New on DVD and Blu-ray: Public Enemies - 4/5 Stars

It's been awhile since we've seen a good cat-and-mouse thriller done old school, and that's exactly what "Public Enemies" is. Merely trade in your usual summer crime movie full of thieves in ski masks wielding uzis for ones wearing suits and fedoras armed with tommy guns and suddenly you're getting entertained Great Depression-style. "Public Enemies" is a neat crossover between the action-packed thrillers of today and the mob movies of yesterday, and one that comes to us well-armed with the talents of Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and a master of the thriller genre: director Michael Mann.

"Public Enemies" is about 80 percent action thriller, 20 percent biography of infamous '30s bank robber John Dillinger (Depp). It gives us a colorful character portrait of Dillinger as a care-free crook with a sense of humor, but its main goal is to give us a handful of flashy crackling gun fights. It's not an intimate or dramatic character study that makes us think twice about what it means to be America's most wanted; the intention is to develop Dillinger enough so that Depp can make him an intriguing personality for us to follow on this 140- minute "catch me if you can" adventure. So check your Oscar-caliber expectations at the theater entrance.

Depp is a perfect fit as Dillinger, a man who lived in the moment, doing only as he wanted and hearing only what he wanted to hear, even when it was "you won't get away with this forever." He's a likable criminal type, not unlike a clean-shaven and articulate Jack Sparrow. Basically, he makes life hell for the Bureau of Investigation (it's his example that will later add the "F") and the chief detective on his case -- Melvin Purvis (Bale). He's the silly rabbit that keeps getting away, and Bale -- in a strong but unremarkable performance -- vows to hunt him down.

This isn't unfamiliar territory for director/writer Mann, whose thriller "Heat" was basically a more sophisticated modern version of the cat-and-mouse story with two other stars on opposite ends of the fight (De Niro and Pacino). Like that film, "Public Enemies" has a lot of exciting and dramatic nighttime action scenes. The gunfight at the Wisconsin getaway with the guns lighting up the cold night air is most memorable. Mann more or less film this movie like someone who's been here before. His only weakness is overuse of hand-held camera shots. In a period piece, you'd expect a filming style that would be a little more classic, framing every shot perfectly, but Mann insists on this modern technique that does sort of shatter the bubble of being in the '30s in spots. There is definitely a sense at times that these are just modern people playing gangster dress-up -- it's not a flawless recreation of the era.

I'm unaware of the historical truths surrounding Dillinger and his cronies "Pretty Boy" Floyd and "Baby Face" Nelson, or even if he had a relationship with a Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), but all their roles and the facts that may or may not accompany them are of little consequence to the enjoyment of the film for those who aren't crime history buffs. Billie is the best example of a character rendered ineffective because the movie cares little about her (despite Cotillard's talents). She's just there because every no-good gangster/mob guy has a girlfriend, which isn't great, but it's fine because it gives us another side of Dillinger and he's what is supposed to make the film stand out.

Keep in mind that "Public Enemies" was released in July and not December and you should enjoy it -- it's an action thriller done '30s gangster style, not an Oscar-contending biographic crime drama. It wouldn't be unfair to expect a bit more character conflict or development for all characters and actors not named "John," but it's definitely appropriate summer movie fare.

4/5 Stars

"Public Enemies" (2009)

Directed by: Michael Mann

Written by: Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, Ann Biderman, Bryan Burrough (book)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard

Archive Review: Mulholland Dr. (2001) - 3.5/5 Stars

David Lynch's "Mulholland Dr." is like one of those video games that the programmers make so amazing yet so impossibly difficult that in order to be fully satisfied you're forced to buy one of those walkthrough game guides. The film might be a masterpiece, but it's a Rubix cube of surrealism that prefers to leave you with more questions than answers.

Psychological thriller barely begins describing "Mulholland Dr." Most notably, Lynch has no lack of ability to create suspense. Despite being a total mindfudge (implication of more explicit language necessary), the film is completely gripping and will not lose any viewer for a second. You could argue the beginning is not very deliberate, but to understand the film everything is essential.

