Spy (2015)

Written and Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids)

Starring:

Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls)

Jude Law (Gattaca)

Jason Statham (The Italian Job)

Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class)

Allison Janney (West Wing)

Bobby Cannavale (Snakes on a Plane)

Morena Baccarin (Firefly)

Miranda Hart

With Paul Feig at the helm wielding a remarkable throng of talent we get a comically sustained, high stakes espionage film that refreshingly puts women in positions of narrative power.  The strengths of “Spy” lie in its aversion to convention, its crude yet intelligent action-comic tone, and its spectacularly deep level of talent on screen led by Melissa McCarthy. 

This possible franchise starter is fantastic. Exhilarating in both comic tenacity and visual flare. Feig and McCarthy handle mayhem superbly and running gags keep you actively chasing jokes. Sadly but proudly, I was the only one of a particular niche who laughed at a sneaky hip hop joke. Kudos for that.  

Feig manages to never compromise vulgarity while injecting compelling stakes AND giving women all the good characters.  It’s something so rare that Feig, McCarthy, Byrne, and Janney make seem so simple. Beyond that, Feig has been arguably the most successful filmmaker in terms of progressing female characters not only within comedies, but in film. The guy is platinum right now. (Check out his latest series, “Other Space”  on Yahoo Screen)

“Spy” equals the triumph of the “Jump Street” films. It is tonally identical to them but instead of overt meta-humor, laughter is drawn out of characters' stories. The minor characters (including throw-aways like a simple henchmen) are afforded a sincere complexity. This abundance of character building here finds its antithesis hilariously in Furious Seven. (That’s a compliment to the inventiveness of both films. While we're on that film, Furious Seven also stars Jason Stathom, using him quite similarly in what may become known as Stathoming.)

Another accomplishment of “Spy” is that Feig aptly peppers the major players across the storyscape in both respectful and creatively poignant ways. Top-billed names may go missing for chunks of time but they all shine when the spotlight finds them. It could be said that they are Stathoming effectively. Generally, each storyline is tied up. Every potential plot obstacle (plotstacle) is pleasantly and intelligently averted. Villainy was daftly on display. Like the baddies in Feig's “The Heat” (2013), they were sinister and stupid but always in appropriate amounts. 

Melissa McCarthy is finally set free with an awesome character that can go toe to toe with Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt. Jason Statham hasn't been this good since Lock Stock. Rose Byrne was brilliantly sadistic with a subtle hint of humanity and her character was some ride. Janney and Miranda Hart never felt unwelcomed while Jude Law, who may have been miscast, still filled the role capably. 

While there is a romantic undertone, lessons are learned and smart decisions are actually made. The initial push for Agent Susan Cooper may have been her unrequited love of man's man but the message of the story is ultimately one of self realization. That lingering lack of agency for what is meant to be a strong female character is, in the end, not compromised. It is however, ridiculed, which is acceptable for a comedy.  

Where it did misstep was in weaving the conspiracy a bit too much. While every plot line was addressed in some way, we're never given a holistic resolution. Certain threads feel hollower than others, like they wanted to set something up for the future. That maneuver is slightly insulting to the integrity of a self-contained story. 

Visually, this movie found upped sexy. By that I mean the sultry mistress that is slow motion and the supermodels of camera shots, the overhead. These weapons of mass dope-itude were paired off better than a hunk of mozzerella with some tangy Catalina dressing. And let's not forget the occasional blitz of zooms! Elements that should be carelessly abused by every movie where carelessly abused by this movie and for that, it has been bestowed the honorable Bag of Yes for films that refuse to say "no, don't do that!" Thankfully, and with astonishingly little delay, “Spy” injects visual gooeyness and it goes on to be fantastically liberal with the lens for the entire runtime. Shout out to the high speed camera team.

I look forward to Feig and McCarthy's "Ghostbusters" reboot. Go, Suki, go! 

2015 Rankdown:

1.      Kingsman: The Secret Service****

2.     Mad Max: Fury Road***

3.     Spy***

4.     Avengers: Age of Ultron****

5.     Furious 7***

6.     Predestination*

7.     Run All Night*

8.     Jupiter Ascending

9.     Ex Machina

(*denoted rewatchability)

Ex Machina (2015) - A Bleak Tale of Playing God.

