The Next Decent Set Of Suspects Arrive In Lucky Number Slevin!

The Good: Funny, Well-written, Clever, Decent characters, Good acting
The Bad: Minor formulaic aspects
The Basics: When Slevin assumes the debt of a friend and is charged with killing a gangster's son, he finds himself caught between two gangs, an assassin and law enforcement.


Don't you hate reviews of crime films that continue to compare the criminal-de-jour flick to The Usual Suspects? I mean, for the past fifteen years, reviewers have been complaining about crime movies that simply aren't living up to being the next The Usual Suspects (reviewed here!) or (for those who enjoyed it) the next Reservoir Dogs (reviewed here!). With Lucky Number Slevin, the complaining stops. This is the film fans of The Usual Suspects have been waiting for, not because it is as good or as original as The Usual Suspects, but rather because Lucky Number Slevin creates a story that is as distinctive and clever in its own right. It's a solid movie and a pleasure to watch.

Following a series of killings, culminating in the murder of The Boss's son, a young man is abducted by thugs of The Boss. Mistaken for his friend Nick, Slevin finds himself in the unenviable position of owing The Boss $96,000, a debt the Boss wants him to pay off by killing the son of a rival gangster, The Rabbi. The Rabbi, for his part, wants several thousands of dollars himself and Slevin finds himself bouncing between The Boss, The Rabbi, and local law enforcement.

As Slevin is played like a pawn, he befriends Lindsey, a neighbor across the hall in the building Slevin is staying at. Lindsey discovers there is another player in the mix, Smith, who appears to be a professional assassin working for both The Rabbi and The Boss. Pressured to do their bidding, Slevin decides to play the game and see where it goes.

And the viewer, while not surprised by much in the movie, is taken for a rather enjoyable ride. In fact, most of the problems with Lucky Number Slevin involve our perceptions and the desire for this movie to defy all conventions. Thus, Slevin's relationship with Lindsey is somewhat disappointing and formulaic. The addition of Brikowski, the lead detective monitoring The Rabbi and The Boss, also feels somewhat formulaic, like one cannot have a crime movie without paying token service to law enforcement.

The former critique, though, is redeemable in the movie's resolution. Writer Jason Smilovic has a keen ear for dialogue and a clever ability to create characters that make sense. Thus, the ultimate resolution to the Slevin/Lindsey relationship somewhat defies our expectations, but does it in a way that fits perfectly with the characters as they are established. It's a brilliant twist that makes the film cohesive and ultimately work beyond the depth of a simple crime flick.

The dialogue works wonderfully and Lucky Number Slevin is funny in a number of places simply for the rhythm of the dialogue and its delivery. So, for example, Slevin and Lindsey both ask, "Why is he called 'The Rabbi?'" to be responded with, "He's a Rabbi." and the joke works even though we hear it twice. That takes some excellent writing, but it also puts pressure on the director to play the scenes in a way that does not feel repetitive. Director Paul McGuigan succeeds.

To be fair, McGuigan is playing with a stacked deck. Lucky Number Slevin has an impressive cast and this director seems to know how to use them. So, while Bryan Singer took (mostly) unknown or smaller-time actors and used them to create a realism in The Usual Suspects, McGuigan takes established actors of impressive caliber and places them in roles where they are able to flex their dramatic muscles.

Morgan Freeman and Sir Ben Kingsley play The Boss and The Rabbi, respectively. Freeman - who was simply a "type" in Dreamcatcher - reminds us of the distinctive strengths he has as an actor to infuse character into his characters. Freeman takes fast lines and adds to them a light in his eye, a coldness of tone or the barest hint of a smile as appropriate to make The Boss come alive. Kingsley brings a rigid dignity to almost every role he takes and as The Rabbi, he is articulate and clever with the ability to connote - and late in the film, express - a deep wound. He is a master and his presence makes the film pop.

Despite my issues with Lindsey in the film as a type - i.e. we all need a romantic subplot, apparently - I cannot take issue with Lucy Liu, who plays her. Liu is funny and smart, keeping the viewer watching her. After years of watching her play cold on Ally McBeal, it is refreshing to see her playing a character who is so alive, interested and connected in Lucky Number Slevin. Bruce Willis, who plays "Smith," is playing a role we've seen him in before. This is essentially the same role he played in "The Whole Nine Yards," so he is not as noteworthy as he could be, though he does the role well.

It is Josh Hartnett who has to carry the film as Slevin. I'm not into a lot of the popular, young actors, but I have to say Hartnett pulls off the acting challenges of Slevin amazingly well. Slevin has to convince the audience who he is and of his indifference to being the victim of a mistaken identity. Hartnett does that. So, while the plot might be somewhat predictable and it does not take much to realize that Slevin is going to be surrounded by a bloodbath, Hartnett proceeds with the story with the convincing portrayal needed to make the viewer suspend our disbelief to all that is happening around him.

Lucky Number Slevin is satisfying, even if it is not surprising. In fact, one of the strengths is that it is not necessarily attempting to be clever. The opening of the movie establishes the story as a potential tale of vengeance and as it plays out, the chips fall in ways that make sense and are entertaining. So, the movie does not hinge on the end reversal, it becomes a movie where the viewer takes a certain amount of pleasure in watching a wrong be revenged in a methodical, sensible - if criminal - way. It's enough to make one want to watch this a few times and it's enough to make a reviewer stop complaining about how there's nothing in the genre to compare with The Usual Suspects.

For other films featuring Morgan Freeman, please check out my reviews of:
The Dark Knight
Wanted
War Of The Worlds
Batman Begins
Million Dollar Baby
Dreamcatcher
Unforgiven
Driving Miss Daisy

8.5/10

For other movie reviews, be sure to visit my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

No DVD Bonus Features, Still Ally McBeal Season Two Is The Peak Of The Series!

The Good: Funny, Clever, Excellent character development, Good cases, Compact packaging.
The Bad: No DVD bonus features.
The Basics: A perfect season of television, Ally McBeal Season Two on DVD lacks flash, but succeeds with character.


