Tag: True Story

ROB THE MOB – The Review

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There are many ways a person can commit suicide, quick and easy or long and slow, but the end result is all the same. One way, for example, would be to deliberately do something to royally piss off the mafia. Yes, that would just about guarantee your own demise. With this in mind, let’s talk about a film, based on a true story…

By its title, ROB THE MOB does sound like it should be a comedy about the mafia. In fact, it is actually a very funny film. I’d even say it holds its own against MY COUSIN VINNY (1992). As appealing as that is on the surface, it gets better. Not only is this a funny, entertaining movie, but it’s also based on a true story. The events in this film, or at least parts of it, actually happened… in real life!

So, why am I making such a big deal about this? Let me explain. ROB THE MOB is about a couple from Queens, New York who decide their big break will be to steal from the mafia, i.e. “Rob the Mob.” Sounds pretty straight forward, right? That’s how Tommy and Rosie feel about their master plan to make it big and live the high life. Tommy, played by Michael Pitt, is a stick-up man and his girlfriend Rosie, played by Nina Arianda, is the getaway driver. Together, they are a match made on the mean streets and a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde.

Tommy and Rosie both get pinched, do their time, then make an effort to live a straight life once out of the slammer. By chance, or by twist of fate, this coincides with the trial of notorious modern-day mob boss John Gotti. Tommy gets the idea to attend the trial as a spectator where he learns about mafia social clubs peppered around New York City where gangsters hang out and no guns are allowed. Unfortunately for Tommy, a light bulb goes off and his big plan is hatched. He’ll knock off a mafia social club, because mobsters always have lots of cash, no danger of getting shot, and no danger of getting caught because a mobster isn’t going to call the cops. On the surface, this is a brilliant plan. The problem, of course, is that neither Tommy or Rosie are the sharpest criminals.

ROB THE MOB, written by Jonathan Fernandez and directed by Raymond De Felitta, pulls headlines right out of the newspaper that scream to be glamorized on the big screen. Many of those very headlines may have actually existed, as written by journalist Jerry Cardozo, played by Ray Romano. Tommy and Rosie actually succeed in this insane endeavor, at first. However, as greed sets in as it so often does, the best laid plans go to waste. Tommy and Rosie get sloppy, overly confident and seduced by fame. Michael Pitt and Nina Arianda play fully into their roles and there is no doubt in the viewers’ minds that the characters were anything other than the World’s Dumbest Criminals candidates they appear to be on film. With that said, you can’t hep but fall in love with them and root for them as they continue on they Robin Hood spree at the mafia’s expense, all while certain tragedy lies waiting just around the dark and violent corner up ahead.

Big Al, played by Andy Garcia, plays the mysterious mob boss running the show in the absence of John Gotti. Despite the unbelievable antics and humorous real-life scenarios taking place, Big Al — despite his stereotypical nick name — provides a dramatic, philosophical element to the story that helps to level off the humor and grounds the story in a lesson of morality. Garcia is magnificent as the calm, mild-tempered mob boss who has a secret past and an unconventional view of the family’s future. Perhaps the best performance, however, is a rather short one provided by Burt Young as Joey D, an aging mobster who holds the key to the mafia’s survival or downfall. In this key scene, whereas Joey D encounters Tommy in one of the mafia social clubs, emotions run high, tension is taught and someone gets beaten like a sack of potatoes. If not for being such a short and limited scene, I’d already be screaming for a Supporting Actor Oscar nod… but, let’s be realistic.

Music. It plays a key role in ROB THE MOB as well. The film takes place circa 1992(ish) but the music is much more timeless, evoking an era far more indicative of the mafia’s hay days. Stephen Endelman composes the original music while accompanied by tracks from The Staple Singers’ “City In the Sky” and Wilson Pickett’s “Somethin’ You Got.” The opening sequence of the film, however, oddly sets the mood in an unexpected use of Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In the Heart.” Trust me when I say it sounds odd at first, but quickly makes sense and certainly amps the viewer to the appropriate energy level for what’s about to take place.

ROB THE MOB ends on a bitter-sweet note. The film tells a story that is both funny and tragic. A story of two young lovers whose hearts are in the right place but at the expense of their intellect. A story of two reckless dreamers who steal from those far worse than themselves, but are abandoned by those sworn to protect them. BONNIE & CLYDE, TRUE ROMANCE, NATURAL BORN KILLERS… all films with a similar theme and sense of moral ambiguity, but none will capture your heart in quite the same way as Tommy and Rosie.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

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GHOST STORIES: The New Era of Horror Cinema

Written by Christopher Melkus

Horror movies are almost predictably cyclical compared to other genres of filmmaking. Often, one generation is born in reaction to the previous. As the slasher boom of the seventies and eighties led to a glut of critically panned sequels and imitators that dominated the next ten years, the “torture porn” era was born as response, leaving its mark on the 2000s. With those films now aging and losing ground, an emerging trend in horror is showing signs of taking hold; ghost stories.

