Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

When you think of spy films, you might think of James Bond like movies that contain outlandish characters and out of this world spy gadgets. While those kinds of films about espionage may be the most popular of their kind, more life-like and mature spy stories will come around every once and awhile and try to leave their mark. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of those unglamorous films that will take the chance to display a more human image of spies.

Based on John Le Carré's classic novel of the same name, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley. Smiley is a former member of the British secret service who was relieved of his duties, but is asked to return once the British government learns that there may be a double agent in MI-6. Smiley retakes his job and begins spying on his own colleagues for the sake of the job and national security.

Despite this film being based in a world of spies, it doesn't really focus on all of the stuff that you might expect it to. There aren't any special spy gadgets that I recall, no elaborate chase scenes and very little violence. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is essentially a psychological spy story that takes a look at betrayal more than anything else. We get to witness multiple instances of betrayal on both a political and personal level. These spies are trying to find a mole that might be lurking within the MI-6, but they also have to deal with betrayals that can cause trouble outside of their already hectic professional world.

As this stuff is going on, we see this world from the perspective of more than one source. The screen time and importance of the characters are evenly distributed enough to give the majority of the them meaning and legitimate effectiveness. Even though they were all important to the main plot, the primary source of our vision into this world comes from George Smiley.

I loved the way Gary Oldman portrayed Smiley. He presented his version of the character as a dull, disillusioned, worn out and marginalized man. His lack of personality and emotion actually added to his personality in a weird way. Smiley is a disenfranchised person and you get a sense that he doesn't have much emotion left to give. With the help of director Tomas Alfredson, Oldman displays all of these traits with relative ease.

The atmosphere and pacing is just as important as anything else when it comes to giving the film its image. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy looks good and has an old kind of appearance to it that makes it feel like you're watching a movie from the 1970's instead of 2011. The color appears to be drained out a little bit and it features a sunless, cold and dim setting that seems to fit the souls of most of the people involved. Everything is delivered in a very methodical and slow pace which fits in with the atmosphere and the personalities that we see on-screen.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy didn't pull me in as much as I hoped it would. While I understand and appreciate the subtle and low-key approach, you need to make the product a little more engaging than it was at certain points. Some of the more dramatic moments didn't play out as well due to this suppression of emotion. Those scenes would've been more impactful if a few of the actors had been a bit more personable while portraying their roles. There are a few of these scenes that had the ability to create "WOW" moments, but they sometimes feel awkward or not as poignant as they should have.

Although this movie was more than a couple of hours long I don't think it was long enough. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a good movie, but it felt too tight and it appeared obvious to me that some things were left out, compressed or just skipped over all together. Making it longer would have created the proper breathing room necessary to make the film more complete and would've given it the strength it needed to truly be great and memorable.

Score: 3.5/5

Rating: R

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Cast:
Gary Oldman
Colin Firth
Tom Hardy
Mark Strong
Ciarán Hinds
John Hurt

Film Length: 128 minutes

Release Date: December 9, 2011 (Limited)

Distributor: Focus Features

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Review: Underworld Awakening

Once the rumors for Christopher Nolan's last Batman movie started popping up and there were rumblings about Catwoman being used, I was hoping to see Kate Beckinsale take the role. She would have been my personal choice, but Nolan decided to give that role to Anne Hathaway instead. Although Beckinsale won't get to play Selina Kyle, she does get to star as Selene again in Underworld Awakening, which is the fourth installment of the Underworld movie series.

After Selene (Beckinsale) escapes imprisonment, she enters a world where humans have discovered the existence of both the Vampire race and the Lycans. The humans are now on a mission to eliminate both groups and also find a cure for what they consider a disease. Selene has to fight for her life and get to the bottom of what may turn into a full-blown conspiracy.

Outside of an interesting opening sequence that explains the movie's plot, Underworld Awakening got off to a faulty start. They start by showing humans destroying the Vampires and Lycans in an attempt to wipe them out. How is it possible that the humans are dominating and killing vampires and Lycans in the first place? According to Underworld, the Lycans are extremely strong, aggressive and dangerous. The Vampires are not as strong, but they are much stronger than humans and are so fast that they can appear to vanish at times while moving. I can understand being able to take down the Lycans using silver bullets or whatever to get rid of them, but what about the vampires? Those guys are almost impossible to kill right?