Some seasons of television are so good that when they are released on DVD, we pick them up and celebrate regardless of the fact that the DVD presentation is sadly lackluster. When Ally McBeal “The Complete Series” (reviewed here!) was released in time for Christmas a few years back, many people who know me were surprised by how I did not ultimately recommend the massive boxed set. The reason for that was simple: the show had two great seasons, a season that was good, and a shaky first year and a completely abysmal final season. The show self-destructed, imploded and did other similar clichés of collapse. But, with Ally McBeal Season Two which was released separately on DVD recently, David E. Kelley Productions has a real winner, even if the DVD presentation is nothing at all extraordinary.

Ally McBeal has been slow in arriving on DVD for a simple reason: the music. The show frequently featured Vonda Shepard performing cover versions of classic songs and while the series got clearances for the production of the episodes, they did not always get them for the video rights and securing them at a reasonable price, along with clearances from musical artists who appeared on the show, like Barry White and Al Green, have taken quite a bit of time and finagling. The result, though, is that Ally McBeal Season Two has arrived on DVD with all of its original music intact, where it belongs, with nothing added or removed. Unfortunately, there are also no bonus features for fans of the show to get excited about. At least the set does not take up much space on the shelf and does not cost all that much.

In the second season of Ally McBeal, Ally continues therapy and trying controversial cases as an associate at Cage & Fish law firm in Boston. Working alongside the love of her life, Billy, becomes somewhat easier when the firm is distracted by the arrival of new lawyers Nelle Porter and Ling Woo. Interoffice romance flies as Nelle and Cage hit it off and Richard Fish and Ling find themselves interested in one another. The office heats up when Billy finds himself jealous of Ally’s relationship with Dr. Butters after she goes through a string of bad dates. This threatens to tear apart Billy’s marriage to Georgia and the friendship Ally and Georgia had developed.

The trials this season tend to focus on the personal, as opposed to corporate or criminal law. So, for example, Cage takes a case involving a restaurant that serves horsemeat to its clients without their express knowledge and Ally tries to mediate between a priest and his choirgirl mistress. The cases range from the bizarre – a man who chopped off his dead wife’s hand to keep with him after the fact – to the absurd – a sexual harassment case that comes from “day at the beach” casual Fridays and almost every one mirrors the current events in the relationships of people at the firm of Cage & Fish. As cases are won and lost by the firm, tensions mount outside the courtroom from the behaviors of the lawyers which are less than professional more often than not.

In its second season, Ally McBeal makes the successful transition from often-maudlin soap opera to genuine comedy. It is a comedy where the humor comes organically from the character dysfunctions and the verbal banter between the characters at the office and especially in the courtroom. The absurd characters who work at Cage & Fish are mirrored by equally strange clients who often have personality ticks of their own and make the cases interesting as well as overtly humorous. But beyond that, Ally McBeal succeeds in its second season because it is not mired in dated material (though there is a preoccupation with sexual harassment that was common in the 1990s and more than one Bill Clinton joke) and because the characters actually progress.

As a result, the second season actually feels different from the first and viewers are not trapped either in the constant melodrama of Ally’s romantic attraction to the unattainable Billy or the simple preoccupation with c.g. special effects for Ally’s flights of fantasy. This was the season where the show seemed to finally get that virtually every character at Cage & Fish was more interesting than the title character. So, just as for many, the highlight of Frasier (reviewed here!) was arguably the Niles and Daphne relationship, in the second season of Ally McBeal, Cage, Fish, Nelle, Elaine and even Ling begin to rule and Billy and Georgia only pick up episodes as the season progresses and the writers seem to realize they have largely been left behind.

As with all great television, Ally McBeal is primarily character-driven. So, while each episode sees a new court case and a parade of guest characters who come through the firm, the heart of the show is with the emotional struggles of the characters. In this season, the primary characters are:

Ally McBeal – An associate lawyer at Cage & Fish, she has realized that things with Billy are likely never to be more than friendly and has begun dating a lot of people. After a string of bad dates and inappropriate attractions (like to a minor who the firm is representing), Ally finds herself attracted to Dr. Butters. Things with Butters go very well until Billy becomes jealous and Ally and Billy have a near-miss on an affair, which forces Ally to continue looking for a partner again,

Billy Thomas – Working alongside his wife, Georgia, and Ally has become less traumatic as the three have become friends and have a repartee which has developed. But seeing Ally with Butters stirs up his old feelings for her and threatens his marriage, prompting him to make a decision on what direction he wants his life and marriage to take,

Georgia Thomas – Begins to feel like a tool for becoming Ally’s friend when Ally betrays her by kissing Billy. Still, she is professional most of the time and sides with Ally in instantly hating Nelle when she appears,

Richard Fish – Eager to make more money than ever, he hires Nelle and later Ling in an attempt to boost profits. Callous and generally happy to play the field, he finds himself drawn to Ling and eager to pursue a relationship with her,

Renee – Ally’s roommate, she often acts as a prosecutor in cases Cage & Fish are representing. She becomes flirtatious with Butters, much to Ally’s annoyance,

Elaine Vassal – The firm’s legal assistant, her hopes for love with a magazine writer/editor named George are dashed when he appears attracted to Ally. She adapts by developing the “face bra” to prevent face sagging and she struggles to market it most of the season,

Nelle Porter – A blonde rainmaker whose presence immediately threatens most of the women at Cage & Fish, she is strong, efficient, legally brilliant and emotionally cold. When John Cage finds himself “drawn to her,” she begins to reciprocate in the most unlikely pairing imaginable,

Ling Woo – Nelle’s best friend, she leaves her promotional jobs to practice law again at Cage & Fish. She is put off by Cage, but finds herself attracted to Fish, despite his weird advances. She, too, is legally brilliant, but largely unliked at the office,

Vonda – She plays music at the club in the downstairs of the building Cage & Fish’s offices are in,

And John Cage – the heart of Cage & Fish, he is a brilliant lawyer, but is very eccentric. As a result, he stutters, is easily flustered and takes up such hobbies as raising a frog for competitive leaping. He is deeply emotive, but often alone. He is Ally’s most trusted confidant outside Renee and is invaluable to her as he shares her lack of touch with reality. As he approaches thirty-five, he finds himself attracted to Nelle and is surprised when she seems to reciprocate his feelings.

