Many, many years ago the name Shane Black was synoymous with big money. After penning the buddy action flick Lethal Weapon Black became one of the highest paid screenwriters of the time with scripts for Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero and The Long Kiss Goodnight. With many millions came much criticism, especially after his last two films, particularly LKG, were box office disasters (I for one saw Long Kiss Goodnight and really liked it, but, based on the Pirates 2 controversy, what do I know!). After disappearing for a decade or so Shane Black is back with a bang…two of them to be exact and a couple of kisses thrown in for good measure.

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is a film that I am sad to say I did not see in the theatre. I stumbled across a mention of it on author James Reasoner’s blog. I discovered Reasoner’s site due to an affinity for Robert E. Howard and have kept reading because he has a love of old pulp and noir tales including many of those whose covers are graced by one of my favorite artists Robert McGinnis. In fact, it was Reasoner’s comment that “alot of shots in this film are like McGinnis covers come to life” that sent me straight to my Netflix queue to move KKBB to the top. And I am so glad that I did. Movies are an interesting thing. Despite blockbusters (like Pirates 2, Batman Begins) that I really enjoy it is the smaller, sometimes weirder films that turn out to be true treasures that I rave about and hold out as examples of how neat films can be: Pieces of April, The Station Agent, Chungking Express, Donnie Darko, and now Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang.

The story of how Shane Black came to both pen KKBB and make it his directorial debut is an interesting one that I will just link to here. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is a film that is almost impossible to sum up briefly and so full of fun moments that to talk about too many of them would be to ruin the virgin experience of one’s first viewing.

The basic plot is that small-time New York crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey, Jr. in one of his best performances yet) unintentionally gets his friend killed while robbing a toy store. To avoid the police he stumbles into an audition and his raw and real performance captures the attention of the producer who ships Harry off to L.A. There he meets real life detective and film consultant Perry Van Shrike (Val Kilmer), aka “Gay Perry”, a homosexual P.I. hired to help Harry learn to act like a detective. Soon after meeting the very hot wannabe actress Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan…really, what can I say? Whew!) the bodies start piling up and Harry is drawn into the unfamiliar and dangerous world of murder and mystery.

That is just the very rough skeletal outline of this film. KKBB is an extremely verbose film (and I mean that in a good way) with Robert Downey, Jr. narrating and he and Kilmer trading one liners faster than a speeding bullet. The dialogue is witty, frenetic, satirical and self-aware as is the film itself. RDJ and Val Kilmer are literally perfect in their respective roles. I cannot imagine anyone else pulling off these roles with such charisma. Throughout the film Michelle Monaghan holds her own as well and the chemistry between the three characters is palpable. This is a 60’s noir film set in the modern day with quick-and sometimes sick-humor, fantastic acting, and brilliant pacing. The 4th wall is broken often as Robert Downey, Jr. narrates to the audience and at times backs up the film to allow the viewer to pick up on important plot points. All throughout the film are references to other movies, television shows, etc. that reward multiple viewings. One of my favorites is a reference to the 50’s television show My Friend Flicka.

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is not a film that will cater to everyone. There is an abundance of language, including liberal use of the word ‘fuck’, that may not appeal to everyone. In fact ‘fuck’ is used so often that there is actually a joke about it in the film. The film is also quite violent but never to the point, in my opinion, that it is gratuitous like films I’ve seen it compared to (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill). And, quite frankly, it is weird. Some viewers will be annoyed with the fast-paced, babbling narration. I myself found it to be one of the most charming parts of the film and the thing that hooked me instantly. And yet despite the language, violence, and subject matter of the film the character of Harry Lockhart has an uncharacteristic morality about him that makes him a very chivalrous leading man.

If I haven’t made my point yet let me say that everything about this film thrilled me. I’ve already told you that Downey, Jr. and Kilmer are fantastic. Let me say it again, they really are! Michelle Monaghan, who had little to do in this year’s summer blockbuster Mission Impossible: III, shines here…in fact she is so beautiful as a real life personification of a McGinnis painting that she practically glows. In addition she is so laid back and delivers her lines with such affinity for the character that you could swear the part was written just for her.

The dialogue is top notch. Black takes his skill with buddy comedy (showcased in the original Lethal Weapon) and marries it with a noirish black comedy and the heart and soul of a romantic comedy to come up with a movie that is pure fun from start to finish. I haven’t been this excited about dialogue since discovering Whedon’s Firefly on DVD. The way the film is shot is visually arresting. The sepia tones of flashback scenes and the vivid color of the entire film are a delight to the eye. Some of the shots, like one of a No Vacancy neon motel sign viewed from below with the night sky as a background, demonstrate the overall look and feel of the film so well. Running throughout the story is a series of fictional detective novels that mimic the Mike Shayne novels of Brett Halliday (in fact KKBB is loosely based on a Halliday story) that have covers that are either actual McGinnis covers or darn good rip-offs. As James Reasoner said on his site, if the books were real I’d have them on my shelf. The opening scene graphics are 60’s crime drama all the way and along with the soundtrack are like the gift wrapping on this cinematic present.