To make matters worse, Selene starts mowing down all of these humans by herself time she hits the screen. This would make sense if the part in the paragraph above didn't happen. The weapons being used were killing the vampires at one point, but they just seem to be useless against her. I don't know how that is supposed to make sense. You're easily killing a bunch of vampires early on, but now one of them is slicing through a whole gang of humans at once? This was just one of the many inconsistencies in Underworld Awakening that I can point out. There are more, but discussing them would ruin it for anyone who wants to see it.

Despite all of that, the action was solid at times and at least watchable at its worst. If that's the only thing that you want to see then you might like this movie. The problems mainly arise from the movie having holes in nearly every possible aspect of the film and having things contradict themselves so often. I was kind of surprised at how many holes the film had and how they didn't even appear to try to cover them up. It was kind of weird when you think about it.

There wasn't much acting in Underworld Awakening, because it really wasn't necessary. The only person that failed in that department was India Eisley. I don't know if I can truly say that she was behind the failure, because her character was just bad and it seemed like it was more out of a TV-14 cartoon than an R rated movie. She did however pull off a believable British accent.

Speaking of accents, what country were they supposed to be in? Based on the license plates in the film, I think they were in Europe, but I don't know for sure. Eisley and many others had British accents, but Michael Ealy and Stephen Rae had American accents. Ealy was supposed to be a detective, but what are the chances of an American being a cop in Europe? Eisley's character was supposed to be born in a laboratory and never let outside, but if they're in America, how would she get a British accent? I guess you can say that this was just another one of the movie's inconsistencies.

Since I like Beckinsale and Ealy was in one of my favorite TV shows, I wanted this to succeed. That didn't happen and I have to fault the director and a terrible script for that. I wasn't surprised that Underworld Awakening didn't include much substance, but I would've expected a better effort from the creators of the film. It looks like they didn't even try and that sucks in reality. If they make another one, I hope they have more quality to put around the solid action. If they do, then it will most likely be a good movie.

Score: 2/5

Rating: R

Director: Måns Mårlind

Cast:
Kate Beckinsale
Stephen Rea
Michael Ealy
Theo James
India Eisley
Snadrine Holt

Film Length: 88 minutes

Release Date: Jamuary 20, 2012

Distributor: Screen Gems

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Review: War Horse

Stories in war movies are usually about the triumphs or tragedies that come from it and almost always contain violence. Whether they are based on fact or are simply a work of fiction, they're also usually seen through the eyes of the soldiers that are on the battlefield. Steven Spielberg's War Horse focuses on those tragedies and triumphs, but it is actually shown through the travels of a horse involved.

Set during the First World War, War Horse tells the story of a young man named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his horse named Joey. Albert has tamed and trained Joey over time and the two form a long-lasting bond with one another. After their long-standing friendship, the two are wedged apart when Joey is taken from Albert and is forced into the war. Joey goes off on a tour around Europe during the war and encounters several people of different nationalities. During this time, he affects their lives and we witness the true meaning of friendship, courage and humanity.

War Horse wants to be emotional and it is every now and then. However, the attempts at drawing out emotion hit a wall on a few occasions and appear overblown. I'm not an animal guy, but I find it hard to believe that a horse would evoke this much emotion from people who haven't been around it for very long. Even Albert's love for the horse seems unnatural and exaggerated. I can understand the little girl in the movie and her affections toward Joey, because she's a kid and you can easily say that she's probably always wanted a horse. When it comes to these grown men in the middle of a war, I just don't understand it. Those relationships usually seem implausible and cheesy.

Most of the film's real emotion comes from its human characters anyway and their dealings with each other. The actors who played these parts really did an exceptional job of pouring on the direct amount of emotion and personality that was needed. I got a sense that these were real people with human traits as they went on with their lives right in the middle of the largest war that they had ever seen.

I think the story and the actors were greatly helped out by the score of War Horse. It was forceful, loud and dramatic throughout. It even added some punch inside of the stale and corny parts of the film. This could be the best score out of all the ones that I've heard in 2011. It really captured the personality of battle, but still remained light enough to keep everything positive and upbeat.

The battle scenes were fantastic in my opinion. Remembering that this film is PG-13, they didn't have any blood or gore in the battles, but Spielberg did it in an artistic way that still showcases the emotions and brutality of war. It was cool to be able to only hear the bullets and explosions going on around the soldiers and yet still be able to feel the impact they brought. That and being able to see the fear and anxiousness in the eyes of some of the men helped to drive home the dramatics and help tell the story.

