Art of the Con

The soon to be released movie Now You See Me, got me thinking about my favorite heist movies. I'm a huge fan of the genre in general because both action and cleverness are used to satisfy the plot. Not only are they a ride for the emotions, but also the mind.

My most beloved of all in this genre is The Sting. A classic con movie set in 1930s Chicago with Paul Newman (sigh...) and Robert Redford. Some other favorites include Ocean's Eleven (2001 version), Confidence, Matchstick Men and The Italian Job. I would also add the films The Prestige, The Lookout, The Brothers Bloom and Bottle Rocket to this list even though they're not straightforward con films. The Brothers Bloom and Bottle Rocket are definitely more quirky and comedic than the other two dramas.

I have yet to see Stanley Kubrick's The Killing and John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (they're on my ever-growing list), but all I've ever read about them points to a superior heist film experience.

Am I missing any? Do you have any favorites? Let me know in the comments.

Actor to Watch: Benedict Cumberbatch

Although he's already quite well known in the UK and to Masterpiece Mystery fans, Benedict Cumberbatch is poised to break out in the United States this year.  First up, he's appearing as the villain in the new sure-to-be blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness.  Later on this year, he's appearing alongside Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in August: Osage County and in the Steve McQueen directed, Ten Years A Slave, which has one of the best casts around including Brad Pitt, Michael K. Williams, and *most importantly* Michael Fassbender.  He is also playing controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the Fifth Estate. 

The first film I remember seeing Cumberbatch in was Atonement, where he plays a creepy, creepy character.  He was excellent in that small part, so good in fact, that I initially ignored watching Sherlock because the actor still gave me the creeps.  However, when I finally broke down and watched the series, I was blown away.  Cumberbatch's Sherlock manages to balance the character perfectly, he's intelligent, charismatic, while also amusingly irritating and rude.  Cumberbatch can actually make the act of thinking look compelling on the show, and his chemistry with Martin Freeman's Watson makes the show fun to watch. 

Cumberbatch is an interesting actor, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what he'll do in even bigger roles and movies.  Check out one of his films:

Starter for Ten (2006):  A cute, British slice of life comedy about a working class kid (James McAvoy) as he navigates his first year at Bristol College, joining the academic team and deciding between two girls (Rebecca Hall and Alice Eve).  Cumberbatch plays the uptight academic team leader. 
Find it in the catalog!

Atonement (2007). 
Find it in the catalog!

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).
Find it in the catalog!

The Last Enemy (2008).  A Masterpiece Contemporary miniseries about a researcher Dr. Stephen Ezard (Cumberbatch) who returns home after his brother's death, only to fall for the brother's widow and get involved in an government conspiracy (whoops!).
Find it in the catalog!
 
Four Lions (2010).
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Sherlock!:  Seasons 1 and 2. 
A modern update on the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books. Highly recommended!

War Horse (2011):  Steven Spielberg's World War I drama about a boy and his horse, featuring just about every famous Brit you can think of (minus Hugh Grant)!
Find it in the catalog!

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).
Find it in the catalog!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Greatest Hits

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (JGL) has been a favorite of mine for several years now and he just keeps getting better. He varies his parts, but always turns in a noteworthy performance. Besides being easy on the eyes, he exudes easiness and charm in spades.

Joseph was most famous for his teenage role on the CBS sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun in the late nineties to early aughts. He has since made a name for himself in the film industry. These are some of his greatest hits:

1. 10 Things I Hate About You: Yes, it's a high school movie. But, it also has JGL, Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles as relative youngsters. Based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, it's one of the better teenage movies. Find it in the catalog!

2. Manic: The first pairing of JGL with Zooey Deschanel, although this one lacks the cuteness of (500) Days of Summer (see below). Manic is more dark and moody and shows JGL in a much different light than his previous work on 3rd Rock or 10 Things. I'm sure that that was a conscious choice on his part to avoid being type-cast. JGL plays Lyle, who is placed in a mental institution with other teens after some violent incidents. He is a somewhat sympathetic character plopped into the chaos of real teenage angst. Find it in the catalog!

