Movie Review: A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST
Writer/Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson

Seth MacFarlane is a multi-talented performer who can write, act, sing, direct, and do voice over work. We have seen him do all of that with hilarious results in his television show Family Guy. His first full length film Ted had some pretty funny moments as well. He is pulling quadruple duty in A Million Ways to Die in the West as he produces, directs, writes, and stars in an attempted spoof of the Western genre.

MacFarlane cast himself as the main character, Albert, a sheepherder who can barely wrangle his own sheep or fire a gun. After bowing out of a duel, his girlfriend Louise (Seyfried) decides to dump him and quickly moves as to the mustached Foy (Harris). Foy is far more upstanding as he runs his own “mustachery” store. Albert has his friends Edward (Ribisi) and his girlfriend Ruth (Silverman) nearby at the saloon for comfort and support.

It’s not too long before the beautiful Anna (Theron) rolls into town and wins over Albert’s affections. He teaches her about the town’s god-awful bad luck while she shows him how to shoot a gun and have a bit of courage in life. What Albert doesn’t know is that she is married to Clinch (Neeson), an outlaw gunslinger who you do not want at the other end of a duel. Albert’s strength and confidence is put to the test when Clinch arrives into town and finds Anna with Albert.

It’s hard to watch a western comedy and not think of the Mel Brooks classic Blazing Saddles, which is one of the funniest movies of all time. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t even attempt this type of movie, but there will always be comparisons. A Million Ways to Die in the West wishes it was as funny as that, but Seth MacFarlane does not even come remotely close to delivering the jokes that Brooks was able to unleash. We have all seen those movies where all of the funny parts were shown in the trailer. That pretty much applies here. I’m not saying that I didn’t laugh as I still let out a few chuckles at times, but it pales in comparison to other comedies of late. MacFarlane is known for pushing the envelope of politically incorrect humor that can be shocking at times. Sometimes he resorts to cheap, low brow poop and dick jokes. You get more of the latter in this movie. I typically like MacFarlane’s work as I have always been a Family Guy fan. I found Ted to pretty funny for the first half of the film, but it got old after a while. It's disappointing that MacFarlane doesn't seem to try any harder and I know he is capable of smarter and funnier material.

MacFarlane has himself a fun and talented cast many of whom are probably his friends in real life that signed on to this film as a favor. I don't blame them as I guess I would sign on to work with MacFarlane without reading a script. Charlize Theron makes any movie better, and that applies here as well. We haven’t quite seen her do a comedy before, but I think I would rather see her and MacFarlane do a smart and mature romantic comedy over this that wastes both their talents. Family Guy actress Alex Borstein has a small role which should have been amplified as she is a hilarious character actress. Liam Neeson seems to be spoofing that same type of character he has played before which works for this movie. The only big casting beef I had happens to be MacFarlane. He seems oddly cast as he naturally carries with him this charm and good looking nature that didn’t quite fit the character. Both my husband and I thought it would have worked better if Giovanni Ribisi would have been in the MacFarlane role. He can pull off that loser type quality and be believable at it.

Of all of the comedic writers out that push the envelope, have an insightful commentary, and be cheap and crass, MacFarlane would be the one to rival Mel Brooks. It is really unfortunate that he seems to be playing it too safe and easy, which is not what I expect from him. He has written a very thin plot and I kept waiting for something to happen. He has mentioned in interviews that he wanted to write a western where the central character was the opposite of the gun-toting action hero. I see the appeal to that, but you have to have more to your concept that just a loose character description. One of the best parts of the movie happens to the cameos that pop up. I’m not about to spoil those here, but I will say they are an homage to the western genre.

Is it worth your trip to the movie? Absolutely not. I’m sure you can find Blazing Saddles or old episodes of Family Guy playing on some cable channel to watch instead.

RATING: 1.5 out of 5 Ticket Stubs

Movie Rewind: LOVELACE (2013)

LOVELACE (2013)
Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Adam Brody, Chris Noth, Bobby Cannavale, Hank Azaria, James Franco

The world of pornography is fascinating, especially in the 1970s as it started to gain in popularity with the mainstream media. Much of this is due to Linda Lovelace and a little film she was in called Deep Throat. Linda (Seyfried) grew up in a pretty conservative household with her fairly strict parents (Stone and Patrick). I guess it was only time before she pulls a 180 and gets involved in drugs and porn. She meets Chuck Traynor (Sarsgaard) at a roller rink after she impresses him with her sexy dance moves. He schmoozes his way into her life causing a series of bad choices on her end. She inevitable moves out of her parents' house and in with him causing a rift with her parents.