In the second season, Ally McBeal does not rely on gimmicks like guest stars who are highlighted or crossovers with The Practice to drive ratings up or bring attention to the show. As a result, this becomes a wonderful character study of some very lovable, very weird lawyers plying their craft and keeping equally eccentric people out of jail.

On DVD, there are no bonus features, so this boxed set offers viewers nothing they wouldn’t get from the syndicated versions of the episodes. But, at least they can watch the episodes unedited, in full, anytime they want. It is rare that the programming is so good to warrant a perfect rating for a DVD collection based on the original programming content alone, but Ally McBeal Season two works. It stands up, even years later and watching it on DVD reminded me why I watched the show and how much I missed it when it was good.

For other works featuring Greg Germann, please check out my reviews of:
Bolt
Quarantine

10/10

For other television reviews, be sure to check out my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the shows I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

The Rise And Fall Of Dramady: Why Ally McBeal Flops As "The Complete Series."

The Good: The early seasons
The Bad: The later seasons
The Basics: After a rocky start, Ally McBeal takes a turn for the truly great, but midway through the series, this becomes a huge letdown before ending in utter disappointment.


It might seem an odd thing that I, who has long advocated for television shows that have been off the air for some time release their series' on DVD as complete series packs before releasing individual seasons would not recommend Ally McBeal: The Complete Series, when this is exactly what David E. Kelley has done with his much-beloved series. It might also seem strange that as someone who watched all five seasons of Ally McBeal when it was on that I would not recommend the boxed set. But truth be told, Ally McBeal, which many see as David E. Kelley's great success is actually one of the true tragedies of actors abandoning their posts and gutting a series.

As a result, Ally McBeal is an incredibly erratic series and the milestone for me in the release of "Ally McBeal: The Complete Series" hitting DVD is that back when I was in college, I reviewed Ally McBeal for the college paper during pilot season. I panned the first episode and did not give it long. A few years later, I was loyally watching and I was eating crow for my early words. But those who would be quick to defend Ally McBeal need to look at the entire series and this boxed set, unfortunately, illustrates the entire arc of the legal dramedy.

What begins as a funny and quirky legal drama that did something no other television show was doing at the time - namely using state-of-the-art special effects on a drama/comedy - evolves into a rich character piece that is consistently hilarious with the interpersonal relationships and astonishingly clever with the legal conundrums the show illustrated. But in the middle season, one of the actors abruptly left the show and the fundamental dynamic of the series was upset. The show never recovered from that and it wasn't for a lack of trying. After recovering with an inspired cast addition - Robert Downey Jr., who won awards for his work on the series - personal problems off-camera forced Downey Jr. to leave. After the already tumultuous season, the show tried to reinvent itself and the final season became one of the worst seasons of any television show to ever grace television.

But for those who love strong female characters and television shows that can both make one laugh and bring tears to the eyes, Ally McBeal: The Complete Series seems like it might be a good investment. But, truth be told, the series is so erratic that it is much easier to wait around for the few extraordinary seasons of the show to make their way to DVD. For fans of the series; you've waited this long, hold on longer. Ally McBeal will be released as individual seasons; concurrent with the release of this big boxed set was "Season One." But because there is so much repetition in the series of the key character elements, it is very easy to start with the best seasons and just keep one's collection with the prime stock (Seasons Two and Three).

Ally McBeal opens with the title character, fresh out of law school, trying to find a job at any Boston firm that would have her. She randomly runs into her unscrupulous classmate, Richard Fish, on the street and he agrees to hire Ally to his firm. What Fish doesn't know to tell her is that one of the other lawyers at the firm is Billy, the first man Ally ever loved, and his wife, Georgia. As Ally, Georgia and Billy try to make their professional and personal lives work - without Billy running off to be with Ally - Ally and the firm of Cage and Fish fight legal battles that try to make the world a better place.

So, as Ally goes through disastrous dates (and returns home at night to cry on her roommate Renee's shoulders), she spends her day trying cases like lobbying for the rights of two prisoners to get married, over the objections of the warden. The firm also tackles cases like defending a young man who assaulted someone after he was verbally provoked and an age discrimination case that pits Ally against her former law firm. The cases generally have social relevancy as well as parallels to the character's lives at the time.

As the series progresses, John Cage - the moral center of Cage & Fish - comes to rely on Ally more and he hires other lawyers for the firm. As a result of hiring people like Nelle Porter and the often-indifferent Ling, Cage & Fish becomes a hotbed of hormones. As relationships come and go, Ally and John work to win cases to better Boston and the world while balancing Fish's greed, Ling's selfishness, and Nelle's coldness.

Ally McBeal deals with cases involving society and law in Bill Clinton's America. The firm takes on topics like gay marriage and "don't ask, don't tell," as well as more frequent cases involving relationships gone sour. The firm of Cage & Fish usually has a socially-relevant case and a case that mirrors the personal problems of members of the firm. So, for example, when John and Nelle defend a boy who kisses beautiful girls at school, it helps reveal how insecure Cage is about his relationship with Nelle and how she is his exact ideal.

What separated Ally McBeal from other shows at the time - and even since - was a level of frank sexual dialogue that explored love and relationships from a female perspective. This is chick flick television and without the directness and the mix of humor and drama, it is unlikely that shows like Sex & The City would have managed to be successful and enduring. Portraying a level of dialogue and a female perspective on relationships and sex that had not been presented on television, Ally McBeal deserves its reputation as entertaining and in some ways groundbreaking.

Mixed in with serious stories that tested the law and emotional moments which explored human relationships, were iconic moments of humor that took the form of hallucinations. Ally frequently hallucinated, most commonly a dancing baby which represented her own desire to have a child. At times of stress or excitement, Ally would have Looney Tunes-like hallucinations where she would feel her heart beating or her eyes would pop out of her head. These were sometimes distracting and as Ally got deeper into therapy, they were eventually phased out of the show.

