Review: Somewhere

Sofia Coppola returns to familiar territory with her latest film, “Somewhere.” More rewarding than the somewhat disappointing “Marie Antoinette,” “Somewhere’s” simplistic and intimate storyline about a lost A-list actor is very refreshing. While some may not enjoy the movie’s unhurried pace, I found the film fascinating. Sofia Coppola’s long and intrusive shots made “Somewhere” feel like a case study — the subject, a man who has everything yet is seemingly unhappy.

Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is a Farrari-driving playboy who lives in the Chateau Marmont where he is often entertained by twin pole dancers.

An action star, Marco is a part of a big franchise, yet his status doesn’t impress his co-star Rebecca (Michelle Monaghan), who can’t stand him. Similar to the films he makes, one would think a man of his status lead an exciting life. We soon discover his world is pretty mundane.

He spends hours sitting on the ledge of his balcony looking nowhere. Sexual liaisons with beautiful young women, although fun, are not as exciting as they once were. Enter Johnny’s daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning), whose very presence shakes things up a bit. Out of nowhere, Cleo’s mother informs Johnny she needs a break, dropping their daughter on him for a few weeks before she goes off to summer camp.

Due to Marco’s film schedule and lifestyle, father and daughter barely know each other. Yet through video game tournaments, ice-skating practice and a trip to Milan, they grow close and Johnny begins to realize how much of Cleo’s life he missed out on. A bittersweet moment happens right as the 11-year-old heads off to camp. Another follows once Marco is forced to face his loneliness.

“Somewhere” was brilliantly shot. By choosing to capture Marco’s everyday routine through lengthy close-ups, the viewer becomes completely engaged. I know I was. An unconventional way to tell a narrative, this proves challenging for the actor. In Stephen Dorff’s case, since most of his scenes are solo, he is forced to draw entirely upon himself. If he mugged for the camera, his performance would have read insincere, hokey even. Thankfully, Dorff’s portrayal of a 30-something celebrity searching for a sense of direction was authentic and not artificial.

Elle Fanning was simply radiant. She conveyed the light Marco lacked in his lowly life perfectly and the pair’s chemistry was just right. Much of the perfect cohesion can be attributed to the fact that Coppola, with permission from Fanning’s parents, had Dorff pick Fanning up from school daily before the project began, creating a bond between the two.

Similar to “Lost in Translation,” “Somewhere” is character driven. Minimalism is Sofia Coppola’s forte. She also has the uncanny knack of leaving the viewer wanting for more. In the film’s opening scene, Johnny Marco races his Ferrari in circles, obviously headed nowhere. But by the time the credits roll, it’s made very clear he’s headed somewhere. Where to exactly? That’s up to the viewer to decide.

Read More

Under Review: ‘The Fighter’

Not since “Rocky” have I been moved to tears by a movie about a boxer. “The Fighter” managed to leave me shattered — but in a good way.

A true-life account of two brothers, the powerful boxing movie directed by David O. Russell is not your typical sports film. In fact, I would venture to say it’s a picture about family dynamics with well-choreographed fighting sequences peppered throughout. Sure to hold the intellectual’s interest, there is enough emotional strife without becoming melodramatic and for the action enthusiast the boxing scenes are pretty brutal without being gratuitous.

Set in Lowell, Mass., the story is about brothers Dicky (Christian Bale) and Micky Ecklund (Mark Wahlberg). Dicky was a boxer who may or may not have knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard. Unfortunately, drug addiction ends his boxing career relegating him to becoming a trainer. For years, the elder Ecklund instructs his brother. Living vicariously through him, he gives Micky counsel on how to best his opponent. But, eventually, Dicky’s bad habit becomes detrimental and Micky, at the behest of his girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams), decides to dismiss his brother once he is arrested and sent to jail.

Meanwhile, Micky’s overbearing mother and manager, Alice (Melissa Leo), is determined to hold onto the reigns. She doesn’t appreciate Charlene’s interference and, in an amusing scene, she along with her seven daughters, attempt to put a stop to her meddling. This, of course, puts Micky in the middle, but forces him to take a stand and do what’s best for himself and his career.

