The Ledge (2011)

This unusual, character-driven thriller follows young hotel manager Gavin (Charlie Hunnam), who steps out onto a high ledge to commit suicide. World-weary police officer Hollis (Terrence Howard) is assigned to talk him down but is tormented by traumatic issues of his own. The men find themselves debating atheism, faith and the meaning of life, and soon are embroiled in a battle of wills that has each man questioning his commitment to his chosen path.

The Ledge is a thriller that begins and ends with faith. It goes back and forth between its two leads on whether religion can really save your soul or if it’s just some pointless ploy that people have been tricked into. It never leans over to the point of being a nuisance, but I would have at least liked to see an argument for both sides of the topic. The film seems to lean heavily on the atheist side and tends to show religion as something only a crazy man could enjoy. Someone like me, who completely agrees, is fine with its stance, but it could really turn others off because it tends to be so one-sided.

Even if it turns you off, the religious aspect also sets up the thrilling scenario our lead character is put in. Will Gavin sacrifice himself to save a woman he loves? It’s a question everyone at one point in their lives thinks in their head and it’s tough. You never truly know until it actually happens to you. As he is standing on the ledge, the film uses flashbacks to reveal how this situation came to be. It feels like a pretty straight forward love affair, but once again that religious aspect of the three really tend to twist it enough to make it entertaining. It does a good enough job to get you to actually care about the fate of these two, if not just to root against the fanatic Joe (Patrick Wilson). In a sub plot that feels a little out of place but is thrown in for the similar theme on life is the negotiator who’s trying to prevent him from jumping. His wife is unfaithful and he doesn’t know if he can live with the consequences that come with it. With its little screen time, it almost feels a little unnecessary, but not a hated welcome.   

This film helps confirm what I always thought but wasn’t entirely sure of, Liv Tyler isn’t a good actress. The film manages to overcome her struggles with the help of its two leads Patrick Wilson and Charlie Hunnam. They are far from perfect but together on screen when they are arguing, they are good. The argument feels natural, flows easy, and the two seem to have good chemistry. Outside of the terrible back and forth accents of Charlie Hunnam, the two were good enough to carry the film and turn it into something interesting. It’s nice to all us Sons of Anarchy fans to see Jax finally getting leading roles, because the dude simply has the stuff to make it work.

The Ledge is a slow paced sometimes intense film that manages to be good if not great if you can overlook a few flaws and plot holes. The terrible reviews this film has received seems questionable because I have a hard time believing so many people dismissed it as a forgettable film; Maybe I didn’t see the same film as them. This is a must see for Jax fans and recommended watch for just about everyone else.

Overall Score: 8/10

Trust (2011)

After curious and vulnerable teenager Annie (Liana Liberato) falls into a trap set by an online sexual predator, her family begins to disintegrate, uncertain how to cope with such a devastating tragedy. Utterly consumed by rage, her father (Clive Owen) sets out seeking vengeance.

Have you ever ate a sandwich that was an just ordinary, but later on in the day, you just can’t get that particular sandwich out of your head. It wasn’t the best sandwich you ever had, but it damn well satisfied your hunger. Well Trust is like that sandwich. It does a lot of things well that turns it from an interesting watch into a great one. Its subtle approach and respectful take on its subject matter are two of its brightest qualities.

A drama centered on a rape isn’t easy to handle, specifically when it involves young teenage girl. Often times the film gets off track and spends too much time getting revenge on the rapist rather than exploring the wounds they leave on the victim and the people around her. Trust handles the matter in a tragically twisted way, keeping the rapist hidden away off screen outside of its brief yet terrifying moment. It puts the young girl into the spotlight and forces the audience to watch her become lost in a wall of manipulation. It’s a struggle to watch because you want to knock some sense into her, but it helps establish a connection with her father. He constantly wonders what went wrong, how she let this happen, and worst of all how he couldn’t save her. The key in the middle of all this mess is that you never feel cheated out of the film; it doesn’t ever turn into something glamorized nor thrilling. Its focus is Annie and that’s all that’s needed.  The one true misstep the film has is her mother. The mother-daughter bond will always be there, but the film never gives her opinion on the matter. This is something where all three are needed to overcome this travesty, but the film seems content with just two of them. It may sound small, but going with the theme of it all, it feels much bigger.

