Movie Taco: October 2013

7/28/2019 Movie Taco: October 2013

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Agents ofS.H.I.E.L.D

Carrie

Divergent

Getaway

Gravity

The HungerGames: Catching

FireJobs

Lee Daniels TheButler

Pain & Gain

Runner RunnerThe World's End

UZZHUB is now hosting three regular podcasts. Coulsons Army is a brand-new, weekly podcast dedicated

o ABC and Marvels new showAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Every episode will feature in-depth and entertaining

scussion of the latest episode. Box Office Buzz is BuzzHubs flagship and most popular podcast, now on a

ortnightly schedule and featuring a look at the US box office, as well as reviews of the latest releases. The

mmy and Luke Show, BuzzHubs long-running comedy podcast, continues into the Fall with two episodes

very week!


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cademy Award winners Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) and George Clooney (Syriana) star inGravity, a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deeppace. The film was directed by Oscar nominee Alfonso Cuarn (Children of Men).Bullock playsr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski

Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leavingtone and Kowalski completely alonetethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into thelackness.The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earthand any chance for

escue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.But the onlyway home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. Gravity was written by

lfonso Cuarn & Jons Cuarn, and produced by Alfonso Cuarn and David Heyman (the Harryotter films). Chris deFaria, Nikki Penny and Stephen Jones served as executive producers. The

ehind-the-scenes team includes multiple Oscar-nominated director of photography Emmanuelubezki (Children of Men, The New World); production designer Andy Nicholson; editors Alfonsouarn and Mark Sanger; and costume designer Jany Temime (the Harry Potter films). The visual

effects werehandled by

Oscar-nominated


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he lavish life of RUNNER RUNNERs gambling kingpin Ivan Block is what RUNNER RUNNER director Bradurman calls, the new American dream. He elaborates: Technology has led us to a world where everythingomes very quickly, which has expedited this concept of the American dream. Young people today wantverything fasterespecially money.ustin Timberlake concurs with Furmans assessment of the American dream on steroids: The Americanream used to be about being rich and famous, but now its to become rich and famous as quickly asossible. The more access we have to things, the faster we want them. Just touch a button and you canave almost anything shipped to you.Today, people dont want to own a Cadillac; they want to invent their own car, Timberlake continues. A

eneration of young people wants to start their own galaxy of entrepreneurial activities. People are constantlyying to reinvent the wheel, and things are moving at warp speed. Its cutthroat. Its very cerebral and lessbout integrity, pride or honor, or any moral values.mberlakes Richie Furst is among those getting caught up in this irresistible but dangerous mindset. Hisuide and benefactor is Ivan Block. Block is the man behind the curtain of a billion-dollar online gamblingmpire. Affleck says the role provided an intriguing change of pace. Ive done a couple of parts where theharacters I play were reserved, quiet and internal, but Ivan is always gunning the engine. Hes never at ass for sexy monologues about life, and he enjoys spinning all kind of sophistry to Richie. I thought that Ivannd his world would be a lot of fun to explore.ke Timberlake, Affleck was intrigued by RUNNER RUNNERs depiction of the behind the scenesachinations of the new American dream: Underneath this allure of fast and easy money is somethingherently fraudulent, crooked, broken and wrong, he explains. Everything now is about getting rich quickly,y any means necessary. The new corporate ethos is to cut the other guys throat. In some circles, its evenonsidered healthy and to be prized.irector Brad Furman came to RUNNER RUNNER fresh from the success of The Lincoln Lawyer in 2011. Iad a specific vision for RUNNER RUNNER, to create a journey down the rabbit hole for Richie, he notes.The movie begins in New Jersey, and then Richie ends up in Costa Rica and a fantastic but corrupt world.mberlake describes his characters descent: Richie is a good guy in the wrong place, trying to do the righting. Hes constantly trying to hold on to his morals. Richie is a dreamer and an idealist who makes anonest mistake and must figure out how hes going to get out of it.an Blocks own journey down the rabbit hole has yielded untold riches, which is all the enticement Richie

eeds for what ultimately becomes a rite of passage. Ivan Block is the unapologetic mentor who says, Gethat you can get and dont think twice about it, says Affleck. Block wants to manipulate Richie, to get him be part of his team. His mission is to groom Richie so he wont object to some of the darker things he

ees.

THE NEW

AMERICAN


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GOOD GIRLS GONE BAD

hloe Moretz and Selena Gomez are an interesting

air of actresses to compare. They both found fame

s teenagers, Gomez on the Disney Channel show

Wizards of Waverly Place, Moretz in cult films like

ick-Ass and on 30 Rock. Gomez always played the

irl next door character, and along with her pop

areer forged a nice, clean image for herself.

Meanwhile, Moretz was spouting the c-word to

iddle-aged men in Matthew Vaughns

forementioned superhero comedy.

omez has now overruled her popstar image, going

om nice dresses to tight leather shorts- Taylor

wift style- but is also choosing far more adult film

oles, such as in Harmony Korines experimental

een film Spring Breakers and the new Ethan Hawke

hriller Getaway. Moretz returned to the role of Hit-irl earlier this year in the pretty awful Kick-Ass 2

nd is now filling Sissy Spaceks shoes in the highly

nticipated remake of Brian DePalmas Carrie.