Ghost stories are certainly nothing new in horror; THE EXORCIST, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR and POLTERGEIST were all successful ghost stories released within ten years of each other and while they certainly weren’t imitators, their success relied partially on the theatre-filling fear that each prior film inspired. But, unlike slasher films, ghost stories have always been a riskier bet for a studio looking to make a quick buck off a genre known for guaranteed profit. THE EXORCIST, considered as much a classic as FRIDAY THE 13TH, only has five related films compared to the latter’s twelve. Even the SAW franchise, both more recent and generally considered less broadly appealing, has spawned more derivatives than any such supernatural-inspired horror flick.

Then, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY proved that, with the right style and (more importantly) marketing, a ghost story could make a profit on a budget even smaller than the standard slasher production. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY wasn’t just a clever film; it was also perfectly timed to engage audiences who were tired of the HOSTEL and SAW derivatives. Like Saw before it and Halloween before that, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY has triggered a wave of sequels, imitators and innovators: THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT, INSIDIOUS, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, THE DEVIL INSIDE…

Three new “ghost stories” loom on the horizon of 2012, bringing something new to the table that may or not lead to box office and/or critical success. First off is THE POSSESSION, produced by Sam Raimi (of EVIL DEAD fame) whose own stab at supernatural horror (DRAG ME TO HELL) did not live up to expectations. Director Ole Bornedal’s only notable work is 1994’s NIGHTWATCH, a Dutch suspense film remade in 1997 by the same director, starring the up-and-coming Ewan McGregor and Josh Brolin alongside Patricia Arquette and Nick Nolte. Unlike that film, THE POSSESSION has a lesser-known cast; the biggest names are Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Matisyahu. The recently revealed trailer for the film has been received positively, and appropriately so.

The story appears to rely on a tedious trope; broken-but-hopeful family man adores daughter, spoils her by buying a mysterious box from a yard sale. Contained within the box is a spirit that proceeds to terrorize father, child and estranged mother. This bears more than a passing resemblance to INSIDIOUS but, rather than working entirely on the “child-in-danger” angle, the shocks come from some surprisingly surreal and creative visual effects paired with Raimi-esque camera work. There’s also a Hebrew mysticism angle that might just derail what appears, in the trailer, to be an effective, simplistic frightener. Personally, I’m going to have to refer to my inner pessimist and declare this one dead in the water; LIONSGATE is the studio responsible and that doesn’t bode well. Arrives in theaters August 31st.

Bearing an even more straightforward setup is LOVELY MOLLY, a horror tale that blends the found-footage elements of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY with a straight-forward “haunted house” story involving a newly wed couple moving into her family home, leading them to deal with both her dark past and a supernatural force. Much is made of the main character’s mental state; it’s nothing new to make the audience question what is real and what is imagined but with the right performance, it can be a gratifying alternative to solid scares. This film has been released already and the reviews for it are neither scathing nor encouraging, which says something given the low-budget and fresh cast. It’s a fairly clever twist on an ongoing obsession that provokes more than just a bit of curiosity. Some of the imagery presented by the website and trailer are particularly intriguing. Hopefully we’ll see a home video release fairly soon, as the theatrical premiere was very limited.

From the director of THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE and starring Ethan Hawke, SINISTER is widely known as the film successfully pitched by an Ain’t It Cool News writer. Reviews of its stealth debut at SXSW have been unanimously positive despite the director’s previous efforts coming off stunted. The story seems to take LOVELY MOLLY’s focus on the descent into madness and adds it to the “threatened family” approach of THE POSSESSION. By lashing together multiple plot elements (The Ring comes to mind) as well as retaining a lead actor of some merit, the film is probably far more engrossing than THE POSSESSION or LOVELY MOLLY. Ironically, the film’s trailer is a strong contradiction of the reviews; it’s fierce and intimidating for a film that’s said to be almost sedate. Unlike THE POSSESSION, this one is rated R so I’m betting that, between the two, this will be superior.

With these three films, we have reached a point in the continuum of this era where filmmakers are struggling to stand-out from the glut of similar releases. While nobody would argue that trends like these are necessarily bad, by now creators should be aware of the impending critical mass and seeking to differentiate their work by bringing fresh themes to the screen. There are small but burgeoning movements focusing on horror anthologies (V/H/S, THE THEATRE BIZARRE, THE ABC’s OF DEATH) and a revitalization of the giallo genre (AMER, RED RED, SORORAL, YELLOW) so hopefully those will expand and encourage diversity in a genre known for saturation.