3. Brick: A more cerebral turn for JGL. He plays Brendan, a high-schooler on the hunt for his ex-girlfriend's murderer, and to do so must access the sinister crowd, including the local drug dealer.  The tone is noir, the dialogue Shakespearean, but shot in color with more modern circumstances. It's an odd contrast and I guarantee you won't have seen a similar movie. (This is from director/writer Rian Johnson who subsequently wrote and directed The Brothers Bloom and the upcoming Looper also starring JGL.) Find it in the catalog!

4. The Lookout: A caper with excellent tension and performances all around (especially Matthew Goode with a role against type here). JGL plays Chris, a bank janitor with short-term memory issues as a result of a car accident in high school-- which makes him the perfect patsy. This just might be my favorite JGL film. Maybe. Find it in the catalog!

5. (500) Days of Summer: The second pairing of JGL and Zooey Deschanel. This flick is quirky, but still meaningful and one of the better rom-coms in recent years. This film definitely showcases JGL's lighter side. Great soundtrack. Find it in the catalog!

6. Inception: JGL is one of many, but still manages to make an impression. Check out the Media Corner synopsis. Find it in the catalog!

7. 50/50: As I stated earlier this year, I think this movie was robbed at Oscar nomination time. JGL leads as a twenty-something diagnosed with cancer. Joseph was able to run the gammit of emotions: confusion, anger, frustration, humor and thinking it might help you get the ladies (which I was unaware was one of the stages of dealing with cancer ...). Find it in the catalog!

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention his excellent and grounding performance in The Dark Knight Rises. His character's place and purpose was unclear in pre-production, but he becomes the one to watch in the last installment of Nolan's grand trilogy. Joseph also has three more movies in the can: soon to be released Premium Rush, the aforementioned Looper, and Lincoln where he plays Robert Todd to Daniel Day-Lewis' Abraham (now that will be one to watch!). Oh, and did I mention he's currently writing and directing his first movie, Don Jon's Addiction? What a renaissance man.

"Lightning has struck!": Midnight screening of final Harry Potter film

The final installment in the Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, opened at midnight last week on July 15. While I have attended other midnight screenings and have been a Harry Potter fan for years, this is the first time I bought a ticket for a midnight Harry screening. I am so glad I did because it was a wonderful experience.

A small group of friends and I were the first group in line for the midnight screening at the CineMark in Melrose Park just after 8 PM. Several of the ushers asked us if we knew what time it was, and you could tell they thought we were out of our minds, but we didn't care. We played Uno to pass the time and were also able to see some unique Harry Potter outfits, notably a guy dressed in a decorated t-shirt that read: "Real men don't sparkle. Team Wizard." We were allowed into the theater around 10 PM, which left us with more time to check out the costumes of the other Harry Potter fans. Some made their own shirts touting the end of the series with the symbol of the deathly hallows, and others wore the colors and uniforms of the Hogwarts Houses -- Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. I myself wore a Harry Potter quidditch shirt, and brought along my illuminating Hermione wand. I was most impressed by fans dressed as characters from the series -- I saw Harry, Hagrid, Dobby, Bellatrix, Narcisa, Professor Trelawney, and Luna.

As it came closer for the previews to start, the audience started to clap and chant and I could literally feel the excitement from everyone around me. They were vocal in response to the trailers (lots of excitement for Sherlock Holmes) but became silent once the movie started. Part 2 picks up right where Part 1 left off, with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) taking the Elder Wand from the hands of the dead Dumbledore. While Part 1 set the scene for Part 2, with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) searching for and destroying horacruxes (a horacrux is an item that Voldemort infused with part of his soul, and hid, in order to insure his immortality), the much more action-packed Part 2 focuses on their return to Hogwarts and the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. 

