First off, this is an insane weekend at the movies. Four films that are among my most anticipated of the year all come out today, which is just nuts. I have a pretty packed weekend too, so we'll see which if any movies I manage to squeeze in.
But yeah, for one, there's ZOMBIELAND. I feel like this was a movie that a lot of people, included me, were cautiously optimistic about. Cautious because it seemed like one of those movies that was going for a sensibility that you really don't see a lot of in movies. A very indie-comix, horror-comedy tone that very few films have ever really done well - Sam Raimi has done this kind of thing to perfection before, but the list of others who can capture the right tone for a horror-comedy are few. Secondly, this is one of the first post-modern zombie movies. I guess it's like the Watchmen of zombie movies, in a weird way. What I mean is, this is a movie that assumes you've already seen a ton of zombie movies, and from there it's able to poke fun at and play around with the conventions of the genre, and just be crazy, absurd, etc. That can be tough to pull off, but early reviews seem to indicate that Zombieland indeed kicks ass. Awesome. I was only mildly excited for this one when I first saw the trailers. BUT, I an now 100% pumped.
For another, there's THE INVENTION OF LYING. A movie written and directed by Ricky Gervais, the mastermind behind The Office and Extras. Hells yes. I'm in.
Thirdly, WHIP IT. I was somewhat skeptical about this one, but over the last couple of weeks I've become genuinely excited. The reviews seem to be very positive thus far, and I still think Ellen Page is one of the best young actresses out there. Plus, the premise is just fun - roller derby girls! And hey, they did sort of win me over at Comic-Con (those real-life roller derby girls are great!).
Finally, I cannot wait for A SERIOUS MAN. This is the one that is probably a bit under the radar right now, but it shouldn't be. It's a new Coen Brothers movie. That is basically all you need to know right there. In terms of track record, few if any directors are the Coens' equals. I hope that this is another classic in the Coen cannon alongside Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink, No Country For Old Men, etc.
So yeah, a big weekend for movies, and I'll get back to film in a bit when I review THE INFORMANT. But first, some TV thoughts ...
TV STUFF:
- I really enjoyed Wednesday's second episode of MODERN FAMILY. I feel like there's no one show this year that has 100% grabbed me and made me into an instant fan, but of all the new Fall series, Modern Family is probably closest so far. It just has an uber-talented cast, and a nice mix of Office-like humor and heart. Like The Office, Modern Family is a show that gets laughs from both the little, subtler moments and the bigger, more over-the-top ones. And the nice thing about the show is that there isn't really a weak link so far. All of the characters are strong, and most seem to have a lot of potential. Especially when you consider that we've yet to see any pairings beyond the various subgroups of the family. Really liking this so far.
My Grade: A-
- I thought THE OFFICE had a merely-pretty-good episode after two excellent eps kicked off the season. It's not that the ep didn't have some great moments, but the whole Jim as incompetent boss thing just wore a little thin after a while. I mean, Jim seems like a somewhat smart and capable guy - is he really going to arbitrarily pick who gets a raise and who doesn't by placing random beans on people's photos? Also, it does feel like the show has suffered a bit from lack of supporting character goodness. More Ryan, Kelly, Daryll, etc would be much-appreciated. That said, I have seen some upcoming stuff featuring those very characters, and it is awesome. So I take comfort in knowing that there is some hilarious Kelly-centric comedy coming soon. And, I still have high hopes that the wedding episode will be a classic. Still, last night's ep was well done, but, I thought it stretched credibility a bit by artificially dumbing-down Jim.
My Grade: B+
- PARKS & RECREATION, meanwhile, had what may have been its best episode yet. I give the show a lot of credit - the supporting characters have really begun to shine of late, and Amy Poehler seems to be getting more comfortable as the lead. I thought last night's beauty pageant episode had some really funny moments, and some nice character bits as well. At the same time, this show still has some issues to overcome. One may just be that Poehler is almost asked too much in terms of carrying the show. I hope that the show really begins to become more of a pure ensemble, with some episodes that completely focus on other characters. And again, Poehler just seems like she'd be more at home playing a wacky, crazy character and not doing a female Michael Scott. That's the thing - as sharp as the writing has been, I just don't know if Parks & Rec really has the right mix of characters to work week in and week out. But, I give credit where it's due, this was a really well done ep.
My Grade: A-
- As for COMMUNITY ... I feel sort of similarly with this one as I do with Parks & Rec, although I've been enjoying the latter more overall. There's a lot to like here. There's a talented cast. But some of the inherent weaknesses in the premise tend to hold the show back from being great. I think Joel McHale is still a litle off as the lead. He's a funny guy, and has great comedic timing. But his snarky persona just feels like perhaps too much for a lead character. The bigger problem is the supporting characters - they still seem way too thin. Last night's ep tried to zero in on Ahbed, but I just found him to be too weird a character to make sense for a show like this. He feels like a Family Guy character. I also just still get that feeling that there's not a strong enough reason for these characters to even interact with each other. They're not stuck together in an office or anything like that. It just makes it feel forced when their lives intersect all the time outside of the study group. Again though, these are some of the reasons why I am not 100% feeling the show. But I am at least *liking* it. There's some witty writing. John Michael Higgins was really good last night as a carefree teacher. Chevy Chase had some hilarious lines about his techniques for powerful sneezing. But I'm still slightly on the bubble ...