KILL THE IRISHMAN – The Review

KILL THE IRISHMAN is a film based on the true story of Danny Greene, a Cleveland man of humble origins and Irish ancestry. Greene never graduated high school, but had an abundance of both street smarts and intelligence, known for his impressive reputation for reading books. Greene was also a man who had both an intense, fundamental good nature matched only by his intimidating toughness and confidence. These traits would combine to mold the man into a legend on the streets of 1970’s Cleveland.

Written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, best known for 2004’s THE PUNISHER starring Thomas Jane, KILL THE IRISHMAN has another connection with the popular Marvel Comics vigilante in it’s star Ray Stevenson, who played the anti-hero Frank Castle in 2008’s PUNISHER: WAR ZONE… not written or directed by Hensleigh. Neither film pale in comparison to this slice of reality, based on recent history but spiced up subtly with street humor and a slight touch of classic gangster film flair.

Greene became known as a local hero for his charitable work and his sincere interest in the lives of the working class, but also as a dangerous and formidable wild card by the mafia and police. His story shifts between being a good guy and a bad guy, residing effortlessly in the gray area of the anti-hero, a role Stevenson seems quite adept at capturing. Many people are still relatively unfamiliar with Stevenson, whose work includes roles in THE BOOK OF ELI, THE OTHER GUYS and the upcoming THOR. What I found most intriguing about KILL THE IRISHMAN was Stevenson’s performance, an effort I would have no qualms with calling a galvanizing step towards becoming an actor of a higher caliber.

KILL THE IRISHMAN also benefits greatly from a truly impressive ensemble cast of talented, gangster film genre veterans. Vincent D’Onofrio (BROOKLYN’S FINEST) plays John Nardi, Greene’s friend, organized crime figure and one time employer. Christopher Walken (TRUE ROMANCE) has a short-lived but welcome role as loan shark Shondor Birns. Val Kilmer (HEAT) makes a big screen return as Detective Joe Manditski, but I feel his performance was dull and stiff, perhaps suffering from what felt like a distinct effort on his behalf to hide the weight he has gained. I say, you are who you are, so play off it… a la Marlon Brando in THE SCORE, or Orsen Welles in TOUCH OF EVIL.

As great as this cast is already, there’s still much more to offer the film fan well-versed in genre actors. KILL THE IRISHMAN seems at times like a gangster film genre class reunion, including Paul Sorvino (GOODFELLAS), Vinnie Jones (SNATCH), Robert Davi (LICENSE TO KILL), Mike Starr (GOODFELLAS), Steve Schirripa (THE SOPRANOS), Tony Darrow (THE SOPRANOS) and Fionnula Flanagan (TV series BROTHERHOOD, and LOST).

KILL THE IRISHMAN maintains a sense of the era, combining a touch of graininess in both image (shot by Karl Walter Lindenlaub) and sound with attention to detail in apparel, architecture and automobiles.The film also connects with the 70’s era through it’s sense of humor, especially in relation to violence and language, which tiptoe in and out of the grindhouse essence of 70’s cinema. It’s subtle, but it’s there and it adds an authentic texture to the film.

KILL THE IRISHMAN falls back comfortably upon a fairly standard but effective Irish-influenced score from Patrick Cassidy. The film, filled with little details that add to the viewer’s transportation to the 70’s, was based on Rick Porrello’s book “To Kill the Irishman” and ends with a bit a archival news footage of the real Danny Greene, much like THE FIGHTER ends with a moment with the real-life Micky and Dicky.

KILL THE IRISHMAN falls fittingly within the “stranger than fiction” category. Danny Greene survived multiple assassination attempts, conveying a fearlessness that is rarely seen outside of fictional characters. After all the explosions, violence, and graphically colorful language have passed, this is ultimately a film about one man’s struggle to find his place in a world that’s far from perfect. KILL THE IRISHMAN is a film about a man struggling with his own legacy. I suspect this film will help convey what kind of man Danny Greene was for a whole new generation.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: ’21’ on DVD

’21’ is the worst film I have seen in years and it astonishes me that so many people recommended this film to me.