Some observations, without being too much of a spoiler:

• I enjoyed the scene where Hermione poses as the mad Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) in Gringotts after taking Polyjuice Potion. Watching Bonham Carter play Hermione trying to be evil and horrible (and failing) was fun.
• I loved seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts and re-join the other characters we've met throughout the series, like Neville (Matthew Lewis), and Luna (Evanna Lynch). While the characters have spent seven years at Hogwarts as students, the actors filming these eight movies have been together even longer. Seeing all the students and teachers back together again, ready to face Death Eaters, Voldemort, and risk their lives, was very powerful.
• Ralph Fiennes is disturbing as ever as Voldemort, and I thought the army of Death Eaters waiting to begin their attack on Hogwarts was a very creepy sight.
• The shot of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) looking out a window at Hogwarts. It's early in the movie, and at first we only see him from behind, but I found it to be a moving visual, already knowing Snape's secrets from reading the book. 
• I knew the deaths of certain characters were coming, but it was still shocking to see in the movie.
• The audience in my theater was awesome. They cheered and clapped at moments like Ron and Hermione's first kiss, Neville's taunts of the Death Eaters, and Molly Weasley's duel with Bellatrix, just to name a few moments. The audience went wild for Neville, especially. 

I loved the movie and had a great time seeing it with a packed theater of devoted fans. Throughout the course of the movie I clapped, laughed, gasped, held my breath, and cried. I was filled with so much excitement that when I returned home at 3:30 AM I could not fall asleep. I look forward to watching Part 2 on the big screen again. I saw the 2D version and I would like to see if/how 3D changes the experience. All in all, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a brilliant, epic conclusion to the film series that started in 2001, and not only does the film do the book justice, it reaffirms the quality and magic found in J.K. Rowling's books.

Inception: "Dreams feel real when we're in them."

Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a fugitive from U.S. law, who specializes in a very unique service: subliminal security. This complex, and very fictional, type of security involves entering the dream-world of the targeted sleeper and extracting information from their subconscious. In an attempt to buy back his freedom and be reunited with his children, DiCaprio's character accepts a job offer that takes the process even further, by planting an idea inside a sleeper's head. Thus: inception. Granted, this is high-concept, and could pretty easily be the premise of the Sci-Fi Channel's movie of the week. But, director Christopher Nolan invests the film with fully realized ideas and layers of complexity that are suspenseful from beginning to end. It's also visually audacious in its depictions of the dream-state. If you've ever wanted to see the city of Paris rise into the air and fold in on itself, well, this is the film for you. Aiding DiCaprio in his subliminal invasion, of billionaire corporate scion Cilian Murphy, are Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ellen Page, and Dileep Rao. (I'm going on record here in stating that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is almost certainly the best-dressed young actor in Hollywood. But, I'll save that list for another blog entry.) Many 'heist film' trappings are on display here, notably a hero who must assemble a group of professionals for the one big score that he so desperately needs. There is also corporate intrigue, high energy chase scenes, prolonged action sequences, and haunting psychological complexity involving DiCaprio and his wife, played by Marion Cotillard. All of these strands are artfully assembled, and at 148 minutes, the film never seemed to lag. Inception may not be the masterpiece that some critics have made it out be, but it is a stylish, inventive thriller that raises interesting questions about dreams and the nature of reality. For a mainstream movie released in the summer of 2010, that's a pretty extraordinary accomplishment.

What follows are the highlights of Christopher Nolan's filmography. I recommend all of  his previous films, but Memento is particularly relevant to Inception's themes of haunted memory and obsession. It's also just a really good movie.

Memento (2000)

Batman Begins (2005)

The Prestige (2006)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Following (1998)

Is it magic perfume? Yi conducts interviews about love in Paper Heart

The inventive docudrama Paper Heart received a limited release over the summer and I have only recently been able to see it now that it's playing in Buffalo Grove. And wow, was it worth the wait. Comedian and musician Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up) doesn't believe in love and travels across the country interviewing couples, professors, motorcycle bikers, kids, and friends (including actors Martin Starr, Seth Rogen, and Dmetri Martin) about love. She asks couples how they met, how they knew they were in love, and how they define love. Yi also asks them to share a special story about their relationship; she creatively uses homemade puppets and dioramas to illustrate these stories. During her travels Yi is accompanied by a film crew including director Nicholas Jasenovec (played by Jake M. Johnson). Yes, this is confusing. Jasenovic directed and co-wrote the movie with Yi but he is played by an actor. The lines between fiction and reality are further blurred when Yi meets actor Michael Cera (Superbad) and they begin to date. The film goes back and forth between Yi's interviews and her blossoming romance with Cera, who feels uncomfortable being filmed by the cameras. Is Yi falling in love, something she thought she never would be able to do?