Written and Directed by Alex Garland (Dredd, Sunshine)

Starring

Alicia Vikander

Domhnall Gleeson (Dredd)

Oscar Isaac (Drive)

Garland's directorial debut is the mechanical offspring of “Under the Skin” (2014) and “Jurassic Park” (1993). It manages to be suspenseful and thrilling, gently littered with gorgeously rendered effects while swathed in a solitary alienness.

The story and subject matter (artificial intelligence) is skillfully handled by Garland. He shows his talent as a sci-fi savant by coherently playing with futuristic and idealic technologies. The risqué and passively erotic denouement, whose build-up manages to be both thematically haunting and visually exquisite, ultimately leaves you cold.

I'll forgive the film for it's inaccuracy with portraying human blood on the grounds that I have also never been successful in replicating it. That said, it shouldn't look like cough syrup. Come on, Garland, go watch "Brothers Bloom." 

A detail that must be mentioned is that house. Such an incredible abode carved into a mountain. Surpassed only by the hyper-practicality of the “Gone Girl” (2014) house, it is definitely one of the best fictional dwellings ever created.

Another plus for the film is the tiny cast's dynamic chemistry. Vikander is chilling in her calmness, much like Scarlett Johansson in ''Under the Skin." Issac sports what I would dub as an uncomfortable beard and a menacingly casual wardrobe. You are always on edge during his every interaction with Gleeson. The two actor’s display here bodes well for their next team up, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

“Ex Machina” has an intimate core that is carried in a genuinely meaningful direction but the inhumanity of each character leave a bitter aftertaste. It’s not a perfect movie but it is a decent one. Technically it is the least entertaining movie I’ve seen all year.

(No more numbered ratings, DEAL WITH IT! Instead, I proudly present the post by post rankdown with asterisk assist! Asterisks (up to four) represent replay value and level of instant classicality. Everything else is annually relative and highly subjective. HERE WE GOOOOO...)

2015 Rankdown:

1.       Kingsman: The Secret Service****

2.       Predestination*

3.       Run All Night*

4.       Ex Machina

RE: 12 Hidden Gems Starring the Avengers Cast

Rottentomatoes timely article[1] stirred up the list-drives in my core and has spurred me to give my own compilation of relatively small films (more like personal favorite film independent of scale) starring the stars of "The Avengers: Age of Ultron."

Robert Downey Jr. – A Scanner Darkly

A haunting vision of a film.

Chris Hemsworth – Cabin in the Woods

It’s hard to see how this didn’t directly lead to Hemsworth being Thor.

Chris Evans – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Not a leading part, but certainly a marvelous one. Major coup on director, Edgar Wright’s part.

Mark Ruffalo – Begin Again

An absolutely incredibly musical.

Scarlett Johansson – Her

Featuring only her voice, Johansson is still the heart of Her.

Samuel L. Jackson – Deep Blue Sea

Say I’m wrong, I dare you.

Jeremy Renner – The Unusuals (TV Series)

Sadly canceled in the midst of its first season, this show was phenomenal. The creator, Noah Hawley has gone on to bring “Fargo” (the FX series) into our lives and his genius was evident in this overlooked series.

Don Cheadle – Captain Planet (Web Series)

Not a show. Not a film. Something more important. The world is infinitely better with this adaptation of the beloved hero being the definitive "Captain Planet" adaptation.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Kick A**

No expectations and a brilliantly cast roster led to director, Matthew Vaughn’s ultra-violent success story. It not only launched the career of Chloe Grace Moretz, it spawned both Quicksilvers, Even Peters and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Elizabeth Olsen – Godzilla

She still hasn’t done much but her lead roles haven’t really spoken to me, story wise. "Godzilla" also starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the lead human role as Olsen's husband. 

Paul Bettany – Wimbledon

Much like the first "Avengers" film, Wimbledon employs heavy use of “Arrow Cam,” but for tennis balls!

Anthony Mackie – The Adjustment Bureau

The second Philip K. Dick adaptation on this list and a modern sci-fi classic film.

