Nebraska (2013)

It seems like the only good films I've seen so far in 2014 were actually all released in 2013.  Considering some of the stuff released so far in 2014 though, it's probably for the best.

Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) believes he's won a million dollars and is willing to walk to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim his prize.  His son, David (Will Forte), reluctantly drives him despite doing everything he can to convince Woody that this is all a scam and hasn't actually won anything.  While driving to Nebraska, they encounter various former friends and family members that all think they deserve a piece of the pie.  That's basically Nebraska in a nutshell.  It's kind of Seinfeldian in its about nothingness.

So, why all the Oscar buzz and hype then, you ask?  Even as a fan of director Alexander Payne's previous films, I was asking the same thing.  I wasn't quite sure what I was in for as Nebraska started.  I didn't know much more about it than who it starred and that it was in black and white.  I'm happy to report though that the praise is well deserved.  If you know me at all, then you know I tend to enjoy character based movies.  Nebraska is a very good one.  However, I can see this not being for everyone if you're not into quirky, slice-of-life stories where not a lot happens.

Based on the color palate, I was concerned that the tone of the film was going to be kind depressing. The choice to film it in black and white was a good one though.  One thing I've always liked about modern films in black and white is that you tend to notice things, particularly with the lighting, that you wouldn't otherwise.  It also forces you to focus more on the dialog and it's easier to pick up on some of the subtleties.  Nebraska is a lot like life in that sometimes things just happen, and there many shades of grey.

About halfway through Nebraska, the phrase "pleasant awkwardness" kept popping in my head.  It's never uncomfortable, even as we delve into the family's deeper issues.  We watch people gain an understanding and acceptance.  It gives the film a nice conclusion without delving into melodrama.  The script by Bob Nelson is on the lighter side and very funny.  If you check out his IMDB page though, it's odd to see that this is the only screenplay on his page.  There's only a few TV writing credits otherwise, and those aren't very recent.  Is that accurate?  If so, it's pretty interesting see him get nominated for best original screenplay on his first go around.  I know it's not the first time it's happened, but still.  It's a very understated script.  A lot of the humor comes from the reactions of characters.  It doesn't try too hard to be clever or goofy, and a lot is said with facial expressions and stares.  It reminded me me a bit of what I liked about The Descendants, but Nebraska doesn't quite pack the emotional punch that The Descendants did.  That doesn't make any less poignant though.

Bruce Dern's great performance as Woody is how I imagine myself when I reach his age.  Alcoholic, stubborn and generally disagreeable.  He says whatever's on his mind and just doesn't care.  It's why I'm looking forward to old age.  Well that and farting in public.  As the film moves on, you learn more about why Woody is the way he his, and Dern is able make him all that more sympathetic.

I also enjoyed Will Forte's performance.  Initially, I thought it was an unusual casting, as despite his time on SNL, isn't exactly a household name.  In just the opening minutes, you can see why he was perfect for the role.  There's something about comedic actors that really nail being able to sell frustration and uncomfortable situations without trying to be funny.  The same can be said for David's brother, Ross, played by Bob Odenkirk, who almost never disappoints and I wish he had been in the film a little more.

Everyone's talking about Bruce Dern, but I really got a kick out of June Squibb as his wife.  I can see why she got a supporting nomination and she has some of the best moments of the film.

Nebraska is a funny, insightful film about family and filled with great performances.  Again, it's one of those films whose quirk won't work for everyone, but if you like unusual character based stores, then I think you'll really enjoy it.

4 (out of 5) Death Stars

The Watch (2012) - Movie Review

By now I'm sure you've heard about how the title for The Watch was changed from Neighborhood Watch after the Trevon Martin thing.  However, you'll realize in the opening moments that this has nothing to do with that situation - AT ALL!  Even if you haven't seen the trailers, it will be clear that this is an alien invasion movie.  Also, it's not like they stopped calling it the 'neighborhood watch' during the movie.  Were they going to go back and reshoot every scene where that was said?  Change what their jackets said, too?  I think it was an overreaction.

So, yeah, The Watch is about an alien invasion.  Ben Stiller stars as Evan, the manager of his local, suburban Costco.  Speaking of Costco, I wonder how much money they paid or got paid to be such a large part of the movie.  Half the movie takes place in or around a friggin' Costco.  The Watch has some of the most obvious product placement I've ever seen in a film.

Anyway, after the nightwatchman of Evan's Costco is brutally killed, he decides to form a Neighborhood Watch to protect the neighborhood and find the killer.  His enthusiasm isn't shared by most of the town and the local police, and he's only joined by Bob (Vince Vaughn), Franklin (Jonah Hill) and Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade).  The other guys don't take the watch as seriously as Evan though, and are more interested in a group of guys to pal around with.  As they investigate they find a strange device and eventually encounter an alien.  That's pretty much all there is to it.

The whole movie kind of hinges on how much you like the cast.  I thought they all played off each other very well.  I know Ben Stiller isn't everyone's cup of tea these days, but if you're annoyed by the types of roles he usually plays, you might like him here.  He's pretty much the straight man to the rest of the cast.  Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill are pretty much on point and it felt like they got opportunities to improvise.  I really enjoyed Richard Ayoade, but I'm not familiar with The IT Crowd, so he was a newcomer for me.  I understand from fans of the show that they were disappointed he didn't get a chance to show what he can do, but I though he held his own against the rest of the cast and is someone you can expect to see in many more comedies.  Will Forte was funny as well.  Was Danny McBride not available?