David O. Russell should be commended for his fantastic work here. Although the movie clocks in at just less than two hours, I couldn’t help but feel cheated. So very invested in the characters and their journey, I wanted more. At the edge of my seat during poignant moments, I was completely enthralled. The pacing was perfect. There were no unintentional lulls — just moments of substance.

Mark Wahlberg impressed me. Sure, at times he gets a bad rap. But in “The Fighter,” he was more than adequate. He conveyed the frustration Micky harbored toward his then-toxic family and elevated his performance in any scene with Christian Bale.

Then there’s Leo, who was jarringly perfect as the enabling and manipulative Alice. She was so fantastic in the part that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her husband George (played by Jack McGee), particularly when she hurls a frying pan at him, striking him square in the shoulder.

As spitfire Charlene, a college dropout who has definitely been around, Amy Adams leaves her cute comfort zone. She’s a tough, no-nonsense kind of girl who delivers some of the best lines and throws a mean punch, too.

But the actor everyone will be and should be discussing is Christian Bale. As Dicky Ward, Bale proves just how versatile he is. Thirty lbs. lighter, but not as terrifyingly thin as he was in “The Machinist,” he channels the real life Dicky. There is no trace of Bruce Wayne or Patrick Bateman or remnants of Bale himself. As evident during the final moments of “The Fighter,” Bale is simply genuine.

I cannot forget to mention the well-crafted screenplay. Written by screenwriters Scot Silver, Paul Tamasay, Eric Johnson and Keith Dorrington, the actors are given more than enough material to work from and the director, adequate substance to lead. It took a few years to bring this story to fruition. Four in fact. That’s how much time was needed to get Wahlberg into boxing shape, giving testimony to the actor’s conviction. It was definitely time well spent.

Go see “The Fighter” this weekend. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll cheer. Most of all, you’ll leave the theater fulfilled.

Read More

Seth MacFarlane Throws Party to Celebrate ‘It’s a Trap!’ Release

Seth MacFarlane sure knows how to throw one heck of a party. To commemorate the Dec. 21 release of “Family Guy’s” latest “Star Wars” spoof “It’s A Trap!,” MacFarlane and Fox celebrated in style at the Supperclub in Hollywood Dec. 14. The red carpet was littered with paparazzi, each of course wanting to take photos of MacFarlane and other notable talent, including Dr. Drew, Bill Maher, Nathan Fillian (“Serenity”), Jerry Ferrara (“Entourage”) and Jake Busey (“The Good Guys”). Who knew they were fans of “Family Guy”?

Everyone at the event was in great spirits. Not only was this shindig in honor of MacFarlane and his successful series, it was also a holiday gathering. Drinks were, of course, on the house and cleverly named. For example, I started off the night with Meg’s Margarita, and ended it with Cleveland’s chocolate mint drink. Both bars within the lively establishment were fully stocked with plenty of bartenders at work whipping out drinks at mach speed. Also popular with the party-goers were the delicious hors d’oeuvres served along with the tasty cocktails.

Once equipped with beverage and snack, everyone congregated around Santa Brian for pictures. Dressed as Kris Kringle himself, the smooth pooch was accompanied by a sexy Mrs. Claus. One wouldn’t expect anything less from Brian. That’s just how he rolls. While attendees memorialized the memorable moment with photos with Santa, Christmas music boomed throughout the white barroom, ushering everyone into the holiday spirit and before the area grew too crowded, large red curtains parted open revealing a sizable lounge.

At that moment, DJ Vice switched up the music, replacing the holiday tunes with dance, old school R & B and some Top 40. Shaped in an immense square, the walls of the main room were lined with white plush couches where guests could mingle and enjoy bottle service. In the center was a large dance floor. Straight above, to coincide with the “It’s A Wrap” themes, were a pair of Princes Leias suspended from the ceiling. Between them was a hunky Jedi in an open robe, wielding a light saber. He wielded it quite well.

Stormtroopers, complete with Santa hats, shook their groove thang with guests. An amusing sight to behold, I was reminded of the “Star Wars Christmas Special.” If you haven’t seen it, do run a search for it via Youtube. You won’t be disappointed, I assure you.

