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| Courtesy of Disney |
Wreck-It Ralph
(Rated
PG for some rude humor and mild action/violence.)
Who’s
in it: the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane
Lynch.
What
it’s about: Wreck-It Ralph (Reilly) is an old-school video game villain, made
to create chaos for his game’s hero, Fix-It Felix (McBrayer), every time a kid
plunks a quarter into the machine. Ralph isn’t a bad guy – he’s just playing a
part – but he’s still treated like one. He decides to leave his game in an
effort to prove he’s capable of more than just smashing buildings. Along the
way, he makes friends with characters from other games, including the
combat-hardened Sergeant Calhoun (Lynch) and Vanellope von Schweetz
(Silverman), a troublemaking glitch from a “Candy Land”-style racetrack.
The
good: The voice cast is excellent, with actors like Silverman, Lynch and
McBrayer stretching a bit from the kind of roles they’ve been pigeonholed into.
Reilly has always been good at proving what a versatile actor he is, but it’s still
nice to get a reminder. For video game fans, there are dozens of surprising
cameos and inside jokes scattered throughout. It makes a second viewing almost
mandatory. Paperman, the wonderful short that plays before the film, is worth
the price of admission by itself.
The
not-so-good: The movie drags a bit in the middle, turning into a humdrum
“strangers with nothing in common become friends” story for a while.
Fortunately, it’s not enough to sink the flick and it recovers nicely in the
final act.
Grade:
B+
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| Courtesy of Paramount |
Flight
(Rated
R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action
sequence.)
Who’s
in it: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle and John
Goodman.
What
it’s about: Whip Whitaker (Washington) is an airline pilot who manages to save
almost everyone onboard his plane after a mid-flight catastrophe. He’s hailed
as a hero at first, but that portrayal is called into question as new
information surfaces. It turns out Whitaker was drunk and high while performing
the miraculous crash landing. Now investigators have to determine whether
mechanical failure or pilot error is to blame for the accident.
The
good: It’s nice to see Washington act again after coasting on charisma for his
last few movies. Admittedly, that charm comes in handy here considering his
character is almost impossible to root for. An unapologetic alcoholic and drug
addict, Whitaker is selfish, reckless and rage-inducing. Washington is
shockingly committed to the role, which will be upsetting to some moviegoers.
(Ever wanted to see the coach from Remember the Titans snort massive amounts
of cocaine? Here’s your chance.) Goodman is fantastic too, delivering his third
scene-stealing performance in the span of two months (after Trouble with the
Curve and Argo). The film is also a welcome return to form for director
Robert Zemeckis, who spent nearly a decade tinkering around with creepy
motion-capture flicks. His depiction of the plane crash is flat-out terrifying.
The
not-so-good: The movie’s trailer, which suggests a John Grisham-style legal
thriller, is a major bait-and-switch. The story is actually a stark character
drama, focused primarily on Whitaker’s struggles with drugs and alcohol. The
big plane crash certainly factors in, but mainly as a catalyst that kicks off
the rest of the plot. The last few minutes are disappointing; they feel like a
mandate from the studio to send the audience out of the theater with a little
bit of hope. Not a bad idea on its own, but there’s nothing in the flick’s
previous 135 minutes that suggest Washington’s character would make the
decision he does.
Grade:
B+
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| Courtesy of Fox Searchlight |
The Sessions
(Rated
R for strong sexuality including graphic nudity and frank dialogue.)
Who’s
in it: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy and Moon Bloodgood.
What
it’s about: Based on the autobiographical writings of poet and journalist Mark
O’Brien (Hawkes), the film depicts O’Brien’s efforts to lose his virginity at age
38, despite having spent the majority of his life confined to an iron lung.
With the blessing of his unconventional priest (Macy) and his kind assistant
(Bloodgood), O’Brien hires a professional sex surrogate (Hunt) to help him
accomplish his goal.
The
good: The performances are very strong, with Hawkes being the obvious standout.
He’s a perfect combination of funny, sympathetic and just a bit grouchy. An
Oscar nomination seems almost inevitable given the subject matter, but it’s not
the kind of showy role that academy voters hand out the statue for – they don’t
care much for subtlety. It feels like forever since we’ve seen Hunt on the big
screen, and she deserves massive kudos for the bravery she displays in her
role. Macy is good as the flick’s comic relief, but he doesn’t get much to do.
Ben Lewin, who pulls double-duty as writer and director, manages just the right
tone for the story, walking a fine line between frank and saccharine.
The
not-so-good: At 95 minutes, the movie feels a bit slight. Better than going in
the “long equals important” direction, but I still wish Lewin gave the audience
more time to live in the characters’ world. I know it is O’Brien’s story, but
by the end we still know almost nothing about anyone else. Plus, the movie’s
abrupt ending will likely cause some audience members to feel like they missed
a scene somewhere.
Grade:
B+
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