Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart

Drama

2009

Rated: R

Running Time: 112 minutes

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Colin Farrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall

Directed By: Scott Cooper

Rating: 8 out of 10

Outline

A former country star travels from low paying gig to low paying gig trying to recapture his former glory.

Review

This movie made me want to go out and buy a Stetson hat and a guitar. Okay I won’t go that far, but Jeff Bridges made it look pretty cool to be a cowboy in this one. I am not sure why stories about flawed leading characters are always so compelling. Seeing someone down on their luck from addiction or personal tragedy seems to have the most appeal to me. It could be that you want them to succeed when things are so bleak. It could also be a reminder that no matter how bad things get there is always hope. No matter the case this film is a beauty and you won’t want to miss it. Crazy Heart is the story of Bad Blake. He is a faded country music star travelling the country trying to recapture his past glory. In this journey he must battle the evils of addiction that are ruining his health, career, and his love life.

This is a film that a viewer can truly get lost in. I don’t mean it is hard to follow, what I mean is the story is so real and Bad Blake is so cool that the movie just flies by. You get lost in the whirlwind of emotions that this story will take you on. The film starts out and we are blessed to see this former country star living day to day and from gig to gig. He stays in rundown motels and drives his shitbox of a car cross country, playing at different venues to make ends meet. He is broke, washed up, tired, and drunk most of the time. The film is really just a reflection of how stardom can be fleeting and how sometimes even the best can be knocked down if they don’t stay sharp and submit to their demons. The music is fantastic even if you aren’t a country music fan (I am not but really dug the music). An older man who knows nothing else but his music is a powerful story when he has given literally everything important up to play it.

Bad Blake is played by Jeff Bridges and this maybe his finest role. His best role will always be from the Big Lebowski but this is his finest. He plays this brash, chain smoking, whiskey swilling, down on his luck man to perfection. Was it worth the Oscar for Best Actor? Absolutely, and this film would not have worked without this performance. He is this charming older man and even though he has ruined his own life through bad decisions and drink you are rooting for him. He has such character that you want him to get clean and get a second shot at fame. His gravelly singing/voice also adds to this performance and it was as if he completely morphed into this character. He is supported on screen by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Colin Farrell, and they provide solid performances by letting Bridges work his magic. Truly the performances were all great in this film.

So this movie carries on and you get to follow Bad Blake through all his ups and downs. You get to see that his popularity is still there as small time bands want to play with him and people still buy him drinks. You get to see how he is slowly dying as he abuses his body on a daily basis. His pursuit of recapturing his former success is not only believable but chilling in its intensity. You never know which Blake is going to show up to play each night and although you will enjoy his music you will also hate him for not sobering up to fix his life. Why the film works so well is in the fact his life is always on a precipice. It could swing to the left and he could easily die and it could swing to the right and he could be a star again. It always has you hanging there right in the middle. As the end comes about it seems to fit perfectly with the rest of the films darker theme and it doesn’t ruin it with some unbelievable or fantastical Hollywood ending. Truly this is a great movie and Bridges just kills in this role.

This is director Scott Cooper’s debut film and man did he bring it. This film plays out almost like a country and western song. It is filled with trials and tribulations that seem to plague only the country singers of America. Cooper cast perfectly and he lets Bridges steal the show in all the right places. The pacing is fantastic and the film has a perfect amount of story to song. The film takes you on a journey of self worth and the power of human spirit and truly was one of the best films of 2009. This was a treat and I can’t wait until Cooper’s next film to see if he can recapture the magic.

I give this movie a big recommendation, especially to people who appreciate great acting performances.

T Factor + If you like country movies then this could score higher on the rating scale.

T Factor – If you do not like slow built up dramas then this could score lower on the rating scale.

If you liked this film reel recommendations: Walk the Line, Country Strong.

The Devil Inside

The Devil Inside

Drama (Thriller, Horror)

2012

Rated: R

Running Time: 83 minutes

Starring: Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Ionut Grama, Suzan Crowley

Directed By: William Brent Bell

Rating: 5 out of 10

Outline

A woman becomes involved with some illegal exorcisms in the pursuit of finding out what happened to her mom many years prior.

Review

Admittedly there is something about exorcism movies that freak me the F out. I am not sure if it is the creepiness of the unknown or the grotesquely contorted bodies, but the material just sticks with me long after the film is done. The Devil Inside is the story of Isabella Rossi. She is documenting the story of her mother, who allegedly killed three members of the church during an exorcism. During this mission to find out the truth about her mom, Isabella becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms.  

  

I normally don’t listen to any hype surrounding a movie before I watch it. This is so I can give an unbiased opinion in my reviews. Unfortunately this film upset so many people, that it was impossible not to read some internet negativity surrounding it before my review. I heard the concerns and was expecting the worst but truth be told this wasn’t that bad. This film is shot primarily in the handheld camera style that is all the rage these days for horror. While filming in this style certainly adds some realism to the story, it also brings out a lot of the flaws in the acting with it’s up close and in your face shots. The Devil Inside plays itself off like a documentary. It has a background story of a horrific murder and details of the Vatican separating itself from exorcisms. After a quick introduction to the aftermath of Isabella’s mother’s crime scene, the movie gets underway. Ultimately with every exorcism movie the story is pretty superfluous as the viewers are here for the chilling acts of expelling the demon. This film unfortunately suffers from a lot of unnecessary build up as we get to understand what exorcisms are and where the church stands on them. So if you are looking for a fast paced and edgy movie this won’t be the film for you. But if you enjoy possession type films I felt this movie delivers on the important aspects. An interview with Isabella’s mom at an insane asylum really captures the essence of a severe mental health disorder or a terrifying possession. While there are not enough scenes like this for my taste, when they do occur they did give me the creeps.

The acting fluctuates so badly in terms of quality that it does detract from the film a bit. This is right across the board with every performance. At times you think you are watching a documentary as the actors seem to forget the camera and just discuss theology. Most times though, and especially when the characters are stressed, you can’t help but notice the forced performances. Every character suffered from the ups and downs and that really hurt this movies chance of succeeding.

So what did I like about this movie and why did I find it more entertaining than other people? It boiled down to the exorcisms themselves. While not treading on any new ground I still felt that they were tense and well thought up. Sure, it is basically the same young girl in the white nightgown scenario that all films prior and most after will use, but it still works. The contorted limbs, the foreign tongues, and the self mutilation all make this film scary on some level. I also liked that they waste little film as the run time is short (83 minutes). This film wasn’t trying to be anything other than a creep fest and I appreciated that fact. When the exorcisms are completed and the end seems to be ramped up for a blood bath it inexplicably falls flat. Its abruptness will satisfy few (me included). But to judge a movie strictly on its terrible ending is rather short sighted which everyone seems to harp on in regards to this film (get over it people). So in conclusion the exorcisms were solid. The acting, construction of story, and ending were not.

Director William Brent Bell (Stay Alive) doesn’t seem to know how to put a horror together properly. This film suffers from not enough frights other than the exorcisms. It is as if he forgets that a film needs a climax to satisfy the casual movie watcher. The casting seems weak as the performances were all over the place. The film rated higher on my scale as I enjoyed the exorcism scenes but this doesn’t disguise the fact that this film was haphazardly spliced together with a terrible ending. Truly this film seemed amateurish in its finished product even though I found it entertaining.

I cannot recommend this film but if you like exorcism films and aren’t a snob of the genre than it could be worth your time.

T Factor + If you like the handheld camera shot horror then this could score higher on the rating scale.

T Factor – If you are an exorcist purist then this could score lower on the rating scale.

If you liked this film reel recommendations: The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Unborn.      

The Ruins

The Ruins

2008

Drama (Horror/Thriller)

Rated: R

Running Time: 90 minutes

Starring: Jena Malone, Jonathon Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Laura Ramsey, Joe Anderson

Directed By: Carter Smith

Rating: 2.5 out of 10

Outline

A group of young adults get stranded at an archeological site and are stalked by an evil that roams the dark.

Review

I am not sure why I hated this movie and laud things like Cabin in the Woods, but this film bothered me. It is probably that this film was trying to be super serious on a topic that is hard to swallow. No doubt, there are some amazing evolutionary traits found in all sorts of species around the world, but what stalked these kids was appalling. The Ruins is the story of group of young people who travel to a remote area in Mexico. What starts off as a quaint site seeing tour, turns deadly as an evil stalks them from the shadows of the ruins.

A group of young adults on vacation, travelling to an area they are not supposed to be, and they get into some trouble? That never happens. After some liberal drinking and some gratuitous nudity, we find ourselves following the group as they check out an archaeological dig, deep in the jungle. What occurs after they get trapped in the ruins is not scary, and it is intensely stupid. It is not to say I don’t appreciate a good sci-fi/horror story, but wow this evil was poorly thought up. This film is not clever at all and the characters are not compelling. What should be a perfect venue for plenty of scares, breaks down into a film of amateurish dissection and make shift medical operations. That is because in a shocking twist, one of the characters is a medical student. So of course when one of the group gets injured, the quasi doctor is there to operate and save the day. So the film prides itself on graphic scenes of surgical cutting and the resulting blood, and little else. Seeing people being cut open and operated on is a hard watch and really is a cheap scare tactic. So the group battles the unknown terror, hunger, thirst, and the unrelenting sun. The viewer just has to sit through a truly boring film as ridiculous noises mock them from all around.

The acting is not the worst but the characters are. Their terrible dialogue and relationship squabbling seems out of place while their lives are in danger. So we sit and wait for one rational thought, but none are forthcoming. What we are stuck with is characters whining about other characters faithfulness, and comments of not wanting to be there, and it just grates on the viewer. Just a heads up for all you people out there, if you are ever caught in a life or death situation, and you catch a glimpse of something lurking in the dark, maybe you shouldn’t sleep right next to it. Important tips like this will keep you alive.

So the film plays itself out, with the viewer not caring if the characters escape or die. There are so many inconsistencies with this film as well. The water that should last for one day lasts for way longer than that. The characters never really catch on that anything is wrong, even though there are clear signs that people have been here quite recently and have subsequently disappeared. The local Mexican natives stalk the area with a tireless abandon, never really explaining the reason of why they are there in the first place. There are many other problems, but I am just naming a few. Of course when the film isn’t being wearisome, there is lots of blood. Also if you haven’t forgotten, there are a multitude of gaping wounds that expose bone, muscle, and sinew. It is if the director knew the monster in this film was too far of a stretch, so he over compensated with gross visuals. When the end to this film does come around, you will feel apathetic towards the entire ordeal.

Director Carter Smith relies too heavily on blood and not enough on ingenuity. The film goes long stretches without seeing the evil in the ruins, and when it does show up, you understand why it doesn’t appear more often. The casting was all right but the film is just drawn out, as the small location atop the ruins is not an area indicative of fear. No cell phone signals, poor character decisions, unexplained characters, and shoddy equipment are all hard to ignore. When the movie is this bad, you notice the clichés more. This film is not frightening, it is not fun, and Smith needed to work on a bunch of things to make this a proper horror film.

I cannot recommend this film as ultimately the unknown presence in the ruins is laughable.

T Factor + If you like lots of blood and gore in your horror movies then this could score higher on the rating scale.

T Factor – If you do not like sci-fi type horror then this could score lower on the rating scale.

If you liked this film reel recommendations: The Mist, Turistas.