---

[1] Rottentomatoes: 12 Hidden Gems Starring The Avengers Cast

In Your Eyes (2014)

Directed by Brin Hill (...Ball Don't Lie)
Written by Supreme Lord Joss Whedon (that one line in X-Men about toads)
Starring:
Michael Stahl-David (The Black Donnellys)
Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks)
Mark Feurstein (Royal Pains)
Nikki Reed (Twilight)
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Dramedy

An anticipated and long sought after Joss Whedon project, this was something I devoured with the impatience of a toddler staring at cake, this movie is as delicious as cream cheese frosting. (Shout out to Netflix)

The basics: It's a tale about two people. One, a dirt-covered model-faced guy who happens to be an ex-con, and two, a Zoe Kazan-like girl. They've never met but, through science fictional splendidness, they share an unreal connection; each can see what the other sees, feel what the other feels. What potentially could have been something Wachoiwskian (or even Whedonesque, really) in scope, something huge that simply contained an average tale about star-crossed, telepathic, attractive "twenty somethings"(even though both actors are 30!) is instead a more intimately focused feature that ultimately proves to be rather satisfying. I still can't help but ponder the consequences of the world that was created. It's an itch that be forever left lingering.

While it may travel through some familiar romantic tropes, the story avoids going too far off the deep end and holds true to the promise of quality small budget content under the Bellweather Films production banner.

The two leads are phenomenal and Kazan continues to prove that she is the new age Zooey Deschanel. Her characters are a morphing, evolved version of the dreaded Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Much like in the film What it (aka The F Word) her character isn't there to be a sweeping resolution to a male hero. The male hero, as it were, is just as flawed as her female hero is. When a romance is tackled with both sides on even footing, we are able to witness a more believable attachment develop. The supporting cast is a bit on the annoying side but well acted enough to not be a huge hindrance.

The experimental and telepathic scenes are capably handled. Senses are a tricky thing to capture on camera but Brin Hill gets us to connect with what the characters are truly experiencing, much like how Danny Boyle managed in 127 Hours but way less intense.

Bottom Line: Hill and Whedon take us on a peculiar yet facinating journey about two linked hearts. We still get that sharp edge Whedon loves to supply along with his usual dollups of clever sweetness in an adorably weird romance which has minimal need for eye rolls.

INKS or Stinks?

This little darling INKS.
Tentacle 1: Weirdness of the story.
Tentacle 2: Chemistry of the leads.

The Interview (2014)

Written and Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (This is the End)
Starring:
James Franco (Spider-Man)
Seth Rogen (50/50)
Randall Park (Fresh of the Boat)
Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls)
Diana Bang (Fringe)
Timothy Simons (Veep)
Eminem (8Mile)

This review will be on the short side as this movie got thoroughly publicized and you all know damn well what it's about.

Exactly the film I expected and wanted. Vulgarity comes in vast platoons, wrapped in sweetly-stupid, precisely-aimed sheer nonsense. Essential viewing for anyone looking to level-up their quote game.

Overall, it's an enjoyably upbeat pace with clever musical choices. (I've still yet to tire of the trailer) Cameos are liberally and joyfully flaunted with a lot of genuine bromancing using that proven Franco/Rogen chemistry and the secret ingredient that is Randall Park. As an added delicacy, we are given opportune slow motion usage and you can never never NEVER go wrong with slow motion.

(Introducing a new ratings system fully embracing the SQUID brand...
INKS or Stinks and the 2 Tentacles, the two strongest features.)

Personal: The Interview...INKS!
Conditional: May Stink for those looking for deep political meaning.

Tentacles: Actors' chemistry and Dialogue.

Run All Night (2015)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop)
Written by Brad Inglesby (Out of the Furnace)
Starring:
Liam Neeson (The Lego Movie)
Joel Kinnaman (The Killing)
Ed Harris (The Truman Show)
Common (Smokin' Aces)
Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones)
Genesis Rodriguez (Casa de Mi Padre
Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder)
Vincent D'Onofrio (MIB)

Picking up right where 2014 ended, Reigning SQUID Actor of the Year Liam Neeson headlines this seemingly standard entry to the action genre. If only taken for its obvious machismo, Run All Night may be soggy with familiarity but, here, Neeson is backed by an excellent supporting cast and unique, flashy visuals that are a rarity for a brainless revenge romp. 

There are obvious negatives here. It's yet another violent film for Neeson. A standard Caucasian overload in the lead roles. There's no important female affecting the story. But, if you're watching this movie, you already know all that from the outset. The real question is this, what does Run All Night bring to the table? The answer is style. 

