Kim Gentes

A story about waiting to die. Audience participation required.

Summary: Imagine if you had the opportunity to know you were about to die.  That in a few days your body would shut down and you writhe painfully from dehydration, exhaustion into complete physical collapse.  This is the real life story of Aron Ralston. An Intel engineer who was a serious hiking enthusiast, took on one too many challenges.   

I won't recite the entire storyline for you.  If you haven't heard it, it is well worth either reading his real life story or watching this movie. Suffice it to say that Ralston has his life dangling in the balance while stuck in the crevas of a slot canyon in Utah, his arm wedged between the canyon and a rock.

The very best about this movie is the acting by James Franco. Edging out a character study for this protagonist gets center stage. The movie, quite frankly, is little else.  And Franco is more than up to the task. He elevates the film to believability, pain and course reality.  You feel the wind, the grit of sand, the losing of sanity, the struggle of dehydration pressing in on you as you watch the film.

Danny Boyle (director) achieves precisely his goal with the stark renderings and narrow effect given to the cinematography- to make you feel like each moment is grainy, slow and arduous. This is the point of the film making, that you will feel what the character feels. But this becomes the ironic anti-point to most viewers, since the very thing Boyle intends to make us feel, when it succeeds, is the exact opposite thing you need to keep people in the seats at a local theatre. Twenty-first century Americans can't be bothered with painful, frightening, gnawing, ugly reality. They can't handle story telling that is not 120 minutes of 7 second sound bites and 50 car explosions.  So I don't expect 127 Hours will do well as a money making venture.

But if you would like to hear an amazing story, of a truly heroic individual, who grinds out life and death with the elements of a desert canyon, and you are willing to endure for 133 minutes what he endured for 127 hours, then you can learn the lessons he learned. And you won't be disappointed.

I also usually give warnings related to content for age. For parents out there, you should know that this film has a few instances of cursing, though, it is occasional. There are also sexual innuendoes, but again they are passing. However, in one scene, James Franco's character does pleasure himself, apparently as an attempt to alleviate pain. This may be offensive to some viewers. I would not bring my 13 year old to this movie, but I would bring my 16 and 19 year old boys. I have boys and do not have girls so I have no good grid for evaluating well age appropriateness for daughters. As you might imagine, there are some visceral, disgusting things that he does to his body to survive (including drinking urine, considering severing body parts, etc). Much the same way as "Saving Private Ryan" was a particularly shocking viewpoint of war, this movie is a microcosm of personal human struggle. It is realistic and yet painful and visceral.

The film has a man who goes from happy, to angry, to hopeful, to hopeless, to base human animal, back through to thankful, changed, human. When he reaches the base human animal, on a human level this reflects a journey where a person goes from seeming happiness into transformation, through a deeply terrible self-revelation, which forces him to leave behind part of his old life to move on to the new.

I am slightly less compelled to feel like Boyle worked as hard as Franco on the film. The one thing that seemed a bit too obvious was the moral lesson that he pounds out in the script. The epiphany moment (at the end of the movie) when the Ralston character yells the word "Help" is about the fourth or fifth time the moral lesson is hammered home for the viewers. That felt a little over done for the normally more clever style that Boyle employs in his films.  But I certainly can grant this concession for an otherwise poignant and painful triumph to a powerful story.

Amazon DVD Link : http://amzn.to/pMEcog

Review by Kim Gentes.

Not so true. Not much grit.

Summary: I have to admit, I went to this film because it was directed by the Coen brothers. Their ability to take a story and turn its perspective upside down without ruining it is near legendary.  And while they certainly did take a seeming classic story and spin its viewpoint, the result is a placid, ineffectual, yarn with little drama and misuse of a star-studded cast.

The Coens had help in killing the life of this film, but not from Hailee Steinfeld.  Hailee plays Mattie Ross, a 14 year old girl who is left to deal with her murdered father's affairs. She takes it upon herself to hire two men to track down her father's killer and joins them in the pursuit.  Her acting is crisp and well set for the role and story.  It could be argued that she overplays the capabilities of a 14 year old, but that seems to be written into the story and not a misrepresentation in her acting.

