I Hope She's Not My Real Mother...

“Mama”
written by Andrés Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Neil Cross
directed by Andrés Muschietti
Starring Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Daniel Kash and Javier Botet
Rated PG-13
100 Minutes

 

There is a perception among horror movie aficionados that in order for a horror film to be any good, it must have an R rating.  Perhaps that allows for the freedom of adding more blood and gore and a few liberal uses of the F word.  You know the one.  Then there is “Mama,” a terrifically atmospheric tale that earns its truly horrifying moments using the more accessible PG-13 rating.  First time director Andrés Muschietti delivers an effectively creepy story that is ‘presented’ via executive producer Guillermo del Toro and for once, that actually means something because “Mama” has his trademark style all over it.

I had no prior knowledge of “Mama” until the eleventh hour before going to see it; and I’m really glad I went in having no idea what to expect.  If you can, avoid the trailers and I think you’ll have a better time because while the film does indulge in a couple generic jump-scare moments, it mostly works off its own bleak atmosphere and dark story.  It begins with a father (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) absconding with his two young daughters after shooting their mother.  He recklessly speeds on snowy roads and after crashing, retreats with the young girls into a cabin in the woods.  In a further attempt to win father of the year, he contemplates shooting the girls before he is interrupted by….something.

Five years on, the girls’ Uncle Lucas (also played by Coster-Waldau) searches desperately for his nieces, all the while trying to maintain a functional relationship with his rock-band girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain, miles away from her role in “Zero Dark Thirty”).  Lucas’ hired men find the girls in the very same cabin, filthy and feral.  The scene of their discovery is pretty disturbing and probably aided by CGI to get the animalistic movements just right.  The girls are placed into the care of Lucas and Annabel; the oldest girl, Victoria (Megan Charpentier) seems to retain memories of her former self and begins to adapt to normal life again.  The youngest, Lilly (Isabelle Nélisse) is a different story.  She sleeps under the bed and appears to depend on an unseen caregiver that Victoria refers to as ‘mama.’
  

I must resist divulging further details to preserve the many legitimate twists and surprises.  “Mama” seems to stick to convention, before offering up a completely unforeseen series of events; such as the girls being left alone with Annabel after an “accident” puts Uncle Lucas in the hospital.  The movie succeeds in providing some horrifying imagery without giving in to unnecessary gore and bloodshed, although I would argue that “Mama” may indeed be too much for some 13 year-olds.  It’s worth noting that none of the adult characters in the movie should be considered role models for good parenting; least of all ‘mama.’

The ending of “Mama” will be much discussed and debated, and will certainly be a controversial one.  I looked up comments by Guillermo del Toro and Muschietti and discovered that they were willing to fight long and hard to retain the ending as it is.  Considering the nature of the story, I will say that the ending is unconventional, but bold; and with a tale this disturbing, probably even makes the most sense.  In any case, this is a smart, crafty horror film that adequately delivers more than a few effective chills.  If you go with a date, make sure you get her home on time; lest she have a parent like “Mama.”  You’ve been warned.

He Said He'd Be Back

“The Last Stand”
written by Andrew Knauer, Jeffrey Nachmanoff and George Nolfi
directed by Jee-woon Kim
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Peter Stormare and Eduardo Noriega
Rated R
107 Minutes

 

Aside from a couple glorified cameos in “The Expendables” features, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been absent from movies for nearly a decade.  He makes his return in “The Last Stand,” an action movie that recalls some of Schwarzenegger’s classic tough guy roles.  This is a competent feature from director Jee-woon Kim, making his American directorial debut.  While it doesn’t do anything innovative with the genre, “The Last Stand” is pleasantly old-fashioned, with sporadic bursts of spectacle on-par with “The Fast and the Furious” franchise.  This is a brisk, entertaining flick that knows how to flex its muscles.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has aged pretty well, and the screenplay wisely avoids overdoing it on old age jokes; although there are a couple jabs at the star’s expense.  The narrative is absurdly expository, composed of throw-away dialogue that lays everything out for the audience.  That’s okay; because this is the kind of feature where you aren’t required to think much.  It helps that Jee-woon Kim knows precisely what kind of material he’s working with, and injects the picture with a gleefully western sensibility.