What might have been my favorite part in War Horse was the scene at No Man's Land. It's a scene in the middle of the war that doesn't contain any fighting and stands out to me due to its look at who we are as humans. I don't think there is any part in War Horse that signifies so much while doing so little. To me, it was the signature moment in a good film and it easily stands out more than anything else does.

With good directing, acting and music, War Horse is a film that a lot of people can get behind. I thought this movie was very artistic and dramatic. The only real problem that presented itself was the overly emotional relationships that some of the humans had with a horse most of them barely knew. Other than that, it was solid and I had no real complaints.

Score: 3/5

Rating: PG-13

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast:
Jeremy Irvine
Emily Watson
Peter Mullan
David Thewlis
Tom Hiddleston
Niels Arestrup
Celine Buckens
David Kross
Leonard Carow

Film Length: 146 minutes

Release Date: December 25, 2011

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

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Riding High On A Magic Sleigh Ride - A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas

Has it really been six years since Harold and Kumar escaped Guantanamo Bay? Well, you couldn't tell from "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas". Sure, the film establishes that Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) have gone their separate ways: Harold has married Maria (Paula Garces), become a successful Wall Street stuffed shirt and moved to the suburbs of New Jersey, whereas Kumar has failed his medical exam and has split from his girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) who just happens to be pregnant with his child. The duo are reunited when a mysterious package addressed to Harold is left on Kumar's doorstep. In delivering the package, Kumar inadvertently destroys the prized Christmas tree of Maria's father, Carlos Perez (Danny Trejo in an inspired bit of casting), who doesn't like Harold one bit. In the search for a matching Christmas tree, the hijinks and hilarity ensue.

The film is not your average stoner comedy. It pushes the envelope in terms of presentation and in its inherent randomness. This is as close as one can get to experiencing the randomness of being stoned without actually being stoned (not to say that this reviewer is either confirming or denying that he has ever been so, much less condoning such behavior...) however, given the sequencing of events that play out, one would assume this is the desired effect; an effect made more so by the 3D. Ironically enough, this film makes the best use of 3D since James Cameron's "Avatar". This very self-aware and self-referential film also pokes affectionate fun of the tropes of the season, such as holiday "claymation" specials and Santa Claus himself.

Penn and Cho are so comfortable in their roles it seems like the six years in between film were only yesterday (though the film does provide sly in-joke references to what the actors themselves have been up to between the first and second sequels). Trejo provides comedic menace as the hard to please father-in-law and Elias Koteas appears as an Ukrainian mob boss out to get our heroes for a perceived slight against his daughter. Any danger they represent is treated almost casually. It exists to propel the story, as does the requisite message that friendships are forever and that change and growing up are inevitable but, in a stoner film, they seem disposably tacked on. As usual, Neil Patrick Harris (or "NPH") steals the show yet again, his small sequence bringing on the biggest amount of laughs.

The Harold and Kumar films are frivolously fun, and the latest entry is no exception. It is the most ambitious in its scope and presentation, but in the end its still a stoner Lucy and Ethel road trip film, one that unfolds with a "nudge nudge, wink wink" invitation to the audience to get in on the joke. The characters get high off weed, and the audience gets high off the laughter. All in all, a fair and equitable trade.

Paul Anthony Llossas is a writer who hosts "American Culture Critic", his blog about cultural trends with a focus on popular culture. He is a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappan graduate. Follow his blog at http://americanculturecritic.com/.

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Black Gold (2011)

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Movie Review: The Woman in Black

There are moments early in the film when the viewer has to question if they are at the wrong film. Have they been mistaken, finding themselves watching "The Artist"? Answer, No.

The dialogue is thin, but can Daniel Radcliffe pull off the visuals necessary to keep everyone's eyes glued to the screen? The experiences over the years on the set of each installment of the Harry Potter film series allowed him first person training.

The film is based on a book by Susan Hill of the same name with the screenplay written by Jane Goldman. Several liberties were taken to condense the story, and in doing so, adjustments within the story were made.

Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe ) along with a nanny (Jessica Raine ) are the sole caregivers of Joseph. Stella Kipps (Sophie Stuckey ) died giving birth to Joseph during a time when automobiles had just begun to take over from the horse and buggy. The medical profession had limited resources to help save mothers who had complicated childbirths. Joseph, now approximately 3 years old and the light of his daddy's eyes, relies on his nanny for his daily care.

Kipps is torn between his son and his job, which often takes him away for stretches of days. This time, he is assigned the responsibility of finalizing the estate of Alice Drablow who owned Eel Marsh that hides a horrible secret. Leaving his son is difficult, but it is intrinsic for him to keep his job. Agreeing to meet Joseph and his nanny at the train station, Arthur prepares to leave.

The dialogue becomes reduced while the director, James Watkins, needs to rely exclusively on the facial expressions and the deep illuminating eyes of his lead actor. Watkins does not look down at his audience as he intrusts them to follow the story with little scripted words, confident that Marco Beltrami can quietly add dialogue through his music. The music becomes its own character, feeding off Radcliffe while connecting and easily drawing the audience into the story. The scenes where Arthur is alone in the old mansion completely isolated while seemingly endless holds the viewer, pulling them in and when the director is satisfied, you're on the edge of your seat, startled with quick and unexpected visual aggression.

The mystery of what has happened over many years slowly gets revealed while the people of the town, who would rather have Arthur leave, feel this is the only way to save their children. His presence has stirred the evil woman in black who is spiteful after being kept apart from her own child when she was alive. The film makes amendments to the book with the woman in black's past adjusted to fit a more condensed film length. It allows the writer options to wrap up the story in a quicker fashion. It also takes a modern thinking direction, leaving the era of pregnancy outside marriage in the far distant past.

Overall, the movie at 95 minutes goes by fairly quick, but the lack of dialogue is filled with good directing with "Boo" moments injected at just the right times. We are always in need of over the top dialogue and quick moving storylines, but this film has an appeal that is quite unexpected.

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Movie Review: The Artist

The crowd that gathered on the day of our viewing was the largest we have seen for a matinee movie in years. At first the audience was made up of some who may have been the last young-uns to see an original silent movie. Within minutes the theater was filling up with young college students right down to a few teenagers. It was obvious this film was attracting not only every age group but viewers from all walks of life.

Preparing for a long boring hour and forty minutes when the lights went dark, I snuggled into my seat thinking about opening my laptop and getting some work done while the reel rolls. Only moments into the film I was sinking deep into the story finding amazing humor coupled with drama and minuscule amount of dialogue.

Jack 'the dog' (Uggie) is a hit. He has several scenes and in each one he dominates over the actors. At the age of 10, Uggie is past his prime but pulls out all the stops to show off his strengths. Dogs and kids are the most difficult to work with according to W.C. Fields. Yet Uggie is a natural, stealing scenes while the actors play second fiddle realizing just how good he is.

Jack's owner, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), relies on him for comfort when his career takes a downward spiral followed by the boot from his wife. After being a big shot for years on the silent screen, George now has to adjust to the life of sound. This is something he is unwilling to explore, as change is something he takes little part in. His star mentality borders God-like status. Underneath, his sweetness is abound, just escaping in small drizzle amounts.

Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) finds herself standing next to George on the red carpet while the paparazzi snap photos. One photo in particular is a smash hit on the cover of Vanity magazine with the headline reading, "Who's that Girl?". Later, while auditioning for a dancer position, she is noticed by George who puts demands on the studio boss at Kinograph Studios to hire Peppy in their next feature presentation.

Sometime later, after hard work and determination, Peppy begins gaining recognition while working a nonstop schedule. Peppy's career begins to soar while George's life on the silver screen is on the down-slide. This film will touch your heart while entertaining with timely set bouts of humor. Watching these two characters cross paths during different stages in each of their lives should give faith to those who struggle daily doing what they love to do whether it is a doctor, athlete, accountant, politician, musician or actor.

The filming in black & white in combination with approaching the story as if it were told during the height of silent films easily draws in the audience. Most audiences have not seen a silent film, so expectations are not very high, but this is not the reason it is a great film. The quality of the casting director to secure the best cast while the actors leave nothing to question after each scene is the foundation of the movie's greatness. The musical score is dead on throughout the film. The songs worked perfectly during the dance numbers as the choreography molded the two together. The Artist will exceed all expectations and set the bar in the movie industry for years to come.

The best film of 2011!!!!

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