Movie Review: BEGIN AGAIN

BEGIN AGAIN
Director: John Carney
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld, Catherine Keener, James Corden, Mos Def, Cee Lo Green

I always enjoy a good movie inspired by music or when the music ends up being a driving factor of the story. It adds another dimension to the emotional arch I go through as a moviegoer. Greta (Knightley) is that kind of bashful singer/songwriter that writes great music and wants to be a performer but can’t muster up that “throw caution to the wind” type attitude needed to perform at an open mic night. Her buddy Steve (Corden) drags her up onstage after his song, and she sings one of her original pieces with her guitar. Watching from the back of the bar with a drink in his hand is Dan (Ruffalo), a music executive who internally hears a variety of instruments behind her and envisions her being the next Norah Jones.

The first portion of the film goes back and forth in the timeline of events leading up to this night. We learn more about her relationship with Dave (Levine). He is an actor and singer that has just made it big and is learning how to deal with being recognized in public. Dan is separated from his wife (Keener) and is trying to have a better relationship in their daughter (Steinfeld). When Dan and Greta meet, they are both at a crossroads with their life and career. He pleads with her to trust him and let him produce an album of hers. She reluctantly agrees, and he gathers a group of random musicians to start recording her album in various outdoor locations around New York City.

Irish director John Carney is probably best known for directing the wonderful film Once which later went on to become a Tony Award winning stage musical. With Begin Again, he is clearly working with a bigger budget and with Ruffalo, Knightly, and Levine has a broader appeal than Once did when that opened. There is a smooth and mellow vibe to all of the original music that was written for the movie by Gregg Alexander of The New Radicals. His frequent collaborator Danielle Brisebois co-wrote some of the songs with him along with Rick Nowels and Once’s Glen Hansard.

I admire any actor willing to learn how to sing or play an instrument for a part. It’s no easy feat and Keira Knightley does it justice. While she doesn’t have a big booming voice, the tone of it is perfect for this kind of music. We’re so used to seeing her in period films like Atonement and Pride and Prejudice that it’s a pleasure to see her step outside of her comfort zone. Adam Levine (Maroon 5, NBC's The Voice) is making his big screen debut playing Knightley’s boyfriend. He was so excited to delve into acting that he apparently he did the movie for little to no pay just so he could be a part of it. He makes a smooth transition as he seems quite natural and comfortable on camera. Yes, he is playing a singer/actor so he doesn’t have to stretch his acting chops too far. Some other musicians who have attempted this have not been as successful. Musicians Mos Def and Cee Lo Green also appear in the film. Def is credited under a different name and plays the other executive at the record company Ruffalo works for. Green plays Troublegum, an artist under their label that owes his career to Ruffalo. Speaking of Ruffalo, I really admire the choices he makes in his career. I love that he alternates between big studio pictures like Marvel’s The Avengers and little indies like this one or Thanks for Sharing. He was phenomenal in HBO’s The Normal Heart which premiered back in May. It’s available on HBO Go now and will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD in August.


One of my life philosophies is that things happen in life for a reason. This story highlights that idea and about following your instincts. Our two main characters were in the right spot in the right time and let spontaneity, openness, and trust guide them to a new beginning. Begin Again has some elements of a romantic comedy as the music provides the emotional release for our characters’ feelings. However it’s not so syrupy and saccharine that you roll your eyes. It makes some smart choices that don’t fall into the standard rom com clichés. This is a great choice for a good date night movie, and you may be find yourself humming along to some of the music on the car ride home.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? It’s a feel good summer movie that is great for anyone that needs a break from some of the stupid blockbusters out there.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 TICKET STUBS

TWIN CITIES LIVE- July 9, 2014

TWIN CITIES LIVE
July 9, 2014

We've got two movies inspired by music with Begin Again and A Hard Day's Night and my favorite film of the year so far, Life Itself.

1. Life Itself, starring: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Martin Scorsese
2. Begin Again, starring: Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightly, Adam Levine
3. A Hard Day's Night, starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr

Here's the video:




Video courtesy of Twin Cities Live/KSTP

You can find all of my past segments HERE.

As always, thank you so much for watching and your continual support. I truly appreciate it!

Movie Rewind: THANKS FOR SHARING (2013)

THANKS FOR SHARING (2013)
Director: Stuart Blumberg
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Robbins, Joely Richardson, Josh Gad, Alecia Moore, Patrick Fugit, Carol Kane

There are many films and stories out there about alcoholics and drug addicts. You do not see too many regarding sex addiction. Even one of the characters questions if that is even a "thing" or not. Adam (Ruffalo) is celebrating another milestone in his sex addiction support group. He seems fully aware of his triggers and is pretty strong at being committed to his recovery. His sponsor/mentor and fellow addict Mike (Robbins) is there to celebrate with him. Mike's past addiction has caused a rift in his family as he has a strained relationship with his son Danny (Fugit), who also struggles with abuse. Neil (Gad) and Dede (Moore) are the newest members of the group each coming in with their own baggage.