What Ally McBeal has that all great shows have are great characters. The characters are vivid, memorable and they each have distinct character conflicts and quirks. The principle characters in the series are:

Ally McBeal - A young lawyer who never got over her first love, Billy, she comes to work at Cage & Fish alongside him. Despite his lingering love for her, Ally tries to date others and even has a bear-miss relationship with John Cage. She is a competent lawyer who closes from her heart and who struggles to better herself. She is the soul of Cage & Fish,

Georgia - Ally's romantic rival, she is married to Billy and becomes immediately territorial of him. When she cannot stand Ally and Billy making eyes at one another, she leaves the firm, though her departures are seldom permanent,

Billy - A fairly mature lawyer who is married and devoted to Georgia, he soon becomes conflicted over lingering feelings for Ally. He is a good lawyer, but his heart is clearly divided,

John Cage - One of the firm's senior partners, he is nicknamed "the biscuit" (derogatorily), he is a wealth of personality quirks. While Ally finds her own theme song, John has a remote control for the toilet so he is insured a clean bowl, occasionally stutters and is a brilliant legal mind. He develops a romance with Nelle,

Richard Fish - The other senior partner at Cage & Fish, he is motivated almost entirely by greed and sex. He is an awkward friend to John and he develops a relationship with Ling after having a longtime fling with a judge with a waddle that he cannot resist,

Elaine Vassal - The slutty personal assistant to the firm, she likes to sing, gets depressed around the holidays and is an exhibitionist when she is depressed. She tries inventing various products throughout the series, with limited results,

Renee - Ally's roommate sidekick. She is Ally's sounding board and (seriously) disappears without mention after the essential conflict with Ally is resolved,

Vonda - The singer at the lounge below the firm, she does a musical number at the end of almost every episode. She does not so much have a character as she appears for musical accompaniment,

Nelle Porter - Icy, she is brought on by John Cage, who has a crush on her. She is efficient, professional and restrained compared to others at the firm,

And Ling - Nelle's best friend, she uses sex to get what she wants out of Richard. She has ambitions of her own and she acts frequently as an antagonist to Ally.

Ally McBeal has other characters, in the later seasons, but to go into them would ruin some of the plot surprises of the show. By the end of the series, very few of the original characters are part of the show and those who are tend to be in radically different capacities. This is the show that made Calista Flockhart, who played Ally, a household name. Flockhart does a decent job of emoting and she becomes a reasonable champion for professional women everywhere. She has a somewhat bland sense of comic timing, but she is used well. Ally McBeal has a wonderful cast that plays off one another perfectly. The cast, at its peak, included Flockhart, Greg Germann, Lucy Liu, Portia di Rossi, and Jane Krakowski.

But the actor who steals the show most consistently is Peter MacNicol as John Cage. MacNicol is dramatically convincing when he stutters and comedically brilliant when he delivers humorous reactions or absurdist statements. MacNicol is clever, funny and he is able to emote so well that when his character is in pain, it is impossible not to empathize with him.

But the greatness of the series, even MacNicol's, is mortgaged by the end. The boxed set clearly reveals how changes brought about by the actors and their desires to have careers which diverged from the show, forced the series to make abrupt turns, from which the series never recovered.

On DVD as a 32-disc set, this dramedy includes all of the original music (which was a factor holding up its release all of these years). On the bonus disc there is the crossover episode between Ally McBeal and "The Practice" (the other show's half of it). As well there is a new featurette on the entire series with interviews from some surprising members of the cast and crew. There is also a disc with the best soundtrack moments which is a take-it-or-leave-it disc. There are, alas, no commentary tracks, so fans might be a bit disappointed by that. Fortunately, this does not include the digest show "Ally!"

As odd as it is for me to write, hold out for the individual seasons; this is a series that became unfortunately worse with age and while there are truly amazing seasons of the show, "Ally McBeal: The Complete Series" is not homogeneously great. Fans will want to get the best seasons and let the rest fall by the wayside.

For a better idea of the content of this boxed set, please visit my reviews of:
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5

For other shows that originally aired on FOX, please check out my reviews of:
Family Guy Presents: It’s A Trap!
Glee - Season Two
Fringe - Season Three
Arrested Development
Wonderfalls
Firefly
The Lone Gunmen
Millennium
VR.5
The X-Files
Ned And Stacey - Season 1
The Adventures Of Brisco County Jr.

4.5/10

For other television reviews, please check out my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Quentin Tarantino Zigs, Then Zags With Kill Bill, Vol. 2.

The Good: Good dialogue, Interesting story, Does what it sets out to do.
The Bad: Limited DVD bonus features, Somewhat repetitive feel to it.
The Basics: Weird, filled with menace and great dialogue, Kill Bill, Vol. 2. is a violent story that takes an abrupt right turn into . . . conversation!


When the Kill Bill movies by Quentin Tarantino were coming out, I recall reading how Tarantino wanted the films to be together as a single film, but the sheer volume of the movie and the unrelenting nature of the revenge plot seemed difficult for viewers to handle in a single sitting. As a result, he released two films, Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and Kill Bill, Vol. 2. Kill Bill, Vol. 2 picks up more or less where the first volume (reviewed here!) left off. The second film is a little longer and it lacks the chapter feel to it ("Vol. 1" had several cards with titles and while there are a few in "Vol. 2" there are fewer and the narrative is a bit more linear).

With Kill Bill, Vol. 2 Quentin Tarantino wraps up the story he began in the first volume and he creates one of the archetypal kung-fu movies of contemporary times, complete with their campy conceits and a high level of violence. Unlike the first volume, there is less gore in Kill Bill, Vol. 2, but there is more graphic violence and the gore that there is - the pulling out of a human eyeball being chief among them - is much more visible and dwelt on than in the first volume. This film is also of almost no interest to those who have not seen the first film. That said, it is remarkably easy to get caught up as the opening monologue lays out the plot.

The Bride, identified now as Beatrix Kiddo, is driving to finally kill Bill, the man who shot her in the head and left her for dead over four years prior. From that declaration, the film flashes back to Bill meeting with his former lackey, Budd, who is now an alcoholic redneck who works as a bouncer for a club in the middle of nowhere. Budd, however, manages to get the drop on Beatrix, filling her full of buckshot and burying her alive. As Beatrix struggles to break free of her coffin, Elle Driver resurfaces and dispatches Budd.

