Movie Review: Pitch Perfect

Alright, before I get this review rolling, I have a confession to make: I'm in an a cappella group.

Yeah, that's right. And we're called Acappellics Anonymous. Get over it.

It isn't a huge secret or anything, but often when people learn this about me they kind of smirk and laugh a bit to themselves, then put on serious face as if they don't think it's rediculous. Well you know what? It is ridiculous. A cappella music, at its core, is silly, over the top, and just about the nerdiest thing someone can do, but I love it. You see, no matter how weird singing all a cappella arrangements to pop songs can be, it is still just one of the funnest things ever.

So when I heard that a movie was being made about collegiate a cappella groups, I just about died. During my college experience, being in an a cappella group has been one of my greatest experiences. I've made amazing friends, won some awesome competitions, and been able to sing my little heart out. My hopes were that this movie, in its infinite potential, would show just how great, albeit strange, a cappella can be.

With that in mind Pitch Perfect, from the opening scene, is very up front about what it is and what it is here to do. It isn't here to win any oscars, or even any grammy's,  but it is here to win a few hearts.

The story follows Becca (Anna Kendrick), a totally rad chick who wants to be a DJ and move to Los Angeles, not attend college like her dad wants. Upon her father's bargain to try out school for at least a year and become involved in an extracurricular activity, Becca begrudgingly auditions for the down-and-out Barden Bellas, an all female a cappella group that tragically lost last years nationals competition, along with most of its members. Along the way, the new batch of motley recruits must work together in order to get their act together in order to win the nationals a cappella competition. And, along the way, they may just learn a valuable lesson or two.

Ok, so sure, it has some pretty standard movie tropes. There's the underdogs, the distanced main character, and a plucky love interest that somehow puts up with all of Becca's bullshit. However, at the same time, the movie is constantly moving and somehow turning these tropes on their heads with clever jokes and physical humor. Like I said, it is completely and totally aware of just how silly a cappella competitions can be. Instead of taking themselves too seriously, they allow a large amount of room for a healthy dose of meta-humor and off the wall comedy. Sure, you probably will be able to guess most of what's going to happen, but you will have a hell of a time despite that.

"What, you mad?"

The cast also does a great job of striking just the right balance of puppy-like cuteness and raunchy sensibility. The lot of them are pretty damn funny and even allow to paint it on a little thick from time to time for effect. They are smart girls who are playing it smart. Too much in either direction would have been a mess, but because of their efforts the movie sticks comfortably between heart warming and bat-shit crazy. Also,  I dare anyone to look at Anna Kendrick's face and not fall in love with her. Double-dog-dare.

LOOK AT IT!!!

Rounding out the group we also have Brittany Snow (in the "what has she been doing?" category), Anna Camp, and Rebel Wilson. They nail their comedic timing, but also have surprisingly nice voices. Nothing that is going to blow you away, mind you, but completely cute and functional singing voices.

As adorable as Anna may always be perpetually and for all time, it is often Rebel Wilson who steals the show. Her off-color one liners will, in many scenes, be the saving grace that holds it all together. Now, while you are watching the movie you may not notice it, but afterwords you may realize her character, called "Fat" Amy, is less of a character and more of a gag machine. It doesn't make or break the movie, but it's still something that can feel a little disappointing.

In fact, my only real gripe with Pitch Perfect is how thin the characters can be at times. In order to get all of the chart topping numbers crammed into this little movie, most of the character development is kind of shaved down the bare minimum. Yet, the movie, in its ever wise understanding of movie pitfalls, calls to attention that some characters have "been there the whole time" even if the audience has never really noticed. It's pretty funny, and also refreshing in a world of movies that try desperately to hide these inevitable movie downsides.

So, yeah, Pitch Perfect isn't in fact perfect, but it gets pretty close. Take all of the film's high points and join it with some killer a cappella arrangements, and you have a movie that will have you smiling and cheering in spite of yourself.

Just make sure you are aca-prepared to have some fun.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Ok, I am going to do a review of The Dark Knight Rises, and I am going to try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. It's going to be tough since I like nothing more than talking about comic books and the films that are inspired by them, but I will do my best to not ruin it. It's been years of anticipation after the close of The Dark Knight, and now we finally have Christopher Nolan's finale to his Batman Saga.

For anyone who has been living on a space colony or was in a diabetic coma for the last six years and has not seen either Batman Begins or The Dark Knight I am sad to say that you missed one of the biggest pop culture phenomena of the 21st century. Also, go out and watch them right now. Right this minute. I'm not kidding. Both films, with more emphasis on 2008's The Dark Knight, are shining examples of not only comic book movies, but of cinema as a whole. Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Batman changed the playing field when it came to just what superhero movies could do, and Heath Ledger's interpretation of the Joker is unparalleled.