It is not long before Linda learns of his involvement in the porn industry. He decides to make her his next big star after learning of her "gift" which inspires his new movie Deep Throat. Chuck's demanding and forceful presence on set raises some eyebrows from the producers (Noth and Azaria). Linda and co-star Harry Reams (Brody) become big stars once the film opens, and she starts to love all of the attention it comes with it. It comes with a price as Chuck grows increasingly violent and abusive toward her.

You know those Lifetime movies based on true stories that seem like the abridged Reader's Digest version of what actually happened? That is essentially what Lovelace feels like. The film has all of the right ingredients to be a probing insight into such a fascinating story. If you are completely unfamiliar with this story, this is a good introduction. If you have seen the documentary Inside Deep Throat, you know there is so much more to this story. The documentary focuses on the filming of Deep Throat and the impact it had on pop culture, the porn industry, and what happened to its stars. Lovelace spends its time on the horrible relationship between Linda Lovelace and Chuck Traynor. If I remember correctly, all of that is covered in the documentary. The script feels a bit choppy at times as it is trying to cover a lot of ground but in a short period of time. A lot of if feels a bit glossed over and does not ever feel too gritty or dark like the material happens to be. It plays it a bit too safe the majority of time. Not to sound crass, but there is barely any nudity in it. I am sure the filmmakers would say that the film is not about pornography, but Deep Throat plays a factor into it. It seems odd that the nudity is quite tame at times.

When you look at the cast list, you see some great actors involved turning in decent performances, but I question what drew them to the story. Did the script read better on paper and then got lost in translation to the screen? Yes, it is a fascinating story to tell, but this material does not do it justice. Some people like James Franco as Hugh Hefner show up in cameo size appearances. Sarah Jessica Parker filmed scenes as Gloria Steinem but they were edited out of the movie. The film is only ninety minutes, so how much of it was edited out? Peter Sarsgaard plays another despicable human being with Chuck Traynor. His performance would feel more authentic if he doesn't always seem to play this type of character over and over again. It is great to see Sharon Stone as Linda's mother. She is another one that gives a strong performance, but feels wasted at times with a lack of screen time. Maybe more of her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor as well. I applaud Seyfried for taking on such an edgy role. I suspect she was thinking this was going to be her break out of the more goody goody girl roles she normally plays. She is terrific with what she has been given, but she needed a better script and stronger directing to elevate the performance and push her even farther.

There is another Linda Lovelace movie in development called Inferno that had the likes of Malin Ackerman and Lindsay Lohan set to star as Linda Lovelace. That movie seems to be stalled, so we shall see if it ever gets made and turns out better than Lovelace. In the meantime, I would watch Deep Throat and then the documentary Inside Deep Throat for a thorough look into the history behind the iconic movie and the tragedy that was Linda Lovelace's life.

RATING: ** (2 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: LES MISERABLES

LES MISERABLES
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter

The big screen adaptation of the beloved musical by Alain Boublil and
Claude-Michel Schönberg has finally made it to the big screen, and it has left the die-hard fans in an uproar. Did they do justice with their beloved musical? Did they cast the right actors? Are the voices good enough? Can they get the cast recording out of their head for three hours to appreciate new voices or interpretations of the songs? I have seen the stage version a couple of times and have listened to the cast recording countless times. I will try to keep my comparisons of the two to a minimal, but it will be hard.

Prisoner 24601 Jean Valjean (Jackman) has been released on parole from his guard Javert (Crowe). He stole a loaf of bread and has since been in the arms of the lawful Javert. Valjean is taken in by the Bishop of Digne (original stage Valjean Colm Wilkinson) and given food and shelter. He has a revelation after the generosity the Bishop has given him. He breaks his parole and vows to live a just life helping others. Javert's hunt to capture Valjean once and for all has begun.

Eight years pass and Valjean has taken a new identity to become a factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. A fight between the female workers breaks out as they discover Fantine (Hathaway) is sending money to her daughter Cosette. Cosette is living with the Thénardiers (Bonham Carter and Cohen) and their daughter Eponine. The Thénardiers are innkeepers that pick pocket and steal from anyone entering their establishment. Fantine is kicked out of the factory and turns to prostitution in a desperate attempt to make money for her daughter. Valjean promises to Fantine that he will take care of Cosette. He approaches the Thénardiers and gives them enough money to take her.

