The Astronaut Farmer

Although this is not Billy Bob Thornton's finest hour, it's definitely not his worst, either. A combination of October Sky and Apollo 13, The Astronaut Farmer takes viewers to a small farm where one man's life long dream of going into space actually becomes reality. For the first hour of the film, it seems as though everything is right on track. However, it's the last third of the film that lets us down.

Sitting in the theatre, I couldn't help but think that one particular sequence was no more than a dream by the title character of the film. However, as the scene went on - and on - I realized that this was indeed an integral part of the film. While not spoiling the outcome, it seems as though this film sets one up for some disappointment. However, in the end it all works out. Don't expect greatness. C+.

The Sopranos Premiere

In the first of the nine remaining episodes of The Sopranos, we take a bit of a break from the mob scene and work our way up to the lakefront summer home of Bobby and Janice Bacalieri. The episode had very few of the main stars, and we only barely heard from Christopher as Tony slammed his phone shut when Chrissy wanted to wish him a happy birthday.

The episode was again perfect Soprano material as the show never wandered away from what it prizes most - the human drama involved. While Tony is facing an uncertain future within his ranks as boss, his enemies - and associates - seem to be a little disgruntled. In my opinion, look for Phil Leotardo to put pressure on Tony, but more importantly, look for an important development with Bobby. The last scene in the episode raises many questions as to the loyalty that Bobby has for Tony. After all, Bobby has treated Tony like crap for a lot of years. Could Bobby flip and go to the Feds? Could Bobby try to help put a hit on Tony? Or is Bobby still fine with his place in the ranks?

For the critics out there who like to complain about this show, I would like to remind them that it is still the best hour of television on each week. I'm sure some will complain that this first episode was slow, but if you look a little deeper into the characters, a lot happened. As an avid fan of the series, I can only wonder will Tony survive 8 more episodes? A.

Grindhouse

Just when we all thought Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino had pushed the limits of filmmaking, they go a little farther. In the new stylized film Grindhouse, the two directors each create films reminiscent of old style grind-house films. Planet Terror, the first film of the two, created by Rodriguez, revolves around zombies taking over the planet. In order to save the day, Six Feet Under alum Freddy Rodriguez and The Terminator star Michael Biehn must try and stop the zombies. The film is flimsy - but that's exactly what makes it so great.

Up next is Tarantino's Death Proof. At first it seems as though Tarantino is a bit heavy handed with all of the patented dialogue involving sex, guns, and music. But just when we get a little restless, Tarantino cranks up the action. Kurt Russel stars in one of his finest roles as a washed up stunt driver. While not giving anything away, this movie is a surefire highspeed adrenaline-charged racecar of a film that stops at nothing to keep us involved.

Put together, these two films showcase the journey that two filmmakers have made over the last decade and a half. While the films seem odd at times, they really aren't given the directors at the helm. To boot, there are a few trailers attached to the films that make the grind-house effect that much more potent. A.

The Race Is On

With Spider-Man 3 opening in just under a month, it's now clear as to what the big films are going to be when the summer season begins. Coming out of the gate right away in May are three of the biggest films of the year, Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End. It's really anyone's guess as to which of the three films will do the best at the box office. However, I have some of my own thoughts.

It's been almost three years since we've seen Peter Parker and company on the big screen. That said, I think audiences are craving the web slinger, and with a Friday opening, this film could actually steal back the top spot on the all time opening weekend list, which by the way was broken last year when Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest stole the spot from the first Spider-Man. With Sam Raimi at the helm, Spider-Man 3 will surely receive critical praise, and with a cast including franchise newcomers Topher Grace, Thomas Haden Church, and Bryce Dallas Howard, the film could even bring in a few new fans.

The Shrek world could continue to thrive, but if there is any place for erosion this film will be the one. After two overly successful films in the franchise already, a third film seems like a lock. But the real question is whether or not audiences really feel the need for another go-around. After all, Shrek 2 was more of a rehashing than breaking new ground. Likewise, Shrek the Third is sandwiched in between Spidy and Pirates, which could cause some problems as people will still be getting over the Spider-Man hype and gearing up for that last chapter in...

The Pirates of the Caribbean series. Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End is a bit of a mystery as to how it will do at the box office. Will people be yearning for Jack after only a mere 10 month break, or will people come out in droves to see what happened to everyone's favorite pirate and his precious ship? My bet is that this film does quite well. However, as some people didn't like the second film, there could be some erosion.

