Thank You for Smoking

For the fourth guest review, I asked my friend "Movie Man" if he'd be interested in writing a guest review for BIG SCREEN. As I had with the other guest reviewers, I told him he could pick whatever movie he wanted. I had never heard of the film that he chose, so I was interested to see it for myself.

MOVIE MAN'S "ONE HABIT YOU WON'T WANT TO QUIT" REVIEW:

Before Juno, director Jason Reitman made a film called Thank You For Smoking. This is a satirical comedy about a lobbyist for a tobacco company named Nick Naylor played by Aaron Eckhart. He is a real spin doctor who will say anything to get the general public smoking. He is, however, very good at his job, and is able to talk people into doing anything. However, not everyone falls for his stories that he spins. One of whom is a Vermont Senator, beautifully played by William H. Macy. Nick finds opposition with this senator, who apparently would do anything to keep the public from smoking, including having Nick kidnapped and have tobacco patches placed all over his body. A sequence which has a very funny ironic twist. At the same time, Nick has a 12 year old son, whom he is trying to remain a role model to.

Aaron Eckhart really turns playing a sleazy character into an art form here, as he did in his debut film back in 1997, In the of Company of Men. You would not want any other actor playing this role. Eckhart just does it so well, and yet somehow remains to be a likable character. It’s a brilliant performance that should have earned him an Oscar nomination, especially since he did earn a Golden Globe nomination for this performance.

There are also an all-star cast of supporting characters that are just as good. Some of whom include Macy, as the Senator from Vermont, Robert Duvall, Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, Rob Lowe, and Adam Brody as Rob Lowe’s over-caffeinated assistant in yet another very funny scene.

The film’s script, also written by Reitman, is smart, clever and witty. The kind of writing you don’t always see in comedies. All the comedy comes out of the dialogue and situations. He writes his characters with the same wit and cleverness. It’s so refreshing to see such an intelligent comedy as this is when there is so many dumb movies out there that talk down to the audience. One thing I found shocking was when it came to Oscar time, not only wasn’t this film nominated for a screenplay award, but the academy actually wasted the nomination on the dumb, and pointless, Borat. What a crime that was!

Overall, Thank You For Smoking is a smart, intelligent comedy with smart, intelligent characters. This is definitely a film you do not want to miss.


**** out of *****

GREEN'S "EVERYONE'S GOT A MORTGAGE TO PAY" REVIEW:

It was hard to choose a title for this review. There were so many good lines that I could have used.

There are some movies that you watch with zero expectations going in. I had none as I had never heard of it before. There are also movies that you can tell are going to be really good right from the opening music and credits. I had that vibe with this movie right away.

Turns out that this movie is much better than I anticipated. So much so that I bought it after I watched the library copy I borrowed in order to write this review and have watched it a few times since.

This movie is all about spin and how modern society can twist the facts to make them say whatever you want, even if it's unrealistic. It even spins the fact that you want to root for the "bad guys" and hate the"good guys."

One of the great things about this film is that not once do we see a cigarette lit up. No one smokes in this movie.

Aaron Eckhart is absolutely perfect for the role of tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor. In fact the whole cast is excellent, right down to The Captain and the ex-Marlboro Man, played by Robert Duvall and Sam Elliott respectively. The script was brilliantly adapted from the Christopher Buckley novel of the same name, which I now want to read.

Jason Reitman is proving to be one of Hollywood's brightest young (under 40) writer/directors. After this film he directed Juno, which was excellent and he has received a lot of praise for his current film, Up in the Air.

This film is irreverent and sharp and delivers a serious message in the funniest possible way. It was shown at the Toronto and Sundance Film Festivals before its wide release in 2006. Unbelievable that the run time is only 91 minutes.

The extras on the DVD are also very well done and will enhance your enjoyment of this movie. The cast and crew interviews are very insightful and they have a lot to say regarding the nature of spin. For example, William H. Macy says that the "notion of spinning the truth is totally relevant. Part of what's happening in this country is 'where's the truth?' And now people are willing to accept no truth or a substitute for truth." Dennis Miller, in his famous tongue in cheek way, adds that "a little BS goes a long way. It makes us feel better."

If you're having trouble deciding what to watch some night, this movie will not disappoint. Even if you've seen it before you will still enjoy it. It's the kind of movie that is so good that it lends itself to multiple viewings.

***** out of *****

Thank You for Smoking (2005, R, 91 minutes), starring Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes, William H. Macy, JK Simmons, Maria Bello, David Koechner, Rob Lowe, Adam Brody, Robert Duvall and Sam Elliott. Screenplay written by Jason Reitman. Adapted from the novel by Christopher Buckley. Directed by Jason Reitman.