Beatrix recalls her initial meeting with Bill and how he had her trained under the kung-fu master Pai Mei. Remembering her training, Beatrix recalls as well how Bill betrayed her at the wedding chapel by having her beaten to a pulp and almost killed. With renewed strength, Beatrix breaks out, hunts Elle and then goes after Bill, only to discover that there are still secrets to be revealed to her!

Kill Bill, Vol. 2 is largely a hero coming to power story, with one big divergence. In fact, those who are not familiar with Quentin Tarantino's quirky sense of humor are likely to be quite thrown by the movie. As Beatrix moves in on Bill, Tarantino shakes things up, not by extending the chase, but by ending it prematurely. Tarantino stops the violence and has Bill and Beatrix sit down and talk for over half an hour and the abruptness of the turn of events is funny, weird and refreshing after the catfight between Beatrix and Elle.

In the film's resolution, Kill Bill, Vol. 2 becomes an archetypal Quentin Tarantino movie in a way that the first volume never managed to, through the dialogue. Between the final scene and the otherwise unrelated scene between Budd and his boss at the club, Tarantino re-establishes himself as a master of weird, humorous dialogue which creates quirky dialogue. In this movie, characters talk a lot more and outside the scenes involving Beatrix and Pai Mei, the film is much more about the weird, often horrible characters than it is about simple slaughter.

And for a film that is so over-the-top violent in so many parts, Tarantino takes a surprisingly classy turn by not graphically illustrating the slaughter in the church that has been tiptoed around the whole series. The first film shows the effects, this movie leads up to the moment the death squad enters the chapel, but Tarantino does not fill in that particular gap and it works nicely for the overall film.

Still, this is a primarily plot-driven film. Beatrix has set her sights on killing bill and the movie does not really diverge from that and it doesn't explain it much either. Why Beatrix chooses to go on a killing spree as opposed to hiding out from her former mentor and lover is never explored, but the film remains interesting by taking the surprising turns it does in promoting conversation over violence. The characters are merely the vessels to the plot and the plot is very simple in this case. Tarantino's narrative technique, which mixes up time yet again, keeps the simple plot flowing with decent speed.

In addition to his usual narrative conceits and level of dialogue, Tarantino uses more of his cache of regular actors in Kill Bill, Vol. 2 to enhance the dark drama. As such, Michael Madsen (memorable from Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs!) has a meaty role as Budd and Samuel L. Jackson pops up as well. Tarantino also uses lesser known actors like Gordon Liu as Pai Mei and Liu is great as the strict martial arts teacher. He has the ability to screw up his face in ways that are hilarious and it fits the tongue-in-cheek nods to kung-fu movies of yore that Tarantino is attempting to reinvent with this movie.

Actor David Carradine appears as Bill and he plays his usual cool, quiet character. However, as Bill, Carradine is dangerous and has a projected menace that gives his character an air of power throughout the movie that is unsettling to watch. Tarantino gets an amazing performance out of Carradine.

As well, he pushes Uma Thurman in a more emotionally powerful direction. Tarantino got great work out of Thurman in the first volume, but in Kill Bill, Vol. 2 she takes on an added sense of strength that is enjoyable to watch. She carries the film and her ability to project shock, fear and determination is incredible.

On DVD, there is a lone deleted scene and a featurette, but that's all. This is somewhat disappointing to fans of Tarantino's works and it is likely to leave viewers who enjoy the movie hoping for a more impressive two-disc version down the road. That said, on its own, Kill Bill, Vol. 2 is an impressive work and a great way to cap off the story of the Bride.

For other movies with Samuel L. Jackson, please visit my reviews of:
Captain America: The First Avenger
Thor
The Other Guys
Iron Man 2
The Clone Wars
Iron Man
The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
The Incredibles
XXX
Unbreakable
The Red Violin
Jurassic Park

8/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Ridiculous Gore, Extensive Violence, Kill Bill, Vol. 1 Is Still Impressive.

The Good: Decent acting, Interesting characters, Quirky at the right moments, DVD bonus features
The Bad: Very straightforward plot and plot execution
The Basics: Very violent and gory in an almost comic way, Kill Bill, Vol. 1 is very much a Quentin Tarantino classic.


There are few directors who illicit a "love it or hate it" reaction like Quentin Tarantino. I suspect largely that comes from the fact that Tarantino creates a very specific type of movie as opposed to actually liking or hating the specific works of Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino's films, the ones he writes and directs on his own, tend to be violent films that are not so much action adventure as they are quirky dramas. Often overshadowed by the sheer volume of gore and/or violence, many casual viewers of Tarantino films overlook the fact that his movies are packed with weird dialogue and his films tend to be surprisingly verbose. I tend to take Tarantino's works as they come. I, for example, enjoyed Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, but felt no strong attachment to Reservoir Dogs. In fact, I felt Reservoir Dogs was overrated and so when my wife wanted us to watch the two Kill Bill films, I was more indifferent than excited or actively disinterested.

After watching Kill Bill, Vol. 1, it is easy to see why Quentin Tarantino has such a loyal audience as he does. The first of two Kill Bill films is weird, funny (often in dark ways) and exceptionally gory. In fact, there are scenes with such over-the-top gore on-screen that they had to be depicted using animated sequences as opposed to live-action presentations. And the way I knew how much I enjoyed Kill Bill, Vol. 1 was in how I wanted immediately to see the second volume. But for fans of the other works written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, they will find the first Kill Bill film to be surprisingly light on dialogue. There are a few explanations, but largely Kill Bill, Vol. 1 is a straightforward revenge story that follows one woman on a bloody rampage around the world.

After having her head shot by a vindictive masochist, the Bride is left for dead by a group of assassins on the day of her wedding (actually, it's the rehearsal, but that doesn't come up until the next film). She awakens, four years later, in a hospital with her muscles atrophied and a strong sense of injustice about what has happened to her. So, she begins to hunt those who wronged her. She stops at the home of Vernita Green, now a housewife with a daughter, where a bloody catfight ensues and the Bride tries to get information on the whereabouts of Bill, the man who led the group of assassins.

The Bride is crossing her enemies off a list as she nears Bill and in the process, she relates the backstory of how she was nearly killed, how she recovered and of her initial relationship with Bill. Her sword, an original by Hattori Hanzo, is explained and her tenure with Hanzo is illustrated. And after her apparent resurrection, she goes after O-Ren Ishii and the Crazy 88s, her personal army of trained killers.

