Trust Me, I'm Sort of a Film Student

Haywire (2012)

In theaters Jan 20

In Haywire, an electrifying tale of espionage and betrayal, a female covert ops specialist (Carano), who works in the deadly world of international operatives, strikes back after discovering she’s been double-crossed by someone close to her in the agency.

Who should see it:

If you like high quality action/fight scenes and don’t mind if the writing is weak
If you liked Book of Eli because the choreography was amazing
If you like cool people looking cool
If you like kick-ass female leads
If you just want to see something with friends for fun

Who should not see it:

If you have a huge problem with one dimensional characters even if they’re badass
If you have a hard time understanding Bourne Identity-esque plots and can’t stand it
If you do not like realistic fight scenes and violence
If you get really bothered by bad acting

My Thoughts:

I was fangirl-ing like crazy over the fight choreography, I’ll be honest. The plot, dialogue, and acting was sub-par at best but I was expecting that. But the movie really is super fun whether you know anything about fighting or not. The directing is very dynamic and keeps you hooked in the action even if you think it’s unbelievable or cheesy. 

But the choreography. Oh the choreography. The moves she uses are simple and perfect. All her moves make sense for her (and I actually know how to do a lot of them) and she executes them with grace and precision. Though I knew Gina Carano would do that, being a fantastic MMA star and all, the combination of moves she uses is so smart that really my hat goes off to the choreographers JJ perry and Don Tai. 

This is JJ Perry’s first big movie where he gets to be a fight choreographer. He worked on stunts on big titles such as Iron Man, Avatar, and Serenity, but only did the fighting choreography for a few smaller films before this one. I hope he gets used more after this because I was truly blown away. Gina could have had a big hand in it, but I hope to see fighting choreography in movies try to meet this higher standard for action movies that is trending. 

Don Tai is actually more a stunt performer, but being assistant fight choreographer I can see his input. As a seasoned stunt performer, I bet his input helped add to the realism of how the actors took hits. The movement in the film was great overall not only because of the well executed fighting moves but the way the characters took damage. 

Fighting aside, the direction is quite good. Steven Soderberg as always finds new ways to add flare to already exciting shots with an array of different composition and editing techniques. Kind of reminded me of a played down Ocean’s style.

The action was refreshing, crisp, and thrilling. The movie is actually super fun despite it’s flaws. Plus I think Steven Soderberg knew what a shit script he was working with and just made it as awesome as possible. Which I respect. Great for a fun night out.

It Happened One Night (1932)

Director Frank Capra (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) took home every major Oscar for its time for this screwball comedy starring Clark Gable as a hard-bitten reporter who stays close to a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert) rather than lose a good story.

People who should see it:

Everyone

My Thoughts:

Instant classic, there is no reason to not enjoy this movie especially because you can watch it for free on Youtube. Frank Capra has already been a favorite of mine since I saw Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in a high school social studies class. But, I think the dialogue in this movie just blew it out of the water. I would say I enjoyed this more than Some Like it Hot even, just because I think the dialogue is just so crisp, smart, and original. 

It’s interesting to think that this film came out during the Great Depression since the movie feel likes it takes place at the end of a time of plenty. The heiress’s father has a boat, a plane, and can control all the newspapers in the country, yet she’s running away from him. When she’s on the run, she is forced to realize the value of money and what life is like without it. She experiences hunger, the embarrassment of not being able to pay what she promised to pay, and seeing other people go through worse.
She falls in love with Peter Worn (Clark Gable) in spite of the bitter realism of American poverty, and they plan to run off to an island somewhere. People say it’s an escapist film for the time, but I think it’s more like a positive yet realistic outlook on the Great Depression: by working together Americans can survive life with little to no money because there are always things that money can’t buy. Though life without money is still pretty difficult.

I question the necessity of some of the scenes, but any movie that can make my mom, my dad, and me laugh out loud is pretty spectacular considering our wildly different tastes. It’s an all around feel-good film that feels like time well spent. Definitely one of my favorites now.

Attack the Block (2011)

From the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block follows a gang of tough inner-city kids who try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an extraterrestrial warzone. 