Shaun of the Dead

For the third guest review, I asked my old friend American Guy if he'd like to choose a film and write a review. He has been a willing contributor to this blog on a few occasions in the past.

AMERICAN GUY'S “THINGS WILL CHANGE, I PROMISE” REVIEW:

Though I still believe that blogging is a dying art form, I was more than happy to pitch in another guest review for this here site. When the great Green one gave me my choice of movies, we toyed around with a few things before deciding on one of my favourites of recent years – “Shaun of the Dead”.

Now I had heard of this film when it first came out in the theatre and thought the premise was great, but as is so often the case didn't actually get to see it. Much like Snakes on a Plane, (which I think was the last guest review I did here), the name alone promised a rollicking good time. Unlike Snakes though, this is a genuinely good movie (as opposed to the 'so bad it's good' variety). I'm a big fan of Simon Pegg, was a fairly recent convert to Dylan Moran (if you've never watched Black Books, see if you can get your hands on it), and I've always had a soft spot for zombie movies (here's a quick zombie joke for you all, overheard at a rally for zombie rights: “What do we want?” “Braaaaaains”, “When do we want it?” “Braaaaaains”).

Some people call this a send up of the zombie genre. I don't think that's quite right. It's a comedy, though not in the traditional sense, and you can tell the filmmakers have a genuine love of zombie flicks. So while it plays on some of the excesses of movies about the undead, it does so in a way that never makes fun of them. One recurring joke is the characters' reluctance to use 'the zed word'. Nor, it should be said, is this a take off on “Dawn of the Dead”. It's just a clever title.

I'll leave the who's who in the zoo to Green. But as a very brief outline, this film is about Shaun: a working class everyman stuck in a dead end job, living with his feckless flatmate, and trying to figure out his relationship with his much too good for him girlfriend. When an outbreak of zombinism occurs, he doesn't immediately notice. Once he does, we spend a fair bit in familiar 'don't let them get you' territory (and yes, despite this being a comedy, there is a bit of gore, including one genuinely gruesome scene). Zombie movies often have a hard time figuring out how to end the story, but I think all told they figured out a reasonable way to approach it.

This film may not be for everyone. The comedy is probably a bit dry for an American audience. If sitcoms and Jim Carrey are your idea of funny, Shaun may not work for you. But if you fancy some wit mixed in with a bit of slapstick against a backdrop of blood stained and armless reanimated corpses, than definitely check it out.

Things to watch for: 1) The opening credits are brilliant in showing how the undead already seem to walk among us. 2) A cute nod to 28 Days Later. 3) In the third act, watch for a musical number that had me on the floor in stitches. You'll know it when you see it.

**** out of *****


GREEN'S "WE'RE GOING TO THE WINCHESTER" REVIEW:

I had only heard of this movie two years ago, when Scribe and I reviewed Hot Fuzz, which also starred Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; which is to say I saw this film listed on Pegg's IMDb page. I believe one of my college friends a few years ago advised me to skip this movie because it was totally stupid. And I did, until AG decided he'd like to review it. I borrowed the DVD from the library, had it for the maximum two weeks, returned it, borrowed it again for another two weeks before I finally decided to watch it and get it over with. You can tell how exited I was to see this and how high my expectations were. I'm just glad I didn't have to pay to watch it.

AG did a great job giving you the basic synopsis of the movie, so I won't rehash it again.

I can appreciate the dry British sense of humor, so that aspect of the film was not a problem for me. I've never been a fan of horror movies (even those horror movies that make fun of horror movies, like this one). I find the whole genre ridiculous and laughable, with a few rare exceptions. Given the genre I was not disappointed (not necessarily a good thing, mind) and I understand the spirit in which this movie was made. It is obvious that the director and Pegg, at least, like or have a reverence for zombie movies. I think Simon Pegg is a brilliant comedic actor and was very credible as a young Scotty in 2009's Star Trek.

IMDb touts Kate Ashfield as "a powerful British actress" which may or may not be accurate, since I've not seen any of the English television shows she's acted in. Sure, she was good here, playing the straight, serious girlfriend Liz to Pegg's slacker boyfriend Shaun. It would be interesting to see her acting skillz in some other role.

It took me a few minutes to pick out the movie in which I had seen Dylan Moran before this, but eventually I got it. See if you can pick him out in Notting Hill.

Director Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg are obviously friends and have worked together on a few other movies and know what the other brings to the table. Wright does a good job directing the film and keeps the story from getting too silly.