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KILLING


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Francis Lawrence should be a bigger household name. Responsible for directing the hugely


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successful, writers-strike defying I Am Legend, as well as the pleasant period romance Water for Elephants

and the pilot for FOXs short-lived but superb drama Touch(the entire show of which he also produced), its

about time he became a star director. While Gary Ross, who helmed the first Hunger Games, was entirely

nexperienced in big-budget action spectacle, Lawrence is completely at home in Panem, the futuristic

remains of the US which has been divided into 13 districts after a failed revolution. District 12 is home to

Katniss Everdeen, heroine ofSuzanne Collins bestselling trilogy of novels, as well as her two best male

occasionally boy-)friends, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth, whose career is looking in

poor shape after the massive failure that was Paranoia

and his igh-profiled unengagement from pop-singer

Miley Cyrus). District 13 has (apparently) been destroyed

in a nuclear accident, but well learn more about that

towards the end ofCatching Fire.

This film, looking set to be one of the absolute biggest

hits of 2013, begins after Katniss and Peetas

controversially joint-win of the annual Hunger Games

teens-involuntarily-kill-each-other-on-tvcontest/bloodbath, as they have settled down in the

fancy victors village in District 12 to live out their

remaining days in peace and (comparitive) wealth.


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However, this is

not to be, for

they must

embark on a

victory tour

which results

in, yes,

ANOTHER

Hunger Games,which this time

features all past

winners!

Noooooo!

Luckily,

however, this

gives us the

opportunity to

see severalhigh-profile

older actors

kicking butt

alongside

Katniss and

The Hunger

Games:

Catching Fireis

released on

November 22.


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THE

KATNISSEFFECT

was inevitable, the rise of the teenage girl as a

ovie hero. Hermione Granger wasnt exactly the

ar of the Potterfilms, but Emma Watson pulled in

ttention by being very sexy in a intelligent, bookish

ay. Then came Twilight, with Kristen Stewartsella. Nobody expected Bella to be the series main

elling-point, standing alongside two very attractive,

egularly shirtless males in front of a largely female

udience, but by the time last years Breaking Dawn

art 2 came around and Bella had gone from being a

omboy to a tight-trousers-and-boots-wearing sexy

ampire chick, there were so many males paying to

ee the film to gawk that the box office numbers

ere through the roof.

the first Hunger Gamesfilm, Jennifer Lawrences

atniss wasnt presented as a particularly sexy

haracter, to the delight of feminists, but as our

over shows, Lawrence has been presented with a

skin-tight Kat-suit for the majority of the films

action, drawing the eyes of straight men, and

possibly gay

women, around

the world as shejumps around and

fires arrows. Who

doesnt want to

see that?


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THE

GRAPESOF ROTH

Shailene Woodley being cast in young-adult novel adaptations has become a running joke in

the online film news community. First it was as Hazel Lancaster in John Greens The Fault in

Our Stars, and after she was confirmed to be playing Triss in the Hunger Games-esque

dystopian adventure Divergent, it was announced that she would be filling the shoes of Kirsten

Dunst in Marc Webbs The AmazingSpider-Man 2 (she has since been cut

from the first of the three upcoming

sequels).Divergent is based on the

first book in Veronica Roth (hence

the above pun)s trilogy, the third of

which will be released this month. It

follows Triss as she faces a decision

as to which of 5 factions she will be

placed in. Its basically Hogwarts-World, with more dire

consequences. Some factions are

rich and educated, others hard-

working but illiterate. The film will

see Woodleys Triss defy the system

n an extremely Katniss-y way by not

fitting into any particular faction and

therefore having to go on the run

with the (probably) dreamy boy Four

Theo James). Kate Winslet stars in a

role that fits halfway between

Elizabeth Banks and Donald

Sutherlands HG characters.

Divergentis released

on March 21, 2014.


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one film from 2013 were to be sent in a timeachine back to the 1950s or 60s, it would have toe this. Lee Daniels, a gay, African-American, havingrected a major Hollywood film would have been

onsidered groundbreaking, but it is the film itself,hich shows the period through the eyes of the blackeople who were suffering that is the most importantspect. It gives a voice to the people who, thoughey may not be alive today, would be overjoyed to

now that what they experienced is know common-nowledge, and is widely sympathised with. Leeaniels The Butler, as it is legally known, could justs easily have been called Forest Whitaker is Theutler. The veteran actor is the true star of thisnsemble piece, giving an incredibly subtle

erformance as Cecil Gaines- head White Houseutler for several decades. He doesnt give araditional Oscar-worthy speech, and the films highoint of drama comes during a brilliantly stagedrgument between Gaines, his wife (Oprah Winfrey)nd his eldest son (the wonderful David Oyelowo)bout whether or not Sidney Poitier is an advocater the African-American community, or a puppet ofe white-led film studios. It is this sort of seeminglyvial discussion that elevates the film from what it at