Schwarzenegger plays Ray Owens, Sheriff of a small Arizona town dubbed Sommerton Junction.  Owens has retired there after a hard, decorated career with the LAPD; and wouldn’t you know it, he’s about to start a relaxing weekend off.  Even a vague familiarity with this kind of material will tell you what happens next.  Up in Las Vegas, ‘the most dangerous cartel leader since Pablo Escobar’ is about to be transported by the FBI.  His name is Gabriel Cortez (played by Eduardo Noriega), which is about as generic as you’d want a cartel leader name to be. FBI Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) heads up the transport, but of course, things don’t quite go as planned and Cortez gets sprung by his endless army of heavily-armed thugs.

Driving a super-powered Corvette, Cortez flies down the highway at top speed en-route to Mexico, while his lead henchman Burrell (Peter Stormare) builds him a ‘mobile assault bridge’ across the canyon border just outside Sommerton Junction.  Agent Bannister leads a conventionally inept effort to stop Cortez by setting up wimpy roadblocks to get ploughed through by a couple heavily-armored assault vehicles that are seen exactly one time.  Whether these are driven by Burrell’s crew is unclear; if so, they are quite skilled at being in two places at once, but nevermind.  As these things go, there is only one man capable of stopping Cortez and his crew, and Bannister predictably calls on Sheriff Owens to lead the titular last stand.

This is all a good deal of fun, with a surprising amount of gratuitous violence, which is about right for a movie like this.  Owens relies on a skeleton crew of Deputies including Luis Guzman in a classic Guzman role, Jamie Alexander as the pretty face and Zach Gilford as the doomed rookie.  One of the film’s mistakes is the casting of Johnny Knoxville, essentially playing the same manic version of himself that he always plays.  In a movie that already has plenty of light moments, his buffoonery is a bit much, although it is through his character that the small team is able to acquire adequate firepower to battle the onslaught of villains.  The rousing climax packs a punch, with well-staged action that highlights Arnold’s strength as an action star.  He’s still got it for sure, and holds up quite well in a last-ditch fist fight on that assault bridge.  One of the stand-out sequences is a clever take on corn field hide-and-seek played out entirely between two cars.

“The Last Stand” is perfect for a rainy day viewing with popcorn held firmly in hand.  If anything, it is elevated past its many clichés by sure-handed direction and the nostalgia of seeing Schwarzenegger back on the big screen handing out beatings and gunfire.  There is a late scene where a diner patron asks the Sheriff how he’s doing.  “Old,” Schwarzenegger says.  The patron replies “nah, you still got a ways to go yet.”  Let’s hope so. 

Clayton's Top Ten of 2012

It is almost time for the Oscars and I am largely disappointed in the nominee list for the majority of categories.  I was originally in support of extending the best picture nominee list to 10 films, but now I wonder if that was a mistake.  It seems to me that a good number of movies are picked and thrown in at the last minute just to have a list of 10.  For instance, "Amour," which I have not yet seen, has been nominated for best picture and best foreign film.  That seems unfair.  There are also a couple baffling choices I feel shouldn't be anywhere near best picture because they eliminate better choices from the running.  Therefore, I have compiled my list of what I consider to be the top 10 pictures of 2012.  I am going to be literal and limit myself to ten films, although I will place some honorable mentions at the end of my list.

10.   "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"

     
This is a lighthearted disaster film that forgoes big budget effects and instead focuses on the human spirit and the importance of friendship.  The screenplay by Lorene Scafaria is tender without being too self-aware and there are surprising moments of profundity.  Steve Carell is at his best in material like this and shows a great deal of depth, while Keira Knightley steps outside her comfort zone to do a rendition of the manic pixie dream girl.  Audiences missed the boat on this one, which is too bad , because this is one of the year's most pleasant and uplifting films.

9.  "The Dark Knight Rises"


Let's face it; "The Dark Knight Rises" was never going to be a consideration for a best picture nomination.  But the lack of best supporting actor nods to either Gary Oldman or Michael Caine is criminal.  This was the blockbuster to beat this summer, and while "The Avengers" slightly took the edge on pleasing the fan-boys, "The Dark Knight Rises" was far and away the better example of actual filmmaking and a knock-out finish to a blockbuster trilogy.  Christopher Nolan has crafted a completely thrilling conclusion to his Bruce Wayne story arc.  While it may not have addressed all audience expectation, it provided a deeply resonant story along with some of the year's best action.  A totally satisfying 165 minutes.