Most people, however, know this. The Dark Knight only made about a kazillion dollars at the box office and Heath Ledge won a posthumous Academy Award for his role as the Joker.

As you can tell though I have nothing but reverence for Christopher Nolan's Batman flicks. What he did for legitimizing comic book movies was absolutely groundbreaking. That being said, I don't think The Dark Knight Rises is a perfect movie. It's not a bad movie by any means, but perhaps not quite the perfect follow-up we were really hoping for.

But lets start with things that I liked, shall we?

First of all, this film is expertly acted, but with a cast this star-studded I wasn't expecting anything less. The roster on this film has some of the highest paid and most talented actors working in the business today and not one of them falls short. All of the returning actors are just as grounded and fragile as they ever were in the previous two installments. They fit right back into these characters' shoes without hesitation and almost make you forget that it was 3 years go that they last were all together. New members to the cast also hold their weight, with Hathaway standing out particularly. Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Selina Kyle/Catwoman is a fabulous and much more grounded take on the character that makes you forget about the chilling, yet campy, version Michelle Pfeiffer played in Batman Returns. All of the players drive this drama with real force and integrity even when the material sometimes isn't up to their standard.

Also, on a technical level, this film is absolutely gorgeous. From a snow-covered Gotham during the chilling explosion scene to a quiet Anne Hathaway pondering her stolen pearls in the mirror, this film really understands the power behind beautiful shots. This is Christopher Nolan at the top of his game in terms of cinematography and visual images. Although I was not fortunate enough to see the movie in IMAX, Nolan did film a large portion of the film in this difficult-to-use format. When I see it again I will most certainly be buying my IMAX tickets. The scope and visual artistry demands to be seen on as large a screen as possible.

From here on out things begin to take a turn for the worse. While this film no doubt provides an epic and satisfying conclusion to Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, it is perhaps one of the weakest when it comes to coherent plot and believability.

In its ambition to achieve an epic masterpiece the film tends to fall flat as a storytelling device. Where The Dark Knight was a grisly crime drama soaked in noir and dramatic character development, The Dark Knight Rises is easily the most comic-booky and character-light Nolan film to date. While this isn't always a bad thing it does tend to take the film increasingly deeper into movie conventions that Nolan has always been known for avoiding. Certain story lines that we had been waiting so long to see come to fruition seem to have been dusted under the rug, gotten rid of quickly in order to bring in the new threats. However, these bigger and badder problems never seem to have the same weight as the delicate character relationships that had been so painstakingly developed over the last two films. So while the conclusion is satisfying, many of the characters are never given the moments that the films seemed that have been headed in.

The film, at two hours forty-five minutes, also tends to drag a bit. I found myself, despite fighting these feelings for comic book nerd everywhere, rather bored during much of the film. The action set-pieces are phenomenal, but the characters' momentum often felt sluggish as if simply waiting around for the climax of the film. So while some moments were rushed, such as remaining storyline lingering from the last film, others felt far too long without anything too substantial to keep the flow. Due to this you may find yourself noticing plot holes from time to time, something that was nearly non-existant in the precious two incarnations.

What ends up happening to The Dark Knight Rises is what I like to call "The Third Movie Fallout". I was hoping Nolan would be able to avoid it, but like so many before him he falls into several of the same traps. As in Spider-Man 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, Back to the Future Part III and countless other trilogy films, the third installment, despite a fantastic second film and buildup, fails to live up that what is expected. Often filmmakers want the third installment to be bigger and more grand than the last, and in that shuffle often lose the heart and intricate filmmaking that made the others great. With The Dark Knight Rises Nolan delivers a clunky action piece that doesn't allow the characters to breath, no matter how talented the actor behind them is.

These flaws are really unfortunate, and for most of the film I didn't want to believe they existed, but by the end the cracks in the surface are apparent. Many of you wont agree with me, but this film has fallen very short of what it could have been. Now like I said earlier, it is by no means a bad film. Sub-par Christopher Nolan work still outshines what most production companies are able to pump out, but it doesn't make it any less disappointing. The third act is great, even with the occasional suspension of disbelief, but to get there is less than exciting.

Ultimately though Nolan's complete Batman package still stands as one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time. Even with its downsides, The Dark Knight Rises will still impress. It is, ultimately, just not as tight and cohesive as Nolan's previous work.

Score 3.5/5

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

I originally wrote this for Atlas, a magazine publication at Emerson college. Check us out here!

Ok, so before I can start reviewing Marc Webb’s new film The Amazing Spider-Man, I must first mention what is in the back of movie goers minds everywhere: Sam Rami’s 2002 film Spider-Man.