All in all, it will be a banner year for movies, as these three are just starting off in the month of May. Look for other films, such as The Bourne Ultimatum, Live Free or Die Hard, and Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer to all do well.

The Lookout

Coupled with his astounding performances in Mysterious Skin and Brick, Third Rock from the Sun alum Joseph Gordon-Levitt is making a name for himself in Hollywood. Set against the backdrop of wintry Kansas, Levitt shines as Chris Pratt, a young man who succumbs to brain injury when he is involved in a car accident. Living his life day to day, Pratt learns to cope with his injury as he takes classes and cleans a bank at night. Little to his dismay, a group of thieves decide they want to rob the bank he cleans. There's just one catch - they need him to be the lookout.

From then on, the film spirals downward into betrayal, anger, and regret. Carefully acted, and even more carefully directed, the film takes the notion of classic film noir and blends it with modern-day character drama, culminating in a true tour de force.

In one of the finest roles of his career, Jeff Daniels stars as Levitt's blind friend. Daniels works well as a supporting character, and he shows his range as a great character actor. While some critics complain that the payoff for the film is not that great, I disagree. Directed by Scott Frank, the screenplay writer of The Interpreter and Minority Report, the film works wonders with a story that is rich with character devlopment and carefully calculated plot elements. The Lookout is one of the first great films of the year. A.

Blades of Glory

While I'm not a big fan of cheesy comedies, Blades of Glory works wonders with the headlined cast including Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. Set against the backdrop of the world skating competition, two skaters, Chaz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder), get disqualified for fighting during a skating competition. Banned from men's singles competition for life, the two men are coaxed into forming a pairs team.

What makes this movie really great is the combination of the good story and great villains played by the real life couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler. Likewise, it's great to see that actual figure skaters, including the likes of Brian Boitano, Scott Hamilton, Nancy Kerrigan, and Sasha Cohen, are willing to show that the world of skating can be at times frivolous.

The onscreen chemistry of Ferrell and Heder is near that of Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci or Chris Farley and David Spade. The two work wonders both on the ice and off. While not the most serious film of the year, Blades does a good job of keeping one entertained for 90 minutes. B+.

Shooter

Coming off of his astounding performance in Martin Scorsese's The Departed, Mark Wahlberg shows why he is one of the finest actors in the business. In Shooter, Wahlberg plays an ex-military man who is brought back in to try to stop a possible assassination of the President. Or so we think. Along the way, Wahlberg gets setup by the villainous Danny Glover and the scheming Senator, played by Ned Beatty.

Aside from a story line that seems to wander at times, the film works well with Wahlberg in the lead. What really works well in the film is use of the camera to tell the story. Using a mixture of shots, director Antoine Fugua, known mainly for Training Day, creates a film that has sustained suspense. B+.

Reign Over Me

While many people have a deep affection toward Adam Sandler, he once again proves in this film that he is a single-dimensional bit player. Although Don Cheadle manages to salvage this debacle of a film - not to mention a boring film - Sandler just doesn't cut it as the disturbed widower. Sandler plays former dentist Charlie (and believe me, that name gets really annoying when you hear 878 times throughout the film), a man who loses his family during the 9/11 attacks.

What the film attempts to do is capture the essence that propelled Robert Redford's Ordinary People in 1980. However, the film falls flat. Unlike Timothy Hutton, who played the disturbed son in Ordinary People, Sandler can't make it work in Reign. While Hutton's performance is seamless and believable as he copes with the unfortunate death of his brother, Sandler comes off as someone not suffering from a deep depression, but someone who is severely schitzophrenic. It appears that Sandler doesn't need therapy; rather, he needs an exorcism.

All in all, Reign is a bad film. Moreover, it's boring. Don't waist your time with this one folks. D+.

Will the real Stan Grossman please stand up?

As I was bored out of my mind a couple weeks ago during a weekend blizzard, I decided to pop in one of my favorite films - Fargo. As I started watching it, I found that I had forgotten just how great it really was. What I also realized was that there was a blatant character similarity between Fargo and Little Miss Sunshine. A character who appears as a savvy businessman in Fargo, Stan Grossman, also appears in the film Little Miss Sunshine. Speaking to a film professor recently, I learned that the character reference in Little Miss Sunshine was probably more of an homage than an error in character. In Fargo, Larry Brandenburg plays the wealthy businessman Grossman. In Little Miss Sunshine, Bryan Cranston, notably from Malcom in the Middle, plays the character. Both characters are similar in that they are spoken of quite highly in each film, but they ultimately end up making the lead males angry.

