Three for One

Hey guys,
I have had a busy week, film wise anyway. I have seen three films this week and am PUMPED for Prometheus coming up weekend after next. Also some of the films I have opted out of for theater views are finally coming to DVD. The biggest of those films is the WWII drama Red Tails. This is a real regret of mine, as something that epic should have really been seen in movie theaters, but it is what it is. So here we go on what we have seen....

God Bless America:

Now, first off, let me say that this is not a film for the faint of heart or the easily offended. Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, yes the Police Academy guy; as it turns out he's an all star director with such credits as Crank Yankers, Jimmy Kimble, and Sleeping Dogs Lie. The film stars some little known actors and is about a dying man who wages war on America and it's lack of common decency towards their fellow man. Filled with a dark humor and a theme that really makes sense if one takes a step back from the world and examines the track that it's one, this film is a series wicked truths that everyone things, but no one wants to say.

The lead actor, Joel Murray, you have seen before in several sitcoms as the sidekick or as the passing comic, but in recent years he has had a stint on AMC's Mad Men and some bit parts in some very high paying films such as the Artist. In God Bless America, Joel shines as a man who was pushed to the edge and then thrown right off the map by his falling apart life, his brat of a daughter, and his utter annoyance at what America has become. One of the greatest quotes from the film is, "Why do we have a civilization when our people are not the least bit interested in being civilized?" Wow, that's a lot of truth and Bobcat shines in his direction of such wrath and violence. Now by the end of the film there are some twists and turns and sadly the ending is foreseen and slightly predictable, but all in all (if you can stomach the dark humor) this is a hidden gem that will say and do all the things you never could.

The Lucky One:

Now, I'll be the first to admit, the recent rash of stars that Hollywood has produced gives a certain amount of doubt in talent or ability to act. Now Zac Efron is a child star with some really lame beginnings (High School Musical) but in recent years he has made real strides to shed his boy band image to take on a more adult role in The Lucky One.

The Lucky One is based off of a Nicholas Sparks film of the same name and is about a young marine named Logan, who finds a picture of a young woman and in turn is saved by the act of stepping away and picking the picture up. He makes several attempts to see who the picture belongs too, but is unable to find the owner and ends up carrying this "Angel" with him through out the war. When his tour is over, Logan finds adjustment from war to home life difficult and sets out to find this woman and tell her thank you for saving his life and keeping him safe throughout the war. In the end this is a heart warming romance between a man who has seen things and survived things and a woman who has had to make some hard choices in life to keep her son and her family together. The Lucky One is masterfully directed and the actors manage to not only pull off believable rolls but also soul moving rolls that pull at the heart strings of the audience.

Scott Hicks, the director, has a great history of romance films (No Reservations, and Shine) and keeps his tempo running with this film shot on location in Louisiana. His masterful shots and his style of filming showcase not only a beautiful movie but a beautiful state. Zac Efron also shows that it's no longer High School Musical, rather a more mature, more adult star that is ready to stretch his legs in future films. I would highly recommend this film and encourage a date night.


Contraband:

Contraband, starring Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, and Kate Beckinsale, is a average action film with alot of explosions and gunfire, but not much else. Now, I'm not saying that this is a bad film, I'm saying that it doesn't offer anything exceptional or special. Good guy, Mark Wahlberg, must face off against drug king pin, in this case Giovanni Ribisi, in order to save a loved one. Now there are some minor twists, but honestly it's not completely unseen. The film is entertaining but not a box office smash in any means. This is probably my shortest review every because the case seemed like they called in on this film and thus we got what they paid for, a completely average, unremarkable, film. The only thing I regret is buying it, rather than just renting it.


Well, that's just about it. Hope you go forth and watch films. Remember, Prometheus comes out June 8th and YOU MUST GO AND SEE IT!!