Kill Bill, Vol. 1 is intended to be a fairly direct story about bad people who do bad things and ultimately pay the price for it. The biggest problem with the story, outside the way the battles become somewhat monolithic as they progress, is that the ending is known to even less-than attentive viewers almost from the beginning. When the Bride goes to dispatch Vernita, we see her list and O-Ren Ishii's name is crossed off above it. Thus, the viewer knows throughout the entire sequence of the Bride fighting the small army (my partner and I counted seventy-two, as opposed to eighty-eight) of O-Ren Ishii's goons that the Bride will not only not die, she will slaughter O-Ren.

This is Quentin Tarantino's kung-fu magnum opus and for those who are not fond of kung-fu films, there is little getting around the fact that this is full of people hitting, kicking, and slicing one another up. I'm not a huge fan of the genre - in fact, I can only recall seeing Kung-Fu Hustle from the genre before this - but Quentin Tarantino's sense of mixing up the story points and visual stylings make the film flow well with violence and an excess of dark humor. The story, like many of Tarantino's is told out of chronological order and while the Bride's main story is a direct tale of revenge wherein the Bride hunts the four people who wronged her leading her to Bill, her former lover and commander, the divergences to explain her sword and the rise of O-Ren Ishi as part of the criminal underground add some spice to an otherwise monotonous plot.

Even the Bride, though, is not terribly good, which is obvious from some of the movie's first frames when she gets bloody revenge upon Vernita. It is hard to feel bad about the Bride, despite the fact that she had been sexually abused while in her coma, given how she violently exhibits her wrath at every opportunity. And there are plenty of chances for the Bride to not only be merciful, but go about her search for Bill another way. Of course, this isn't that type of story; Kill Bill, Vol. 1 is a straightforward revenge tale, which is why the Bride goes after O-Ren first, making sure to take out one of her strongest challenges immediately. And as far as revenge flicks go, Kill Bill, Vol. 1 is a solid start.

Part of what makes this bloodbath of a film so worthwhile is the acting. Because most of the characters are monolithic bad guys or the heroine, it is hard to say that any of the characters are even remotely likable. In fact, coming out of "Vol. 1" there is much we do not know about any of the characters. We know that the Bride was pregnant when she was shot by Bill and that while in the coma she was sexually abused, but we know little about her other than that she is filled with a furious anger and those associates she once ran with are all trained killers and are largely unlikable. In fact, by the simple act of having a child, living in a neighborhood and trying to negotiate with the Bride, Vernita is granted more character depth and information than either the Bride or Bill.

Vernita is played by Vivica A. Fox and the role is unlike anything Fox has taken on before. Absent is her strong comic ability and she realistically plays a ruthless killer who is trying to live as a normal woman in suburbia. She plays the part perfectly with a wonderful, upstanding quality that endures her entire scene. By contrast, Lucy Liu plays O-Ren Ishii in a similar way to how she has played many other villains who appear, fight and leave the film. Liu is well-cast, but not extraordinary in the role, easily outshined by Chiaki Kuriyama, who lays O-Ren's psychopathic protege Gogo.

The strength of the movie often comes to Uma Thurman to make work and Thurman does a surprisingly good job as the Bride. Usually I rail against Hollywood-thin women, but Thurman is great as the atrophied Bride and while it takes Tarantino a while to illustrate it, her recovery is reasonable and well-represented. Thurman has an intensity to her eyes that makes playing scenes opposite only her own foot work. She takes on an action hero quality for the role of the Bride and she is engaging - or at least realistic, as much as such a fantasy film can be - in the part.

On DVD, Kill Bill, Vol. 1 comes with a preview of the next film and a behind-the-scenes featurette. There is a commentary track which is informative and fun, and most of the track is on the development of the story and the shooting of the movies as opposed to plot points, which makes the track interesting to viewers.

Ultimately, though, this is a like-it or hate-it type movie; it is excessively violent, light on character and even plot and the stylized gore is often over-the-top. But for that type movie, a Quentin Tarantino movie, it does exactly what it sets out to do.

For other works with Lucy Liu, please visit my reviews of:
Chicago
Charlie’s Angels
Payback

8/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Another Reason The 70s Ought To Remain Behind Us: Charlie's Angels

The Good: Moments of special effects, Drew Barrymore, T&A.
The Bad: Plot, Hollywood look, Script, Dated feel
The Basics: A slick, glossy film supposed to enforce the strength and intelligence of women, Charlie's Angels falls flat by being obvious, unnecessary and a throwback to the seventies.


I'll start off by saying I've grown to like Drew Barrymore as an actress, if for nothing else than the balance she brings to the screen in most films she's in. The typical Hollywood film is populated by women who weigh about ten pounds, have big pouty lips, are made up in such a way as to accent their breasts, butt and hair. That's not to say that Drew Barrymore in Charlie's Angels doesn't capitalize on her t&a, which she does. But, at least she doesn't have the typical Hollywood anorexic look. That look has begun to seriously bother me.

So, what to expect from Charlie's Angels? There are three women, working for a mysterious benefactor named Charlie through a man named Bosley. The quartet receives calls from Charlie with missions, like James Bond, save we never see M. In fact, while Bond films have become formulaic and predictable (the first few were innovating the genre), Charlie's Angels begins there, using pretty much all of the established plot tools of the action/adventure/spy flick genre.

So, after an opening that involves an annoying number of slow motion shots of Lucy Liu's hair waving in the wind, the team of Angels is assembled for a mission. It turns out software genius Eric Knox has been kidnaped by satellite hardware giant Roger Corwin. Natalie, Dylan, and Alex must rescue Knox and in the process, they gain access to Corwin's network. Corwin is defended by - and the Angels are plagued by - The Thin Man. He's a martial arts expert who has a sword and basically fights like a villain from The Matrix. Well, that's fine, because so do the Angels. It becomes quickly apparent, that the kidnapping is not what it seems and the Angels, nor their employer, are safe.