In a amicable blend of recent violent stories like John Wick and A Walk Among the Tombstones, with transitions that more resemble a video game than a pulpy, melodramatic shoot'em up, Run All Night manages to be somewhat refreshing. The closest match to the aesthetics would be the superb, instant-classic bicycle chase film Premium Rush where the camera breaks out of the grittiness to give you an out of body thrill while swiftly moving the story along.  

That is the biggest strength for Run All Night. Jaume Collet-Serra's third pairing with Neeson expands the director's camera trick arsenal. It moves and shakes as if the camera was operated by a prodigal ten year old abusing the zoom function. 

There's enough character building in the story to engage the audience and the familiar territory of an estranged son is somehow fresh with Kinnaman and Neeson's interactions. Ultimately, thanks to the flying lens and the zoned-in perspectives, we get to see it in bathed in a new over coat of swirling lights. 

Bottom Line: Its a fun ride and it has some heart. There's a pretty good chase scene. There's a rapper assassin, there's a flaming stick sword fight, there's that gorgeous shot gun shot, and (my favorite element) there's slow motion paired with rotating freeze frames. Absolutely delicious. Go, Liam Neeson, Go!

10 out of 10

2014 SQUID Actor of the Year

Quite a few thespians decided to be busy this past year in both film and television. While it proved to be a close race for both sexes, the triumphant recipients are truly the stand out King and Queen of the screen for 2014. Below, we shall break down the race for the SQUID Actor of the Year 2014. 

Among the men, some, like Willem Defoe (John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel) and Bill Paxton (The Edge of Tomorrow, Agents of SHIELD, and Nightcrawler) made strong comebacks of sorts. The veteran actors made firm cases for AOTY but they were never center stage. 

Other actors in the running this year include two genre stalwarts. One, the reigning champ, the other, his Hobbit and Sherlock costars. Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (Fargo) proved that they have indeed arrived and are going nowhere. Cumberbatch wasn't one to easily relinquishing his throne. While Freeman would have run away with it if this were solely a television award. 

There were dark horses including relative unknowns who excelled at supporting roles like Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones, Gone Girl, The Skeleton Twins), and James Cordon (Into the Woods, Begin Again). Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Begin Again) and Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher, 22 Jump Street) were also quite visible throughout the year.

The year marked the arrival of another Brit, Dan Stevens (The Guest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) who, now free of the Abbey, sets his eyes on conquering Hollywood. He'll throw his hat in the ring for the next couple of years, no doubt, as he was recently announced to star opposite Emma Watson in the live action Beauty and the Beast.

It would be a crime to ignore the tour de force performances on both mediums from Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, True Detective), but there were talents who proved far more present. We arrive now at the hyper-massive-mammoth-cosmic explosion of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation, The Lego Movie, and, while only a trailer, we can't ignore the raptor master of Jurassic World). Pratt truly came close to taking the title but his ascension to the A-List was trumped by one man. 

All those men and all those roles yet none of them are the pyramid's tip. No, the tentacled crown for SQUID Actor of the Year of 2014 belongs to the resilient, prolific Irish Terminator that is Liam Neeson. IMDb lists him in ten roles during the twelve months including exceptional films like The Lego Movie and A Walk Among the Tombstones, along side decently entertaining fare like Non-Stop, A Million Ways to Die, and Taken 3. He was front and center, he was supporting in both villainy and comedy, he was everywhere! Say what you will about the generic actioners he churns out, they still pack a stylish and visceral punch. He has the tendency to go full Nic Cage but he still manages to be a resonant actor. Now venturing into comedic roles, he crossed a line into unknown territory so who knows what his future holds. The year, however, belonged to Liam Neeson. 



SQUID Actor of the Year recipients:

2014 winner - Liam Neeson
The Lego Movie, A Walk Among the Tombstones, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Non-Stop, Taken 3, Various other voice acting roles on TV. 

2013 winner - Benedict Cumberbatch 
12 Years A Slave, Star Trek into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate, The Simpsons

2012 winner - Joseph Gordon Levitt
Premium Rush, Looper, Lincoln, The Dark Knight Rises

2011 winner - Michael Fassbender 
Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Shame, Haywire, A Dangerous Method