Movie Review Sunday

Sherlock (TV) – 2010 (NR)

Netflix says: In this updated take on Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved mystery tales, the eccentric sleuth prowls the streets of modern-day London in search of clues. At his side -- though hobbling -- is flatmate Dr. John Watson, fresh from the Afghan War.

Matt says: I tend to not review TV shows for the reason that a) this is a movie review blog and b) most shows worth writing about (“Lost”, “Breaking Bad”, “The Walking Dead”, “Dexter”, etc) are already known and watched by the masses. However, when a show comes along that is popular in another country, but little known in the US (and is extremely brilliant), I can’t help but spread the word. “Sherlock” is one of those shows. I have always been a fan of the original stories. They’re really not high art by any means… I liken them to the tales of Poe, Lovecraft, and Howard: smart, entertaining pulp. But, their reputation and style have influenced mystery writers and fans since their inception.

It’s no secret I’m a “Dr. Who” fan. Russell T. Davies rebooted the series in a way that only a J.J. Abrams or Joss Whedon could. When he left after the fourth series and turned it over to writer Steven Moffett, I was skeptical but hopeful; his episodes were the most enjoyable in the Davies universe. Moffett proved he was more than capable of carrying the series and I am still watching. Next on Moffett’s plate was “Sherlock”, an update of Conan Doyle’s classic stories set in modern London. Not only is the writing better than Conan Doyle’s (Moffett’s episodes still being the best), but the casting was dead on for the update. Cumberbatch is Holmes. His mannerisms have taken Conan Doyle’s original imprint and incorporates all the idiosyncrasies from the theater and film incarnations we have known and love. Freeman is equally as good as Watson and together they light up the small screen in each scene. But, the writing is what really shines. Moffett knows how to spin a yarn and uses all the hooks in the book to keep you engaged. I just finished a Sunday afternoon/night of the four and a half hours of season two and am still left wanting more. If you are a fan of “Dexter”, “Breaking Bad”, “The Walking Dead”, etc, you will find that this is the UK’s entry into the same brilliant television. It can be meaty, watching three hour and a half movie length episodes instead of six 45 minute episodes, but hell, don’t you watch several of those 45 minute episodes of US series back-to-back anyway? Season one is streaming now on Netflix, take a chance when you have the time, you won’t regret it. 5 stars.

Hesher – 2010 (R)

Netflix says: Struggling to accept the death of his mother, T.J. (Devin Brochu) befriends Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a twentysomething misfit who becomes both a mentor and a bad influence on the lost and awkward teen. Hesher soon invites himself to live with T.J. and his self-medicating dad (Rainn Wilson). Their bizarre relationship is tested when T.J. develops a crush on a supermarket checkout girl (Natalie Portman) who rescues him from a gang of bullies.

Matt says: Amusing indie flick will strike a chord with anyone who grew up in a suburban US in the early 1990s. Everyone knew someone like Hesher then, whether directly or indirectly. Gordon-Levitt is becoming quite the notable actor of late and in this he fully absorbs himself in the role, proving his mantle once again. Wilson is at his best where he’s most comfortable, in quirky independent movies with a little edge. And Portman is as sexy, talented, and wonderful as ever. Overall, a fun movie with some dark tones that equally elicits laughs as well as tugs at your heart (as well as has one of the best elegies I’ve seen on film). It’s an unlikely friendship, but there have been stranger real and fictional relationships than a 20 something metal head and a 15 year old kid. 4 stars.

Arthur – 2011 (PG-13)

Netflix says: Recasting the 1981 comedy classic starring Dudley Moore, this romantic chuckler chronicles the dilemma faced by philanderer Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) -- whether to give up a respectable life and an inheritance of millions for the sake of romance. Jennifer Garner co-stars as Susan Johnson, the gorgeous socialite that Arthur's family has chosen for him. Greta Gerwig plays Naomi, the girl who steals Arthur's heart in the meantime.