On Mulholland Dr. a woman (Laura Elena Harring) survives a fatal car accident but is left with amnesia, wandering her way to an apartment of a woman heading out of town who happens to be the aunt of Betty (Naomi Watts) a starry-eyed aspiring actress who has come to stay in LA while her aunt is gone. Together, the two try and find some answers as to the woman's identity. Meanwhile, a Hollywood director (Justin Theroux) is without his lead actress and being pressured by mobsters to select a particular one.

But plot is a side dish in this movie. As hard as it is to do, the way it's best enjoyed (and I wish I'd known this pre-hindsight) is to take in the visuals and emotions and tame that instinctive plot detective inside all of us. The beauty of Lynch's work is best understood by what the events and images of the film suggest. Don't view them as tangible proof of factual happenings in the film, but as manifestations.

Put on those lenses and Lynch's work is easier to appreciate. The slow movement through the sets, the symbolism, the bizarre but intriguing transitions and the way the film's score works flawlessly to direct your every thought and inclination -- it's all there if you can manage to let go of the plot when necessary.

It's hard to analyze the film any deeper without exposing the cheat sheet -- even if you'll probably need to look at it anyway. Lynch has even listed a number of things to pay attention to to help understand his film -- you can look those up on IMDb or anywhere before watching and it could help.

Does the fixation on surrealism hurt "Mulholland Dr," not necessarily, but the best films don't require hints or cheat sheets to love and in order to love "Mulholland Dr.," you have to know what's going on and that's a lot for the vast majority of movie watchers to handle. Appreciation for Lynch's skill is easy to develop, but it would be best if it were simultaneous with digesting the story.

3.5/5

"Mulholland Dr." (2001)

Written and Directed by: David Lynch

Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Elena Harring, Justin Theroux

New on DVD and Blu-ray: Angels & Demons (2009) - 3/5 Stars

Here's a link to my Funny People review, another DVD released today

If we learned anything from the film adaptation of "The Da Vinci Code," it's that Dan Brown's best-selling religion-centered mystery novels don't translate into great films. Entertaining, sure, but great, no. The dialogue gets bogged down with historical explanation and the characters get little attention because there's simply no time with all the symbol decoding. But box office receipts are another story: "Da Vinci" fell just sort of earning twice its budget, so great film or not, there would be "Angels & Demons." Not surprisingly, this film suffers from the same deficiencies despite being a bit better.

I have read both books and seen both movies and "Angels & Demons" the film is easily a notch better than its film predecessor. Unlike "Da Vinci," focused on the mostly little known ideas of the sacred feminine, "Angels" is about the inner-workings of the Catholic Church, which requires considerably less audience educating than the sacred feminine. Writer Akiva Goldsman, who penned both Brown adaptations, doesn't have to waste all his time explaining the history/mythology as he did in "Da Vinci" ... only most of it.

"Angels" is more of a thriller and a tad better suited for film than "Da Vinci." This film is a sprint from start to finish, taking place in under 24 hours and its premise is very simple: 15 minutes in you learn that a legendary group of scientists from the 17th century who were persecuted by the church have risen again and threatened to kill four cardinals every hour starting at 7 p.m. and follow that up at midnight by exploding the Vatican with anti-matter - - unless Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) and an Italian anti-matter scientist (Ayelet Zurer) can stop them by decoding a set of ancient clues planted throughout Rome. The suspense comes much easier because they have to solve the clues on time or people die. "Da Vinci" was much less straightforward. This moves quick and is consequently more entertaining. It also doesn't hurt that the backdrop for the story is the stunningly beautiful Rome: it's more dazzling to watch.