rst seems to be- an incredibly clichd, unengaging

wo hours plus of preaching that everyone has heardefore. Nobody will have heard this films issueseing raised in such a mainstream film before. I hadever thought about Poitier that way in my life!he opening scene, featuring an extremely miscastariah Carey and Alex Pettyfer as Cecils mother

and the owner of the cotton plant they work on, isso disturbing and emotionally disheartening, andcomes so early in the film that its effect on theaudience is somewhat lessened. One rule of

filmmaking that Daniels seems not to have yetlearnt is that you have to show your audience theOK before showing them the horrific. RolandEmmerich wouldnt open a film with theapocalypse- you need to ease the audience in,and let them get to know the characters. The first30-40 minutes of The Butleris quite poor incomparison with the rest, as we see Cecil leavinghome, becoming a hotel butler, getting his jobalongside, also very miscast, Lenny Kravitz andCuba Gooding Jr in the white house and meeting

Robin Williams Eisenhower.The Stars-As-Presidents aspect of the film isarguably what will draw the average moviegoer into see the film, as it is being heavily promoted(Most of the films supporting cast have beingdoing press interviews for the film), but is not allthe highlight or even a large part of the story.Whilst John Cusacks Nixon (the only Nixonquality in this performance is the constanthandkerchief-dabbing), James Marsdens JFK(the highlight of the bunch), Alan Rickman and

Jane Fondas Ronald and Nancy and theaforementioned Williams are the stars beingflaunted in the trailer, the president whose role ismost vital to Cecils story is an utterly

Lee Daniels The Butler


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unrecognisable Liev Schrieber as Johnson. As Schrieber is the least famous of the Presidential actors, heis the one most able to make the role his own- an important strategy on Daniels part to heighten the

dramatic tension around his scenes. A scene in which Fondas Nancy Reagan invites Cecil and his wife toa ball and Whitakers voiceover notes that it was only for show is a surprisingly outright affirmation ofDaniels left-wing political viewers.Although Whitaker and Oyelowo are both extraordinary in their roles, Oprah Winfreys incredibly strongperformance as Cecils alcoholic wife is perhaps the most memorable of the film. A scene three-quartersof the way through when the parents get some terrible news is heartbreaking beyond belief, mostly due toits subtle acting and use of upbeat dance music.The films central set-piece of a Klu Klux Klan attack on a Freedom Bus containing Cecils son is probablythe most chilling three minutes of film this year, and sent shivers down my spine throughout. Althoughthese moments are incredible painful for any viewer to watch, it is important that they are shown in such ashocking context to get the attention of the audience and remind what exactly was happening in the USjust five decades ago, and what could easily happen again unless all racial prejudice is elimiated.As someone with literally no knowledge of Cecil Gaines true story, as im sure was the case with manyviewers, I was utterly delighted to learn that he and his wife lived to see Obama run for office in 2008, andthe final shot of Cecil turning the corner to meet the first African American President is beautiful in everyway.Daniels career has been filled with ups and downs, and will surely continue to be. The Butlermay bear hisname, but it, for the large part, belongs to the magnificent lead actors. The Help told an old story in a newway, while this tells a completely new story (in the same vein) in a wonderfully old-fashioned way. Itssomething to marvel at, in a time when Marvel dominate the multiplex, that this has been so commerciallysuccessful. I guess there are enough good people out there to see such a well-meaning film!


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n Edgar WrightsHot Fuzz, Simon Peggs tough London cop Nicholas Angel moves to a small English townnd is overwhelmed with boredom as he realises how little crime there is for him to fight. He decides to

ntimidate some local teenagers, minding their own business as they sit in the local pub, by telling them hewill arrest them unless they leave. In The Worlds End, it is the quiet teenagers in the pub that arentimidating Pegg, as they are in fact aliens filled with blue liquid who enjoy pushing people heads againstwalls. If you have never seen either of the previous Three Flavours Cornettofilms, Shaun of the Deadandhe aforementioned Fuzz, you will find it very hard to enjoy the, in all honesty, insane structure, monologuesnd eccentric supporting characters that Wright likes to litter his work with. (His upcoming Marvel film,Ant-

Man, will be an interesting watch). Both Wright and his regular writing and acting collaborators Pegg andNick Frost set up their filmmaking style so well in Shaun that, for better or worse, fans of the trio have gottenery used to seeing it all play out on screen. In Hot Fuzz, my favourite film of the three, it was for better, ashe audience laughed at call-backs to Cornettos and garden fences, but in Worlds End, it ends up as moref a not that again scenario.