Throughout the movie, I got a real 80's vibe from it.  Not that it was set in the 80's, but to me it had a similar feel to other sci-fi comedies from that era.  The humor in the movie for the most part is silly and raunchy.  It might be a little too vulgar for vulgarities sake, but it didn't really bug me.  The Watch was directed by The Lonely Island member and SNL writer Akiva Schaffer, who also directed Hot Rod, which is a favorite of mine.  I think his direction might be why I got the 80's vibe that I did.

Originally written by Jared Stern, but then Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were brought in to re-write and punch up the script.  The movie's crude humor may remind you of some of their other movies like Superbad or Pineapple Express.  If that kind of humor isn't appealing to you, then this won't be for you either.

Maybe with all the negative reviews I had my expectations lowered heavily, or maybe I was just in a good mood, but I enjoyed The Watch.  To hear some critics talk about this movie, you would think Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn came over to their house, drank all their beer and kicked their dog.  Sure, it's a dumb movie, but I had fun with it.  I laughed a bunch and enjoyed the cast.  I haven't said this in a while, but here's a good example of a movie better enjoyed if you rent it with a few friends and get a few six packs.

3 (out of 5) Death Stars

That's My Boy (2012) - Movie Review

Let's get this out of the way, I don't hate Adam Sandler.  I own many of his earlier movies and I think he's a talented guy.  At the same time, there's been a steady decline and laziness to his work.  I thought after Funny People - a good movie that pokes fun at the types of movies he's made - he was going to move into a more mature phase of his career.  Instead, we get That's My Boy.

If you haven't seen the trailer, the basic story is this:  Donny Berger is a 12-year-old that's 'seduced' by his teacher, Ms. McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino).  They actually carry on this inappropriate relationship for a while, but are eventually caught.  Matters are complicated when it results in a pregnancy.  Ms. McGarricle is sentenced to 30 years in prison and custody is granted to Donny and his father, with the condition that he takes full custody when he turns 18.  We fast forward nearly 30 years and see that Donny (Adam Sandler) is broke and owes money to the IRS.

Donny finds his son Todd (Andy Samberg), who has disavowed Donny to the point where he has changed his name (from Han Solo, which I have to admit is kind of awesome) and claims his parents are dead.  Todd is now a successful businessman and about to get married to Jamie (Leighton Meester). Posing as an old friend of Todd's, Donny crashes the festivities and hopes he can get Todd to agree to show up in a reality program that promised to pay Donny enough to get him out of trouble.

I'd shit all over this premise, and point out that it's essentially child rape, but let's face it, most Sandler films, even the well liked ones, have never really been all that strong on the story or premise.  I can usually get around bad premises and suspend my disbelief in any film as long as they are consistent with it.

The good news is that That's My Boy is not the worst Adam Sandler film I've seen, but that's damning it with faint praise.  There were actually a few parts that made me laugh a little, but they were too few and far between.  The movie really wears on, and there is simply no reason for this to be almost two hours.  There are lots of lulls that neither advance the story or even attempt to be funny.  A good 20 minutes of this could have been cut out entirely.

One notable thing is that this a rare, R-rated comedy from Sandler, but he's a little late to the party.  For a raunchy comedy, this may have played better 10 years ago, but by now this is all stuff you've seen done better.  Most of the jokes here are old, gross, very lame, or come out of nowhere.  I like silly and filthy as much as the next guy, but it has to be done well.  I don't mean to sound condescending, but this is a movie that will be much funnier to a younger audience.

Then on top of everything you have Sandler doing yet another man-child with a dumb voice. The sad part is that it all would have worked better if Sandler had just played it straight. I don't know why he thinks an awful accent is the same thing as playing a character. That's part of the problem; it really isn't a character that you can get behind.  Donny is a such a drunk, vulgar buffoon that you never root for him and most of the characters in the film react to him in an unrealistic way.  When they try to throw in a subplot about Donny trying to bond with his son, it just doesn't work well because the characters are so unlikable.

The cast is all pretty much wasted here.  Andy Samberg plays a neurotic, ineffectual dork that doesn't stand up for himself.  The role doesn't really allow him to be funny.  I thought Milo Ventimiglia was funny and liked seeing him doing something a little different after Heroes.  There are several amusing cameos throughout the film as well.  However, it's pretty sad when you have a cast full of comedic actors, like Nick Swardson and Will Forte, and Vanilla Ice is one of the funnier things about your film.

When is Adam Sandler going to do a movie called I Love the 80's?  Oh wait, he already did The Wedding Singer. I did find it ironic that the opening song is Def Leppard's "Rock of Ages", when this movie came out the same day as Rock of Ages.  I haven't seen Rock of Ages yet, but I'll hazard a guess that That's My Boy had a better soundtrack.  Would you rather hear bad karaoke versions of 80's songs or just hear the originals?  Seriously though, the movie does have a great soundtrack, but Sandler has a habit of hitting you over the head with how much he loves 80's rock.  Don't get me wrong, I love it too, but it was distracting this time around.

I'm actually kind of shocked that we didn't get more out of writer David Caspe and director Sean Anders.  Capse writes for Happy Endings, which is one of my favorite TV shows right now.  Anders wrote She's Out of My League and Hot Tub Time Machine.  You'd think with these kind of writers behind the movie, it would be funnier and fresher.

That's My Boy is just a tired, lame movie that simply isn't very funny.  Much like Sandler's Jack and Jill, it's surprisingly mean-spirited for something that's supposed to be a silly comedy.  I would say this is in the lower third of all of his films, which means it's just a bad movie.  There's no reason to watch this in the theater, or even rent this.  I advise you to skip it.  You won't miss anything.  Watch Hot Tub Time Machine again instead.

1.5 (out of 5) Death Stars