My Grade: B
And now for the previously mentioned movie review ...
THE INFORMANT Review:
- I really enjoyed The Informant, but it's also one of those movies that kind of leaves you feeling a bit puzzled. It's a film that, for one thing, completely defied my expectations. Not having been overly familiar with the story behind the movie, I was caught off guard by the strange twists that the movie took. And when the film ended, I was left wondering what it all meant. What whas The Informant trying to say? Was it ultimately simply a character study? Was it a cautionary tale? A parable about the ability of large mega-corporations to corrupt a well-meaning man into a white collar monster? Whatever the case may be, I think the movie lacked the proper exclamation point to really put things into the proper perspective. But I also think that it's a film well worth seeing - a fascinating look inside the mind of a man with delusions of grandeur.
The Informant tells the story of Mark Whitacre, a seemingly unassuming exec at ADM, a large company that manufactures and distributes lysine - a key chemical component for many common food products. Whitacre, a soft-spoken family man with a wife and daughter, seems to discover that ADM is conspiring with its various competitors to carry out a price fixing scheme, and at some point decides to take what he knows and blow the whistle. Whitacre begins to work as an inside man for the FBI, and helps to feed them info as they conduct an investigation into ADM's potentially shady business practices. The results, at least at first, are pretty hilarious, as the semi-bumbling Mark tries to be a white collar James Bond of sorts. Gradually though, Mark not only becomes pretty adept at spying and manipulation, but, well, we learn that he himself may not be quite what he seems.
There's no doubt - Mark Whitacre, as portrayed here, is a completely fascinating character. He's both relatable but also someone who defies expectation. Matt Damon does an excellent job here too in the lead role. He really sells all of Mark's subtle emotions and nuances. You wouldn't typically think that Matt Damon could pull off playing a pudgy, middle-aged, mustachioed bean-counter ... but I give him credit, Damon pulls it off. It's a pretty impressive turn. But ... at the same time, you can tell that the role is something of a stretch for Damon. For a lot of reasons, the obvious comparison is William H. Macy in FARGO (a movie very similar in some ways to this one), and Damon just doesn't fully inhabit the in-over-his-head everyman character like Macy did. At times, Damon will drop his you-betcha accent and start talking more like Jason Bourne. And at times, his composure seems to shift a bit and suddenly, meek Mark Whitacre looks more like Matt Damon: leading man. I guess what I'm saying is that Matt Damon 90% nails this part, but there are definitely moments of slippage, where you can tell he is kind of stretching to stay fully in character.
One thing I really loved about The Informant though: the supporting cast. Director Steven Soderbergh has assembled a really fun group of actors here. These are all people who are fan-favorites, who are the type of people who don't appear often enough in big roles but who always get the job done. I mean, Scott Bakula of all people is in a large role here as the lead FBI agent working with Whitacre. And why not? I'm sure the studio could have paid five times as much to get Dennis Quaid or something, but Bakula is a very capable actor for this kind of role. I really enjoyed seeing him get such a prominent part and doing so well with it. All kinds of other cool actors turn up. Scott Adsit from 30 Rock. Joel McHale, in a nice turn as Bakula's weary FBI partner. Clancy Brown (!) as a hard-nosed attorney. Tom Papa as a smarmy ADM exec. Tony Hale from Arrested Development as Whitactre's lawyer. Patton Oswalt! The Smothers Brothers! Like I said, the cast is overflowing with these sort of lower-profile yet still-awesome actors. It's the kind of casting that makes you realize how lame (and unnecessarily pricey) so much Hollywood casting really is. I mean, Clancy Brown should basically be in every movie (I'm still waiting for him to show up again on LOST!).
Getting back to Matt Damon for a second though, I don't know, I guess my slight frustration with his character is that the script tries to both put us inside his head AND keep him mysterious to some degree. Throughout the movie, we hear snippets of Whitacre's running internal monologue - his comically well-reasoned observations and random theories. We are, literally, inside of his head. And yet, we keep getting these revelations about Whitacre's true nature, and by the end of the movie, we realize we never really got to know anything about the guy. Again, it's that strange feeling of emptiness I alluded to earlier. As in, we spent so much of the movie "getting to know" Mark, and yet, we eventually realize he is, in the end, a pretty baffling person. Again, there is never quite that "aha!" moment or true exclamation point.
But while the movie might have some big-picture issues, scene to scene it is incredibly sharp and witty. The sense of fun and absurdity just keeps escalating as the movie goes on. And there really is some great humor here - if nothing else, Damon has some great coming timing and really sells a lot of the subtle humor. Steven Soderburgh, meanwhile, directs the movie in a very understated, matter-of-fact manner. It places the focus on the script - a wise thing to do given the strong dialogue and character work.
I don't think The Informant ever quite reaches the sublime comic-tragic heights of, say, Fargo. But I do think it's a pretty fun and even fascinating movie in its own right, a small-scale but very thought-provoking and enjoyable movie, that makes for an interesting addition to the Soderbergh portfolio.
My Grade: B+
- Alright - I'm tired and ready for bed. Stay tuned next week for much more blogtastic goodness.
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