© 2012 Ray Wong
Time travel stories are difficult to pull off -- either it is too implausible, or it's too predictable. Granted, nobody has ever time traveled before (as far as we know) so everything is up for speculation. Still, some logic and rules must be followed. In that regard, Looper does a good job setting up those rules to present us with a story that is more about moral choices than time travel itself.
Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is part of a group of professional assassins called Loopers because they only kill people who are sent back from the future. As he explains, time travel hasn't been invented yet, but in 30 years it will be, and it will be immediately outlawed. Only that a small group of criminals will get hold of that technology and profit from it, by sending their victims to the present to be killed and destroyed (so no traces will be found since the body does not technically exist in the present). His boss Abe (Jeff Daniels) is sent from the future to run the operation.
There is only one catch, however. When the Looper's contract is up, they have to "close the loop" so they won't create a time-space paradox. What happens is that the older Looper will be sent to the present, so the younger Looper will kill him off in exchange of four bars of silver. Basically it's a 30-year retirement, and then you're dead. Joe knows his time will come soon, and he's been saving half his earnings so he can retire comfortably for the next 30 years, preferably somewhere in France.
When his friend and fellow Looper Seth (Paul Dano) fails to kill his older self, Seth (and his older self) is hunted down like a dog. From Seth, Joe knows that someone in the future has taken control and killing off all the Loopers. Sure enough, old Joe (Bruce Willis) is being sent back to be terminated -- but because the younger Joe has the knowledge of "plan," (don't worry, it's all explained in the movie), old Joe manages to escape. It turns out that old Joe knows the possible identity of the future mastermind and is determined to kill him in the present, so to change his own future. Young Joe must track down old Joe and finish him off, before the other Loopers find them both.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Premium Rush) goes through a daily 3-hour makeup that makes him look like a younger version of Bruce Willis. Other than the physical resemblance, he also successfully impersonates Willis' mannerism and personality while making the character his own. Meanwhile, Willis (The Expendables) is playing a different version of his downtrodden tough guy persona. Still, there is certain synergy and collaboration between the two actors that we can believe they are the same person. By and large, they have succeeded.
Emily Blunt (Salmon Fishing in the Yeman) plays a farm owner and young mother, Sara. She shows a rougher side of her that has so far not been present in her recent roles. Pierce Gagnon does a good job as her precocious son. Paul Dano (Ruby Sparks) has a very small role but he makes the best of it. Noah Segan (All About Evil) tends to overact in his one-dimensional role as a Looper, but Jeff Daniels (Quad) compensates with his solid portrayal as the ringleader.
Written and directed by Ryan Johnson (The Brothers Bloom), the screenplay is intriguing in terms of premise and also execution. The story has a gritty feel to it, depicting a near-future dystopia that is both disturbing and fascinating. The tone reminds me of various movies ranging from Bladerunner to Time Cop to Memento. There is a great central mystery, and the plot keeps us guessing until the end, only revealing information and clues as they are relevant. I particularly like the characterization of Joe (both young and old, and how the character has changed in 30 years) and Sara. There is certain depth that is atypical in action-thrillers. The sci-fi aspect of the story is somewhat trippy and requires a good dose of suspension of disbelief. Like I said, time traveling is a tricky subject, but I think Johnson has successful set up the parameters and rules early on so the rest of the story can make sense.
Johnson's direction is precise and effective. While it's sci-fi, the production is reality-based and the special effects are not very sophisticated. But that's the point: it may be a sci-fi thriller, but it's also a morality and personal drama that is based very much in reality. Knowing what we know about the future, which path will be choose? Would we accept our fate, or would we try to change it at the expense of others? That's the central moral question, and the ending answers it perfectly.
Looper is a thought-provoking, gritty sci-fi thriller with a nice dose of drama. It's not without its flaws and could have been better. But with solid performances from the actors and an intriguing premise that ends unexpectedly, it will certainly throw an enthusiastic viewer for a loop.
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Jeff Daniels, Pierce Gagnon, Summer Qing
Director: Ryan Johnson
Writer: Ryan Johnson
Distributor: FilmDistrict
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drugs
Running Time: 118 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 8
Direction - 8
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 7
Editing - 8
Production - 8
Total - 7.7 out of 10.0
© 2012 Ray Wong
It's been four years since Gran Torino that Clint Eastwood appeared on screen as our favorite curmudgeon (the iconic actor has been busy playing Oscar-nominated director). Trouble with the Curve is right up his alley, perhaps a little too familiar.
