Review: Her

by Trevor Kirkendall
★★★★

As a society, we’ve become completely dependent on technology to keep us connected to the world. Some would even suggest that we’ve become too dependent on it to the point that we’re missing out on life and everything that comes with it. Reading social networking sites when we should be enjoying the company of others around us. Taking pictures of things we’ll never look at again rather than just enjoying the moment as it happens. We all know we do it, and we all continue to do it. If it’s not socially acceptable at this moment in time, it will probably become that way one day. And every year, we’re given new enhancements to technology that could catch up to our level of intelligence at some point. This is what Spike Jonze looks at in his latest film “Her”.

“Her” is set sometime in the future when technology has completely taken over our daily lives. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a slightly introverted man who works for a company that writes beautiful handwritten letters for people who can’t put their own expressions and emotions into words. He’s separated from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) but has not signed the divorce papers yet. It’s not a divorce he really wants either; it’s more her idea.

He’s not a total introvert, however. He has decent people skills, just not very good at handling relationships. He’s got a great friend at his work, receptionist Paul (Chris Pratt). His oldest friend is Amy (Amy Adams) who he sees quite often. She’s married to Charles (Matt Letscher) and all three get along well. That’s about it for everyone in this futuristic world. Everyone has become so dependent on technology that no one communicates face-to-face with people when they’re out in public. If you think it’s bad now, the vision that’s displayed here is almost unthinkable. People talk to themselves while they walk around during the day, but what they’re talking to is a much more polished version of Siri.

That is until one tech company comes out with a piece of software called OS One. This operating system uses artificial intelligence that’s so powerful and intuitive, it will almost seem like you’re talking with another human being. Theodore decides to try it out, not because he’s lonely and needs a new friend, but because he’s curious. The computer creates a female voice for him that calls itself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). She’s smart, funny and has a very sensuous and fun loving voice. She learns all she can about Theodore from the contents of his computer and just listening to everything he says. Eventually, Theodore begins to develop feelings for her. Samantha even develops artificial emotions for him as well, and the two seemingly begin to fall in love with one another.

“Her” is definitely a unique take on the romance drama genre. Why would anyone expect anything less than unique given director Spike Jonze’s involvement? The man has built his enormously successful career on making things different than anyone else. “Being John Malkovich” was one of the most memorable films of the 1990s. Its follow up “Adaptation” was just as great. And who could ever forget Christopher Walken dancing around the lobby of the formerly known Marriott Hotel in the music video for Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice”? Yes, Spike Jonze has done many memorable and unique works in his career, but “Her” is his masterpiece.

This is one of the most polished and perfectly crafted screenplays of the year. Even with the little bizarre antics and strange scenes that occur throughout the movie, this film is a full on romance story. It shouldn’t matter that one doesn’t really exist in a human form. The voice on the other end is very real and the emotional bond that’s formed is genuine. Jonze has crafted one of the most real film relationships of the year with “Her” and you only ever see one person in that relationship.

Furthermore, the social subtext he explores is worth noting. We can walk around any public venue these days and constantly watch people walk around with their heads down staring into the screen of their smartphones. We can sit at a restaurant and watch a group of friends hang out or a couple on a date. What are they doing? Heads down, phones out. This is becoming prevalent in the highly connected society in which we live. Jonze explores the idea of this turning into a social norm at some point in the not-so-distant future. He doesn’t render judgment on whether or not this is acceptable; he’s just there to show you the vision he sees taking place.

Jonze’s vision includes people communicating to their smartphone devices via a Bluetooth-like ear piece. They communicate with a much more polished and much more helpful version of Siri. Theodore walks through the city listening to his emails. “Next. Next. Reply later,” he says. He stands on the subway as his phone reads the day’s news headlines. “Next. Next,” he continues until he hears one they piques his interest. And he’s not the only one. Everyone else is doing the exact same thing. No one is capable of having a human interaction in public.

Joaquin Phoenix is sensational in this role. He is one of the best actors working today and receives very little recognition (thanks to his little actor-turned-bearded-rapper gag a few years ago). Once again, he completely embodies this role and truly losses himself in it. He’s fascinating to watch. And since almost all of us have been in a relationship at one point or another, the stages are easily identifiable and relatable (even if you never dated your computer, which some of you reading this review probably do and don’t realize it).