If this is the genre of movies you love then this movie is great; there is none better. For the rest of us it's an enjoyable waste of time, if only barely.

** out of *****

Shaun of the Dead (2004, R, 100 minutes), starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy and Nicola Cunningham. Screenplay by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. Directed by Edgar Wright.

Catwoman

For the second guest review, I thought it would be fun to ask someone I "met" on Twitter, rather by accident, last fall. Much to my surprise and delight, he was up for the challenge. He is the author of the excellent historical fiction novel Gladiatrix, which I recommend if, like he, you have an interest in ancient Greek and Roman history. Even if you don't, it's a great read.

As is my custom with these guest reviews, I gave him the choice of what movie we should review. His choice rather caught me by surprise.

LANISTA'S "ONLY AS BAD AS I WANNA BE" REVIEW:

Veering sharply away from comic canon, Pitof’s 2004 movie Catwoman is the story of mild-mannered but put upon graphic artist Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) who – because of a selfless act – is miraculously saved from death by a messenger of the Egyptian cat goddess Bast. On her “awakening” she discovers that she is imbued with mystical powers that transform her from timid designer to the ferociously sexy Catwoman.

Catwoman’s basic plot is very simple. Sure, Patience has wasted her artistic talent working for a giant cosmetic company but that doesn’t stop her from being a nice person – as is proven when she risks life and limb to save a cat that appears to be stuck outside her apartment window. However, it’s Patience that needs rescuing in the end as the cat (typically) wanders off, leaving Patience stuck on the ledge, hundreds of feet from the ground.

Enter heroic cop, Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt in full-on charm mode) who saves the day and takes a shine to Patience, pursuing the shy artist till she agrees to go on a date with him. A good thing, then, that her personal life is on the up as her professional one takes a downturn. Patience’s corporate asshole boss is not happy with her work and demands that she “redo the work by midnight!”

Which – to her credit – she does. However, on returning to the office, she finds it locked and endeavors to find another way in. She does, but unwittingly stumbles upon a clandestine meeting between her boss (a sneering Lambert Wilson), his ex-supermodel girlfriend (Sharon Stone) and the scientist behind the company’s newest product which has been proven to reverse the skins aging process. As successful as it is, we discover that the balm is both addictive and destructive - if a user manages to “come off” the stuff, their skin cells begin to deteriorate with horrifying results.

Sadly for Patience, she is overheard trying to escape and goons are dispatched to “take care of her,” which they do by flushing her out of waste pipe into the icy depths of the river below. So our heroine is killed at the end of the first act…or is she?

Washed up on shore, Patience’s corpse is surrounded by cats and one (called Midnight) - specifically the one she attempted to save in the movie’s first reel - breathes the spirit of Bast into her, giving her powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men (and women).

Midnight the magic cat sticks around and leads Patience to the mysterious Ophelia Powers who tells her of her new abilities and how “Catwomen” have existed throughout history (which ties in neatly with the movies opening credits.). In this sequence there’s also a nod to movie (if not comic) canon as a photo of one of the Catwomen Ophelia shows Patience is none other than Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selena Kyle in her PVC getup, though it should be noted this is a fleeting glimpse and doesn’t in anyway attempt to tie this move to Batman Retruns.

Whilst Patience comes to terms with her new found powers, we discover that asshole boss is two-timing Sharon Stone (how dare he!). In a fit of pique, Sharon crushes a glass in her hand and we see that her skin is not damaged in the slightest. So – the byproduct of not stopping use of the age-cure is marble-hard skin.

From here, the story is satisfyingly predictable – Catwoman learns to use her powers, Catwoman kicks some ass, Patience tries to reconcile her new self in her relationship to Tom, Catwoman kicks some more ass till she takes down – well – everyone who did her wrong. And naturally there’s girl-fight with marble-hard Sharron Stone – which is heaps of fun to watch, full of snarling, hissing an needless (but fun) comic-style dialogue.

On its release, Catwoman was vilified by fans and critics alike: for me, they’ve rather missed the point. Clearly, Catwoman didn’t set out to be Batman – it’s not a dark movie, no matter how much ravening fan-boys wanted it to be (note to fan-boys – don’t like movies about your favorite characters? Get off your fat asses and start writing movie scripts instead of writing movie script length whining posts on internet forums).

The director, Pitof, has set his stall out by changing his Catwoman from Selena to Patience – this is not Gotham City, Batman isn’t mentioned – it has nothing to do with Burton’s or Nolan’s Bat-verse at all. In other words, it’s set out as a non-canon movie, unrelated to Batman. In the same way that the “Krytpo the Superdog” cartoon doesn’t affect Superman comic-book canon.