Gus (Clint Eastwood) is the senior scout for the Atlanta Braves, but he is getting older and he eyes are going bad. But the stubborn, cranky old man refuses to acknowledge his problems because he may lose his job, which is all he has to live for. The fact is, he may lose his job anyway since he colleagues are depending on computers and stats to make their picks; old-time scouts like Gus are relics. Gus tries his best to hold on to his job and dignity, but he knows he has only one more chance as his contract is up for renewal in a few months.
His estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) is concerned about him. At the urge of Gus's boss (John Goodman), Mickey travels to a small town in North Carolina to help her father scouting a hot baseball player that the Red Sox is also interested in. The Red Sox scout, Johnny (Justin Timberlake) happens to be one of the Gus's picks in the past -- a sport-related incident cut Johnny's ball-player career short. Johnny tags along as he respects and wants to learn something from Gus. But most important, Johnny is attracted to Mickey and wants to get closer.
A proud man, Gus is displeased that his daughter is playing nanny to him. He also has difficulty expressing his feelings to and communicating with Mickey, to her frustration and dismay. Meanwhile, Mickey tries very hard to connect with her father, even at the risk of losing her opportunity to become partner at her law firm. But between career and family, Mickey makes her choice. Would Gus do the same for her?
Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino) now has few competition (Robert De Niro and Ben Kingsley, perhaps) in the curmudgeon category, and he does it so well, what with his lanky body, disheveled looks, and gravelly voice. At his worst, Eastwood perpetuates the stereotype of a grumpy old man. At his best, he displays the rare inner pain and sorrow and softness of a lonely man who has trouble expressing his emotions to the person he loves the most. There is no question that Eastwood has given us a touching yet familiar performance.
Amy Adams (The Muppets) is quite good as the daughter. Hers is a more complex character -- strong and capable on the outside, but sad, angry, hurt and vulnerable on the inside. Adams does a fine job navigating through the myriad of emotions and walking a fine line between being heartfelt and cliched. Of the three leads, though, Justin Timberlake (In Time) seems out of place. Not a bad actor, but he is not in the same league as his co-stars. He seems slight and unconvincing as an ex-baseball player. His chemistry with Amy Adams also seems a bit off to pull off the "love interest" role.
The rest of the supporting cast is limited by what they have to play with. John Goodman (Argo) is affecting as Gus's boss, but his role is too "nice" to be real. Matthew Lillard (The Descendants) can play a slime ball in his sleep. Robert Patrick (Safe House) has a small but solid role as the Braves' owner.
Written by first-time screenwriter Randy Brown, the screenplay shows potential in the beginning. Every scene shows us a facet of the characters' lives and is full of nuance and conflicts. These are not life-and-death situations, but problems that are important to the characters. The screenplay handles the character development (of the two main characters) and their delicate relationship rather well. It looks to be a good, intimate personal drama.
Unfortunately, once the plot picks up, the story quickly goes into cliche-land. By midpoint, we already know how the story is going to end, how the character is going to turn out, and what lessons we are going to learn. In fact, the screenplay is so heavy-handed in these aspects that I start to feel manipulated. The characters, especially the minor ones, begin to look like caricatures. We have the slimy backstabbers, the cocky jock/jerk, the charming lover boy, the supportive boss… what are we missing here? Also, the story starts to distract itself from the father-daughter relationship by including an unlikely romance. Worse, as the second half clips along, the plot tries to wrap up as quickly as possible with all the loose ends tied up so nicely and easily that I feel like someone was saying, "Hey, hurry up and get to the happy ending already."
That's a shame. Robert Lorenz's direction isn't all that bad. Granted, he is a first-time director as well but he has learned quite a bit from his mentor, Clint Eastwood himself. The production is down-to-earth and the pacing is good. I am just disappointed by how cliched the story turns out given the promise of the first half. To use a baseball phrase, the movie has "trouble with the curve."
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard
Director: Robert Lorenz
Writer: Randy Brown
Distributor: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, sexual references, some violence and smoking
Running Time: 111 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 6
Performance - 8
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 7
Editing - 7
Production - 7
Total - 7.0 out of 10.0
© 2012 Ray Wong
In financial terms, "arbitrage" means the practice and possibility of making risk-free profit with zero cost. In movie terms, Arbitrage is a story about a ruthless hedge fund magnet and the cost he must pay.