As for the problems being the same, Tom Hanks is yet again wasted talent. He has the Robert Langdon look and the reputation to bring in profits, but his character just has to sound like he knows what he's talking about and spit out mythology and history quick enough so that we can get on to the next scene. Of course Hanks does this well, but anyone could. These films just have no room to develop character or elicit any emotion from the audience. At least this time, Goldsman and acclaimed director Ron Howard don't even pretend like they can create catharsis and focus on making this film as fast-paced and thrilling as possible. They succeed here better than in "Da Vinci" and smart artists don't make the same mistakes twice.

Viewers that read the books, saw "Da Vinci" and still didn't like "Angels & Demons" have no one to blame but themselves for giving in and buying tickets to see something proved not to translate well into film despite being in the hands of a master like Howard. Anyone who walks in and expects to at least be entertained by a mystery for 2 hours with no expectation of being as good of the book will find they get exactly what they paid for and maybe even find it was better than "Da Vinci."

3/5 Stars

"Angels & Demons" (2009)

Directed by: Ron Howard

Written by: David Koepp, Akiva Goldsman, Dan Brown (novel)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor

Archive Review: Donnie Darko (2001) - 4.5/5 Stars

In honor of Richard Kelly's The Box hitting theaters tomorrow, I thought I'd pull up my review of his cult classic, the mind-melt that is Donnie Darko.

You can't really classify "Donnie Darko." It's not really a horror film though many parts are told that way. It's not really science-fiction although it is focused on time travel. It's also not really a drama because it has several humorous parts. All that considered, it's not surprising that the film fell under the radar and developed a cult-classic reputation. The reason being that whoever had the task of distributing this film would have a hard time figuring out how to advertise it. But for film lovers, that doesn't matter, because no matter how you identify "Donnie Darko," you're likely to at least deem it a good if not great film.

"Darko" takes place in the Maryland suburbs and centers around the life of its title character and his family. Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled teen with a troubled past that only gets worse when he starts sleepwalking at the beg and call of a giant bunny named Frank who tells him the world will end in 28 days and leads him to commit a series of crimes. Along the way, Donnie finds himself learning about time travel, wrestling philosophically with his teachers and he becomes involved with a girl named Gretchen (Jena Malone from "Stepmom"). The film makes out to be a character study of Donnie but eventually becomes much more than that.

Gyllenhaal is excellent as the intelligent but clearly off-kilter Donnie. The schizophrenia is portrayed all too well by the actor of course with the help of Richard Kelly, who really creates a believable distinction between normal and deranged Donnie. Mary McDonnell as Donnie's mother is also very good as is his sister, his also biological sister Maggie Gyllenhaal. Even Drew Barrymore as Donnie's English teacher stands out in this film.

While the acting is good, this is clearly Richard Kelly's film. He has without question put an incredible amount of thought into this project and it really shows. While the time travel aspect of the plot is pretty out there, Donnie is definitely portrayed as a realistic teen in a realistic family with normal family issues. At no point do you feel forced to come to terms with the ridiculousness of the premise. You are pulled in by who and what Frank is and the film delivers on that end as well. Rarely do supernatural characters come down to earth like Frank does in the film. Kelly's juxtaposing sequences and fades make the film a very effective mood piece as well. At first you're expecting something more out of the horror genre, but eventually that simply becomes part of the many moods that makes "Donnie Darko" so unique.

Perhaps the film's only true weakness is that thematically it feels a bit jumpy and cluttered. There is a lot going on and a lot to think about and it doesn't seem to feel connected from scene to scene. As the film ends you begin to think about the many different ideas raised and not one clear thing comes to mind. While it does make it rather rich for discussion, it's hard to come away with exactly what Kelly was trying to say. Perhaps the biggest idea is the very clearly established continuum that runs between extreme fear and extreme love. Those ideas echo throughout everything although sometimes clearer than others.

Perhaps the genre that it is assigned (independent) serves "Donnie Darko" best, but the film clearly demonstrates an ability to cross lines and appeal to everyone, mostly through its intricacy. You can tell Kelly knew exactly what he wanted in every shot and what little hints and trivia he wanted to drop throughout the film. "Darko" goes to show that films about people at their core, regardless the genre "assigned" them can affect people and impact a wide audience.