Zodiac

Is it just me, or has Robert Downey, Jr. been cropping up in some great roles lately? In Zodiac, Downey steals the show as a journalist who struggles with substance abuse. But that's not really the story here. The film revolves around the Zodiac killer who killed numerous individuals in the late 60s and early 70s. Along with Downey, Jake Gyllenhal fits perfectly into his role as a comic artist for the local newspaper. However, when the Zodiac case breaks open, Gyllenhal's character, Robert Graysmith, becomes intrigued by the unfolding murders.

The film, directed by the ever talented David Fincher, shows us why Fincher is a great director. He is able to keep us intrigued for the whopping two hour and forty minute running time. Not many films today would risk being so long, but Fincher and company manage to pull it off. My only gripe with the film is that, like Hollywoodland, there isn't necessarily a major resolution. However, without spoiling the film for others, it plays as a great period piece that will surely stand highly next to Fincher's other works, including Fight Club, Seven, etc.

The supporting cast is also a force to be reckoned with. Anchored by Mark Ruffalo, the major players in the film all create a sense of mystery that works well within the given context. Moreover, the other supporters, including the likes of Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, and Philip Baker Hall fits squarely in the time period that the film is set. With all of the testosterone running rampant on screen, it's up to Chloe Sevigny to reign in. She does just that. The underrated actress shows why she is one of the finest in her generation as she plays the wife of the obsessed Graysmith. A.

Reno 911!: Miami

Although I am not a self-proclaimed fan of the series, Reno 911!: Miami provides a great dose of farcical comedy. With the Reno gang on a trip to Miami for a police convention, chaos ensues as the group is forced into action when a large hotel containing police officers becomes quarantined. The group then must manage the streets of Miami. It's a perfect example of great comedy with little point.

The film is able to go places that the show never could - expletives are bleaped out and the sexual inuendo is in full force. It's not a film to bring little kids to, but it sure is funny. With the success of Borat coupled with the success of this film, look for every screwball comedy to surface during the coming year. A-.

Wild Hogs

Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, and John Travolta do their best to entertain for an hour and a half. Although there are a few funny points to Wild Hogs, many of the laughs seem forced and predictable. It's really too bad the writers didn't try for more with this one, seeing as the cast was so great.

As four men venture out on a male bonding experience that takes them on a trip through the south, they accidentally blow up a biker roadhouse. Ray Liotta, in a role that seems to work well for him, leads the roadhouse gang to find and severely hurt the heroes. While the film has a good premise, it just falls flat. There are too many cliches along the way. It's a valiant effort, but it just doesn't work. C+.

Ghost Rider

Coming off of his tear jerking performance in Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, Nicholas Cage does little to show his Academy Award worthy-side as the title character in this latest comic book to film adaptation. While the film is not overly smart, it doesn't try to be either. Consider this to be another Fantastic Four style film - it's good but it's not Spiderman 2.

While the plot involves Cage battling Satan and his cronies, which might seem a bit over the top, the film does justice to a comic book hero that is not well known. The film's major accomplishment is the effects that are extremely well done. The lavish fight sequences, along with an even superior soundtrack, leaves the viewer believing that this might not be so bad after all.

The main problem with the film is that the story is weak at best. The whole idea of fighting Satan is a little too sacharine for the viewer seeking something smart. However, with the great box office receipts enjoyed on opening weekend, look for Ghost Rider 2 to hit theatres soon. B-.

Oscar Reactions

Well, I was right for the most part. Unlike all of those crazy people out there who had Babel and Little Miss Sunshine pegged to win Best Picture, I stuck to my guns and predicted that The Departed would win. The only thing I really messed up on what the incorrect choice of Eddie Murphy. It didn't surprise me, however, that Alan Arkin won.

Just so you know, here are the winners. There are stars (*) by the winners that I correctly predicted.

Best Picture: The Departed*
Best Director: Martin Scorsese*
Best Actor: Forest Whitaker*
Best Actress: Helen Mirren*
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson*
Best Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine*
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed*

Oscar Predictions

And the Oscar goes to...

With the Oscars only days away, I decided that I had best get my final predictions out there. This year, I added a "Dark Horse" category for a nominee that could possibly take Oscar gold. However, I copped out in the Best Picture category as I didn't really choose a dark horse winner. My predictions of who should win are somewhat different that who I think will win. If everything goes well, maybe my "Should Win" category will shine through.