What works in the film is actually a good amount of character. There were enough character details fit in to give each Angel some distinctive traits. The problem is that with some of these details, things don't come out right all the time. For instance, Dylan is alluded to as a Scrabble player, yet given the opportunity to play, she never takes it. So the explicit statement that she likes scrabble appears as somewhat added or forced. Moreover, as facts come together in the end as to what the real plot is, it seems like the Angels have overlapped in character traits. Alex, for instance, gains the strength and martial arts skill of the whole team combined holding off The Thin Man when before it took all three simply to hold their own.

What fails on the character level is the lack of genuine human emotions. Dylan shows excellent feelings of need for a father figure throughout, yet doesn't illustrate any real feeling over the deep betrayal that occurs to her in the course of the film. Alex never becomes emotionally accessible to the man in her life and Natalie seems especially needy up until the end, when she seems uncharacteristically detached.

There are many special effects that work as well. Some items, like the slow motion bullet a la The Matrix, are executed well enough. Most of the fighting sequences are choreographed well. Some of the moments don't even feel like choreographed moves. But even the special effects aren't consistently good. An especially annoying bit is when a building explodes in front of the angels, there's actually a noticeable gap where the explosion begins and then the special effects sequence takes over. There is extraordinarily bad editing in the race car scene wherein there are a series of quick cuts that are more distracting and headache inducing than actually engaging. And my final note on the effects is that with all of the computer editing and such, why is it there has yet to be a seamless edit involving helicopters and blue screens? Whenever people are hanging off helicopters, it never looks at all real.

The killer of this film, like most, is the lack of script. Not since the series premiere of Enterprise have I seen a film that seemed more like a collection of lines than an actual story. This film is filled with sound bytes, attempts to make a marketable catch phrase. Well, none ended up sticking with me. In this case, the lack of the script drags the film down. It has too many obvious faults in the plot. For instance, why do the villains go through all the trouble of capturing Bosley when all they need to do is take his phone?

It feels like a 70s women exploitation film with Bosley's opening pep talk to the villainess' declaration that leads to a high energy fight between her and one of the Angels. This is another one of those films where I would wish we were past that. It doesn't take three women going around fighting men (and women) in hand to hand combat after solving a series of supposedly tricky puzzles to prove women are at least the equal of men. In this case, the hyperbole is especially troubling as the males tend to be either dimwitted or not terribly attractive (thus enhancing the intelligence and beauty of the Angels).

I'm wishing for a film where the female characters are strong on their own right, cunning in their own ways, and don't need validation from the men in their life to execute their own plans. I want heroines who are combating villains who are their equals. Oh wait, there is a film like that! I've got to go rewatch Bound. At the very least, it's not as obvious and teen-oriented as Charlie's Angels.

For other films involving Drew Barrymore, please check out:
Going The Distance
Whip It
Donnie Darko
Batman Forever
Ever After

3/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

| | |

The Limits Of Human Endurance Defied: Payback

The Good: Well acted, Fun, Interesting characters, Good direction, Good premise
The Bad: Suspension of disbelief issues
The Basics: Worth watching, Payback is a violent film which is a character study of a man who simply wants what is supposed to be his.


I'd like to start out today by thanking those people who have loyally read my reviews, even if they haven't agreed with me. I mention this at the outset of my review of Payback because before Mel Gibson was an annoying punchline, he made some movies that were pretty kick-ass. Payback might well be his best.  And my enthusiastic recommendation of Payback is in no way an endorsement of Gibson or his statements.

Payback. It's violent, blue and delicious. The film focuses on Porter, a robber who after being shot in the back comes back to get what he lost before: $70,000 stolen from him by his running buddy Val. Val, for his part, took $130,000 from a heist they orchestrated, bought his way into the mob and happily left Porter for dead. The film, then concerns itself with Porter's quest to get his $70,000 back and he'll basically work his way up the ladder of the Organization until he gets it. Along the way, he's harassed by corrupt cops, a petty drug dealer and an Asian mob. To get his money back, he'll kill, kidnap and threaten. His only ally on his mission - following his wife's overdose in the first ten minutes - is a hooker named Rosie.

I enjoy this film and it's quite violent. I'd like to take a poke at other reviewers who say that violent films "skew their moral compass." This is the essence of entertainment: the ability to live vicariously and enjoy a good story. In the course of the film, Porter steals cars, kills two people point blank, and shoves a dying man who is begging for help out of a car. Am I going to steal a car, go on a killing spree and shove people on fire to the ground? No. It's not even tempting. Did I enjoy it when Porter did? Yeah. Would I enjoy it happening in real life? No. Why? I'm not an idiot and I doubt you are either. If you're getting your morals from a film, especially this one, then I retract my doubt that you're an idiot. It's entertainment and Payback is plenty entertaining.

One of Payback's strengths is its overwhelming simplicity. In the first five minutes, you know exactly where it's going: Porter is out to get back his $70,000 any way he can. Thus, the film is not the destination, it's a trip. And it pulls it off well. It's no surprise how the film ends, but getting there is very enjoyable. Porter's desperation and finesse with people are fun to watch. He's not as straightforward as many would like. I like villains. I like being able to root for them occasionally. This one is worth rooting for.

Porter is well-enough written. He's morally ambiguous, which means he's not all bad. He has some depth to him. How much? Who knows. When rescuing the woman he loves from Val, he shrugs it off saying "I forgot my cigarettes." Yet he then takes her with him and it's clear he has feelings for her. He's pulled off well as having more depth than being a simple thug. Most of the peripherals are not blessed with the same level of character.

What saves Payback from being simply an average film, then, is the acting. All of the bit parts are filled with actors acting at their peaks. Gregg Henry plays Val with need and arrogance. He's pretty incredible. William Devane, Kris Kristofferson and James Coburn all play higher ups in the Organization and they play them wonderfully. The acting is precise in voice, body and expressions. There's not a single moment in the film that I didn't find the characters believable and real.

My final note would be on the direction. I loved it. From the use of the music to the fact that the whole film is blue washed, giving it a darker, noir (yes, I realize the irony here in the literal sense) feel, the film is well assembled. The camera does use some interesting angles, speeds and overall, the style of the film glows. Don't be intimidated by the violence, settle in for an enjoyable ride; all in all, I was more disturbed by the near constant cigarette smoking than I was by the violence.