But the most fascinating performance in this film comes from Scarlett Johansson. She was a late addition to this film and didn’t take part in any of the actual filming. Her role is never delivered in physical form, only in voice. Using only her voice, she is able to convey so much emotion and give this character a vast amount of depth that it’s easy to forget she’s never physically with Phoenix in this film. Even though you never see her, she delivers one of the finest performances of the year.

“Her” is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s a creative gem delivered from one of the most visionary thinkers in Hollywood. Jonze delivers this film to us with a powerful story full of emotional depth, and is able to make an entertaining futuristic science-fiction film without hitting the overkill button on the visual effects. This is about as solid as filmmaking gets from all aspects. It’s films like this that should serve as a reminder to what movies used to be before technology killed the human interactions between the story and the audience.

Review: American Hustle

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★½

One thing that can’t be said about “American Hustle” is that it’s a nice relaxing movie full of deep meaningful themes about life, love and happiness. No, this is about as in-your-face as it gets. The latest from David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook”) is a fantastic look at people conning each other and going behind everyone’s back. While some movies about con artists are slick and cool (like “The Grifters,” “Matchstick Men” or “Ocean’s Eleven”), “American Hustle” is loud, eccentric, obnoxious, maniacal, unbalanced, hilarious and most of all fun.

Meet your crazy new friends from "American Hustle"

Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, a very skilled con artist living in New York City in the late 1970s. At a party one night, he meets the beautiful Syndey Prosser (Amy Adams). They form a bond that turns into love and eventually he invites her into the scamming business. Irving’s scam is loaning people money for a non-refundable $5,000 fee but then never delivering on the loan. Sydney fits in by pretending she’s a British woman named Edith with connections to London banks.

One day, Sydney lets her guard down and brings in a man (Bradley Cooper) looking for a loan. What she doesn’t know is he’s Richie DiMaso, FBI Agent. She’s arrested and thrown in jail for fraud. Irving isn’t, but Richie has other plans for him. He’ll let Sydney (who he really does think is a British woman named Edith) go with no charges if Irving helps him con some people he suspects are corrupt so the FBI can bring them down. One name is Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), mayor of Camden, NJ.

Sydney doesn’t like this idea. She would rather flee the country, but Irving won’t because of his adopted son from his estranged marriage to Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence). Sydney knows of Rosalyn but doesn’t care for her because she’s absolutely crazy. She ultimately agrees to help Irving and Richie with the con work, but she’s also going to con Richie right back into having him fall in love with Edith just to aggravate Irving.

There’s a lot going on in “American Hustle” that might seem overwhelming at times. It’s been noted that director David O. Russell was more concerned with characters rather than plot, and that shows. Russell is credited as a co-writer with Eric Warren Singer, but I believe the only thing he really did to the screenplay was embellish the characters into larger-than-life personalities and turn his cast loose.

What we’re left with is a film that lacks any structure. The film moves along – at times briskly, at other times slowly – with one scene after another. I tried to figure out where the act breaks were, but I couldn’t seem to find them. So there’s no flow. Actually, a more appropriate phrase for “American Hustle” is there’s no order to the madness.

Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams exchange unpleasantries

But what fun that madness is! In a film that lacks structure, “American Hustle” compensates for it with loud and boisterous characters that are in your face from the moment this film starts. While Russell’s approach to the story may be a little unorthodox, his approach to these characters is what makes “American Hustle” great. He loves each and every one of them and it shows. The film doesn’t take sides with anyone. No one is a good guy and no one is a bad guy.

The relationships between these people are handled delicately. The relationship between Irving and Sydney is especially intriguing. It’s also added by two fine performances by both Christian Bale and Amy Adams. These two continue their streak of turning in great performances every time. The relationship with Irving and Carmine is also interesting to watch. Irving isn’t the least bit interested in conning him, but he has no choice at first. As the two get to know each other, and as their wives get to know each other, Irving starts having second thoughts. Carmine is a very passionate man and is loved by all his constituents. What’s great is Irving never has a scene of wallowing regret about this to anyone. It’s all Bale showing us through his eyes and his body language that he’s uncomfortable entrapping this guy.