8. "Jack Reacher"

 

From its unforgettably bold opening moments, "Jack Reacher" had me hooked.  Adapted from Lee Child's book series, directer Christopher McQuarrie has translated the ninth novel into an exceptional thriller with some hard-hitting action.  While it was tragically under-seen by audiences due to a competitive release date ("The Hobbit"), this is a character that NEEDS a franchise.  Part procedural, part 70's style action cinema, "Jack Reacher" is a very rewarding and entertaining experience.  

7. "Looper"

 

Did any working actor have a better year than Joseph Gordon-Levitt?  After the massive success of "The Dark Knight Rises," he delivers another winning performance in Rian Johnson's sci-fi-centric "Looper."  With a core narrative built around a time-travel gimmick, the heart of the movie is in the characters' and their various motivations and goals.  A pretty noir-ish feeling first half is followed by a surprisingly grounded last act; with a series of twists that culminate in the corn fields of Kansas.  Wrtier/Director Johnson is making a name for himself with brainy, thematic originals, and this is his best one yet.  Gordon-Levitt still had time to turn in an energetic performance in "Premium Rush" and a somber portrayal of Robert Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's latest.

6. "Wreck-It Ralph"

By far the best animated feature of the year, "Wreck-It Ralph" is a hilarious, homage-laden family adventure with something to please everyone.  With an incredibly uplifting message, the picture also has a heart of gold to match its loving but misunderstood protagonist.  "Wreck-It Ralph" is an example of Disney at its very best, including a variety of visual styles to match the film's 'game jumping.'  John C. Reilly is pitch-perfect as the lovable Ralph; and Sarah Silverman makes for a surprisingly likeable side-kick.  Kids will appreciate the action and adults will be doubled over with all the sight gags and clever in-jokes aimed at the bygone arcade generation.

5. "Skyfall"

Not only is this the best Bond Daniel Craig has done, but it is quite easily the best Bond in 50 years of the franchise.  Sam Mendes brings a classy touch to "Skyfall" as well as a bit of vulnerability for 007.  Roger Deakins' cinematography is unforgettable and shifts with the mood when things go from bad to worse.  Javier Bardem portrays another sinister villain in a great performance, while Judi Dench turns in her best work yet as Bond's handler M.  "Skyfall" does for James Bond what "The Dark Knight" did for Batman; this one is not to be missed!

4. "The Grey"


While I didn't get a chance to review this movie when it was in theatres, I have recently finished watching it for the third time and could have easily made it my number one film of the year.  "The Grey" is certainly 2012's most harrowing picture; a tense and breathtaking tale about the spirit of human survival in the face of what seems to be inevitable mortality.  Liam Neeson gives one of his great performances as John Ottway, an Alaskan oil worker who survives a plane crash along with six other men.  They face the harsh elements and a vicious pack of wolves that stalks them mercilessly.  Joe Carnahan actually filmed his cast in the harsh cold of the Canadian tundra and that fact alone makes this a must-watch.  Perhaps the only thing holding it back from my top spot is how bleak and dismal the movie can seem.  But after the third viewing, the knock-out ending left me uplifted.

3. "Django Unchained"


This is on many people's list this year among the top three, and with good reason.  Quentin Tarantino's latest picture is another masterwork of controversial cinema.  A tale about vindication and revenge is set against the backdrop of the slave-era south, but takes on the stylistic sheen of a classic spaghetti western.  Nobody can master and pay homage to multiple genres better than Tarantino, and "Django Unchained" is a perfect canvas for his work.  Jamie Foxx is excellent in the title role, but it is Christoph Waltz who yet again walks away with the picture; delivering the trademark Tarantino dialogue with poetic perfection.

2. "Lincoln"


"Lincoln" is Steven Spielberg's best picture in years.  This is a remarkable cinematic portrait of our Nation's greatest President in his most tumultuous period in office.  Daniel Day-Lewis is no stranger to Oscar attention, but this is a performance that absolutely deserves the recognition.  "Lincoln" is such an important film; relevant to countless generations, and should set a new bar for historical dramas.  While I am inclined to agree that it goes on perhaps one or two scenes too long, everything that comes before is perfect cinema.  If this were to win best picture, I wouldn't be disappointed.  Or surprised.