The film is an ensemble story that follows each of our addicts and their road to recovery. Adam starts a relationship with health nut and cancer survivor Phoebe (Paltrow). The risks of starting a new and healthy relationship prove hard for someone struggling with sex addiction and knowing what boundaries they are comfortable with together. She also makes it clear that she does not want to date an addict. Mike and his wife (Richardson) have conflicting thoughts when Danny shows up unexpectedly and wants to live at their place for some time. Trust between both of them comes into play. Dede and Neil are always there for each other as they are quick to slip up while on the program.

Like I previously mentioned, you do not see many stories about sexual addiction unless it is about some celebrity using that as an excuse to help their image. This film shines a light on the aftermath of what it is like in the recovery stages. One of the biggest takeaways is the power of the support group. The support group is the safe ground for our characters to talk about their struggles and accomplishments they have had in recovery. They are surrounded by people that truly know what they are going through. Long lasting friendships and new relationships begin at group between sponsors and their sponsees. The bond and connection they have for each other is so vital in the recovery process as it helps each one of them stay accountable and can be a knowledgeable resource if someone feels at a breaking point or in jeopardy of falling off the bandwagon. This story follows these characters who are all at different stages of their recovery, but I wanted to know more about the recovery process. Mike has spent much of his adult life in recovery. Adam is starting to date again and is conflicted about what will set him over the edge. Are there certain rules in a sex addiction support group about what is or isn't allowed or is it all based on that individual? Obviously with alcoholics anonymous or a drug addiction group, those vices are strictly forbidden. Does the same hold true in this instance?

Writer/Director Stuart Blumberg is making his directorial debut here. He previously co-wrote the Oscar-nominated hit The Kids Are All Right with Lisa Cholodenko. If you are looking for a dark and heavy-hitting drama, you will not find that here. Don't get me wrong as there are some serious moments that are very touching and sincere, but the film takes a more positive and hopeful look at these people in their recovery stages. Josh Gad and Alecia Moore have been given more of the lighter and comedic story lines using Gad's natural broad physical comedy type of routine we know he is very capable of. You may not recognize the name Alecia Moore as you probably know her as the singer Pink. This is the second film she has been in and feels right at home on screen. There is a life and effervescence about her even though acting is not her claim to fame. Sometimes singers can have a hard time transitioning from song to screen, but Moore/Pink makes a flawless transition. Here is hoping she continues on in this field in between her successful albums. Patrick Fugit is another standout here with some wonderful scenes between him and Robbins. Robbins actually introduced Fugit to this screenplay and helped him get the part. I have been a fan of his ever since Almost Famous. Blumberg has received some flack about writing dopey characters in his screenplay, but I disagree. I found all of them believable and easy to relate to in some aspect. I think the idea behind sex addiction is still fairly unknown so people may be more hesitant to buy into these characters or story lines if they have issues with sex addiction as a whole or if they have never stepped foot into a support group of any sort whether its for AA, drug addiction, food addiction, etc... Blumberg uses fairly normal everyday people as the subjects here and shows that really anyone can have this sort of issue or problem and that you might not even know it.

Thanks for Sharing was a little indie film that came out around the end of summer 2013. It may have gotten lost in the shuffle due to the summer season winding down or it's mediocre reviews. It serves as a good introduction to people that may be unfamiliar with sex addiction while taking a look at the recovery end of it. There are some funny moments along the way and the obligatory scenes to pull at the heart strings. Blumberg has a good cast of actors from a variety of backgrounds to pull it off nicely.

RATING: **** (4 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: NOW YOU SEE ME

NOW YOU SEE ME
Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Mélanie Laurent


Magic comes in a variety of forms each appealing to a different kind of crowd. J. Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg) is your fast-talking brainiac who performs your standard set of card tricks. Merritt McKinley (Harrelson) pulls out unsuspecting people from a crowd and gets them to divulge life secrets as a mentalist. Jack Wilder (Franco) makes his living by doing sleight of hand tricks. He may end off ripping people off and stealing their money in the process. Henley Leeves (Fisher) pulls off the death-defying stunts as an illusionist.

All four of them are targeted and are given vague instructions to meet in a secret location. The world of magicians must be small as they all know each other or know of each others reputations. When they each arrive and notice that other people got the invitation their curiosity is sparked regarding this gathering of the who's who of magicians. They enter an abandoned apartment and a hologram of blueprints starts playing. They have been brought together to form a "super group" called The Four Horsemen.

One year passes and The Four Horsemen are performing to sold out crowds as an act in Las Vegas. During one special performance, they rob a bank in Paris and the money starts falling from the rafters onto the audience. This is no simple illusion as the money appears to be real and the bank mentioned during the trick has actually been robbed. This is just Act 1 of 3 of their plan to take over corrupt businesses and shower the people they have wronged with their money. The feds led my Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) and a member from Interpol (Leaurent) are brought together to catch the Four Horseman. Rhodes brings along former magician Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman) along for the ride to explain and uncover their tricks along the way. He is the type of retired magician who makes a living off making videos exposing the tricks of the trade.