Robert Miller (Richard Gere) is a Wall Street billionaire running a successful hedge fund investment company. However, unbeknownst to his family, he is in desperate need to close a deal to sell his empire to cover his track. He has been fudging his books and borrowing money from his friends to cover his losses (to pay one investor with another investor's money, so to speak -- in a way, kind of like a Ponzi scheme) based on a bad financial decision. In order to right all wrongs, in his mind, and to protect all the people he cares about (including his family and his investors), he needs to sell his company quickly for a huge profit, so he can get out of the jam without his fraud being discovered.
But his potential buyer is stalling, no doubt trying to negotiate a much lower price. Obviously, Miller is under a lot of pressure while trying to project a calm and collected exterior. He seeks a relief outlet in his mistress Julie (Laetitia Casta), who is not entirely sweet and supportive either. Then a horrible accident changes everything. Miller makes a fateful decision to leave the scene, thus making him a suspect for a possible homicide. Detective Bryer (Tim Roth) is hot on Miller's track.
Miller tries his best to cover things up, for any negative news could derail his entire deal. He makes every effort, using any resources he has, to make sure that Bryer doesn't get to him. But the cunning detective is great at playing this game, too. So can Miller get away with his crimes? What kind of price will he pay?
Richard Gere (Amelia) has truly matured as an actor over the years. As Robert Miller, Gere is handsome and charming, and projects the kind of cold, calculated calmness of a shrewd businessman. But Gere goes beyond that to give us a highly complex, flawed character that actually has an emotional life. At times the character may seem extremely unlikeable, almost sociopathic, but then Gere is able to dig deeper to make us see that it is the way the character can function, but compartmentalize his emotions and thoughts to deal with all those issues whirling around his life as a businessman and family man.
Susan Sarandon (Cloud Atlas) teams up with Gere again as his wife Ellen. She does a great job portraying a compromising wife whose first priority is her family -- the mother hen who will do anything to protect her brood, if you will, even at the cost of her marriage. As the ruthless cop, Tim Roth (Broken) matches Gere with his intensity and cunningness.
The rest of the cast is superb as well. In particular, Brit Marling (The Company You Keep) does a good job portraying a savvy businesswoman who is also vulnerable and naive as Miller's daughter. Laetitia Casta (The Island) is fiery as Miller's temperamental mistress. The standout is Nate Parker (The Secret Life of Bees), who plays the unlikely hero in this twisted tale.
Written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki (The Informer), the screenplay is taut as a thriller, but also engrossing as a character-driven drama. At times, I was a bit lost as the plot unfolds -- there are financial jargons and situations that may need a bit more development and exposition for the average audience to understand. But once that is out of the way, the story takes off as Miller's dilemmas and conflicts become more and more complicated, and the hole he is digging for himself becomes deeper and deeper. Jarecki's plot is like a train wreck -- it gets faster and faster and faster and we can't help but hold our breath and see how the central character can out of it.
And due to his performance, Richard Gere, based on Jarecki's writing, helps develop an unlikable character that we actually root for. We actually want him to get out of his troubles, but at the same time wonder what has changed for him. Will he ever learn? The fact that no matter what happens, Robert Miller is paying a high price is in itself satisfactory to the audience. That's one thing I like about Jarecki's screenplay, that every character is flawed. There are no clear villains or "good guys." Every character has done something inscrutable, but we can all relate to the mistakes they make.
It's not the say the movie is perfect. There are plot elements that stretches our ability to suspend our disbelief. The amount of coincidences can be distracting, and we do question the morals of these characters, as they are all so larger than life.
Yet despite its flaws and distractions, I find the movie engrossing, and the characters relatable and sympathetic, even when they are not very likable. There are thrills and suspense, and quite a bit of depth as far as character development is concerned. I like it.
Stars: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Laetitia Casta, Nate Parker
Director: Nicholas Jarecki
Writer: Nicholas Jarecki
Distributor: Lionsgate
MPAA Rating: R for language, brief violence, and drug use
Running Time: 100 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 7
Performance - 8
Direction - 8
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 8
Editing - 8
Production - 8
Total - 7.8 out of 10.0
© 2012 Ray Wong
Movies about writers always fascinate me as I'm a writer. Unfortunately, I also review them with a more critical eye. And with that critical eye, I must say I'm very disappointed with The Words.