Much of the screen time is taken up by the daughter Annie and her father, Will. Very unknown Liana Liberato takes a big step into making a name for herself. She takes the character and gives it her all, shaping her into a confused girl who feels her world beneath her crumbling. It’s a vulnerable performance that deserves some recognition. Her father played by Clive Owen may be even better, but it’s a role that doesn’t seem too tough to do. Any sane person would go through the motions that he does. It still doesn’t hamper what he accomplishes, and in a few scenes is a different person who seems to be struggling more than his daughter with the rape. It’s a challenging connection between these two.

Trust is like a little piece of treasure you find hidden in a box of sand. It’s a small film that fulfills big intentions. It’s a film that you should watch and find entertaining in the way it is handled rather than the story itself. It will likely wind up being one of the best films that nobody ends up watching, but hopefully this opens your eyes to it and you give it a go.

  

Fun little Fact before I’m wrap it up. David Schwimmer directed this film. Many of you will know him as Ross of Friends fame.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Horrible Bosses (2011)

 Disgruntled buddies Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) can't leave their miserable jobs, so they cook up a creative strategy for eliminating each other's micromanaging and maniacal employers (Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey) instead in this crackpot comedy. Peculiar advice from con artist Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx) gets the scheme in motion, but the pals can't keep the wheels from flying off.

Another week into the summer of 2011 and we get yet another foul-mouthed raunchy comedy. It’s a trend that hopefully continues to happen because as I said countless times before, these are the best kind of comedies; they can do whatever they want to get you to laugh without having to worry about the underage children. Horrible Bosses combines its crude yet witty dialogue along with a great ensemble cast to make the second funniest movie of the year behind the yet to be released Friends with Benefits.

The film immediately jumps out at you introducing all three employees and the relationships each one has with their respective bosses. This was a quick and easy way to give you a taste of what all six characters will be like the rest of the film and get you laughing right off the bat. A few more showings of how terrible these bosses are and they quickly jump into the decision to kill their bosses. It’s obviously a fun subject that a lot of people imagine, I included, and what Horrible Bosses does so well is that it never feels like it has to go above and beyond to create a joke. It seems perfectly fine with simple gags and the bickering conversations between everyone. Its conclusion also feels fresh for a change, not going in the cliché way a lot tend to fall into. Its ending just seemed to fit along with the rest of its comedy and feels a lot fresher than a lot of the cliché trappings others in the genre seem to fall into.

The easiest reason this comedy works is its cast. They are great together. You know it’s great when you have a hard time figuring out who you loved the most. Of the employees, Charlie Day seems to steal the show. He’s got a fast and weird sense of humor that ends up on the receiving end on most of the laughs. Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis are the other two; Sudeikis keeps up with Day for the most part but unlike Bateman doesn’t need anyone to play off of to be funny. He creates his own jokes that stray away from what the other two are doing and is pretty damn funny.  The best roles have to be the bosses. Kevin Spacey essentially plays himself, but plays the complete asshole to perfection. The film makes you want to actually kill him. The other two are the two brightest spots of the film because Aniston and Farrell are allowed to go outside their norm and play characters they are obviously having a blast with. Farrell and his comb over is great as the cokehead bad boy. He gets the least amount of screentime, but does a lot with what he gets. Aniston impresses me most because this is exactly the type of role I’ve always known she could pull off but never chooses too. She creates the most laughs with her absolute vulgar dialogue with Charlie Day. The two should end up creating a spin-off prequel of their own, I’d watch it. I am positive now that if Aniston would have starred in Bad Teacher instead of Diaz, it would have been double as fun.