People who should see it:

Everyone who liked Shaun of the Dead and District 9 and/or District B-13
Everyone who liked Signs
Everyone who likes anti-heroes that get a chance to redeem and prove themselves
Everyone who likes it when men, women, and children of the human race prove that they can defend themselves and they don’t take shit
Everyone who likes industrial, grimy dubstep original scores
Everyone like my Dad and my brother who like cool monsters and great action scenes

People who should not see it:

People like my mom who don’t really like movies with monsters/aliens
People who don’t like being scared a little
People who really don’t like movies set in the inner city ghetto
People who can’t understand the trailer because of the accents

My Thoughts:

Holy crap I loved it. I will give a warning that it’s scarier than the trailer makes it out to be. It’s Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz kind of scary, I would say it’s not even like District 9 scary but more like Signs scary. There are about 3 times that I didn’t expect an alien to show up or I got really freaked out even when I knew it was there. It’s a really good kind of scare though, the kind that makes you want to pick up something and smack the crap out of whatever scared you, not the kind that makes you want to hide forever.

I was also surprised on the complexity of the characters. It opens with the main gang of protagonists mugging an innocent woman. This complicates the sympathy for the protagonists/humans for the rest of the film, which is an interesting choice since the trailer made it seem like it’s just “YEAH INNER CITY KIDS THEY’RE JUST MISUNDESTOOD.” 
Yes, there are a lot of redeeming qualities in the kids along with a sense of loyalty, courage, and vulnerability that was surprisingly realistic. While the gang runs head-first into danger, they always try to text their family or their friends and try to rescue them if possible. There is also a brilliant use of silence and hesitation right before any of the boys do some courageous or epic act of violence. This allows the boys to really look like a bunch of 13-15 year-olds forced to deal with something unimaginable.
Yes, there is some cliche stuff like “the cops arrest us for things we don’t even do”, along with the the other cliche that people in the ghetto fight among themselves so much that they also bring the stigma on themselves. Personally, I think the cliches work well against each other to create a more complex argument that neither side is completely the victim or the oppressor and everyone needs to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions and come together to figure out a solution. It’s also nice that the movie doesn’t beat you over the head with its message but lets it unfold along with the story. 

The writing is witty and believable, but I will say that the comedy is sometimes muted by the intense-ness of desperate of a few kids trying to survive against all odds.

The score is particularly good at setting the mood for the film. It’s like this grimy industrial dubstep that perfectly captures the roughness of the block and aliens. I just had to get it after the movie.

Overall, this is a perfect movie to see with a dad or brother who likes alien/monster movies. Also a great movie for a night with lots of guys to get you pumped. I really like it because in addition to being fun it has something meaningful to say. Really fun film that leaves an impression.

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2011)

Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated mountain house, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count.

People who should see it:

People who like horror-comedy and the kind of ridiculous deaths in Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz
People who like Alan Tudyk
People who like seeing something different
People who like giant misunderstandings
People who like underdog heroes that try to get the girl by white knight-ing
People who know all the cheesy cabin-in-the-woods horror movie cliches

People who shouldn’t see it:

People who hate super cliche portrayals of college students
People who don’t like gore at all (There’s not that much of it, but there’s a moderate amount)
People who can’t stand useless female characters
People who don’t have a moderate suspension of disbelief
People who need to be intellectually stimulated from their movies 

My Thoughts:

I liked it. It’s everything in the trailer and more, plus it’s on netflix instant streaming so it’s a great movie to see when you just feel like watching something fun one night.

It’s a lot sweeter than I expected. Dale (the non-Alan Tudyk redneck) actually works on a self-image/self-confidence issue throughout the film. He knows that because of where he was raised, what he likes to do, and what he looks like, society brands him and the rest of his community as the lower-than-low outcasts. Though the message isn’t particularly subtle or well executed, it’s cute and refreshing given the circumstances it’s presented in.

Like in all cheesy horror movies the characters make a lot of cliche choices that really don’t make any sense but serve to escalate the level of tension in the film. I get what they’re doing. It’s a parody and a comedy of giant misunderstandings where the audience is just screaming OH MY GOD WHY DON’T DO THAT. For me, though, it’s just teetering on the line of too ridiculous. The college kids are just a little too stupid. I know it’s for the sake of comedy and all but it just bugged me, like I feel their lines felt very lazy compared to those of the quirky, developed rednecks. Yes it fits with the message of the film that society is quick to judge and ignorant, but it just beats you on the head with it at that point. 

All in all, very entertaining, great to watch one night with a nerdy but lovable boyfriend or husband or a group of friends who take pride in being different from what the media says they should be. Not really a family movie unless you have cool parents.