The story begins with famed novelist Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid) doing a reading of his latest bestseller, The Words. At the core of this piece of fiction is protagonist, a young struggling writer Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), and his loving partner Dora (Zoe Saldana). Despite not having much, Rory and Dora are happy, except that Rory is becoming more and more desperately frustrated with his "career" as a novelist. Eventually Rory gives up and ends up working as a mail office clerk at a literary agency.
While on their honeymoon in Paris, Rory comes across a tattered briefcase in an antique shop. Then he discovers a typewritten manuscript inside the briefcase that would eventually change his life. The anonymous manuscript tells of a story of an American soldier (Ben Barnes) and his young wife Celia (Nora Arnezeder) living in post-WWII Paris, and it's written by a writer whose talent creates much envy and woe for Rory -- Rory realizes he will never be that good. Desperate, Rory decides to retype the manuscript as his own. Soon, the book becomes a bestselling novel and makes Rory the new literary darling.
Even with his success, Rory struggles with the guilt of his secret, that he's plagiarized and stolen someone's life as his own. That guilt comes to a head when an old man visits him, and reveals that he is the author of the story. What should Rory do? How can he make amends?
Bradley Cooper (Hangover 2) has played a writer before, and he does it rather well, even though he is probably too pretty (how many gorgeous writers do we know?) That said, Cooper's portrayal is somewhat underwhelming and understated to make a lasting impression, or to be convincing. Zoe Saldana (Columbiana) is luminous as Dora, but her role is reduced to secondary and supporting as the character hasn't been fully realized.
Dennis Quaid (Footloose) does a fine job as a writer who seems to have buried a lot of pain underneath his cheery, charming shell. Quaid manages to convince us that his character is ambivalent and confused. Olivia Wilde's (People Like Us) talent is rather wasted in a small role as a literary student who crushes on the older writer. Ben Barnes (Killing Bono) is affecting as the young protagonist in Rory's story, and Nora Arnezeder (Maniac) is effervescent as his wife.
But the standout is veteran Jeremy Irons (Margin Call), whose tired face and eyes convey the sadness and hollowness of the old man he portrays. Irons's performance is subtle, understated and yet heartbreakingly real.
That brings me to biggest problem I have with the screenplay, written by co-directors Brian Klugman (TRON: Legacy) and Lee Sternthal (TRON: Legacy). While the concept of plagiarism is fascinating and important, their treatment of the story is cliched and convoluted. Worst of all, I find it melodramatic and unauthentic. So many elements feel off and unrealistic. The triple layers of story-within-a-story structure makes it harder for us to relate and connect to the characters -- who are we supposed to be rooting for? The young man and Celia? Rory and Dora? Or the successful writer? At the end of the day, none of these characters seem particularly engaging or sympathetic.
As a writer, I am also jarred out of the story by the inaccuracy when it comes to publishing. I'm sorry, but an agent simply would not call a writer into this office just to reject him. The only purpose of that scene is to create suspense, but not only does it fail in doing so (we already know what is coming), but it almost ruins the entire movie for me. Also, any literary agent worth his salt would not tolerate plagiarism -- he would have taken his commission, pledged innocence, and kicked his client to the curb. Such outrageous plot points hamper the story to a point that I just can't suspend my disbelief. Not to mention the "story" that is supposed to be so sensational turns out to be melodramatic and mundane -- that is, after all, the cardinal sin of writing: if you're going to tell us someone is a great writer/poet, don't actually show us his work.
The direction by Klugman and Sternthal is also clunky and slow. The pacing is off, and at places the plot becomes so unnecessarily melodramatic that it's hard to watch. The payoff isn't there either. What is the story about? The morality of stealing? Or how crazy and unstable it is to love and trust someone? I am not really sure. Without a strong message and theme, the story becomes unfocused and irrelevant.
That is a shame. The premise is interesting and presents a deep, controversial conflict. Unfortunately, the execution falls way short of expectations. Thus my final words: Not very good.
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, J.K. Simmons, Ben Barnes, Nora Arnezeder
Directors: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal
Writers: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal
Distributor: CBS Films
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language and smoking, drinking
Running Time: 96 minutes
Ratings:
Script - 6
Performance - 7
Direction - 6
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 8
Editing - 7
Production - 7
Total - 6.7 out of 10.0