Now, as most of you know, this summer’s Spidey flick is a reboot of the fabulously successful Sony Pictures franchise. Audiences are getting retold the origin story of how young Peter Parker took to swinging around Manhattan in a tight red and blue suit, but with an added spin revolving around the mysterious disappearance of Peter’s parents. What has some viewers and critics worried is seeing the same movie that Sam Rami’s directed a decade ago; that this film is simply an attempt to cash-in on the previous success of the franchise.

I’m here to squash those fears.

Sure, in order for this to be a successful reboot there are several elements of the Sam Rami film, as well as integral story elements to the Spider-Man mythos, that must be retold in this summer’s blockbuster. That being said, this is nowhere near the same film you saw in 2002. Sam Rami’s direction, while great and notable for bringing superhero movies back into vogue, had a very distinct style reminiscent of early Spider-Man comic books. It was a wide-eyed and colorful interpretation of what made the early comics great. Full of adventure, fun, and heart, the first Spider-Man film, as well as its sequels, was a motion picture piece of pop art.

In The Amazing Spider-Man Marc Webb works hard to find a more realistic and subtle approach to the 

classic tale.

The film opens with young Peter Parker playing a game of hide-and-go seek. Suddenly calamity strikes and Peter’s parents are forced to skip town, leaving the young boy in the care of his living Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Zoom forward a decade and we see Peter Parker, all grown up, in high school representing the noble yet ignored social outcast. In the quest to find out more about his parent’s mysterious disappearance and death Peter must track down Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), the scientist who worked hand in hand with his father. Then—whoopsies--after snooping around the secret Oscorp lab Peter is bitten by a super powered spider and gains awesome powers. During Peter’s ever-increasing spout of self-discovery and burgeoning work with Connors, tragedy strikes when his Uncle Ben is shot and murdered. A guilt ridden, and also super-powered, Peter recklessly takes up a crime fighting persona to find his Uncle’s killer. At the same time his work with Connors takes a new and terrifying leap forward.

But you know that already, don’t you? You know the story. You got the gist. Why should you go see this movie? Well, first lets start off with the performances. This movie is just chalk-full of talent. Andrew Garfield brings a distinct lovability to Peter Parker, whose character has been given a much needed 21^st century personality lift. While Toby Maguire’s Peter Parker had a certain undeniable charm, Garfield injects the role with all of the wit and tragedy that the character has been known for during its last five decades in print. While already a celebrated actor, Garfield lends so much to the character of Peter Parker, the sad and lonely teenager that we all know, that must stand up when weaker men fall. Garfield constantly reminds viewers that Peter is not a saint, but human.

Emma Stone, who plays the beautiful and intelligent Gwen Stacy, is not only incredibly talented but also too damn cute to ignore. She is neither a femme fatale nor a damsel in distress, but rather the bright and self-sufficient woman the character has always been. With Stone in the role of Peter Parker’s first love she brings all of these elements to the table and more. The two together bring intense chemistry that will leave you smiling, or crying, in all of the right moments. These kids just click.

In fact, all of the performances are strong across the board. While it is easy for an actor to bring comic book style camp to a role, all of those attached to this film really bring their A-game. They destroy preconceived notions of what a “comic book movie” is and deliver that which is at the heart and sole of superhero stories: humanity.

Marc Webb’s direction also soars, well, for the most part. It should come to no surprise that Marc Webb was also the director on 500 Days of Summer, and brings here his expertise on indie dramedies to slow down the pace and allow for a deep study on these iconic characters. Marc Webb has something that Sam Rami never had and that’s the promise of a sequel. Rami’s first Spider-Man movie suffered from existing within a large time frame. You see Peter become super, make friends, graduate high school, attend college, and eventually defeat the bad guy all in one movie. Rami never knew he was going to get a sequel. He didn’t have the luxury to slow the hell down. In Webb’s film this isn’t an issue. It is apparent that Webb, as well as screenwriter James Vanderbilt, really wanted to focus in on the characters as ordinary people first, establish who they are, then really throw some cool stuff at them. Because of this, viewers are allowed to see a film interpretation of more modern comic book storytelling ala Brian Michael Bendis or J. Michael Straczynski. It is a more mature, subtler, and ultimately more moving character piece than most superhero movies, nay most movies, try to be.

My only argument here would be that perhaps Webb’s strong suit isn’t directing action scenes. With the exception of the stunning climax, most of the action scenes lack the tension that should exist in this sort of movie. Spider-Man moves with all of the grace and strength you would expect him to, but nothing ever quite matches up to the Time Square scene in Spider-Man or the astounding elevated train sequence in Spider-Man 2. However, Webb does still handle the action with style, infusing and equal amount of creativity, humor, and thrill into these scenes.  