Hannibal Rising

As my first film of 2007, Hannibal Rising did little to quench the thirst Hannibal the Cannibal. From the very beginning, the film explodes onto the screen with so much idiocity that it seems like it could not even belong to the same family that Anthony Hopkins made famous. The attitude of the film's star, Gaspard Ulliel, is enough to make me want to reconsider my love for the Lecter series.

Set around the upbrininging of Lecter, the film never really finds a rhythym. Likewise, the entire plot of the film is shotty at best. Written by series author Thomas Harris, I expected this film to fit nicely into the Hannibal series. However, the directing and acting were so incredibly bad that this film should have never been made. While there are a few redeeming qualities to the film, namely the cinematography and the performance by The Wire alum Dominic West, the film fails to capture the suspenseful horror that graced the presence of Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and of course the (subpar) Hannibal. C-.

Letters from Iwo Jima

Clint Eastwood's Oscar nominated film Letters from Iwo Jima lives up to all the hype as it follows the Japanese side of the war on the island of Iwo Jima. Made as a companion film to Flags of our Fathers, Letters is a better film than its other half. The film works on many levels, but it is the characters that stand out as the beacon.

The film revolves around the Japanese troops preparing for battle and the ultimate defeat. None of the cast from Flags appears in this film, which is a good thing. The general in command, played by Ken Watanabe, struggles to retain control of his troops in the ill-fated battle. Eastwood seems to perfect his craft with this film, and the screenplay, which again is given help by Paul Haggis, does not insult the viewer.

This film is one that will most likely stand the test of time (as far as war films go), and it shows the true ability that Eastwood has. Shown along with Flags of our Fathers, the two films create an uncompromising view of the triumph - and tragedy - that occurred on Iwo Jima. A+.

The Good German

Set in the style of the films of old, namely Casablanca, Steven Soderbergh's latest film The Good German falls flat. The story, which is a bit flimsy, is a story that has been done before. It's one thing to set a film in the style of earlier works, but it is quite another to actually copy the stories as well. The film revolves around a reporter, played by George Clooney, who attempts to help his old girlfriend, played by Cate Blanchett, and her husband get out of Berlin shortly after World War II ends. The story seems a lot like Casablanca, and the look of the film is clearly a copy.

There are, however, two redeeming aspects of this film. First, it is great to see Tobey Maguire play a different role for a change. He plays a young American who gets in over his head. He seems like a nice guy, but he shows an angry side as well. Second, the look of the film is a pure treat to see. Soderbergh goes after a new look for his film which turns out to be great. The black and white palate, coupled with the minimal sets create the notion that I really was watching an old movie. B.

Film Rankings for 2006

Here are the latest film rankings for 2006. I have yet to see a few films, namely Letters from Iwo Jima and The Good German.

The Departed (A+)
The Queen (A+)
Flags of our Fathers (A)
Blood Diamond (A)
Children of Men (A)
The Last King of Scotland (A)
World Trade Center (A)
Babel (A)
Casino Royale (A)
An Inconvenient Truth (A)
Bobby (A-)
Little Miss Sunshine (A-)
The Pursuit of Happyness (A-)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (A-)
United 93 (A-)
X-Men: The Last Stand (A-)
A Prairie Home Companion (A-)
Stranger than Fiction (B+)
Clerks II (B+)
The Good Shepherd (B+)
All the King's Men (B+)
The Illusionist (B+)
Dreamgirls (B)
Miami Vice (B)
Snakes on a Plane (B)
V for Vendetta (B)
Superman Returns (B)
Inside Man (B)
Hollywoodland (B)
MI: 3 (B)
Thank you for Smoking (B)
Strangers with Candy (B)
The DaVinci Code (B-)
Man of the Year (C+)
Poseidon (C)
Scary Movie 4 (C)
You, Me & Dupree (C-)
Night at the Museum (C-)
The Black Dahlia (F)

The Last King of Scotland

Forest Whitaker shows commanding force as the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. The film follows the rise of Amin and the way he runs the country of Uganda. The story revolves around a young Dr. Garrigan, played by James McAvoy, who travels to Uganda to help the battered people. Along the way, Amin befriends Dr. Garrigan, and Amin uses him as a close advisor. However, after a while, Garrigan learns how Amin runs the country, and he tries to escape.

Whitaker is positively amazing as Amin, and he could easily secure an Oscar for his performance. McAvoy is also great, and thus far he has been somewhat ignored for his stellar performance. The film uses a good dose of closeups that really exemplify the feeling on Whitaker's face. While the film does seem a bit drawn out at times, the ferocious performance by Whitaker more than makes up for any shortcomings. A.