The film follows an MIT student, Ben (Jim Sturgess) who is trying to find a way to get enough money to go to Harvard Med School and has no where to turn. When one of his professors, Prof. Rosa (Kevin Spacey), notices his intelligence abilities in class he recruits him for group of students who count cards as a team and make money playing black jack on the weekends. Ben reluctantly joins but can’t resist the rush and earnings he is able to acquire from his talents. As he falls deeper into the game the risks get higher as both the Professor and a casino security advisor (Lawrence Fishburne) eventually take a problem to his antics in Las Vegas. Luckily he falls for his partner Jill (Kate Bosworth) and as they go back and forth, will they or won’t they, they begin to form a bit of a partnership and work through adversity together. Continue reading Review: ’21’ on DVD

Review: ‘When Did You Last See Your Father?’

I knew very little about this movie going into the theatre other than it was based on a true story. Generally speaking, this is usually enough for me to give a film its chance to impress, and quite surprisingly this one did just that … despite Colin Firth. Forgive me, I haven’t yet filled you in on my opinion of Colin Firth. Actually, I really don’t have much of an opinion of him as an actor … which is precisely the amount of unique acting talent he possesses (in my opinion). He’s not bad, but he’s also not good … he’s just Colin.

When Did You Last See Your Father? tells the true story of Blake Morrison (Firth), a writer struggling to come to terms with his father Arthur (Jim Broadbent). Blake’s father is an out-spoken, opinionated man who’s had a rocky relationship with Blake ever since he was a child. The film begins with Blake accepting an award as a writer, a profession by which his physician father has never understood or accepted. Arthur’s attendance of Blake’s award ceremony causes Blake to feel uncomfortable, setting in motion a series of flashbacks that haunt Blake throughout the film. Soon after, the family learns that Arthur is dying of cancer and Blake now struggles with finding a way to make peace with his father, who has his share of secrets.

The film, based on the real-life Blake Morrison’s book, is directed by Anand Tucker. The film is actually very captivating and does a splendid job at creating empathy for the various members of the Morrison family, especially Blake’s mother Kim (Juliet Stevenson). Not once did I find myself “falling asleep at the wheel” while navigating this human drama. Firth’s performance is acceptable, but nothing to rave about … it simply does the job. Its Jim Broadbent’s wonderful performance as Blake’s father that truly steals the glory. Throughout the film, I found myself at one moment despising Arthur for his actions and his lack of compassion for his wife and son, while at another moment I actually feel pity and empathize for Arthur as a dying man who feels he did his best despite his vices. The movie is worth checking out, especially if you enjoy listening to actors with accents as much as I do.

[rating:3/5]

Review: ‘Breach’

Zac:

Billy Ray’s directorial follow up to the excellent Shattered Glass is a solid political thriller that is diminished by the fact that we know the outcome from the opening frame.
The story tells the events leading up to the arrest of Robert Hanssen, a FBI operative who was the biggest double agent spies in the history of the U.S. Blamed with the loss of two lives he leaked an incredible amount of info to the Russians both before and after the end of the cold war. Hanssen a teach guy and sexual deviant is put under surveillance in his new post in D.C. by Eric O’Neill. A field agent looking for his big break with the agency, O’Neill (played well by Ryan Phillippe) jumps at the opportunity to investigate a highly respected official. Though O’Neill isn’t let in on the big picture as, Agent Burroughs (the great Laura Linney), doesn’t let him know he is a traitor.
Hanssen is played brilliantly by the always great Chris Cooper and he does a fantastic job of showing us why O’Neill was so conflicted and caught on to the ruse Burroughs was pulling over his eyes. All of the actors bring excellent work and Ray assembles a very taught and well paced thriller. Though, the thrill is taken out of the fact that we know he is caught. O’Neill dealing and buying time with Hanssen creates tension at times but if they would have left us an ambiguous conclusion the whole film would have a lot more weight and have made the film better as a whole.

Phillippe rubs a lot of people the wrong way and he doesn’t change his shtick much here, but he carries the movie well and this is probably one of his better performances to date. He can come across as fairly one dimensional though but I think he played the part particularly well. The supporting cast is also good with Dennis Haysbert and Gary Cole turning in good work as agents in on the investigation while also adding a bit of light humor to the proceedings.
The movie is very well done though and if you don’t know anything about it and skip the opening news clip with John Ashcroft the movie is probably far more enjoyable. It is an excellent showcase for the actors involved and puts an important, yet little known story about one this countries government blunders on film for people to learn more about.
Ray continues to prove that he is an excellent filmmaker and sooner or later is going to explode on to the scene with an amazing movie that knocks the socks off of people’s feet. This falls quite a bit short of that but is a very solid film that most fans of political intrigue will enjoy and is a must see for any of the fans of the actors involved.