So, while there may be some similarities to the Spider-Man movie you saw a decade ago, there is nothing to fear. Under the care of a delicate creative team and stellar cast we are introduced to a new kind of Spider-Man movie and the anticipation of a promising franchise. One that opts for smaller moments and relationship building set in front of a large action set piece. While Rami’s Spider-movies really taught us now remarkable people can be ordinary, Webb’s film teaches us how ordinary people can be amazing.

Score: 4.5/5

Movie Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Ok, so lets start out by talking about the novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith. 

I urge all of you to go out and read it. 

Honestly. You may not believe me, but it is an intelligent genre mash-up that lends itself to an incredibly gripping and original character driven story.  Also, it is fantastically researched and shockingly accurate. A lot of the fun of the book comes from trying to figure out just what is reality and what is fantasy. On several occasions I began to forget that Honest Abe didn't actually fight creatures of the night, and in my delusion I loved every minute of it. 

But we aren't here to talk about the book, now are we. No no, we are here to discuss the film adaptation directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring Benjamin Walker as the titular president. 

I urge all of you to avoid it like the plague.

"But Raymond", you say, "Seth Grahame-Smith is the screen writer and Timur Bekmambetov has given us several visually interesting movies. What could go wrong?"

Apparently everything.

The film follows Abraham Lincoln, the man on the five dollar bill, the man who ended slaver in the United States, from childhood to his famous and well documented presidency. However, what you may not know, is that the man was also one of the world's greatest hunter of vampires, a league of creatures that once held a terrible grip on the United States. After a vampire murders his mother, young Abe takes up the mantle to kill every blood-sucker in the Union. As his political life develops and the civil war looms, Abe's connection to vampires begins to have an ever more important and terrifying connection. 

From the start of the movie the story we grew to begrudgingly love is stripped away for a much more streamlined, however bland, recount of Lincoln's viscous hunt for vampires. Gone is the deep character development of Abraham Lincoln as his blood lust leads to an ever increasingly tragic life. Gone is the moving friendship dynamic between Abe and Henry, a benevolent and patient vampire teacher who suability pushes Abraham towards far greater aspirations. Gone is historical accuracy that drives you deeper into the fantastical world. Gone, basically, is everything that once made the concept fun, smart, and scary. 

What we are left with is a movie that tries to be dark, tries to be gritty, tries to have all the things the book has but fails. Hard. At a certain point in the film the rest of audience and myself began to realize that this movie was a complete joke. However, unfortunately, the film itself never realizes this, instead turing into an over dramatic half-baked horror fantasy that just happens to have some historical names in it. 

Entire rules of physics are destroyed, Abraham Lincoln's actual life story is pissed all over, and all of the terror and beautiful supernatural metaphors are gone. What is left is 105 minutes of your life that you will never get back. Even if this was just a really loose interpretation of the book I could forgive its downfalls if the movie at least had a working story, but it doesn't. Instead, the director just fills in the holes of the plot with nameless Femme Fatales and bad, cartoony, CGI. 

Above: Bad, cartoony, CGI. 

Unfortunately, the cast isn't able to save this skeleton of a story. Most of them seem slightly confused as to why exactly they are there, and the ones who feel confident about there roles are simply trying too hard. Due to this rarely does any real emotion come across on the screen. The highs are Brady Bunch and the lows are As the World Turns without any real room for any middle ground. 

I suppose it wasn't all bad though. For starters, the movie is fucking beautiful. Even with all of the annoying slowed down action sequences the film never quits with its brilliantly designed set pieces, gorgeous swooping camera shots, and larger than life costumes. Bekmambetov just bleeds style, and with Vampire Hunter it shows. However, this style does begin to get in the way of itself, especially during the larger action sequences. They may be beautiful, but for the most part they are unnecessary and far too lengthy. It was also pretty funny, but not for any of the reasons a movie should be funny.

Also, Benjamin Walker looks weirdly like Abraham Lincoln. Still don't know if that's just good make-up or the greatest doppelgänger ever. Whatever, I already don't care. 

Umm, and other goods things...well, the actors are pretty, and we get to see a whole lot of them half-naked. So there's something.

Once the credits began to roll I was left a angry. Not simply because the source material was raped, because that's usually something I can forgive, but because even talented people can still make something that almost hurts to watch. If you absolutely need to see it, please be drunk while doing so. I wish I had been. Then, after the torture has ceased, kill the movie with either fire, beheading, or a stake to the heart. 

Score: 1/5