Allow me to wrap it up by saying that Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang is not a film with a life-altering message or any deep meaning. It is film making for the simple fun of making movies and making them well. It is as much a satire on the fickleness of Hollywood as it is a top-notch crime comedy. It is intelligent and witty and is the movie I am most surprised and pleased with of anything I have watched all year. I have seen in 3 times now, watched it with Mary (who also really enjoyed it) and am passing around the copy I ended up going out and snagging (used) for myself. I look forward to discussing this more with any who have seen it and am willing to add you to the lending list if you haven’t and would like to.

For years now the name Philip K. Dick has been synonymous with films about the future, laced with paranoia about government control and Big Brother watching our every move (The Minority Report, Bladerunner, Total Recall, Imposter). His latest work adapted to film, A Scanner Darkly, while containing many of the same central themes, is actually quite different than the other film adaptations I have seen.

The story is based on the book of the same name and has something of an autobiographical nature to it. A Scanner Darkly is the story of Bob Arctor who, unbenownst to his household of substance abusers, is an undercover police agent named Agent Fred who is attempting to discover the source of a highly addictive drug called Substance D. As Arctor becomes addicted to Substance D himself the left and right hemispheres of his brain begin to function independently. This causes Arctor to lose the ability to distinguish between his job and his drug-using life to the point that he actually begins investigating himself (a plot point that I didn’t entirely comprehend during the film). The control and paranoia aspects of Dick’s work is manifested in the technology that allows everyone to be monitored at all times and provides special body suits that agents wear protecting their identity not only from the general public but from fellow officers as well.

A Scanner Darkly is a film by Richard Linklater using the animation method rotoscoping in which the actors are filmed and the animation is done overtop of the film, a method he used in his film Waking Life and more recently seen in a series of insurance commercials on television. While I initially thought it might be distracting I found that I really enjoyed the rotoscoped look. It gave the film an odd presence that enhanced the mood and tone of the film. It was very well done with the actors looking very recognizable. I really liked some of the things they did with the background images, at times animating in a very sparse way and doing things to give the film a three dimensional look.

The film itself was very different. It does not have the blockbuster appeal that most of Philip K. Dick’s other adaptations have had but that is not to say that it isn’t good. What A Scanner Darkly is, is a film that is certainly not for everyone. The actors (Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey, Jr., Rory Cochrane) all did a fantastic job in their various roles…drug users of course not being a big stretch for Harrelson and Downey, Jr. Rory Cochrane was actually outstanding and very funny. The story held my attention throughout and there were several surprisingly laugh-out-loud-funny moments in addition to some interesting plot twists that I didn’t expect. Where the story becomes autobiographical is that some of it is based on a period in Philip K. Dick’s life in which, after his wife left him, he spent a majority of the time between 1970 and 1972 living communally with a group of drug-addicted teenagers in his home and becoming addicted to amphetamines himself. What A Scanner Darkly ultimately becomes, in my opinion, is a rather poignant commentary on substance abuse and the ineffectual methods of law enforcement to deal with the drug epidemic.

In that it succeeds. The end scene and the quote in the credits following left me feeling the sadness of one of the film’s messages. While it was quite fun to laugh at the increasing paranoia and bizarre behavior of many of Bob Arctor’s “friends”, the reality of parts of the story penetrated the film barrier and really made me think about peope that I see all around me every day.

I enjoyed A Scanner Darkly but saying that I won’t recommend it as a must-see in the theatre. I predict that the majority of people who see the film will come away with a “that was really stupid” view of the end product. Maybe I’m wrong. It helps that I went with Jeff and John to a free screening of the film. Not paying for a movie affords one the luxury of actually being somewhat entertained regardless of the quality of the film. My feelings a day later is that the film is well done. I wish more time would’ve been spent exploring what was happening to Arctor/Agent Fred as Substance D was affecting his reality but I don’t think that is the aspect of the story the film makers wanted to focus on. Instead of focusing on the more ‘science fiction’ elements of Dick’s story they chose to focus on the more factual elements and made a film that has a message and makes you think without beating you over the head or being preachy. The book and the film were dedicated to “some people who were punished entirely too much for what they did”, a sentiment that the film actually conveys quite well.

It was a fun experience and drives home the fact that I really need to go back and read many of the Phillip K. Dick stories that have been turned into films that I enjoy.

Non-spoiler Review

Captain Jack Sparrow and his band of pirate misfits sailed into the record books this weekend, plundering box offices with a $132 million, record-setting debut. Despite what the critics say…they can walk the plank…Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was everything a summer blockbuster should be and about as fun a pirate film as has ever sailed the celluloid sea.