Nine years pass and life has only gotten worse for the French. Marius (Redmayne) and Enjolras (Aaron Tveit) decide to start a revolution as the war wages on. Marius spots Cosette (Seyfried) amongst the crowd one day and instantly falls in love. This does not bode well for Eponine (Barks) who has long been in love with Marius. Gunfight and turmoil separate Cosette and Marius while it brings together Javert and Valjean to finish their duel that started many years ago.

One of the best choices director Tom Hooper made was to have the actors sing live on set instead of having the music prerecorded. Many movie musicals have all of the music prerecorded first and then have the actors lip-synch during filming. From what I have read, each actor had an ear piece that played the piano part so they could stay with the music. It is a pretty daring move that I found quite effective. I feel like it allowed the actors to really delve into the acting of the songs while singing them at the same time. Some of the actors were better at this than others. Hathaway's showstopping "I Dreamed a Dream" is so heartbreaking to hear and watch. She is sobbing her way through it and makes the lyrics so gut-wrenching. You will forget about any other time you've heard it, especially if it was done for some reality show that made the woman a huge star now. I won't mention names as I cannot stand that weak rendition. Back to the topic at hand. Eddie Redmayne is another actor that made the live singing look effortless. His song "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is another weeper. This concept does lead to the music to sound a little less refined and pretty than you may expect it to. There is a rough and raw quality to it that may be a little jarring for the die-hard musical lovers.

Crowe and Seyfried are getting the most flack for their performances, but they did not bother me as much as I would have thought. Their voices are very different than how fans have heard their characters sung before. Crowe has more of a rock/pop sound to his tone. He does not have the trained musical theater sound to it. I think he is the one actor that is working the most outside their comfort zone which does show at times. We've heard Seyfried sing in Mamma Mia so her voice come as no surprise. Shockingly enough, Jackman came as a surprise in a different way. I have heard him sing numerous times, so I was excited by his casting. There were moments when he sounded just beautiful while other times his tone really jarred with me. Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne were just phenomenal in every regard. Hathaway will most likely walk away with her first Oscar which will be well deserved. I would love to see Redmayne get some more recognition. Samantha Barks stands out as well as she returns to the role of Eponine after playing in on stage in London.

Another aspect of the movie that will stick out at you is the cinematography. Much of the movie is done in close-up shots, especially during any of the more serious solos. It works with the live singing to help bring out the raw emotion of the song if all you are focused in is the actor delivering the powerful lyrics. To contrast that, the camera uses sharp angles whenever it pans out on the deslote streets of Paris.

Like I have previously stated, it is hard to watch the movie and not compare it to the stage musical. This happens anytime you see a musical adapted for the big screen. Sometimes the material does not transfer well from stage to screen. It takes a supremely talented director, cast, and crew to make the adaptation faithful to the stage version while making it work for the camera. Musical numbers may be cut, characters may reduced from how they appear on stage. It comes with the territory. Not everything that works on stage will work on film. Hooper and his talented cast deliver a top-notch movie musical that stays faithful to the original material. The musical has an amazing score from the solos to the larger group numbers like "One Day More" and "Do You Hear the People Sing?". Some of the musical numbers will have you sobbing in your seats, and you will most likely come out with the music stuck in your head. It is the best stage to screen musical adaptation since 2002's Chicago.

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

New Trailer: LES MISERABLES

LES MISERABLES
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring:
Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean
Russell Crowe as Javert
Anne Hathaway as Fantine
Amanda Seyfried as Cosette
Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thenardier
Sacha Baron Cohen as Thenardier
Eddie Redmayne as Marius
Samantha Barks as Eponine
Aaron Tveit as Enjolras

Special Appearances by Original Broadway Cast Members
Colm Wilkinson
Frances Ruffelle

Some might say that a film adaptation of the huge beloved musical Les Miserables is LONG OVER. Purists may feel it is meant for the stage and should stay that way. Lord only knows when a big screen musical comes along producers and studio heads are bound to cast some A-Lister who can’t sing or a pop singer who can’t act. I’ve seen the stage version and a couple of the “dream cast” anniversary concerts. I feel pretty confident with the cast Tom Hooper as aligned. Jackman and Hathway have proven they can sing. Seyfried, Carter, and Cohen have all previously starred in movie musical adaptations. Redmayne, Barks, and Tveit are all veteran stage actors. Could Les Miserable be the next movie musical to win Best Picture?

Release Date: December 14, 2012