4.5/5

"Donnie Darko" (2001)

Directed by: Richard Kelly

Written by: Richard Kelly

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone

Archive Review: Se7en (1995) - 4.5/5 Stars

Murder mysteries don't often indulge their audience's intellectual capacity. They generally believe they can get by on suspense, intrigue and our inherent and insatiable need to find out 'whodunit.' But "Se7en" is a philosophical thriller that addresses a much bigger part of our nature - the age old question of whether or not humans are inherently evil.

As gripping as it is the way it turns gears in your head in search of any way to get mentally one step ahead of the plot, "Se7en" is a first-rate crime thriller because of the ideas fueling the story and a director in David Fincher who perfectly understands them.

More than a story of two detectives on the trail of a serial killer committing murders based on the seven deadly sins, "Se7en" wants to be something bigger. It wants you to take a breather from figuring it out and chew on something a little more sophisticated, like say, human nature. The contemplative script by Andrew Kevin Walker gives us plenty of time for this as retiring Lt. Somerset (Freeman) and Det. Mills (Pitt) bicker over the killer's motives together or even have dinner at Mills' apartment. It's not just about the mystery and what psychology or ideals drive the killer -- those ideas echo throughout the film and even in these basic conversational scenes.

None of that would be communicated well, however, without Fincher ("Alien 3"). "Se7en" takes place in an unnamed rundown city, presumably in modern day, and that locational flexibility allows Fincher and whoever scouted locations the ability to film the movie in places that would better tell this story about human nature. The murder scenes take place in seedy, decrepit apartments -- all usually dark -- in attempt to tell a story of humanity in its darkest place, at it's very worst. Constant use of on-screen lights (e.g characters holding flashlights, red lamps, etc) give the film its signature while also extending the metaphor. It's the work of a director who understands the script through and through and has command of his vision.

The characters are also extremely sophisticated and believable as are the performances of the actors playing them. Freeman comes fresh off his Oscar-winning performance in "The Shawshank Redemption" and absolutely dominates the pacing of the film. We take our cues on when to relax, when to get more curious and when to get passionate from his performance. On the verge of retirement, we see perfectly how this one life-changing case challenges his hardened world view.

Even Pitt's Mills, in his impatience, naivety and quick-tempered rebellious perspective, goes quickly from characteristics that feel a little forced to monumentally epiphanic near the climax. Pitt's taken on numerous roles in his career where we think we're getting the shells of a character role but we end up getting something meaningful after all.

That's sort of the way "Se7en" works on the whole. Before you can even realize it, you suddenly realize you've been watching a thoughtful two-hour sermon about mankind's true nature and its inclination toward evil with a large order of murder mystery on the side. Few thrillers give us the pleasure of meditating on such important ideas, in this case a question at the center of philosophy for hundreds if not thousands of years.

4.5/5 Stars

"Se7en" (1995)

Directed by: David Fincher

Written by: Andrew Kevin Walker

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt

New on DVD: "State of Play" - 4/5 Stars

Most investigative thrillers focus on detectives digging around for the answers, but "State of Play" opts to center around the desperate, miserable and dying newspaper industry. Simply put, the forces and pressures motivating a reporter are not like that on a detective, which makes for a much more unique plot with characters an audience can view as more like themselves. A detective who figures out whodunit is doing his/her job -- a journalist who puts the pieces together is a small-time hero.

Russell Crowe stars in one of his more unique roles as a seasoned investigative reporter named Cal McAffrey. Crowe somehow more easily portrays Americans than any Australian or British actor working in Hollywood and he brings a light-hearted spirit to his serious role. His character finds himself in a dangerous place when his personal friendships with a congressman and his wife (Ben Affleck, Robin Wright Penn) come at odds with his job when news breaks that the congressman was having an affair with a girl who recently died in a DC subway accident. McAffrey first tries to protect his friend, but when he sees trends leading to conspiracy, his professional instincts kick in.