The Worlds Endfocuses on Peggs Gary King, a 40-year old man-child who dresses exactly as he did in hiseens (as we see in a flashback opening) and is desperate to recreate the joy of an attempted 12-pub crawlim and his four friends went on 2-odd years earlier. He reunites those friends (Frost, Martin Freeman,

Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan) and, reluctantly, they join him on the quest to complete the crawl.Hence, the first half of the film involves lots of drinking, lots of 80s references and, thankfully, some verylever sight-gags. Wright, Pegg and Frosts screenplays, even when not insanely hilarious, are a joy to

ehold, and as you watch the film you cant help but imagine the trio working away ingeniously on one ofhe most tightly and impressively constructed comic scripts of the past 5 years. The plot structure is one ofhe films strongest features, as the alien antics begin exactly halfway through- earlier enough for the twisto be spoilt in the media, but late enough for there to still be a large portion of the film absent of fighting andCGI. Pegg makes the hilariously unlikeable King a watchable presence, while Frost is terribly underused

rior to the final act. Considine and Freeman are filler characters, but it is the always-wonderful Marsan whos the films shining comedy star. He conveys a uniquely brilliant mixture of suburban Dad and sleazy youthn his character, and will hopefully receive many similar roles over the coming years. Rosamund Pike isne of the most tokenish female characters in recent cinema, purely there because they needed a woman,ut thankfully not exploited for sexual humour very much.

The alien storyline is nothing too special- the most unoriginal of the trilogys action-plots by a mile- but thenal confrontation with the race is quite funny and a pleasing ending to an hour of shouting and chair-

whacking. The ending of this film is almost as unexpected as the ending of this Summers not-too-issimilarThis is the End, and justifies the drawn-out penultimate act. To the relief of many viewers, there isne scene which deals with alcoholism as a serious issue, and proves that Wright is not making a love-

etter to beer and ale. In the (worlds) end,The Worlds Endis not the wonderful surprise or the fantasticollow-up that its predecessors were, but retains the same charisma and screenplay-writing genius thereators have always had. It deserves to be seen.

The Worlds End


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fia Coppolas new film is a masterclass in how to make the most boring, unengaging dramatisation

a true story imaginable. Shes taken a relatively intriguingVanity Fairarticle about a group of LA

enagers robbing celebrities homes and adapted it into 91 minutes (I counted) of the most

nteresting high-school drama ever seen on film. Emma Watson is the lone star in the young cast,

d does an even worse American accent than she did in the unexpectedly superiorThe Perks of Being

Wallflower. Leslie Mann, the great comedy actress, is utterly wasted in an awfully written bit-part, andu can see her frustration at having to maneuver her talent around the wooden chairs that are the

enage actors. The insanely mainstream and clichd soundtrack, consisting mostly of recent Top 40

nce tracks, purely makes the endless extended dialogue-free club and robbery scenes more

bearable. The films only redeeming quality is a single impressive scene in which a robbery is seen

m a spot on a hill above the house through the homes glass windows. This proves that Coppola has

me talent, but no more of it is displayed here. The Bling Ring had such potential to be a sophisticated,

gaging and stylish interpretation of the true story, but is instead so forgettable I was barely able tote this review.

The Bling Ring


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atthew Vaughns originalKick-Ass was a very

njoyable, stylishly made action comedy which blended

rilliantly high-school comedy and superhero action

ichs to create a pure package of entertainment and

volity. This very underwhelming sequel, which remindse viewer of the days when sequel guaranteed direct-

-DVD status, features more violence, more nudity and

ore characters, but feels far less substantial and much

maller in scale than its predecessor. The 2010 film

egan with Dave, a nerdy high-school student (Aaron

aylor-Johnson), deciding to become a real-life

uperhero to see the results, as nobodys ever tried it

efore. Despite making the foolish decision out of

oredom, that film gave a somewhat understandable

xcuse for his behaviour. Kick-Ass 2begins with an

credibly bored Dave, who is so blatantly ignorant and

ninterested in anything cultural, trying desperately to

nd ways to pass his time after retiring from crime-

ghting. He masturbates, watched crap TV, masturbates

gain. If this character is a true representation of

odern-day teenagers, God help us all! Basically, Kick-

ss 2is a film about a kid who becomes a vigilante not

ecause he has special powers, or because he wants to

eek vengeance on the people who killed his parents,

ut because hes really bored. As was stated in a recent

pisode of HBOsThe Newsroom, the world wont end

ith a bomb. Itll be a disgruntled kid.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse has been heralded as

a great comic actor since his appearance

in Superbadin 2007, but the fact that this is his

first credited live-action film since the first K-A in2010 says a lot about just how fast people got

absolutely sick of him. I have to warn you, if you

didnt like CMP before, seeing him dressed in

his dead mothers fetish-gear whilst raping

innocent women while the audience is

supposed to laugh in Kick-Ass 2will not make

you warm to him. Then again, This is the

Endshowed CMP to be a sleazy, coke-snorting

misogynist a few months ago, so maybe hewants to change his image.