Horrible Bosses is another comedy to add to the long list already released. It will be one of the funniest films you see this year. Its comedy is spot on and flows in a way that never does the film have a downtime. It keeps you laughing consistently the whole way through. I’d have a hard time picturing someone not at least enjoying this, but I have a feeling people will come to love this. It’s the type of film that shows the product you get when you take a creative risk in Hollywood. This is the type of film you should make time to see soon rather than later. So do it.

Overall Score: 8/10

Dogma (1999)

Fallen angels (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck), a gnarly demon (Jason Lee) and a half-baked apostle (Chris Rock) walk among America's cynics and innocents and duke it out for humankind's fate in director Kevin Smith's 1999 comic meditation on religion. A modern-day battle against evil takes place in suburban New Jersey, after an abortion clinic worker (Linda Fiorentino) gets a higher calling from two clueless prophets (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith).

Way back before the new millennium was upon us, Kevin Smith was on a roll. He had directed three well received films that would go on to become cult classics. His fourth film, Dogma, would do the same, but not before it underwent a giant slew of controversy. The film is essentially a complete mockery of the Catholic Church. This film was a giant risk for all parties involved and in the end everyone benefited from it for the better. It is one of the rare moments in Hollywood where their money hungry mouths didn’t come first.

I’ll be the first to say I didn’t understand every little quib that Kevin Smith threw at us that poked fun at the religion, and there were even times when I didn’t even have a grasp of what they were talking about, but for most of the film I knew enough to smile at the humor being shown during those moments. Ntothing is ever laugh out loud funny, but that seems to be because it essentially isn’t a comedy; but a light drama with plenty of comedic ploys.  The actual story is highly entertaining to watch as you watch two Angels try to get back into Heaven. Their journey works because it equally divides its time between them and the group trying to stop them.

The film wouldn’t even be remotely successful if the characters didn’t all gel together. Chris Rock is slightly more appealing than normal as Rufus the forgotten thirteenth apostle, Alan Rickman as the dickless angel, Hayek as Serendipity, and the always enjoyable Jay and Silent Bob. They all have a flow and chemistry together that makes their adventure worthwhile and their little bickering’s to each other feel as important to the story as the journey itself. The true stars were Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as Bartleby and Loki, the two angels looking to find a loophole back into heaven. They easily lure you in with their fast paced but smooth conversations about whatever is on their mind. It happens in their actions too; they do what they want, and killing happens to be what they feel like doing. They are the stars in a fairly entertaining team up once again.

While the ending was good enough, part of me wonders if it was supposed to be funny or dramatic, and upon further viewings, I still don’t have an idea. Over the years it has developed a cult following that comes with just about every Kevin Smith flick; they tend to overrate the film to a degree, and even though it’s not Smiths best effort, it’s awfully close. You haven’t already taken the time to watch Dogma, do it.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Friends with Benefits (2011)

This raucous rom-com chronicles the relationship of two busy singles, Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis), who agree to include sex in their friendship -- minus the emotions and commitment. But things get complicated when Dylan (inevitably?) falls for his gal pal.

You may think you have already seen Friends with Benefits way back in January except it was called No Strings Attached. It’d be a simple mistake considering they both involve friends who use each other purely for sex, but there is one thing that is drastically different about them. One is terrible and one is great. If you look and see that No Strings Attached is sitting near the very bottom of my 2011 Movie Rankings, it’s not hard to figure out which of the two I enjoyed more.

This follows the lines of a romantic comedy, but it takes a far more raunchy approach. Yes, you may be able to predict most of the plot points along its path, but that doesn’t hurt the comedy at all. When it is cliché, its aware of it and turns the scenario into a joke itself, essentially making fun of the genre it’s placed in. What makes it a winner is the juicy material that comes between the beginning and the end. It is genuinely funny and for a few brief moment brings a moment of seriousness into the plot that helps establish a balance for the film. It doesn’t feel forced, it doesn’t feel unnecessary, and it just fits into the flow of the film. This is where romantic comedies tend to struggle, but not this one.  