Matt says: Russell Brand is a lot like Dudley Moore: they both have reached enough comedic fame in the UK to garner attention in the US, but never can really find their ground here. Each had that one rated R film early in their US career that had enough nudity and drug references to make it edgy and fun, but then was followed by a mediocre version of “Arthur”. At least Moore really hammed up the alcoholism in his version. He slurred his words with aplomb and that cackling laugh was infectious. In Brand’s “Arthur”, the alcoholism is more depressing to witness because he plays it as: a problem that only hurts him... not very comedic sounding, is it? Maybe this is due to cleaning up in real life before filming this, or because Hollywood wanted to send a message to the kiddies, but it wasn’t even necessary to having him even behave drunk in this version except that it was done in Moore’s film. It’s a shame, because I loved Brand’s alcohol and drug fueled adventured in “Get Him To The Greek” and expected this to be a semi-sequel. Instead, you feel guilty laughing at his exploits and some very talented people are wasted (Mirren especially). This is bound to become one of those films endlessly rerun on Comedy Central at 4pm on Saturdays. That’s not a good thing. 2 stars.

Dark Days – 2000 (NR)

Netflix says: Documentarian Marc Singer trains his camera on a group of homeless people who live in an abandoned New York City railroad tunnel. At night, they retreat underground, where they have a sense of community that many surface dwellers would envy.

Matt says: “Dark Days” not only is a fascinating documentary about a city of homeless that live in the Amtrak tunnels of Penn Station, it is also a representation of a change of times. The film explores a shanty down that existed deep in the darkest recesses of the tunnels. Industrious homeless not only found solstice from the harsh streets there, but took it to the next level by wiring electricity, setting up running water, and by building plywood homes. By the time Singer chooses to film it, the running water is gone, but the small town is still highly populated and wired with juice. He focuses on a few of the more entertaining (and less drug addicted) of the individuals. Crack is a big problem, and though they are still trapped between worlds, a few of the people rose above it. When Amtrak finally decides to out the homeless for liability issues, local homeless organizations help with the transition and the result is inspiring. The reason I say it represents the times is that this was released in 2000, a year before the beginning of a post 9/11 NY. After the twin tower disaster, more than ever a place like this could not exist. Much like “Give Me Shelter” ushered in a new public awareness in the 70s, “Dark Days” seems to do the same by ushering in the end of freedom in a post 9/11 US. I would say that, in the year 2000, seeing this would be a pretty typical documentary experience. But, seeing it now twelve years later makes it feel that much more powerful. 4 stars.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – 2011 (R)

Netflix says: When a young computer hacker is tasked with investigating a prying journalist, their separate missions become entangled amid a decades-old conspiracy. David Fincher directs this English adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel.

Matt says: Now, I haven’t read the books or seen the original trilogy, so I am not sure how much this stands up to the source material. In fact, I had no fore-knowledge about this going into it except for seeing the covers of the books in someone’s hands on the subway daily for the past six years. As a film, I found it interesting and entertaining, but nothing spectacular. Mara does an excellent job in her role, making you believe that she is a fucked up psycho with a talent for investigation. Craig does a decent job as well, but is overshadowed by Mara’s screen presence. The plot felt almost too typical. I really was expecting a twist or some sort of feeling of a mystery, but it never came. Also, the scenes of “extreme sex and violence” all felt watered down. I don’t blame anybody but the fact that it’s a movie. It feels like it needed to be longer, that it needed more back story, and that many of the investigative discoveries are all just lumped together in montage sequences. I have a feeling this really suffered from being a film adaptation. Fans of the novels will probably enjoy this a little more, but will still have the same gripes. Those who go into it as I did might question what the big deal is. It’s worth a watch either way as Fincher’s direction is as mesmerizing as always. Bonus points are for the best opening sequence in a film I’ve seen in a while. Fincher’s relationship with Reznor goes way back and always makes for an excellent start to his films. I won’t be surprised if Reznor walks away with another Oscar for this one. 3 1/2 stars.

Back to the Future Part III – 1990 (PG)

Netflix says: The final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy finds Marty (Michael J. Fox) digging the trusty DeLorean out of a mineshaft and looking up Doc (Christopher Lloyd) in the Wild West of 1885. But when their time machine breaks down, the travelers are stranded in a land of spurs. More problems arise when Doc falls for pretty schoolteacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), and Marty tangles with Buford Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson).

Matt says: The weakest film in the trilogy should only be watched for closure on the series. Part II ends on a cliff-hanger and, since this was filmed roughly around the same time, Part III is necessary to wrap things up. Throughout the film Doc keeps mentioning what a huge mistake it was to make the time machine and how, when it’s all said and done, it will be destroyed. (Spoiler Alert) When it finally is, we find that Doc has made another one and is taking his family around changing history wherever he sees fit. I know the first and second movies pretty much gave suspension of disbelief a vacation, but Part III just throws it all out the window. Anyway, it’s mostly a western with Fox playing the fish out of water routine again, but this time everything feels over done. Not the greatest way to wrap up the trilogy, but still a must for fans of the first two. 3 stars.