[rating: 3.5/5]

Review: ‘Le Vie En Rose’

Zac:

This musical biopic does nothing terribly new for the genre, and at times is very stereotypical, contains a very good performance by Marion Cotillard as the lead Edith Paif, but the film is ultimately hampered by the fact that Piaf, even if she was an amazing singer, is an extremely unlikable person and very hard to care about.
The film opens with Piaf collapsing on stage in a New York performance in 1958, we then jump back in time, in the first of many very unstructured leaps in time, to 1918 to find Edith in the streets watching her mother beautifully sing for money on a street corner. After her father reclaims her after the war he puts her in the custody of a whore house while he returns to the lines. The women raise her affectionately with one, Titine, becoming a mother figure in her life. After a freak sickness Edith is again reunited with her father where she soon discovers her singing talents of her own.
From here she slowly moves through the ranks of street performer to stage star while inter-cutting with the later years of her life with no definitive sequence to be found in these flash forwards as the scenes feel almost randomly inserted at times.
Cotillard plays Piaf very well sometimes, while occasionally coming off as severely overacting the part. I do not know Piaf’s life, but the film represents her as a troubled, drunk, loud-mouth, drug-using, diva that seems to be almost insufferable to be around. This is where the movies biggest issue lies in that we are supposed to feel sympathetic for this woman when here only rewarding quality we are shown is her voice. Sure there is the troubled and rough childhood, but when inter cut with the previously described version of her crotchety older self it is hard to sympathize with someone when we know what they become.
It’s also just baffling and hard to buy into all these lapdogs she has following her around that she treats like dirt most of the film as she gets drunk and messed up drugs talking down on anyone around here. We see glimpses of a fun good hearted woman, but the film painters much more towards the hysterical, irrational, and negative end.
The most likeable side of Piaf comes out in her relationship with Marcel Cerdan, played very well by Jean-Pierre Martins, a world champion boxer that is having an affair with Piaf when ever he is in America. She was dearly in love with him and a scene revolving around the fate of their relationship is shot in a fantastic one take that is rather impressive. Though, this relationship shines her in a dark light as well as she is cheating with him and wish for him to leave his wife in children for her showing a selfish side to her that is not afraid to come out throughout her life.
Overall, the film moves along well, and is entertaining as the story is interesting at times. Piaf’s voice is wonderful to listen to, but her character is hard to swallow and sympathize with. If Piaf was this obnoxious and unlikable at times, then Cotillard deserves her accolades, because she nails it to a T. Though be advised to check this one out if you don’t think you can look past the self-centered brat that Piaf can be or if your bored with the music biopic.

[rating: 3/5]

Review: ‘ Into the Wild’

Zac:

Sean Penn directs his first movie in six years and knocks it out of the park. Into the Wild follows the post graduate life of Christopher McCandless, an Emory graduate that decides to give up everything he has and set off on a life of tramping around the country in an attempt to rediscover himself.
When the movie opens we find the Magic Bus in Alaska with Chris or Alex Supertramp his adopted name after leaving everything behind, who is played wonderfully by Emile Hirsch. Hirsch really dives deep into the role, is extremely likeable, and we can believe him as some one who is capable of leaving everything behind to live this life. Hirsch is full of energy and carries the movie easily by keeping us constantly engaged and entertained along his journey to the Magic Bus.
Hirsch gets some pretty good help from his supporting roles as well with his stops along the road. Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker play a hippie couple that brings perspective into Supertramps’s life, as well as returning the favor back to them.
Vince Vaughn plays a grain farmer that befriends Supertramp and becomes a pen pal and a source for some of Supertramp’s thoughts that get scrawled across the screen, a narration trick that works very well and I liked a lot.
Kristen Stewart plays young hippie teen and really lets you into her character in her limited screen time, while busting out a pretty good singing voice.
Hal Holbrook becomes an “adoptive” Grandfather of sorts and assists Supertramp with his final preparation towards Alaska.
Jena Malone shares some narration duty with Hirsh as his sister, and does it well, while William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden turn in some amazing performances as the cause of all that happens.
All of these supporting roles do a fantastic job and are all equally likeable, or not likeable, and help the movie to continue moving forward and never really dull.
The last start to mention, and not the least, is nature itself, which is captured beautifully here by Penn and his crew. There are some shots and moments that seem out of a nature doc, and Hirsch is always right up in all the action making it all the more breathtaking and never pulling you out of the moment with a moment like, ‘that’s not him.’
And I can’t give enough credit to the crew and filmakers for making such a potentially horrible subject matter, guy walking around, into a fantastic film by keeping up the pace, not wasting any of the viewers time, superb editing, and rarely leaving us wishing they showed more; just right.
A fascinating story about a fascinating person that is brilliant translated to film carried by Emile Hirsch and orchestrated by Sean Penn, definitely worth your time and money if you love nature and adventure.

[rating: 4.5/5]