Movie Rewind: MUD (2013)

MUD (2013)
Director/Writer: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Michael Shannon

There are always those movies you intend to see in theaters, but somehow they get passed you. Mud came out in early 2013 to critical acclaim, and I am just now getting around to it. Ellis (Sheridan) and Neckbone (Lofland) boat out to a small little island to get a closer look at this mysterious boat that is stuck in a tree. The sight of bread and beans quickly tell them that someone is living it. They soon meet Mud (McConaughey) who tries to claim the boat is his. He corrects them by saying he is either a hobo or homeless, but not a bum. The boys have a fascination with him as they go to the island the next day to bring him food. Mud tells the boys he plans on only being there a short time as he is waiting for his old girlfriend Juniper (Witherspoon).

Ellis comes face to face with the reality about love and marriage when he learns his parents are headed toward divorce which means they could be losing the houseboat they live on. When he and his mom (Paulson) drive into town they are stopped by the police who are looking for hitchhikers and other fugitives. The picture of the wanted fugitive belongs to Mud. Despite his criminal past, the boys still seem to have a trust with him by wanting to help him out.

In only his third movie, Nichols proves to be a sharp storyteller. He captures that naïve state teens go through when they are around fourteen years old without it feeling like some dopey teen flick you would see on the Disney channel. Neckbone and Ellis bring out these feelings on how it always seems to be so disappointing when you start to understand the hard truths about life that you tend to take for granted. Whenever I see these types of coming of age movies about young boys, they always bring me back to Stand By Me, which is my all-time favorite movie. The characters of Ellis and Neckbone really remind me of the Stand By Me boys. The layers of the story really start to unfold through the eyes of the two boys. The audience only finds out the truth about Mud and the men after him as the boys start to discover it themselves. Nichols still retains an honesty with them without ever painting them out to be stupid or troubled teenagers.

The look and feel of the film reminds me of Winter's Bone and Beasts of the Southern Wild where the location and nature surrounding our characters play such a vital part of the story. Nichols and cinematographer Adam Stone really capture the rough and coarse atmosphere that goes with living along the river in a small and poor town.

Nichols has a very solid cast. Sheridan and Lofland are fantastic young up-and-coming actors. This is the second film for Sheridan after his work in Terence Malick's The Tree of Life. Lofland is making his big screen debut. Matthew McConaughey has had a string of strong performances after Bernie, Magic Mike, The Paperboy, and Killer Joe. He continues to pick strong material that really shows off his strengths. While there is very much a McConaughey feel to many of his characters, Mud is a rich and dimensional role for him where he provides a sympathetic and humane quality to him despite his criminal past. You really do see his character through the eyes of the boys and not the men that are out to get him. I LOVE seeing the legendary Sam Shepard in these paternal type supporting roles. There is always so much depth and meat behind him no matter how small the role happens to be. I need to keep an eye on Jeff Nichols and go back to his previous films Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter, both starring Michael Shannon. Movies like Mud are great examples of largely unknown filmmakers and storytellers who deserve more attention.

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

Movie Review: MAN OF STEEL

MAN OF STEEL
Director: Zach Snyder
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, Richard Schiff


One of the most highly anticipated movies of 2013 is Man of Steel, the latest take on DC Comic's Superman. 2006's Superman Returns sought out to be a return to the franchise. After a chilly reception of the oddly cast film, the franchise was dead in the water again. Fresh off The Dark Knight Trilogy, screenwriter David S. Goyer and producer Christopher Nolan give us their take on the DC Comic superhero.

The planet Krypton is in grave danger. Jor-El (Crowe) fears the take over by General Zod (Shannon) and his followers will lead to its complete destruction. In order to save his newly born son Kal-El, he launches him off in a pod headed toward Earth. Jor-El infuses his son's body with a genetic code that will in turn preserve the Kryptonian race. Zod witnesses the escape of Kal-El and claims, "I will find him!" vowing to one day get his hand on the genetic code.

Kal-El is rescued and raised by Jonathan (Costner) and Martha (Lane) Kent in Smallville, Kansas. At a young age, he realizes that he is different than the other kids in his class. The Kryptonian genetic codes have given him a super strength and speed that he struggles to understand. He wants to use his abilities to help others, but is advised by his father to keep them harnessed for a later date. If the world finds out how special he is, they will only use it against him. Clark (Cavill) finds it harder to sustain his powers as an adult. He works odd jobs, lives in various places, and uses different names to stick to a mysterious life. He risks his true identity after rescuing workers near an Arctic plant. An archaeological dig has discovered space crafts that have been buried for thousands of years. Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Adams) has been sent in to cover the discovery but turns her fascination toward Clark. The discovery of the spacecrafts marks the return of General Zod who has finally found Clark.