Whilst all this horrible, nasty business is going

on under the pen of the clearly quite ignorant

Jeff Wadlow, who is unfortunately rumored to be

directingX-Force, one really has to feel sorry for

Chloe (Grace) Moretz. She was as Hit-Girl,

along with Nick Cage, the best thing about the

original K-A, and has since shown off just how

charming and terrifying, in equal measure, she

can be in works such as Hugo, Diary of a

Wimpy Kid, Let Me In and in her regular role

Kick-Ass 2


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n 30 Rock. Her role is Kick-Ass 2is much bigger than her role in the first, mostly because she is now 15-

ther than 11- and is allowed to be, in moderation, treated as an object of desire. She spends most of the

m away from the other major characters, going through a fairly enjoyable Mean Girls-style transformation

to trendy, sexy high-school girl that would be the best thing about the film if it were not for an utterly

sgraceful, 45-second piece of product placement forX-Factor UKboyband Union J, masquerading as aever joke about teenage girls lust for attractive British boys.

can entirely sympathise with Jim Carrey (whos role in the film had been entirely over-exaggerated)s

ewly-revealed opinions on the films level of violence, even if it was a bit too late for him to say it.

owever, its more the films tone of This violence is realistic but its easy to do and soooo funny that put

e off supporting it. The first K-A was charming and had really likable characters, and the love story

etween Dave and his girlfriend was sweet enough to level out the fight scenes. Meanwhile, Daves

rlfriend is pushed to the side in Kick-Ass 2, setting up a last-minute kiss between Dave and Hit-Girl which

pretty disturbing (Moretz is 15, Johnson is 23). Some of the horrific crimes committed by CMPsotherf**ker and his gang of thugs are unbelievably easy for a viewer to copy, and for that reason, along

th the very poor quality, I do hope as few people as possible see the film. Chloe Moretzs talents are

eriously wasted here, but luckily she has several major projects coming up which will give us a chance to

arvel in her talent for many years to come.


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Elysium

lthough it is set 141 years from now, Neill BlomkampsElysium portrays a vision of Earth that

ould be more suited to a setting 1000 years ago. The citizens wealthy enough to afford a ticket

ave emigrated to the suburban environment of Elysium, where cancer can be cured in seconds

nd poverty is nonexistent. Everyone else is left breathing in toxic fumes and living in dire

onditions on the planet we call home, wondering what they did to deserve this life. Andrew

iccolsIn Time realised a similar world quite well, but unfortunately was highly ignored and proved

nancially and critically unsuccessful. Elysium, meanwhile, is getting far more attention both

ecause its director was Oscar-nominated for his last (and first) feature, District 9, and because its

tar, Matt Damon, has a noticeably better reputation for making good films than In Times lead,

ustin Timberlake. Damon has been promoting this film by telling the press about its political

hemes and messages, which he apparently feels quite passionately about. However, any moral

ssons from the film which Blomkamp and Damon are attempting to convey to the audience in

elation to poverty and human rights are lost amongst the CGI landscapes and loud, violent battles

splayed onscreen.

lysiumbegins with Damons character, Max, on his way to work (on Earth), but being unfairly

ttacked by some robotic cops and beaten unconscious. This scene is a good indicator of what the

est of the film will be like- using regular sci-fi fixtures to tell a story which is all too realistic.

eleased from hospital, Max is immediately forced to enter a highly radiated chamber in order to


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eep his job, and becomes seriously ill as a result. He learns he has but 5 days left to live, and is

astily released onto the streets by the comically evil CEO of the company he works for, William

ichtners Carlyle. Carlyle has all the films funniest lines, such as Dont you dare breath on me!

over your mouth! to a reasonably affluent Earth citizen. In fact, the film looks set to be quite funny

or the first 15-20 minutes, as Max sits down with a robot parole officer to whom he must repeat

ords phonetically as we would to an automated phone operator. These traces of humour utterly

sappear, however, after Maxs accident, which sends the plot into a spiral of painful gore, intense

hoot-outs and epic intergalactic explosions.

amon has been on top form recently with his roles in Behind the Candelabra and Promised Land,

nd he carries much of the film on his newly thickened shoulders. That said, Sharlto Copley really

the standout, playing the single most hateful, terrifying character portrayed in a film of this scale

years. I will forever be going to lengths to avoid having to meet the man in person, as that would

esult in me scurrying away in fear. Jodie Fosters smaller-than-advertised role (its more of a

ameo) is nothing to write home about, particularly since she hasnt given a good performance

nce Lambs.

you enjoy watching spaceships land on dusty land (bringing back oh-so-fond memories ofThe

hantom Menace), youll love this film. If you get your kicks from watching data rapidly transfer

etween hard drives (National Treasure-style), Elysium is for you! Using countless science-fiction

ichs in an impressively subtle manner, Blomkamp has managed to make a film that is shockingly

ntertaining, considering its dark roots, and outdoes such mediocre fare weve seen this year,

ke Oblivion, in everything from acting to visuals. It may not have the epic scale or sheer fun ofStar

rek Into Darkness, but this is a nice break from the pure awfulness of some of the years other sci-fi

ms.