1. "Argo"/"Zero Dark Thirty"

Okay, I lied.  Obviously eleven films made my list, but it is hard to rank the year's two best pictures when each is so pitch-perfectly made.  I give a tie to "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty" - both dabble in middle-east conflicts driven by western politics.  "Argo" is a flashy, suspenseful look at the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979 and simplifies the events into a smart and expertly paced thriller.  Ben Affleck is superb as both director and star; perfectly balancing humor with urgency.  With a host of stellar supporting roles, including John Goodman and Alan Arkin, "Argo" is probably the most crowd-pleasing experience I had in the theatre this year.  It exposes a little-known bit of history while simultaneously taking a shot at the gimmicky system of Hollywood glamour; it stands strong as a contender for best picture of the year.

"Zero Dark Thirty" is a riveting chronicle of the ten-year manhunt for Osama bin Laden.  Kathryn Bigelow directs with as much accuracy as possible, blending a smart procedural with moments of nail-biting suspense not unlike her 2009 best picture winner "The Hurt Locker."  Jessica Chastain is mesmerizing as Maya, a new CIA operative who staunchly follows a single lead for a decade while nobody listens to her.  Her persistence leads to what has become the most public top-secret raid in history - the midnight raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.  The mission itself is put off until the lengthy picture's last half hour but it's a heart-stopping sequence.  When it's over, the audience feels a bit like Maya - more emotionally drained than satisfied.  That is in no way a bad thing.  "Zero Dark Thirty" may be held back by the controversy surrounding its depiction of torture, but it is controversy leveled by those who fail to understand the film.  "Zero Dark Thirty" deserves its praise in spades.  

Honorable Mentions:

"Moonrise Kingdom"-One of the year's absolute best screenplays and Wes Anderson's finest film to date.

"Safety Not Guaranteed"-A quirky and inspiring comedy with a romantic flavor and a sci-fi twist.  The characters are completely loveable and sincere.

"Prometheus"-Disappointments and plot holes aside, this is still the best sci-fi picture of the year, and quite beautifully re-creates the majesty of Ridley Scott's classic "Alien" universe.

"Sound of My Voice"-A haunting and hypnotizing indie film about a film journalist and his girlfriend who infiltrate a mysterious cult led by a woman who claims to be from the future.  I couldn't stop thinking about this movie after I saw it, and Brit Marling is captivating as cult leader Maggie.

Gangster Style

"Gangster Squad"
written by Will Beall
directed by Ruben Fleischer
Starring Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
Rated R
113 Minutes

A movie called “Gangster Squad” requires realistic expectations, to say the least.  This film is pure pulp and glossy style, offering almost nothing in the way of substance; but I believe it is also precisely the movie Ruben Fleischer intended to make.  Those expecting the seedy, complex noir of “L.A. Confidential” won’t find it here, but if you are seeking out a stylized take on classic gangsters and cops, duking it out with tommy guns, you could do far worse.

“Gangster Squad” opens with one of those cockamamie ‘inspired by true events’ title cards.  Sure, Los Angeles was a real place in 1949, and Mickey Cohen was a real gangster, but that is the extent of any truth.  The screenplay by Will Beall mostly tosses aside actual history in favor of a narrative that seems to exist in an alternate reality.  In this reality, Mickey Cohen is a ferocious hothead, waiting to explode at the slightest agitation.  Sean Penn plays him as an egotistical maniac, but his scene chewing is spot-on for the tone Fleischer is aiming for.  Nick Nolte plays Police Chief Parker, infamous for his strong-armed approach to cleaning up corruption in the city.  Here he enlists Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) to recruit a rogue unit of off the books police officers to start hitting Cohen’s rackets in an effort to drive him out of town.

The cast is a serviceable bunch of recognizable stars, but uniformly under-developed.  That’s okay in a picture like this because it is gleefully about style over substance and it requires good looking men.  Replace any of these talented actors, and you’re left with a made for t.v. snoozer.  Ryan Gosling is a dedicated Sgt. named Jerry Wooters; he initially resists the offer to go after Cohen, but once he snags Cohen’s leading lady Grace Faraday (Emma Stone), he has good reason to get invested.  The team is rounded out by Michael Pena, Robert Patrick, Anthony Mackie and Giovanni Ribisi; each one with a specific generic trait to lend to the team.  One nice touch is Sgt. O’Mara’s wife, played by Mireille Enos in a role that at first seems like the clichéd stay-at-home concerned wife.  Sure, she’s pregnant, but she can hold her own and after she puts in her two cents, she insists on helping her husband select his team so that she knows he has good men to back him up.