Back to the Future Part II – 1989 (PG)

Netflix says: Marty (Michael J. Fox) and Doc (Christopher Lloyd) are at it again in this wacky sequel to the 1985 blockbuster as the time-traveling duo head to 2015 to nip some McFly family woes in the bud. But things go awry thanks to bully Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) and a pesky sports almanac. In a last-ditch attempt to set things straight, Marty finds himself bound for 1955 and face to face with his teenage parents -- again.

Matt says: Even though it’s vision of the future is completely skewed (really, faxes will be the way to communicate in 2015?), and the time travel is as flawed as the first, this is the best film in the trilogy. I love the alternate time-lines, jumping back to the events of the first film to have a parallel second set of events performed, and that it is a little bit more on the dark side than the other films. You really need to have seen the first film to fully appreciate it, but as sequels go, it’s one of the rare ones that surpass the first film. 4 1/2 stars.

Back to the Future – 1985 (PG)

Netflix says: In this classic sci-fi adventure from director Robert Zemeckis, eccentric inventor Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) turns a DeLorean into a time machine that inadvertently sends his young friend, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), 30 years into the past. While stuck in the 1950s, Marty disrupts his parents' destiny and risks throwing the time-space continuum completely out of whack. The only way back to 1985 now is to get mom and dad to pucker up.

Matt says: The original “Back to the Future” is a solid, entertaining, adventurous film. The time travel elements are there, but take a back seat to Fox’s “fish out of water” adventures in the 1950s. It’s really difficult to make any sort of time travel movie without a couple of paradoxes, so “Back to the Future” says “screw it” at the end and forces you to accept that, yeah, that’s what happened and the parents still had the same kids and Fox still has the same relationships as before time is skewed and you whipper-snappers better just shut up and believe it! It gets ridiculously tense at the climax, so much so that it become laughable, but I think that’s all part of the fun. Aside from a few curse words, there’s really not much keeping the whole family from enjoying it. It also holds up surprisingly well for being 27 years old. 4 stars.

Another Earth –2011 (PG-13)

Netflix says: After a strange Earth-like planet is discovered, astrophysics student Rhoda accidentally slams her car into the vehicle of John, killing his family. In time, Rhoda and John begin an unlikely romance, but Rhoda begins to wonder about the other planet.

Matt says: Notice how I left the “Science Fiction” tag off of this? That’s because the Sci-Fi elements are barely there. “Another Earth” bait-and-switches from the proposed idea to a drama that’s one step up from a Lifetime Channel movie-of-the-week. Ok, so maybe it’s not that bad of a drama, but I felt totally duped into renting this which sullied any chance I would give it normally. Look, you have this wonderful idea of another Earth coming into existence and (Spoiler Alert) the inhabitants live parallel to our lives. Work with that! I really didn’t expect or want an indie drama with awful amateurish camera shots and angles (you know, the typical indie shit: the main character’s eyes in the side view mirror, standing naked in the snow, etc, etc, etc). I saw potential in this in a few tense scenes of Science Fiction, but if I wanted to see a love story/self examining drama, I would’ve actively pursued renting one instead of a movie that’s supposed to be Sci-Fi. 2 1/2 stars.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules – 2011 (PG)

Netflix says: Greg Heffley returns to overcome ridiculous obstacles in this sequel to the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid adaptation, based on the books by Jeff Kinney. This time around, Greg must cope with the habits of his insufferable brother, Rodrick.

Matt says: More family friendly high-jinx with the same cast from the first film. This time the focus isn’t as much on self discovery as much as it is on interpersonal relationships. There’s still the same mixture of goofy humor, pre-teen angst, and borderline disgusting humor (though the opening chocolate bar/poop joke did illicit a hearty laugh from me at its climax). What can I say? It’s between seasons of my favorite shows and the HBO HD on-demand selection was pretty thin. Still, I didn’t hate the first one, so I gave this a chance too and came out of it just as mildly amused. Again, your pre-teens will love it. 3 stars.