Jeffe Bridges also does a reasonable job as the drunken, hard-nosed US Marshal, Rooster Cogburn.  Flashes of intensity in his character save the film from absolute boredom.  Matt Damon is ill-cast as the lucid, weakling Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf.  He provides a sympathetic, but nearly ineffectual character that neither fits Damon's intense style or helps the film.  Likewise, James Brolen's character is less than what you hope for as well. Neutered by a subjugated role to the "Lucky Ned Pepper" character, Brolen ends up in 2 strange and almost discardable scenes. All this leaves you thinking- "that's the villain?"  The real antagonist ends up being the "Lucky Ned Pepper" character, whose namesake is ironically similar to the actor, Barry Pepper, who plays him. Pepper (actor and character) is the only one who seems to take the film as a serious western.  If you're looking for "grit", Pepper is all you'll find.

The film fails, in my estimation because it lacks any chemistry between the characters. There is no intensity, no dialog and no attraction to speak of. Nothing relationally seems real in this film.  That would be fine if it contained actual and suspense to keep you going, but it fails there too.  In fact, the Coen's try to rely on humor to keep you interested.  Humor which, though occasionally seems helpful, is ultimately all that is left.

I wish I had more encouraging news on this film.  It is definitely not the best movie to see in this season. Both "127 Hours" and "Fighter" are much more worthy of your money, in my opinion.

Amazon DVD Link: http://amzn.to/nx8fdR

Review by Kim Gentes.

A super geek. An average story. Brilliant direction.

Summary: What would it be like if you had a movie made of your life? Some things would be exciting enough to be "media" worthy, other things might seem rather "run of the mill".  But what makes your story particularly interesting to your friends and family is that it actually happened, and it actually happened to someone they know.  

Mark Zuckerberg is a geek.  A Harvard geek.  The story of his rise to fame and the explosion of his website, Facebook, is not as tumultuous and extraordinary as you might think.  But it is believable and it is engaging.  "The Social Network" takes you on that story, and it does so with an exceptional script, excellent acting and perfect direction.

Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg as the irrepressible, though socially awkward computer geek that bumbles his way into the brilliant idea of Facebook.  Eisenberg's execution of the script, pacing of his lines (rapid fire geek-talk included) and coyish (though duplicitous) characteristics leave you with the character as he is: uncertain, yet brash; loyal, yet easily seduced; naive, yet considerably cunning and possibly disingenuous.  There is no lack of top notch acting in this film.  Andrew Garfield plays the slighted best friend, Eduardo Saverin, who carefully executes the hint of similar genius on a script that sounds genuine and compelling.

But the best acting in this film is done by Justin Timeberlake. I know, it sounds like a claim to garner celeb thanks, but frankly, Timberlake simply is deviously brilliant as Sean Parker, former co-founder of Napster.  The Parker character is the icon for the slimy underworld of hubris filled "entrepreneurism".  With pithy lines and insidious conniving, Parker weaves his way into Facebook ownership and management by befriending Zuckerberg and essentially destroying the relationship between the startup's founder duo. It would be hard to dislike this character more, and that is the point.  What Javier Bardem does as an unrelenting assassin in "No Country For Old Men", Timberlake does as a creepy, self-infatuated, megalomaniac in "The Social Network".

I am not sure how close to reality that the film plays with the dialog, but the top notch writing in this film keep you laughing and very interested in the next moment. And the next.  And the next. Each of the 121 minutes flew by and director David Fincher made sure you couldn't find one of those minutes you regretted.

Negatives? If you don't like witty cynicism this film may prove to be less than entertaining.  And it appears that the film certainly steps out of reality a few times with its overwrought scenes of partying and plot twists that keep you watching.

I would not bring my kids to see this film, though there is no explicit nudity in the film or excessive language (relative to other films). But the film is clearly portraying a college atmosphere at its hedonistic height (and exaggerating it at that, says the real Mark Zuckerberg in a separate interview about the film). There are numerous drug and alcohol use scenes, parlayed against additional scenes of sexual innuendoes. All told, it's simply too much for anyone under 17, in my opinion.

Those items aside, "The Social Network" is worth watching.  With the rash of bland to bad films that have come out this year, it's not hard to call the film one of the best 3 of the year.  As a geek myself, I found "Social Network" amusing and self-complimentary to all who might classify themselves as such. But mostly, its just good fun and surprisingly moralistic (the yarn points at a simple moral lesson throughout).

Go see it. You won't be disappointed.

Amazon DVD Link: http://amzn.to/pLJ5dz

Review by Kim Gentes.

Romance that happens just once every four years.

Summary: In a genre that brings us the very definition of sappiness, "Leap Year" breaks ranks with a surprising, witty and artfully wholesome film that will absolutely win for a date night. And the biggest surprise will be that the guy will actually enjoy watching this film.