For other exceptionally violent films, please check out my reviews of:
Watchmen
Kick-Ass
Braveheart

8/10

For other movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2001 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission
| | |

Chicago: All Razzle Dazzle, Little Substance.

The Good: Good music, Moments of direction
The Bad: Film doesn't know what it wants to be, Character issues
The Basics: In a disappointing musical drama, murderess Roxie Hart hires a smarmy lawyer to get out of a death sentence.


There is something delightful sometimes in taking a minority position on a popular work. I do try to go into every experience open-minded, but sitting with my wife and watching Chicago, I was almost instantly turned off to the film. While I have no particular prejudice against musicals, I found myself underwhelmed by Chicago and am astonished that voters in 2003 thought this was the best film of the year. One suspects that the sheer star power associated with the movie pushed it over in many viewers' minds.

But the truth is, Chicago is a sloppy film and much of the blame for that may be placed squarely with director Rob Marshall. Marshall does not seem to know if he is simple recreating the stage play Chicago for the big screen - limiting his sets to stages for musical numbers, presenting things like blood during the dance numbers with kerchiefs, etc. - or if he is making a movie unlimited by a theater's four walls (cutting together shots inside and outside jail cells, mixing settings, etc.). The result is a jumble that is terribly unsuccessful. The best example of the transfer to screen working better would be The Phantom Of The Opera. In that film, when the Phantom takes Christine into the sewers, the movie goes from the theater to a sewer set and the lair is clearly different. By contrast, when this occurs in the stage production of The Phantom Of The Opera, the players are limited to dimming the lights and using dry ice to create the illusion of the sewers. In Chicago, outside a few shots that mix the cinematic potential of the stage play with stage-type imagery, much of the film is presented as if it were the stage play being caught on camera. And the camera work and editing are often frenetic, making the movie seem strangely desperate to sell how flashy it is without backing it up with real substance.

In Chicago, Velma Kelly is arrested after her stage show for the double murder of her husband and sister as the envious Roxie Hart looks on. Roxie returns to her apartment with her lover, who tells her he is leaving and generally berates her before she shoots him. Her husband, the dimwitted Amos, takes the fall until he realizes that the body on the floor is not that of a stranger, but of a salesman he and his wife knew. Roxie is incarcerated with Velma and Roxie soon learns the ways of the cellblock under Matron Mama Morton.

Mama has an idea on how to save Roxie's life, which is to hire defense attorney Billy Flynn. Amos and Roxie come up with every cent they can and Billy takes their case - despite them falling below his requisite $5,000 retainer. Soon, Billy is trying the case in the media and Velma is jealous because Roxie is now stealing the attention she needs to win her case. As the murderesses try to win the public's heart, Billy gets a trial date for Roxie and she dreams of being exonerated in order to pursue her dream of singing and dancing on stage.

Chicago might work as a stage musical and it could have worked as a film - even a musical - but the blending of the two mediums falls flat. So, for example, when the women on death row are singing about their crimes, they do a dance number within a framed jail set which seems very much like a set decoration. At various points, though, the performer flashes to a time and place outside that set to tell part of their story, only to come back within the theatrical sets. Sometimes, this is for just a single shot and the overall look is sloppy with the mixing of the two mediums. As well, there are some obvious and terrible bluescreen shots of the streets of Chicago which are appallingly bad.

As for the merits, the plot includes tangents involving Mama singing about how corrupt she is, another inmate exhausting her appeals and being sentenced, and the next flash in the pan arriving at the jail. The post-Roxie killer, played by Lucy Liu, has a single distracting song before Roxie thinks on her feet and gets the spotlight back. Part of what makes this so irksome is that Roxie and Velma are unlikable characters, with Billy being the archetypal smarmy lawyer who is also hard to root for. So, just because Roxie thinks on her feet does not make her a more likable character. She is still dim, conniving and a liar.

Amid plot-relevant songs, like one where Roxie allows Billy to throw a press conference where she is essentially his puppet as he plays the media to take Roxie's side, there are other numbers that might be impressive on stage, but fall flatter in the film context. Catherine Zeta-Jones presents a song and dance number as Velma wherein she shows Roxie what her routine with her sister on stage was. Zeta-Jones sings, dances and the camerawork is willed with grand moves and cuts which accent every thrust, bright-eyed smile and foot tap. The editing here is so choppy, though, Zeta-Jones could have simply been making individual moves, getting them on camera and having them cut together. In other words, the continuity of movement is broken up so badly that the scene looks awful. The impressive aspect to this scene would have been if it could have been done in one take, which is what theater performers are forced to do. In this context, the scene is assembled and is underwhelming for anyone who enjoys dance or theater.

On top of the unlikable characters who are out to save their own skin or make a lot of money off the suffering of others, no matter how unscrupulously they do it, the acting is not terribly impressive. Catherine Zeta-Jones's on-screen charisma seems to be based entirely on her bugging her eyes out during quick cuts in the dance numbers and Renee Zellweger plays Roxie Hart with the same annoying whiny quality as her character from Cold Mountain. And while Richard Gere and John C. Reilly hold their own with the singing and dancing, Queen Latifah's performance is utterly unsurprising given her start as a singer!

On the acting front is where Chicago is most overrated. Reilly's acting has him performing as yet-another working-class dimwit, which we've seen plenty of times before from him. In fact, we've seen that from Reilly about as frequently as we've seen Richard Gere play a charismatic man with sparkling eyes and a sexy smile. These are good casting decisions. But Zellweger, Zeta-Jones, Gere, Latifah and Reilly all flop here as actors as the viewer is entirely uninvested in any one of their characters. They shine as singers and dancers, which might surprise some viewers, but singing and dancing ability is not the same as acting.

The result is a period film that is a mediocre presentation of a stage musical, trying only half-heartedly to be something more than what it is.

For other musical films, please check out my reviews of:
The Little Mermaid
The Broadway Melody
The Nightmare Before Christmas

[As the winner of the 2003 Best Picture Oscar, this film is included in "W.L.'s Best Picture Project" which is available by clicking here!]

4/10

For other film reviews, be sure to check out my ever-growing index page by clicking here!

© 2010, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


| | |