Pirates 2 (as I will hereafter call it) was exactly the film that I hoped it would be. The film makers plumbed the depths of sea-faring lore and hauled in a bounty of piratey fun. Pirates 2 is the first popcorn movie of the summer to meet and even exceed my expectations. At 2.5 hours it is just the right length to offer viewers a treasure trove of action and adventure while leaving plenty of time to spend with everyone’s favorite characters.

The biggest criticism that I have read has to do with story, or what the critics perceive as a lack thereof. I differ on that point entirely. The story structure of the Pirates movies, like that of the now classic adventure film Star Wars, is an admittedly simple one and yet is one of the most profound and foundational story structures that exists: the story of good vs. evil, of man against monster, of seemingly average people rising above and becoming heroes. It is a story that works and as such, when done well, it doesn’t have to have layers upon layers to give it credibility. It strikes a cord because it is a story that we all understand and gravitate towards. Pirates 2 takes that story structure and makes it infinitely more fun by adding sea monsters and sword fights, pirate ships and an undead monkey, a beautiful woman and everyone’s favorite: Captain Jack Sparrow.

Johnny Depp is as marvelous as he was in the first one. There isn’t anything particularly new with his performance but that is as it should be. We all fell in love with Captain Jack Sparrow the first time around…why on earth would anyone mess with such a terrific performance. Orlando Bloom is slightly more confident and swash-buckley (yes, I made it up) this time around. Keira Knightley plays a bigger and more aggressive part this time around showing that she is fantastic in both period pieces and action roles. Bill Nighy (after I got past envisioning him as the vampire from Underworld everytime he talked) was terrific as Davy Jones. The combination of his acting and incredible special effects makes Davy Jones one of the best adventure film villains I have seen in some time. In addition there are a number of great performances by characters from the first film and ones new to this one but to talk about them would be to give away the fun of the film.

The special effects were unbelievable. They honestly just keep getting better and better. Davy Jones and his crew, brought to life by a combination of costumes, make-up, and digital effects, were fantastically creepy. Having recently read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and having a fascination with the depths of the sea since childhood I have to admit that I loved the kraken. It was amazing! The monstrous tentacles looked so real and, combined with the excellent squishy sound effects, it was hard to believe that they weren’t real…except for the fact that they were enormous! What child who has watched or read about anything to do with the vastness of the ocean doesn’t believe that there are huge, ginormous beasties lurking under the waves? It was so great to see this brought to life.

There were so many other great visual aspects to this film. Davy Jones’ ship was very well done, quite ghostly and eerie. I loved the mechanical heart music box that lay on his organ and the dead man’s chest itself was such a great prop. Kudos to all the art directors and designers of this film, they did a splendid job.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was a terrific sequel to the first film, incorporating story lines and characters from that film in many fun ways and it sets up the next film perfectly. I cannot wait until next year. Ignore any negatives you may have heard, if you enjoyed the first movie you will certainly enjoy this one. Yo ho ho, a pirate’s life for me!

There will probably be spoilers in the comments so be warned! I encourage anyone who has seen it to both talk about it an put the word “Spoilers” at the start of their comments, thanks.

In my humble opinion the trailer for The Lake House is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. The overview of the film combined with the song “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane has had me waiting with both dread and anticipation for this film. I really like Keanu Reeves and I have been enamored of Sandra Bullock since their first screen coupling in Speed. Because of that and the fact that I am a hopeless romantic I was very worried that this film would disappoint me. I am happy to say that it did not. And while it was not exactly the film I expected from the trailer I enjoyed it very much.

The film opens with Dr. Kate Forster (Sandra Bullock) moving out of her small but unique glass house by the lake. She leaves a brief note for the new tenant offering them good wishes and asking for her mail to be forwarded. The next tenant happens to be Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves). The letter contradicts some of the things Alex knows about the house and so he writes back to her to clarify. Her response begins a chain of events in which the two eventually determine that, as impossible as it sounds, Alex Wyler is living in the year 2004 while Kate Forster is living in 2006. Thus begins a series of conversations and a budding romance the old-fashioned way, through the mail.

Continue reading The Lake House →

Napoleon Dynamite is a family favorite, thus when we first saw trailers for Nacho Libre we knew that despite the fact that it was destined to be stupid, we would be in the theatre to revel in that stupidity. Jared and Jerusha Hess have teamed up once again to write and direct an unconventional comedy and eventhough it doesn’t have the same charm as Napoleon Dynamite, it is a very fun film. Napoleon Dynamite is a superior comedy because so much of what went on in the film actually happened to the film makers in their youth. That foundation in reality gave a poignancy to the comedy that is lacking in Nacho Libre. However if you can get past comparing it to its predecessor I think you’ll find Nacho Libre to be an engaging film.

Continue reading Nacho Libre →