Review: Once upon a time romance movies were a script so predictable, that the price tag at the box office was the only thing to remind us that there was supposed to be value attached to this art form.  In recent years, graphic language and scenes replaced good romantic tension as a crude substitute for the film ethos.

Leap Year crests the new year with a brilliant romantic comedy that will still warm your heart with a slightly predictable story, while riveting your attention with an eclectic and engaging cast.

A number of the "professional" critics dance with their angry hammers on this film- it is just too clean for the Hollywood banter to believe it could relate to "real people"- since the film shows no sex, and has virtually no offensive language.  The story is obvious and clear. You and your date will know what is going to happen, perhaps except for the last 5 minutes. But that is the point- this story was meant to warm and encourage, not be a gritty or esoteric "reality check".  But the couple that discovers one another in this story is the focus of it, not the story.  Two very adept actors here, Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, have genuine spark and nuance to their dialog.  There are some stock laughs, but also enough odd twist humor to keep it fresh.

Guys, you don't have to like romantic comedies to see this film- you will enjoy it anyways. If tonight is a night to escape and enjoy, and cuddle up with your date, then see "Leap Year". You'll enjoy it! The best light hearted, romantic comedy I have seen in a long while.

Amazon DVD Link: http://amzn.to/quGqMU

Review by Kim Gentes.

Heartache. Rage. Reconciliation.

Summary: Sadly, we don't get to determine most of the tragedies that enter our lives. Most times, all we have is our choice in how to responsd. This film is about the choices we make. Some to bring calamity on others. Some to respond to unthinkable tragedy brought upon us. This is a character film, reaching to the very depths of what drives and motivates us. It's not a fairy tale, but it is truly excellent.

Full Review: Watching movies is often an escape from the real world- an attempt to see heros and heroines succeed, lift our spirits and make us laugh.  A way for us to remove ourselves from the drudgery of "real life" to enjoy the "good life". This film, "Five Minutes of Heaven", is none of those things. Rather than escaping from the painful reality of life, it plunges into the deep end of dispair that is a literal hell on earth for the very real people who live in the blunt force world of criminal acts, lifelong grief and unescapable loss.

The film, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, is meant to be a pseudo documentary of "reality show" in which Liam Neeson's character, Alistair, prepares and meets James Nesbitt's character, Joe, after many years separated a cold-blooded assasination perptrated by the former and witnessed by the latter.  This film is actually "inspired by true events", which seems believable enough. The setting is Northern Ireland, amidst the death and terror of sectarian violence brought on by murderous factions of Catholics and Protestants. In that context, Alistair plots and executes a plan to kill Joe's brother, for no real reason other than they lived as two people in the opposite camp of the world of the tinderbox that was Northern Ireland's violent 1970s.

Joe witnesses the act and is left not only traumatised, but shamed by his remaining family who can do nothing with their grief but pile accusations on the 10 year old Joe. Alistair, however, finds his life eventually turning 180 degrees away from the violence of his past. Eventually, he not only rejects the violence he once perpetrated, he works for years to bring a message of reconciliation and call for families and communities to reach out to young people who might be tempted to turn to violence in similar situations.

All this comes to a head when a peacemaking, reconciliation group asks to film a meeting between the two people. What happens is not only unexpected but gritty. In the end, the movie is about reality, not pie-in-the-sky reconciliation. But it gets to the truth about why people do things at such base levels, and what possible hope there is for lives torn by such tragedy.

I would say that Liam Neeson was stellar and deserves awards for his acting- and I'd be right. He is truly in command of his character and never faulters. But it really ends up being James Nesbitt's film. Not just in time of screen minutes, but in power of his performance. Nesbitt becomes the horrific, sad, lost, angry and even hopeful boy and man that we all fear and believe he must become. All the while, we hope for better. He makes us hope. Nesbitt makes this film have such power and honesty, he really stands above Neeson- which is an almost impossible task.  Because both do such an amazing job, the plot, timing, emotions and characters all fit into the realm of perfection.

This is a film which is laden with cursing and overwhelming emotional scenes. It is for no child under 15, in my opinion. Even older children will be shaken by this film internally, as will adults.

If you have a chance to watch this film, do not hesitate. It is one of the best films in the last 5 years. Really, it's that good.

Amazon DVD Link: http://amzn.to/Q8xx4t

Review by Kim Gentes.