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence turn in the most entertaining and by far the best performances in this film. They’re the loudest and the biggest this film has to offer, and in a film that’s built on loud and grand characters, that’s saying something. Cooper’s fast-talking and hyperactive DiMaso is the focal point of every scene he’s in. It’s impossible to take your eyes off him – either because of the phenomenal acting job Cooper is doing, or because of the loud and outlandish costume and hairstyle Russell puts him in. Jennifer Lawrence is a sensation, once again. Her scenes are few in numbers, but they’re the most memorable of the film. Her character Roslyn is insane, but it’s a joy to watch. She thinks she’s the life of the party and the most important person in the room wherever she goes. “Thank God for me,” she declares, a line delivered with perfection from Lawrence. She’s not the main role in “American Hustle” but we’re once again reminded about the long and successful career she has in front of her.

Despite its lack of structure, “American Hustle” is a fun and exciting film that’s much different from anything we’ve seen from a Hollywood studio this year. It’s a pleasure to watch Russell’s maniacal characters in every situation they encounter throughout the story. It might be a little long, and it certainly feels its length thanks to its lack of structure, but it’s a great time getting to hang out with these crazy people for that amount of time.

Review: Man of Steel

by Trevor Kirkendall
★★★½

Superman has always proven to be one of the trickier superheroes to put on the big screen. We’ve seen a few good shows on television that have helped keep the character alive in the public’s eye for many years. But when it comes to film, Richard Donner’s 1978 version with Christopher Reeve is still the favorite among fans. The subsequent sequels, followed by Bryan Singer’s 2006 abomination “Superman Returns” ran the franchise into the ground. Today, with Marvel’s Cinematic Universe ruling the box office every year, and with the conclusion of their most recent Batman franchise, DC Comics was in need of something big that would bolster their standing. With the new Superman reboot, “Man of Steel,” they may have just struck gold.

“Man of Steel” serves as another origin story for the famous character. The planet Krypton is in disarray, and the world will soon come to an end. Fearing this, Krypton’s biggest scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sends his only son, Kal-El, away from the dying planet and straight to Earth. In the spacecraft, Jor-El includes information that could one day help to repopulate the people of Krypton on another world. A sinister military commander of Krypton, General Zod (Michael Shannon) knows what Jor-El has done and vows to find Kal-El.

Thirty-three years later, we find Kal-El (Henry Cavill) living amongst the humans attempting the keep a low profile. He works odd jobs here and there but his special abilities keep showing up under different circumstances, causing him to move on to a new place. Flashback sequences also describe his troubled up bringing in Smallville, raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) who found baby Kal-El in the crashed spacecraft.

Elsewhere, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams) has discovered this mysterious man and begins to track him down. Once she finds him in his hometown, she discovers his apprehension about going public with his abilities. After all, he was raised to keep his abilities a secret.

This is also about the time General Zod shows up to Earth looking for Kal-El and demands that Earth cooperate with him or he’ll destroy the planet. Kal-El must now choose between helping to save the planet and the humans, or staying in seclusion.

Most origin stories can be plenty boring because the audience is already aware of the backstory, such as the case with a character as popular as Superman. But “Man of Steel” works on many different levels without boring the audience to tears. The nonstop action and breathtaking synergy between live action and CGI keeps the film on a very quick pace. Before you know it, sixty minutes have gone by. Then ninety. Then two hours. Then its done. “Man of Steel” is the fastest moving two-and-a-half hour film since “The Dark Knight.”

Director Zack Snyder (“Dawn of the Dead” and “Watchmen”) has once again proven himself to be a highly skilled filmmaker when it comes to constructing high-octane action sequences. The seamless interweaving of CGI on top of the live action is also a high point. Sure, you know what’s being done on screen isn’t possible and that its got to be computers making this come to life, but the realism on display here is exceptional. I’m not sure if Snyder will ever direct something that’s not action packed or heavy on the effects, and that’s okay. If he wants to direct every other action movie that came out, I’d be more than okay with that.

Christopher Nolan’s presence here is a welcomed asset that really helps elevate this film beyond that of other superhero films. Along with David S. Goyer, who is also credited with developing the story that made up all three films in Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, Nolan was able to craft a story that doesn’t seem like something that is utterly fantastical. Sure there are space aliens, rocket ships and a man who can fly, but the world where all this occurs is utterly real.

“The Dark Knight” trilogy worked in the same way. Gotham City is a fictitious place, and there aren’t any egomaniacal billionaires running around fighting crime (although Sergey Brin running around in his stupid Google Glass glasses could be a possible contender – but I digress). But everything felt real and genuine. “Man of Steel” as that same feel of authenticity.