The action is generally well-staged and while the film underwent some re-shoots for widely publiscized reasons, nothing about them feels jarring or disjointed.  The cinematography by Dion Beebe is warm and glamorous, easily providing a visual style to match the film’s vibrant mood.  In fact, the most enjoyable aspect of “Gangster Squad” is that it doesn’t pretend to be a more substantial film, but embraces its look and simple narrative enough to live up to its title.  Not every gangster-era movie needs to aspire to greatness, and since “L.A. Confidential” set an insurmountable bar anyway, why bother?  Keep in mind too that "L.A. Confidential" also told a largely fictional story; albeit with a bit more grounded approach.

I can see why “Gangster Squad” would underwhelm critics and audiences, but it provides an even better experience than the trailers would suggest.  This is a solid entertainment that requires purposefully lowered expectations.  After all, you can’t go see something called “Gangster Squad” and expect an Oscar contender.

For God and Country

Zero Dark Thirty
written by Mark Boal
directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Starring Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler and Joel Edgerton
Rated R
158 Minutes

Movies based on actual events are hit or miss to say the least.  Even more worrisome is when the audience is reminded of the “true story” with an opening title card.  How much of Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” is based on solid fact, I do not know; but at least it has the regard to specify that much of what it contains is based on eyewitness accounts.  That’s good enough for me, because what could have easily been a sensationalized account of the manhunt for Osama bin Laden emerges instead as a meticulously paced exploration of the investigative work that led to one of the most top-secret raids in history.  “Zero Dark Thirty” is a bold and harrowing procedural that easily sits among the very best films of 2012. 

“Zero Dark Thirty” begins with a black screen accompanied by audio recordings of 911 calls made from victims inside the twin towers on September 11^th, 2001.  This is a brave and haunting way to begin the film because it helps the audience to recall exactly where they were on that fateful day.  It may also help prepare the audience for the film’s depiction of torture, which has caused a great deal of criticism to be leveled against it.  Make no mistake; the scenes of torture are intense, but tastefully not graphic.  They are included because they almost certainly must have occurred, but seem to have been carried out as a desperate measure to stop further acts of terror.  To say that “Zero Dark Thirty” is ‘pro-torture’ is such an empty-headed criticism because the vital piece of information that drives the rest of the narrative is given up in a moment of kindness and calm, with no violence involved at all.

 

The interrogations are carried out by Dan (Jason Clare), a seasoned CIA man who longs for a desk job back in Washington rather than the futility of questioning terrorist cells.  Jessica Chastain in yet another riveting performance plays Maya, a new recruit whose first assignment is to assist Dan in getting information from Ammar (Reda Kateb).  Ammar eventually gives them the name of a courier known only as ‘Abu Ahmed.’ Subsequent suspected terrorists give varying information about the name; and while the name may be an alias, it becomes almost an obsession for Maya, who is convinced that he must be someone of vital importance.  Maya’s lead is all but ignored by almost everyone who outranks her, including director of operations Joseph Bradley (Kyle Chandler) and an important division leader named George (Mark Strong).  She stays persistent at great risk to herself, and even through the loss of close colleagues.  Chastain is masterful at portraying hopelessness in what seems a tireless effort.

At two hours and thirty eight minutes, this is a long film; but it is wisely punctuated by chapters, giving it an almost segmented feel that allows us to process information as it’s presented.  That’s a smart move, because the screenplay by Mark Boal chronicles over 10 years’ worth of information, culminating in the investigation and subsequent raid on a compound in Abbottabod, Pakistan.  While the outcome of the raid is cemented in history, it is an absolutely breathless sequence, highlighted by accuracy and a refusal to submit to Hollywood action spectacle.

 

After “Argo,” “Zero Dark Thirty” is the second feature this year to showcase western politics and Middle East spy games.  They are both nominated for best picture and each film has relevance, but this is certainly the more serious of the two.  If left to lesser filmmakers, perhaps “Zero Dark Thirty” would have resembled a more liberally-adapted version of events but director Kathryn Bigelow seems to have worked diligently with Mark Boal to present the events as honestly as possible.  The actual mission is compelling enough by itself; that it makes for great cinema is completely rewarding.  “Zero Dark Thirty” is a triumph.