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arlier this year, Seth GreensIdentity Thiefdisappointed millions of comedy fans by sticking the hilariousason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy in the middle of a terrible script and clichd story, resulting in aassive pile of underwhelming rubbish. Were The Millers sees Dodgeballdirector Rawson Marshall Thurbertempt to create the same money-winning formula, by taking some more Horrible Bosses graduates, Jason

udekis and Jennifer Anniston, and crafting around them a road-trip storyline thats mediocre with a capital. Sudeikis is no Jason Bateman, but he knows his way around a good one-liner, and its good that heseen given a chance to show off his impressive comic skills in a starring role in such a high-profile Summerm. His transformation during the film from obnoxious drug dealer into caring suburban father isurprisingly realistic, more so than the character development of Annistons poorly written stripper or Emmaoberts (where was she all these years?) homeless runaway.udeikis is a good leading man, but its Will Poutler who is the standout here. First seen in The Voyage of theawn Treader, Son of Rambowand Wild Bill, he has been given the chance here both to play an American,nd to be funny, what a great job he does! His character is brilliantly drawn, from his clothes to his nameKenny) to the faces he makes when he hugs attractive women. He could easily be given a spin-off fromis which would be a funnier film! Were The Millers is much funnier and has better set-pieces than the very

oorIdentity Thief, and Poutler is fantastic. However, the clichd and predictable plot and some poor writingeep it in its cage, but what does anyone expect?

Were The Millers

Robert Schwentkes original 2010RED was

an extremely rare example of a comic-

book movie without any (blantly obvious)

superheroes present. This gimmick aside,

it was a gloriously entertaining mix of

Hitchcockian suspense and Woody Allen-

ish comedy with the brilliant editing and

stylish camerawork of an Edgar Wright

film. This follow-up, directed by Galaxy

Questhelmer Dean Parisot (Schwentke

hose to make R.I.P.D instead), loses the fancy transitions and the pseudo-Oceans 11 soundtrack, but

aintains the utter sense of ridiculous fun, helped seriously by the amped-up role for John Malkovich,

rowing out hilarious one-liners and participating in some of the funniest physical gags this year. Bruce Willis

eepwalks through the predictable plot, as always these days, but is still enjoyable to watch, and Anthonyopkins makes for a fun addition to the cast. Mary-Louise Parker is a real stand-out as Willis girlfriend, very

xcited to have been brought along for the spy action following her career as a call-centre worker.

ED 2 is the best kind of action-comedy, one that is funny, exciting and appeals to all ages. It doesnt quite

ave the lasting quality of its predecessor, but the cast make up for it by displaying just how much they are

njoying themselves.

RED 2


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chard Linklater is a filmmaker whos career has been

ed with cinematic experiments, and Before Midnightis

ne of the most interesting yet- a simple yet excellently-

xecuted story that will be seen in entirely different light

y men and women. Men (at least, certain kinds of

etrosexual men, mostly in marriages and long-term

lationships) will leave thinking of what an annoying,

ossy wife Julie Delpys character is, and have their

earts filled with sympathy for the charming and loving

riter (Ethan Hawke) husband. Women (similar

onditions applying) will feel nothing but hatred for theelfish jerk that is Hawke, and be supporting Delpy in her

ruggle to make a good life for herself.

ue to this gender-divide, one has to read a review of

e film written by someone of their own gender if they

re to decide whether of not the film is for them. Its very,

ery different from its predecessors in the Before

logy, which were well-written and visually engaging

ve-stories. Midnightis not so much a love-story as a

10-minute character study, examining how the

haracters relationship has aged since their last screen

uting through the eyes of an outsider who is constantly

standing in front of them. The film features 7

scenes: Hawke dropping his teenage son at the

airport as he heads home to his mother, Hawke

and Delpy talking in their car as their daughters

(featured very little in the film, never speaking)

sleep, Hawke telling friends about his next

novel, a dinner party with several characters

attending, Hawke and Delpy on a long walk to

their hotel, Hawke and Delpy in their hotel room

(featuring some ridiculous token-shirtless action

from Delpy) and Hawke and Delpy sittingoutside a restaurant. These scenes are on

average between 15 and 20 minutes each, and

the camera rarely cuts or leaves the two leads

faces. Its a deeply, deeply engaging film to

watch, with largely improvised conversations

that feel entirely natural.

Whether or not you like the characters or can

relate to the story, there is absolutely no

denying that this is an example of great

filmmaking. It has issues, but one should see

this Before 2014.

Before Midnight


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Luc Bessons internationallyvariedArthurfilms have been low inquality, but have brought good CGIforests to the eyes of audiences aroundthe world, while having A-list voice casts(David Bowie, Robert DeNiro, Madonna)involved. Blue SkysEpicdoes prettymuch the same thing, resulting in avisually enjoyable and structurally stable

adventure, but not much else. The voice-

ain & Gain is the surreal, hyperactive result of the director responsible for the imminent destruction ofdependent, low-budget cinema attempting to make a low-budget film. Michael Bay, whose trademarksclude slow-motion action shots and slow motion up-skirt shots, was obviously feeling a bit bored inetween directing (I use the word lightly) his third and fourth Transformers efforts, so gathered together

Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Ed Harris and Anthony Mackie to make a true-story action-comedy. Themain problem with this film is that its actually very clever in parts. I despise Bays previous work with a

assion, and very much expected and wanted to hate this film, but he sure made it difficult for me!Wahlberg and Johnson are masters of their craft, combining relentless charm and hilarity to create two

rilliantly realised, and ridiculously stupid, characters. Johnsons characters religious beliefs result in manyreat scenes and jokes, and the former wrestlers (who stars in no less than five films this half of the year)bility to mock hardcore Christianity is a pleasant surprise. Bays extremely leery eye is present at all times,nd several utterly unnecessary strip-club scenes bring the film right back down to where it belongs.ventually, the film ended and I was reminded that the whole thing was a true story, and that Wahlberg and

Mackies characters were given the death penalty. The fact that I had forgotten this made me feel like auly terrible person, and the fact that Bay not only managed to make me forget this but made me laugh at

s completely tasteless two hours of nastiness reminded me what a villain he is. The only problem- hes aretty smart villain, and this film is smarter than it should be.

work from even such geniuses as Christoph Waltz and such odd choices as Colin Farrell feels very last-minute, and the characters are hence very two-dimensional. Sweet daughter-father bonding storyline aside,here isnt much narrative-wise for the average viewer to enjoy, and so this ends up being a lot of pretty, butot too brainy.

Epic

Pain & Gain


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rior to this biopic of Apple (as we are constantly reminded in the film, co-) founder Steve Jobs,

ho died in October 2011, the only two Hollywood films about real technology companies were

avid Finchers superbThe Social Networkand Shawn Levys despicable Google-based

omedy,The Internship. This film, in terms of quality, lies equally between both of these. In its

mpressively original editing, cinematography and pacing, it mirrors Finchers hugely entertaining

tudy of Mark Zuckerbergs founding of Facebook. However, its seriously poorcharacterisation,nsuccessfully manipulative emotional moments and two-dimensional relationships would be

ell-suited to the Wilson/Vaughn-vehicle that infected multiplexes earlier this Summer.

shton Kutcher gives a very mediocre performance in the central role of Jobs. Hes a comedy

ctor, and a pretty decent and likeable one, but in trying to encapsulate the role of one of the

most widely recognised people in the world, particularly less than two years after their tragic

eath, he fails quite terribly. The supporting cast excel for the most part, from the usually

ritating Josh Gad who does quite an impressive turn as Steve Wozniak to the great Lukas Haas

nception, FOXsTouch) to the spectacular J.K. Simmons and the, quite ironically, newly rebornermot Mulroney, James Woods and Matthew Modine. The unexpectedly interesting shot set-

ps to the oddly hypnotic mid-film montages show off Joshua Michael Sterns clear directing

sion, which has unfortunately been disrupted by the disappointing script and Kutchers

erformance.

ll praise aside, the first 20 minutes ofJobs is truly diabolical, and a five-minute scene of

utcher prancing around in a corn field as if in the middle of a Terry Malick is a total joke. The If

ou believe in yourself, anything is possible message is also infuriating.

you paired this films director and supporting cast with Stanley Tucci as Jobs and Aaron Sorkin

n writing duties, youd have a hit on your hands. Unfortunately, its looking like well have to wait

or the other half of this film- the superior one.

Jobs


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And so we discovered why we couldnt touch Lola. It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang all along! So

began Marvels first foray into live-action television, a hugely anticipated show from nerd-God Joss

Whedon and his brother and sister-in-law. The show marketed as the Return to the Screen of Clark

Greggs Beloved Agent Coulson (Marvel cant even kill off this guy!), but secretly a politically

motivated, high-concept thriller show which would introduce millions of innocent Americans to

concepts few but Whedon and his peers could possibly understand. I have never had higher

expectations for a show than I had forAgents of SHIELD. I adore the Marvel Universe (not

necessarily all the individual films, but the way they are tied together and built up) and especially

Whedons wonderfulThe Avengers, as well as network action shows, so how could I not love this?Luckily, I did. Ive heard a lot of negativity about the pilot from sources likeBeyond The Trailer,but

t couldnt have been better. The script was brilliantly self-knowing in Whedons unique way, with

such fantastic lines as Sorry, but that corner was really dark and I couldnthelp myself.

The way Chloe Bennetts character Skye was introduced in a way that intertwined perfectly with the

story of Mike Peterson was superb, as was the action-packed Paris introduction of Brett Daltons

Ward. Cobie Smulders smuldered as Maria Hill in her short scenes, and made me wish she was a

regular like Gregg. Unfortunately, I was able to tell how Coulson was brought back, against the

showrunners wishes I presume, and so spoilt for myself the likely Season Finale twist!wasnt a fan of the Extremis storyline in Iron Man 3, and it bored me a bit here also, but it was nice

o see the show start as I hope it means to go on- with the cast cleaning up the messes of the movie

heroes. Maybe well get a London-set Dark Elves litter pick-up in November!

Marvels Agents ofS.H.I.E.L.D (ABC)
http://youtube.com/beyondthetrailerhttp://youtube.com/beyondthetrailerhttp://youtube.com/beyondthetrailerhttp://youtube.com/beyondthetrailer


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The production design

and cinematography

managed to elevate

the episode of truly

cinematic levels, and

the SHIELD HQ sets

looked great.