Cavill and Adams worked well on screen together. Cavill’s portrayal of the man confused and ashamed of his abilities is performed with great empathy. Adams recognizes that she’s the first person he’s trusted and doesn’t hesitate to step up and make this journey with him.

Then there’s Shannon’s Zod, who not surprisingly steals the show as the films villain. Anyone familiar with this brilliant actor already knows about his intense portrayals from other works such as “Take Shelter,” “Revolutionary Road” or HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.” He’s evil as Zod, and you can see it in his eyes. He’s the perfect villain for the origin story, rather than starting with someone who might be better known to casual fans (Mr. Luthor, perhaps?).

“Man of Steel” is an exhilarating and unrelenting action film. Its a film that fits nicely into the typical “summer movie” mold, but I don’t think we should limit it as such. This is truly one of the more exceptional films of this style to come out in recent memory. I remember feeling the same way after seeing Nolan’s “Batman Begins” in 2005. We all knew we were in for a much different story of the Batman saga after that movie came out, and I think the same thing will apply here.

With a sequel already in the works (summer 2015), its safe to say that the Superman franchise finally has the film it deserves. Both Snyder and Goyer will return in their roles and Nolan will most certainly be around to lend his brainpower to the creative process. As much as I enjoyed “Man of Steel,” I’m more excited about all the possibilities this franchise has. DC Comics needed a winner, and they got it. They couldn’t sit idly by and watch Marvel have all the fun. 

Review: Man of Steel

by. Joe Moss
★★★1/2

“Welcome to the Planet” as said by Lois Lane (Amy Adams)

at the close of Zack Snyder’s (300, Sucker Punch, Watchmen) epic “Man of Steel” is a playful ending to a prolific film—yet provides the perfect cliffhanger for the [already announced] sequel. The movie DEFINITELY lives up to its nearly two years of advertising hype by delivering a larger than life, yet believable, DC Comic super hero as portrayed by Henry Cavill (Immortals).

Thankfully, Zack Snyder’s film, as developed by the creative duo behind the Dark Knight Trilogy (Dayid S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan), does not attempt to harness the cult following of the 80’s classics starring Christopher Reeve; rather they have taken a solid base of information from the Superman Universe of comics and developed a more modern version of the storyline. This film plays to the more science-fiction orientation of Superman’s existence rather than the fantastical.  Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is the lead science advisor on Krypton and he senses the urgency of the planet’s death due to non-sustainable uses of the planet’s resources. With eminent doom quickly approaching, he and his wife Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) have the first child of natural birth in centuries in the HOPE that he will lead their race into a brighter future.

Kal-El/Clark Kent is then sent to earth as a newborn with the entire civilization of Krypton resting firmly on his shoulders. He is loved and cared for by his earthly parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane), where he is educated with the solid morals and ethics we expect Superman to have. He learns at an early age that he is different and that people are scared by these differences—so he needs to hide them. Hide them he does. He moves around…a drifter…a loner…yet strangely appearing in places around North America that need his unique talents.

This drifting leads to the inevitable chance encounter with the Pulitzer Prize winning field journalist, Lois Lane (Amy Adams). She quickly ingratiates herself to Kent and becomes only the third person he finds he is able to trust. As the movie progresses, so does the evolution of their relationship (as expected) but there is a much better foundation provided in this script than any of the other versions—true character development…not simply pure visual lust.

Michael Shannon’s portrayal of the antihero, General Zod, provided the perfect counterpoint to Cavill’s Superman. I found myself really believing the characters in this film as it played out—the story was just that solid. I really enjoyed how Snyder wove the backstory intermittently into the main plot of the film. Everything seemed so effortless…seamless…that I cannot find a single element to nit-pick over.

The original music score by Hans Zimmer (Lion King, Dark Knight, Inception) was equally incredible and hauntingly mesmerizing. It was subtle yet hypnotic at the same time. I am still humming a few of the melodies even as I type this review.

The technical cinematography of Amir Mokri (Transformers 3, Lord of War, Fast & Furious) coupled with the editing genius of David Brenner (ID4, The Patriot, Born on the 4^th of July) allowed the film's CGI elements to flow seamlessly into the storyline—breathtaking…almost. There were only a few places early in the film that I caught a few glitches…but I will overlook them as I 100% enjoyed this film for what it is. Welcome to the next Summer Blockbuster of the 2013 season!!