Previous Zach Snyder (Watchmen, 300) films have had similar issues with structure regarding the action versus character development. Man of Steel falls into that trap. The story digs into the origins of the Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman story. You will not find Lex Luthor or Jimmy Olson in this version. One would think that an origins story would enrich the characters we know and love. I feel like the best scenes in the movie involve Clark, Jonathan, and Martha. There is a humanity and warmth to them that make the origins story more credible as Clark learns how to deal with his inner struggles. Unfortunately, the story should have utilized more of these scenes in the beginning and middle sections to further the origins story line instead of treating them like flashbacks. Lois Lane is given a different spin on how she approaches Clark Kent and Superman. Amy Adams portrays her as a tougher, no-nonsense reporter over the ditsy damsel in distress type character. Henry Cavill fills out that Superman suit very well, but stays pretty brooding throughout most of the film. The script does not give him enough to play around with in this portion of the story. I have faith he will only get better with each film as he settles into the different mindsets of Clark Kent versus Superman. The film seems to rely too heavily on cutting to the action sequences and the need for the Superman costume before delving into the heart of these characters. The audience sees the suit pretty early on in the film, and he stays in combat mode the majority of the movie.

I had high hopes knowing that David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan were involved. I am a massive fan of The Dark Knight Trilogy, so I was hoping for that same feel and tone. This is by no means a bad film. It has that first movie in a series syndrome where the filmmakers want to kick the series off into high gear with big action sequences but neglect key elements and flow of making it a standalone film. The ending of the movie is sure to please fans as it sets up the next installment well. You get the sense that the actors will really be able to play around more with their characters. I wish we would have seen more of that in this movie instead of waiting for the next.


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

Movie Trailer: MAN OF STEEL

MAN OF STEEL

Director: Zach Snyder
Starring: Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
Amy Adams as Lois Lane
Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent
Diane Lane as Martha Kent
Russell Crowe as Jor-El
Michael Shannon as General Zod
Laurence Fishburne as Perry White
Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy



By the looks of the trailer, the upcoming Superman movie Man of Steel looks to be an origins story. Fans of the series did not have a warm reaction towards the last movie, 2006's Superman Returns, for numerous reasons. I myself did not appreciate the casting of Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Audience members should be relieved because the movie looks to be in good hands with Zach Snyder (300, Watchmen) behind the camera with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) producing the movie. The script is by David S. Goyer who previously co-wrote the stories for The Dark Knight trilogy so hopefully that means a strong story. If all goes well, I would not be surprised if the series is rebooted and this turns into the next big trilogy.

Release Date: June 14, 2013

Feel free to sound off below with your comments on Man of Steel. Will you be there at a midnight screening? Opening weekend? Dollar theater?

Movie Review: PREMIUM RUSH

PREMIUM RUSH
Director: David Koepp
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Jamie Chung

Dodging taxis, cars, and buses all seem to be part of the norm for your standard bicycle riding courier. Wilee (Gordon-Levitt) is a veteran at this job and knows New York City like the back of his hand. When he gets into a bind, he can foresee multiple plans of attack to see which one of them won't get him run over by a bus or car. He picks up an envelope from his ex-girlfriend’s roommate Nima (Chung) at the university. Bobby Monday (Shannon) approaches him as he is about to leave campus demanding to have the envelope. Wilee does not hand it over as that would be against the security policies he has with his position. Wilee bikes off and escapes only to find out Monday is on his tail. He dodges him again and heads toward the police precinct. He witnesses Monday walking in a little bit after he did. He is a member of the NYPD that has more up his sleeve than your standard police duties. He happens to be a member of an underground Chinese gambling ring.

This is the kind of movie where the less you know going in keeps you on the edge of your seat. Director and screenwriter David Koepp has made a taut chase movie. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of chase movies this summer with your action hero on the run. Premium Rush does is right. Koepp keeps the action going by telling the story in a non-linear fashion. As you go back to various points in the day, you learn more and more about what the envelope is carrying and why it is so important to Nima. The biking and chases seem very realistic in the ever crowded streets of New York City. I don't think the story would have worked if it was set in another location. The busy lifestyle cranks the adrenaline into high gear as the characters could be run over or slammed into at any moment. The story takes place all in one day, so there is not much in the way of character development. This is just one day in the life of Wilee. You do not find out much about his past or what his ultimate motivations in life are. More information is given about the Bobby Monday character than Wilee. With this kind of film, you don't need to know any of that.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is having a strong year. This is his second movie of the year following the brilliant The Dark Knight Rises. He has two more movies slated for release. Looper with Bruce Willis opens in late September and Spielberg’s epic, Lincoln, will be released in November. I have been following his work for years and truly think he is one of the most versatile and daring actors of his generation working today. He has been successful in romantic comedies, action movies, heavy dramas, big blockbusters, and even smaller independent movies. It should be noted he did a lot of his own stunt work in this movie which provided some interesting footage during the closing credits. Michael Shannon is devilishly evil as the loathsome and ruthless Monday. Premium Rush has delivered a fast-paced, 90 minute joy ride that is just perfect for the end of the summer blockbuster season. It gives an interesting look into the sub culture of bicycle couriers that I knew very little about.

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