The soundtrack, which features both Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi, is awesome as well. Since I saw the movie I haven't been able to get Yi's "Magic Perfume" out of my head. If you aren't able to catch Paper Heart in the theater then be sure to reserve a copy when it's available on DVD December 1.

• Now playing at Buffalo Grove Theatres (120 McHenry Rd, Buffalo Grove)
• 1 hour 28 minutes
• Rated PG-13 (It does not deserve that rating; I'd rate it PG)

Summer movies coming out on DVD

Not able to get to the theater over the summer? Here are the release dates of some popular summer movies.

October 6: Year One
October 13: Land of the Lost, The Proposal
October 20: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
October 27: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

November 3: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3; I Love You, Beth Cooper
November 10: The Ugly Truth, Up
November 17: Bruno, Star Trek
November 24: Angels and Demons, Funny People

December 1: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Ang Lee is Taking Woodstock

Acclaimed director Ang Lee began his career in his native Taiwan, but he's helmed several of the most popular and critically-admired Hollywood films of the past decade. His latest effort is Taking Woodstock (now in theaters), a view of the landmark 1969 music festival.

Here are some earlier Ang Lee movies you may want to check out:

Lust, Caution

Find it in the catalog!

Brokeback Mountain

Find it in the catalog!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Find it in the catalog!

The Ice Storm

Find it in the catalog!

Sense and Sensibility

Find it in the catalog!

Eat Drink Man Woman

Find it in the catalog!

My favorites of summer 2009

Fall movies are just around the corner.  For the most part I had a good summer at the movies. I still haven't gotten through the entire list of movies I hoped to see over the summer. In some cases movies (In the Loop, Adam, Paper Heart) are shown in limited release so it's more difficult to get to the movie theaters that are showing them. Here are my favorites from what I saw during summer 2009. What were your favorites?

Favorite Movie: (500) Days of Summer

At the beginning of the movie the narrator tells us, "This is a story of boy meets girl.  But you should know up front, this is not a love story." Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) believes in love and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) does not; the movie jumps and skips to different days over the course of their relationship. A "rom-com" with a soul. Gordon-Levitt gives another wonderfully genuine performance.

Favorite Comedy: The Hangover

We see the aftermath of an out-of-control bachelor party in Las Vegas and then watch as the three friends Phil, Stu, and Alan (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis) retrace their steps to find out what happened and how they lost the best man, Doug (Justin Bartha). Featuring a hilarious, stand-out performance from Galifianakis as Alan ("a lone wolf").

Best Music (1): (500) Days of Summer

I love everything about this movie, especially the way music is used. The characters do some karaoke and Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) breaks out into a dance set to "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates.

Best Music (2): Away We Go

This soundtrack is dominated by cuts from Alexi Murdoch.  Murdoch's songs act as a perfect backdrop as main characters Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) travel to different cities looking for the perfect place to raise their child.

Funniest Song Choices: The Proposal

Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds attempt "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock. Oscar Nuñez strips to "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. And, my personal favorite, Bullock chants "Get Low" from Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz and Ying Yang Twins while she dances around a tribal fire in front of Betty White. 

Most Attractive Neck: Chris Pine, Star Trek

As James (Jim) Kirk, Pine sure knows how to push people's buttons. As a result, Pine is strangled again and again. This leaves audience members such as myself leaving the theater saying, "Hm. Chris Pine really has a nice neck, doesn't he?"

Cutest Dog: The Proposal

The little white puppy was almost taken away by an eagle; luckily eagles prefer cell phones to dogs.

Funniest Dog(s): Up

The dogs wear collars that allow people to hear their thoughts: "Squirrel!"

Best Wardrobe, Zooey Deschanel, (500) Days of Summer

Deschanel can rock a vintage dress like it's nobody's business.

Best Cameo: Bill Hader, Year One

While Mike Tyson showed up in The Hangover, Guy Pierce and Ralph Fiennes appeared in The Hurt Locker, and too many celebrities to count popped into Funny People, my favorite cameo was one that wasn't even in the movie itself but played over the credits. As a witch doctor in Year One, Bill Hader goes into his Daniel Plainview impression from There Will Be Blood: "I... am an oil man!" Hands down, best part of going to see Year One.