The film plays out as your standard cat and mouse chase between The Four Horsemen versus the authorities who want to bring them down. Like any good magician, they are always two steps ahead in their plan. None of the characters are all that original or new. You've got your dumb detective who gets angry every time they get away. You've got your wise old mentors, and of course you've got your hot shot "criminals" who do not believe they are doing anything wrong. None of the actors are really playing outside their comfort zones. Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine have all played this types before. The film may sound conventional, but who cares.

The tagline for the film "The closer you look, the less you'll see." is frequently used throughout the movie to describe the magic and illusions being performed. It is also a decent way to describe the movie. Now You See Me is a perfectly good summer popcorn film. This is the kind of movie where you can go in, have fun, enjoy it for what it is worth, and not have to think too hard. Magic is like that. On the outside, if you watch a magic trick and the person performing it has done their job you will leave amazed and surprised. If you take it at face value, it can be a fun time in that moment. If you start to dive in and deeply dissect how the trick was done, you will get aggravated or frustrated that you wasted your time on something. This is that kind of movie. I do not think the filmmakers were going in trying to make the most artistic movie about magicians ever made. There are no hidden meanings or deep thoughts behind it. You will be severely disappointed if you are looking for high art or the mysteries of magic to be explained. If you want to see that movie, go rent Christopher Nolan's The Prestige. Don't worry, you will still get your Michael Caine fix in. This movie is meant to be taken at face value as a fun joy ride that may keep you guessing along the way.

RATING: *** 1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS

MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr.,Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston

Going into Marvel's The Avengers you know you are in for one wild ride. It feels like one big party with all your best friends. A magical blue cube called The Tesseract is being housed in a research facility. It contains an energy source of unknown power as well as a portal to another universe. After the cube starts giving off extra activity, Nick Fury (Jackson) is flown in to assess the situation. He is the head of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, aka S.H.I.E.L.D. A portal door opens and Loki (Hiddleston), a god from the realm Asgard, appears in hopes to steal the Tesseract. He wants to use it for ultimate universal domination. Loki is Thor's brother and feels burdened with a glorious purpose and wants a world without freedom. He uses mind control over Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Avenger Hawkeye (Renner) to use them in his plan with the Tesseract. Loki escapes with Selvig, Hawkeye, and the Tesseract leaving the research facility crumbling to the ground after a massive explosion. Nick Fury is able to escape in the nick of time and knows the world is in trouble. He calls upon the Avengers Initiative to try to track down Loki and the Tesseract.

The Avengers Initiative is the idea behind bringing in the best of the best heroes to make up one big team. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Ruffalo), Steven Rogers/Captain America (Evans), Thor (Hemsworth), Hawkeye (Renner), and Black Widow (Johansson) are the chosen ones. Naturally, a room full of superheroes leads to a room full of big egos. They don't all know each other so there isn't a chummy bromance between any of them. Tempers easily flare, names are spewed at each other, and some teasing occurs. Iron Man and Thor have a fantastic battle in the forest which Captain America ends up breaking apart. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark do the initial research on where the Tesseract could be and what Loki's ultimate plan of action entitles. They realize that S.H.I.E.L.D is using the Tesseract's energy to build weapons of mass destruction which does not promote a peaceful environment that they seem to be promoting. After some jabs at each other, they join together and capture Loki, but the Tesseract is nowhere to be found. Capturing Loki is only the first step in defeating him.

There have been many movies adapted from comic books recently. Some have been more successful than others. Some of the Marvel movies with the Avengers characters themselves are hit or miss. The movie does not take it self too seriously that people not knowing the Avengers history could not follow or understand. It has a fairly simple plot that leaves enough room for all of the characters to shine throughout the movie. I've seen too many ensemble movies where there are too many characters used and none of them get their deserved screen time. Joss Whedon wrote and directed this smart and exciting adaptation. Being a comic book fan himself, he is a smart choice to take on such a challenging daunting task of assembling such characters together. The script is full of sharp wit with strong writing for each character. Many of the characters come from different time frames or planets, and the writing caters to the atmosphere and region they come from. Tony Stark's dialogue can be hysterically funny when he is being super cocky and arrogant. All but one of the actors has previously played their superheroes in other movies leading up to this one. Mark Ruffalo is the only actor new to his character. Eric Bana and Edward Norton have previously played the Hulk/Bruce Banner role in other movies. Ruffalo makes a fantastic Banner who plays the two sides to his character extremely well. It is a treat to see the CGI Hulk used well and not feel like a computerized monster. There is a humanity and sense of humor to the Hulk which we have not in the other two movies. Tom Hiddleston is another stand-out as Loki.

The ending is one hell of a treat. It is a huge epic finale bigger than most battle endings. I've seen too many action scenes were the camera work and editing is far too fast and muddled leaving you with a jerky feeling. Whedon and team have a way of making the action sequences clean, crisp, and easy to watch. The 3D seems to really pop in the finale as well. When you have smart writing, terrific character acting, and sharp action sequences, a comic-book movie transcends your normal standards of the genre and elevates the expectations for any Marvel or DC movie to come next.

RATING: ****1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)