Simply – Catwoman is harmless piece of stand-alone popcorn entertainment that doesn’t tax the brain and is for the most part extremely easy on the eye. Halle Berry in a revealing leather outfit was always going to be an easy sell, and the decidedly coniferous Sharon Stone as the aging yet ageless supermodel was an inspired casting choice.

There are some toe-curling moments in the movie – Berry channeling Eartha Kitt was unnecessary and embarrassing, the CGI is pretty dated in places and the third act is something of a let down following some excellent buildup. There has been a lot of criticism leveled at the dialogue – and whilst it is littered with comic-book clichés I find myself wondering why this is somehow a flaw in a light entertainment comic-book flick. But really, these are minor gripes that don’t detract from the overall trashy and fun ride the movie provides.

Catwoman also does some great work on the character’s origin: the whole “cat mysticism” shtick was very interesting and does provide us with a reason why Catwoman behaves the way that she does – it think this would have been built upon more in a follow-up movie (in 2006, Berry said she’d do a sequel if the studio had “learned from the mistakes of the first one”). It’s a shame that this film was so wrongly perceived when it came out – it’s one of the first films I can think of that really suffered at the hands of bitter, life-needing nerds on the Internet, so its more likely we’ll see Catwoman next in Nolan’s threequel than a Berry sequel.

In the final analysis, Catwoman succeeds on just about every level – it’s irreverent, schlocky, trashy, sexy and gobs of fun - and it has a ballsy, girl-power ending which flies in the face of Hollywood convention –for that alone the movie deserves a second chance.

Just don’t watch it expecting it to be Batman Begins.

**** out of *****

GREEN'S "TIME TO ACCESSORIZE" REVIEW:

Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) works for a cosmetics conglomerate in the art department. She is shy and meek and lacking in self confidence. When she overhears something she shouldn't have, she is chased down and ultimately killed. She is brought back to life by the breath of a mysterious cat called Midnight, who had been following her around for days. In addition to her life, she is given both a curse and a blessing: cat-like powers. Now Patience must come to grips with who she is and what she has become just in time to bring down the bad guys. Oh, there's a handsome police officer (Benjamin Bratt) who is falling in love with her....

In order to better enjoy this movie you must put aside your preconceived ideas about what you know of the Catwoman character. Even though it borrows from the Catwomen characters of the past, this is a new incarnation, and each actress has brought her own mojo to the role. Sort of like the reinvention of James Bond with each actor that takes on the role, or with each actor that has played Batman, from Adam West to Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer to George Clooney to Christian Bale. Notable is that this is the first incarnation of Catwoman without a Batman anywhere to be found, at least that I can see. This is not the catwoman but one of many catwomen to have lived throughout history, or so we are told.

Make no mistake, this film is about one thing and one thing only: Halle Berry in that skimpy little leather cat costume. Not that there is anything wrong with that. She certainly does no harm to the sexiness of the character. Sharon Stone is an adequate villain here, though she has played better 'bad guys' in the past. Benjamin Bratt plays to form as the good cop trying to figure it all out. He can't seem to shake this kind of role, which he cemented for himself in his Law and Order television years.

The story formula is pretty common and does nothing to distinguish itself, or as one reviewer on amazon.com wrote: "The movie's script and visual style are as fresh as used kitty litter." Some of the CGI work is more obvious than it should be, which isn't good. I've never heard of French director Pitof and am not familiar with his other work, thus I have nothing to compare this film to.

The good thing about a film like this is that the actors (and crew) must know no awards will be won in the making of the movie and seem to have signed on just for the fun of it. Halle Berry herself said (in one of the excellent special features included on the DVD) that she wanted this role for the simple pleasure of playing the iconic Catwoman character.

Going in I had never seen this film before and probably wouldn't have otherwise, based on the bad reviews it received had and its apparent box office failure ($100 million to make, only $40M in revenue), listed as the 6^th biggest flop of the 2000's.

However, if you take the movie for what it is meant to be; namely a puff piece meant for fun, it's not as bad as you might think.

**½ out of *****

Catwoman (2004, PG-13, 104 minutes) starring Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt, Sharon Stone, Lambert Wilson, Alex Borstein and Frances Conroy. Based on a character by Bob Kane. Story by Theresa Rebeck, John Brancato and Michael Ferris. Screenplay by John Brancato, Michael Ferris and John Rogers. Directed by Pitof.