As the DJ continued to crank out good tunes, projecting behind him upon a huge screen was “It’s A Trap!” Every now and then, the music would stop so that everyone could listen to snippets from the hilarious homage to “Return of the Jedi.”

The vibe was definitely exuberant Tuesday night, and everyone had a great time. Me included. But what impressed me most was the camaraderie. Many of the attendees were people who worked with Seth MacFarlane from the “Family Guy’s” inception. Having spoke with several, each had wonderful things to say about the creator. “He’s a man with no ego,” one animator said. An editor told me that he really is a “nice guy.” I was fortunate enough to witness MacFarlane’s graciousness first hand. Although many guests wanted photos with the talented animator, writer, producer, comedian, actor … I could go on and on, he does everything … he was ever so patient.

His counterpart, Seth Green, was also amiable. I didn’t think to ask him about his thoughts on the “Buffy” reboot and I can just kick myself for not doing so. Maybe next time. Until then, I’ll watch “It’s A Trap!” again and I’ll keep a close eye on Seth MacFarlane’s next project, “Ted” a hard R comedy about a man and his teddy bear. At present, Mila Kunis, Adam Scott and Mark Wahlberg are in negotiations to star in the adult comedy. I can’t wait to hear more details about it. Rest assured, as more info becomes available, it will be covered here at It’s Just Movies.

Thankfully, Seth MacFarlane and the gang has left us “It’s A Trap!” to keep us occupied. The Blu-ray and DVD streets Dec. 21.

Read More

Review: True Grit

Normally, I’m against remakes. As a rule, I cannot stand them. But, unfortunately, Hollywood views the re-inventions of prior source material as an easy way to make a buck. I call this lazy film-making. But when I discovered The Coen Brothers were trying their hand at the John Wayne classic I was intrigued.

Although great, I always felt the original “True Grit” could have been, well, grittier — improved upon. The Coen Brothers manage to do both here. Not to say I didn’t enjoy the original, but for me it was dated and from my understanding deviated quite a bit from the novel written by Charles Portis.

The story in “True Grit” is pretty straight-forward. Mattie Ross (Hailee Steenfeld) is a 14-year-old girl seeking revenge for her father’s murder. To assist her on her quest, Mattie hires a marshal with “true grit” named “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down her father’s killer through Choctaw territory. Not convinced he will carry out the deed, Mattie accompanies Cogburn — against his wishes. Along the way, the pair is soon joined by a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Matt Damon), who is after Chaney for a murder committed in Texas.

From the supporting actors to the leads, every contribution in this film is top notch. Then again, the Coen Brothers always had the uncanny knack of discovering the best and most interesting talent. In fact, most of the actors appeared to have been hand-picked because their specific look mirrored “True Grit’s” rough environment, making the film all the more visceral and real.

But the standout performances are without a doubt from Bridges, Steinfeld, Damon and Josh Brolin. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld is a force to be reckoned with. What impressed me the most about this young thespian is how she played the part fearlessly. Not many actresses could hold a candle to the Oscar-winning Bridges, let alone someone so young.

Brolin is probably in the picture for all of 15 minutes. But within that brief time period, he plays one hell of a rat. As La Beouf, Damon was the perfect do-gooder, Disgusted by Cogburn’s drunken unconventional way of doing things; the Texas Ranger fought him tooth and nail. Without any difficulty, Damon conveyed the lawman’s frustration in a manner that showed how dedicated he was about bringing Chaney to justice.

Saving the best for last is the master: Jeff Bridges. He was amazing here, nothing short of perfection. If anyone was concerned whether he could fill the Duke’s shoes, they need not be. His Cogburn is of his own design, not to be confused with John Wayne’s version. Both are great, yet different, and fit the time period in which each movie was made. It always amazes me at how well Bridges slips into character, leaving barely a trace of himself. He truly is a brilliant. And one thing is for certain; the Best Actor race will be very tight this year.

To sum things up, “True Grit” is a first-rate picture. I’m sure this has been said with every Coen Brother release, but it bears repeating. The Coen Brothers have done it again.

“True Grit” opens Dec. 22.

Read More