Some people have

scorned the token

mentions of Captain

America and Black

Widow as they will

never appear, but why

do they need to? Its a

bigger universe than

the set of A-list heroes, and this episode set up that idea in a perfect

way. This show is gonna be awesome!

ake the creators ofOnce Upon A Timeand a plot thats halfThor, halfDark Shadows and whato you get? An extremely entertaining 40 minute historical thriller-comedy the novelty of which willare off quickly but which for now is a must-see fall show. The plot, the oh-so-simple plot, is that,fter a battle, Ichabod Crane AND Mr Headless Horseman are killed, but- oh no!- they come back

o life in 2013 in the now-pleasant town of Sleepy Hollow. Crane is kind and very funny, but is aad racist considering his last friend was George Washington. After her partner, Clancy Brown, isn Under the Dome fashion) killed in action, a young African-American female police officer (youan guess what Crane thinks of this) must transport Crane to an insane asylum while discoveringome of his secrets and revealing some of her own. As Mr Headless Horseman is the one wholled Clancy and is still on the loose, who knows for how long Crane will be safe in the asylum

hint: until next Monday night). There are many opportunities for fun here, even in a 13-episodeeason!

Sleepy Hollow (FOX)


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ne night. One network. Two completely different

omedies. One is a multi-camera, canned-laughter-fueled

tcom from the executive producer of Family Guy and Ted,

espectively one of the best TV comedies and comedy films

f the century. The other from the directors of 2012s

mash-hit action-comedy 21 Jump Street.

ads is a bit like on of those fake sitcoms the characters in

ms work on, deliberately terrible and using awful canned

ughter to liven the mood. The two leads, Seth Green

voice of Chris on FG) and Giovanni Ribisi (the evil business dude in Avatar and the kidnapper

Ted), are listed at the start in equal fashion to Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in The

owering Inferno- one is on the bottom left, the other on the top right. This is clearly the results of

much deliberation- both actors (or maybe their people) claiming them to be the bigger star (Ribisi

clearly the bigger star). This kind of childish arguing was also clearly present in the shows

riters room, as some fairly talented individuals threw together a few pages of words that an

mbecilic FOX executive may pass off as funny. If they did do this, I expect they will have tried

arder with the later episodes, but im not sticking around to see. Green is a hugely annoying

resence, and the constant scenes of him shouting at Asian men in made-up languages arenough to send anyone to an early grave. The interplay between the two leads and their fathers is

o boring you could cry, and the canned laughters wolf-whistling when the shows seemingly-

trong Asian female dresses up as a sexy schoolgirl within 30 seconds of her screentime is

eeply, deeply pathetic and slightly disturbing. This is less funny than the pilot ofLost, and poor

Dads/ Brooklyn Nine-Nine

(FOX)


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27

eth McFarlane will definitely be speaking publicly to remove his name from the titles very soon

deed.

roo klyn Nine-Nines first episode, meanwhile, is a masterclass in making a good comedy pilot.

ven the best shows like Modern Familyand HIMYMhad trouble introducing their characters and

orld in a mere 20-22 minutes, but BNN comes very close, letting us get a good look at the childish

ehaviour of Andy Sambergs likable lead, as well as his relationships with his colleagues. The

kes are funny, the action is exciting, the acting is superb, and this is the most pleasant surprise of

e fall season so far! Heres an example of the shows sense of humour:

: Theres a classic film festival on at the weekend. I got us tickets forCitizen Kane

: Citizen Kane is terrible. Get us something better.

: Something better than Citizen Kane. hmmm NORTH BY NORTHWEST!

a !

Dear God, are ABC sitcoms boring! Modern Familybeing the obvious exception, all the family-

based single-cameras theyve shown recently have comprised of little of dated jokes and

wooden acting. The Goldbergs starts off well- with a Patton Oswalt voiceover. This is where the

80s set show stops being good, even with the great George Segal starring as a sugar-grandpa.

The mother of the family is played by one of the Bridesmaids supporting players, who I didnt

ike then and I dont like know. The only one of the three kid characters who looked in any way

nteresting was the as-cliched-as-everything-else older daughter, who was given zero lines in

he pilot. The two sons were unfunny and boring. In general, this wont outlast the usual 7-episode point, and will fall beneath the feet ofMFand the more promising family comedies The

MJF Showand The Millers.

The Goldbergs (ABC)

NEXT MONTH: The Crazy Ones, The Michael J Fox Show, Hostages, The Blacklist & More!


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THIS MONTH IN 2012

This month last year saw JJ Abrams turned-out-to-be-brilliant Star Trek Into Darkness feature on the

cover, and have a massive feature inside! Also in the issue were features on Hotel Transylvania, Liberal

Arts and Rise of the Guardians, and reviews ofLooper, The Campaign and Holy Motors.


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NEXT MONTH IN MOVIE TACO

THEOSCARS ISSUE 2014

STARRING WALTER MITTY, SAVING MR. BANKS,

THE MONUMENTS MEN, 12 YEARS A SLAVE,AMERICAN HUSTLE, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

PLUS THOR & GRAVITY REVIEWED


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Movie Taco: October 2013