Best Chemistry (1): John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, Away We Go

As a couple expecting their first child together, Krasinksi and Rudolph are magnificent. At one point Verona (Rudolph) tells Burt (Krasinski) he has to stop being so calm all the time so the baby's heart rate will rise; Burt then finds unique ways to accomplish this.

Best Chemistry (2): Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia

As Julia Child and Paul Child, Streep and Tucci are happy in love, full of life, and supportive of each other every step of the way. 

Pushed Me All the Way to the Edge of My Seat: The Hurt Locker

In Iraq, Sergeant James joins the Bravo Company team that dismantles bombs.  James (Jeremy Renner) knows no fear in the most extreme sense and his team members Sanborn and Eldridge don't think much of his reckless behavior.  The team has 39 days left on its deployment; are they going to make it out of Iraq alive?

Most Under-Used Actor: Jonah Hill, Funny People

In Funny People struggling comic Ira (Seth Rogen) gets a gig writing jokes for big-time comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler).  The first part of the movie hilariously deals with the life of a stand-up comedian (featuring young comics played by Jonah Hill and Aubrey Plaza). But the last part feels like we are under house arrest with Sandler and Rogen as Sandler hopes to win back ex-girlfriend Leslie Mann from her husband (Eric Bana). This section was quite devoid of laughs and dragged on forever; I needed more Jonah Hill!

Summer movies I can't wait to see

Rudo y Cursi (May 8): Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, co-stars from Y Tu Mamá También (2001), reunite in this Spanish-language movie about brothers going after their soccer dreams in Mexico.

Land of the Lost (June 5): Will Ferrell, Danny McBride (Pineapple Express, TV’s Eastbound & Down), and Anna Friel (TV’s Pushing Daisies) are transported to a world of dinosaurs, cavemen, and other scary, disgusting creatures.

Public Enemies (July 1): The trailer for this movie is my favorite at the moment. Shot by Michael Mann in the ChicagoMidwest, Johnny Depp stars as gangster John Dillinger. Christian Bale and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) also star. area and other parts of the

(500) Days of Summer (July 17): Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, this love story (or story about love) is not told in a traditional linear romantic-comedy fashion. Of everything being released this summer, this is the one that sounds the most unique. I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Stop-Loss, The Lookout) is an interesting actor to watch. And how awesome is this: he plays a greeting-card writer!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17): I am a Harry Potter fan and have enjoyed reading all seven books and watching the previous movie adaptations. It’s been over a year since the previous installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, came to theaters; Half-Blood Prince was originally supposed to come out in November. We've been waiting too long!

All Good Things (July 24): Part romance, part mystery, this one stars Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. For me, all I need to hear is “starring Ryan Gosling” and I am there. I will watch this man act in anything. He brings an intensity to all his roles that allows him to completely disappear into the characters he plays. Previously seen in Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Gosling was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as a drug addicted teacher in Half Nelson (2006).

Funny People (July 31): Director-writer-producer Judd Apatow’s follow-up to 2007’s Knocked Up. I have been a huge fan of Apatow’s work since the television series Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) due to his signature way of combining funny gross-out humor with sweet, honest moments from the heart. This film includes regulars from the Apatow gang, including Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Leslie Mann, and even Apatow's kids Maude and Iris. Adam Sandler plays a comedian who learns he has cancer. Leslie Mann is the one who got away, Eric Bana plays her husband, and Seth Rogen is the struggling stand-up comic who Sandler mentors.

Taking Woodstock (August 14): Ang Lee directed this comedy, based on Elliot Tiber’s book of the same name. The cast includes Demetri Martin (Important Things with Demetri Martin), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), and Emile Hirsch (Milk, Speed Racer).

Inglourious Basterds (August 21): Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this film is set in France during World War II. Brad Pitt, B.J. Novak (The Office), and Samm Levine (Freaks and Geeks) form part of a group of Jewish-American soldiers whose job it is to kill and scalp Nazis.

Believe it or not, I have more on my list, but I have gone on enough. Feel free to add comments about movies you are either looking forward to seeing or have already seen this summer! (I know technically it's not summer yet, but the movie studios have already rolled out several big budget summer movies, like Night at the Museum 2, Wolverine, and Star Trek, etc.)