The heart of the success comes from its two leads, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. They have chemistry together. The kind of chemistry that makes them appear to be best friends and not a couple. Its spot on for its premise. Bad Teacher limited Timberlake into a terrible role, but he’s allowed to do anything here, specifically his Vince Vaughn type comedic conversation. Mila Kunis is fine as ever, but they allow her to be a part of the jokes because she’s funny as well rather than be the eye candy. The films best moments are when these two are together. The rest of the cast is full of win though. They take advantage of the little screen time they have and consistently make you laugh. There was not a single poorly written character that felt out of place here. They all contributed to the comedy.

Where No Strings Attached seemed to be a cautious R-rated film, Friends with Benefits embraces it. They don’t overuse curse words, but place them in spots where it feels natural. Where they take advantage of the R rating is the portrayal of their relationship. It never actually shows any stuff but they go get into detail a bit of their sex contract. It isn’t cautious, it takes chances and is better for it.

Friends with Benefits probably won’t be the breakout hit of the summer because A.) That goes to Bridesmaids and B.) People tend to not flock to R rated rom coms, but boy does it deserve an audience. It leans toward the pre 30s line of humor, but it’s a romantic comedy that does too much right to be labeled ordinary. It’s a great comedy that you will have a great time with. If you see Captain America over this, make sure you don’t end up passing on this because it would be a shame, it is one of the few hits of its genre.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.

The Transformers series has been the target of consistent bashings due to the qaultiy of them but part of it seems to come at the director Michael Bay rather than at the film itself. The first Transformers was an over the top action filled bundle of fun. Sure it was never going to win any awards but at least you had a good time with it. Then came the sequel and we all know how the giant mess ended up turning out, even the staff that worked on that movie said it was terrible. With that in mind, promises were made to fix it the problems for the third installment. While it’s a vast improvement over the second, it still feels diluted with too much nonsense.

For a movie called Transformers, they sure do try and force feed the humans upon you. I understand they are trying to go for some kind of emotional balancing point that connects the two races, but nobody really wants to see that if it’s done poorly as it is here. Outside of Sam Witwicky (and even a lot of people hate him), not a single character seems to be developed enough, but that’s probably because nobody else is the least bit interesting. The new love interest, Carly, does a better job than Megan Fox at creating chemistry, but at least they let Fox actually contribute in the fight a bit. Here all Rosie Huntington-Whiteley does is provide Shia LaBeouf with a damsel to rescue. Somehow John Turturro continues to get written into the script as Agent Simmons. He was never funny to begin with and continues to be absolutely useless. Throw in some new faces such as Dempsey, Malkovich, McDormand, and Ken Jeong and you have the rest of a long line of miscasted or poorly written characters; it’s probably both but it’s a moot point by now. I think we can all agree there needs to be fewer humans in the franchise.

Moving onto the Transformers, it’s a very vast improvement over the second one. Gone are the terrible twin robots, gone is that fragile unfunny old looking rust bucket, and gone is the terrible villain, The Fallen. That alone is addition by subtraction. Bay does a much better job at allowing you to identify which each robot was and toned down a lot of the awful jokes they told. The battles and action pieces are superb to watch and some are the most exciting ones I’ve seen on screen, but each one is let down when they suddenly just jump into the next scene. It makes you wonder if they forgot to add something in-between the two scenes. The villains here are handled good up until the ending. You’d think with three of the most powerful Transformers shown on screen would be a long epic battle but if you check your phone for the time, you might actually miss it. The inconsistencies each battle is never usually talked about, but when this is supposed to be the last in the series, you should go all out. Instead they seemed to rush the ending despite its 155 minute runtime. You would never guess this was supposedly the last of the series.  

Transformers: Dark of the Moon manages to fix a lot of things, but the second one was so broken, there were still a slew of problems that worked its way into the finale holding it down from being as enjoyable as the first one. It’s a ton better than the sequel but you’d hardly call that a compliment. Transformer fans will be happy to get their fix in, but for the rest of us, this will end up being just another typical summer blockbuster that makes more than it should. The best compliment I can give to this film and Michael Bay is that at least this one was watchable. If you enjoyed the first film, this leans more towards that one then the second, but you should walk in already knowing what to expect.

Overall Score: 5.5/10