"Play" brags a diverse but killer cast. Crowe is the dependable star vehicle, Affleck the ultra- popular movie star who has been scarce lately and Rachel McAdams makes a triumphant return to the screen after a couple years off as a young blogger who assists Crowe. Also appearing in the film are Helen Mirren as the editor, Jeff Daniels as another politician and even Jason Bateman makes a cameo. All of them are talented and have proved so in many different genres, but never have they been together to make a thriller.

It's also the first experiment in the genre for the director, Kevin Macdonald ("The Last King of Scotland.") Macdonald keeps this film fast and exciting, generally refusing to use a tripod but not distracting us with shaky camera-work either. He mixes in a lot of close detail shots with scene setters that tell the story at a provocative angle. There are a lot of typical thriller movie conventions used, but he makes it his own. He's a director certainly worth keeping an eye on. 

Credit must also go to an incredibly well-assembled writing team. Although based on a BBC miniseries of the same name, "State of Play" boasts "Michael Clayton" creator and penner of the Bourne series Tony Gilroy for the drama and action, "Shattered Glass" creator Billy Ray for the journalism expertise and Matthew Michael Carnahan ("Lions for Lambs," "The Kindgom,") for the political/military end. It's amazing to see how that all plays together so nicely with so many reputable writers. Some of the twists might be more on the extreme side, but it's mostly convincing and exciting the whole way through.

"State of Play" hooks you and keeps you guessing. It tries to keep the characters intimate and worth caring about while also making sure the story picks up velocity. Subplots occasionally get in the way (McAffrey's personal connection to Wright Penn's character among them) but you become pretty easily invested in what's going on and are frightened when what seemed like a nice mystery suddenly gets serious. This is a thriller that is smart and quick and never blows itself out of proportion. It holds its ground and it does so with much talent.

Lastly, the film questions the necessary extent of hard-nosed reporting, but also revels in its necessity. Watergate is alluded to as a building where a couple key companies are located. The connection is purposeful -- we're supposed to see the scandal as a fictional modern re- creation of Watergate in terms of how it's reported and uncovered. While films like "All the King's Men" glorified the work of journalists, "Play" is too stubborn to give them full credit, bringing into the discussion the idea of selling papers and not waiting too long to get all the facts or how the Internet/blogosphere twists the news in different ways. It might not be at the front of your mind while enjoying the film, but it sets it above the overdone detective thriller.

4/5 Stars

"State of Play" (2009)

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald

Written by: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray

Starring; Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren

Archive Review: The Bank Job (2008) - 4/5 Stars

"The Bank Job" is fun, so much fun that you kinda have to stare awkwardly at its "based on a true story" tagline. Did a bank robbery where the press was blacked out really happen? Was it really set up as a government operation to retrieve critical blackmail photos of Princess Margaret? Speculation aside, "The Bank Job" hardly needs its truth disclaimer. It's a good story taking a different angle on the overdone British heist thriller. Its place in history only makes it the more unique.

First of all, don't be worried of about this being just another Jason Statham movie. The Transporter and Crank series star has finally piloted something genuinely creative here. For one thing, the film takes place in the '70s. With that comes a whole different look to the heist movie and no fancy technology either.

The story has Statham's character Terry and his band of amateur criminals being offered a unique bank robbery opportunity by an old friend, Martine (Saffron Burrows). What they don't know, is that Martine is doing this to clear her own record and has set them up to a do a job for the government: retrieve incriminating photos of Princess Margaret in the possession of Black Panther Michael X, who's using them to keep himself out of jail. The photos are in a safety deposit box in the bank in question.

Half the film is the heist itself, then the second half its aftermath as the thieves find themselves being hunted by law enforcement, the government who put them there in the first place and the immoral men in power who want the photos back. We actually end up pitying Statham and his men because they had no idea what they were getting into.

