and appeal to a wide audience. Though the film may be hoping to target the Mean Girls audience, both sexes can enjoy the jokes. Equally impressive the fact the film is able to stay steady throughout with little to no wasted scenes. Definitely be sure to check out Easy A, the closest thing to a John Hughes classic in years.
Final Rating: 4 out 5 stars
Favorite Quote:
Principal Gibbons: "This is public school. If I can keep the girls off the pole and boys off the pipe, I get a bonus."
Youth in Revolt (2009)
Directed by Miguel Arteta
Length: 90 minutes
Rated R for sexual content, language, and drug use
Another Michael Cera movie already? In my defense, Netflix took their sweet time sending me the film, but the wait is finally over. In the end was it worth getting worked-up over? No, but Youth in Revolt is a quirky indie comedy that allows Cera to explore a darker, more sinister side of the snarky dork he usually plays. My love for Michael Cera aside, the film is a fun and witty and enjoyable experience.
Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Arrested Development) plays aspiring writer and resident virginal geek Nick Twisp. While away with his mother and her deadbeat boyfriend Jerry, played by Zach Galifianakis (Due Date, The Hangover 2), Nick meets the girl of his dreams, Sheeni Saunders played by Portia Doubleday (In Between Days, The Wheeler Boys). Though Sheeni is the daughter of pious zealots, she dreams of exotic French men and other rebellious things - aka not Nick. Determined to win her affection and lose his virginity, Nick creates an alter-ego named Francois Dillinger that allows him to act in a very un-Nick like manner, such as destroying a town square and wrecking multiple cars.
When it comes to geeky-yet-charming, quiet but sarcastic leading men, Michael Cera is the go-to-guy in Hollywood; however, Youth in Revolt allows Cera to add a new dimension to his repertoire. While Nick/Francois could hardly be considered a bad guy, the sinister actions and manipulative plotting he carries out in his attempts to win Sheeni's heart all show a side of Cera not yet seen. This new side of Cera certainly elevates the witty dialogue and humor of his actions as he literally creates a manifestation of the "voice inside your head."
While Youth in Revolt is not the most memorable film in Cera's short career, there are several laugh-worthy scenes and enough witty dialogue to garner a rental. Though the film may be geared towards a younger audience, the theme of a good-guy geek being bad for a girl is universal and should translate well to all audiences. Cera will continue to be better known for his other works such as Superbad and Juno, but I personally enjoyed seeing a new side to his usual character. Hopefully in his future films, he will continue to grow and evolve into a complete actor, becoming a true leading man in the process.
Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Favorite Quote:
Nick Twisp: "Sheeni, hi, nice to see you. I was just going for a walk, and I thought I'd drop by. I remembered that you live here. I'm sorry I got upset about Trent. It was very immature of me. I'm not normally like that. He sounds like a great guy. I'd love to hear more of his neat poetry. Say, do you want to go to the beach or get breakfast?"
Sheeni Saunders: "Actually, I'm going on a hike. I'd ask you to come along, but you haven't got any hiking boots, provisions, survey maps, or a compass."
Nick Twisp: "Fine. I do all my hiking free form. Like John Muir, I enter the wilderness with nothing more than my journal and a child-like sense of wonder."