"Bank Job" works very quickly to get the heist going and it's sort of choppy film-making for a good thirty minutes. After the characters and what's really going on with the government and all settles in, the movie takes off. Its non-traditional heist premise simply requires a good deal of set-up time. The characters are a little shallow, but they have clear goals and clear things at stake. Their amateur technique comes through and wins our sympathies despite their ignorance of radio technology and how they pop champagne bottles found in the deposit boxes before they've even left the bank.

It's safe to say "Bank Job" is one of the better heist flicks made in awhile, with so many tired and repetitive stories being told. British TV writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais deserve a lot of credit for finding this story, sealing the rights and bringing it to life in an entertaining and creative way, regardless how much is actually true.

4/5 Stars

"The Bank Job" (2008)

Directed by: Roger Donaldson

Written by: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais

Starring: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows

Archive Review: Enemy of the State (1998) - 3/5 Stars

In a post-9/11 era, moviegoers are no longer fazed by the idea that the government can utilize technology to the fullest extent in tracking and monitoring citizens. We also understand that this (debatably) infringes upon our civil liberties. Since then, dozens of films have warned us of the dangerous extent that technology can take us to, and that rubs off some of the sheen for government agency thriller-lovers trying out "Enemy of the State" today as opposed to over ten years ago.

A great movie is never dated and "Enemy of the State" definitely is, with Will Smith's hunted character Robert Dean getting all angry at Gene Hackman's gibberish description of a GPS, which is secondhand knowledge for first graders these days. We all know the power of satellites and how the government can bug anything with a mic, tracer or camera. In 1998, we didn't. So there's little novelty to this movie for anyone well-versed in post-9/11 thrillers -- even for those who've seen more recent Tony Scott-directed films. "Enemy" must then hinge more on its story, which it didn't when it was released, and the story is just average. It's a bit unfair to what was probably a better movie in its day, but time is one of film's most challenging tests.

Starring Smith when he was riding high off of "Independence Day" and "Men in Black," "Enemy" is about a lawyer who accidentally comes across evidence he doesn't know he has that would expose a giant murder cover-up by that National Security Agency. Naturally, the NSA, led by Jon Voight, wants it at any cost, and using all sorts of technology strips Dean of everything. This convinces him to start running, where he eventually crosses paths with a former NSA tech (Hackman), who represents his only chance of shaking them off.

Though the originality of the film fades with age, what improves is the who's who in the cast. In addition to Smith, Hackman and Voight, small roles are played by Jason Lee as the guy who plants the evidence on Dean in the first place, Jack Black as a tech servant of the NSA, Barry Pepper as an NSA field op ("Saving Private Ryan"), Jamie Kennedy, Philip Baker Hall, Lisa Bonet, Gabriel Byrne ("The Usual Suspects") and Scott Caan ("Ocean's Eleven").

"Enemy" is your typically fast-paced thriller with the government going after the lone fox. It's a bit on the longer side, but it moves quickly at most points. Its only a weak story as far as drama and relationship. Dean's relationship with his wife (Regina King) throughout all this and their history of him cheating on her with Bonet one time years ago pops in and out and breaks the over-arching concept that should be driving the movie: Dean wanting to figure out what the hell is going on. He doesn't seem to wise up to pursuing that answer until much later on.

Dean's relationship with Brill, Hackman's character, also feels forced and pointless. They have a "I need you as much as you need me moment" in the second half of the film, but when Hackman doesn't even show up for the first hour, you can't legitimately believe it's true. At this point, the film almost tries to switch into buddy action movie when it's much better as just a techno-thriller.

For 1998, the concept of a thriller where an average upper-middle-class lawyer suddenly gets thrust into a nasty chase with the government would definitely be an appealing one -- it would be an easy character and situation to empathize with. But while time heals all, it definitely hurts some movies and particularly those with weak stories containing patchy subplots.

3/5 Stars

Enemy of the State (1998)

Directed by: Tony Scott

Written by: David Marconi

Starring: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight