Argo (2012)

4/5

Ben Affleck's Argo recreates the Iran hostage crisis of 1979/1980 with remarkable visual accuracy. After protestors overtake the US Embassy in Iran, 6 would-be hostages escape out a back entrance and hide in the Canadian ambassador's house. Meanwhile the US government is planning a daring "exfiltration" operation led by Tony Mendez (Affleck). Mendez creates a fake movie called Argo, gets Hollywood effects expert John Chambers (Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Arkin) to back the ruse, and flies into Iran with fake passports for the fake film crew. As this is going on, the Iranian military within the US Embassy are piecing together shredded documents that contain pictures of the missing employees.

The movie is well-made in terms of its cinematic technique, and Goodman and Arkin deliver knockout performances, but the movie as a whole just doesn't have a clear focus. It starts as a thrilling historical drama, with tense intimate situations and riveting political narratives. But when it turns to the Hollywood scenes, it becomes almost farcical in its tongue-in-cheek joking. It's quite funny, but the humor doesn't seem to fit. The two parts never quite match up, as if they don't belong in the same movie. Argo had no unifying mood to carry us through both halves of the film, and we are left with a jarring disconnect during each transition. Still, the movie is entertaining and exciting, and it's one of those rare movies that allows us a fascinating glimpse into an important piece of history through its storytelling.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024648/

Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)

4.9/5

Celeste and Jesse Forever turned out to be an unexpected treasure that sticks with you long after the credits close. Although I describe it as a treasure, the movie is about as far from a Disney "happily ever after" as you can get. In fact, it starts precisely after most rom coms would end, six years after best friends Celeste (Jones) and Jesse (Samberg) have married, and six months into their separation and impending divorce. It depicts a depressing, sobering take on relationships that don't work out, no matter how much we might want them to. It manages to charm and delight the audience while simultaneously tearing apart our heart. It flits between those two extremes like an expert Wes Anderson film, and I hate it for being so effective.

The title is misleading, because the movie is not about Celeste and Jesse, but about Celeste. It is a character study, and Rashida Jones gives a phenomenal performance. We see the whole breakup through her lens, and we see how much she hurts. We don't see how hard it is for Jesse; we only see snippets of him, snapshots in time. And it doesn't matter whether he's happy or sad, because whenever he comes back into Celeste's life is another crack in her armor, another arrow in her shield.

Much like a film noir, we know how it will end as soon as it starts. That doesn't make it predictable, but fatalistic. It is a torture, as we get ever closer to the final movement we know is coming but hoping never gets here. The chemistry between the two leads makes it that much more painful to watch. There is one scene I do not think I can ever forget, which is acted and filmed to heart-wrenching perfection. The two of them are sitting together on a couch, about to kiss, fighting their desires to do what is right and honorable, fighting what is good and true because of circumstance, fighting and fighting and--whether they succeed or fail--ending up with nothing. The whole movie is encapsulated by that one scene.

After all I said, you would think this movie was a weepy downer drama. It's not. It's a surprisingly fun romp, filled with levity and jokes galore, but it cannot gloss over its bleak undertone. And it manages to end with just the right amount of hope and light amidst the darkness. The movie is an exceptional one, despite some forgivable flaws, and one I highly recommend.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405365/

Devil (2010)

4/5

Devil is a terrifying movie. The plot follows five strangers who get stuck in an elevator. Through a series of violent events, we discover that one of them is the devil. And the devil's goal is to pit man against man, to brew distrust and hatred, to watch our fears and suspicions cause us to destroy our fellow man. The devil collected everyone on that elevator because of their black pasts that they don't want to admit to. A detective (Messina) who is watching on the security camera must keep everyone calm as he organizes the rescue attempt. When people inside and outside of the elevator start dying, the devil certainly gets his wish.

Because M. Night Shyamalan came up with the story and produced the film, his fingerprints are all over it. Personally, I'm a fan of his work. He envisions a closed world where every character is connected and everything happens for a reason. Like any other director, he has had his fair share of hiccups, but he provides solid entertainment with a twist ending to make you rethink the events you just watched (although it's often unsurprising because everyone expects and looks for it). The same is true of Devil, but the similarities end there.

Shyamalan's replacement director is significantly better, although not perfect. He keeps the movie plowing full force ahead while allowing you time to stop and think. You doubt every character's motivations more than once. The tension is kept at a palpable and heart-stopping level through excellent pacing. The deaths in Devil are expertly done--all off camera so that we imagine the worst. However, the scenes of pitch black are way overused. And the cinematography and special effects are below average. The best I can say of the acting is that it is not quite believable. I'm not saying that the actors did a bad job; it's just that the plot itself is so impossible that I can't imagine how anybody would react in such a situation. Overall, if the trailer had you excited, you will love this movie. It delivers thrills and chills in a well-crafted psychological horror movie.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1314655/

Away We Go (2009)

4/5

Sam Mendes's Away We Go is an utterly charming film. The plot follows a 6-months-pregnant Verona (Rudolph) and her life partner Burt (Krasinski) as they travel around the US, meeting with family and friends as they attempt to find the perfect home to raise their new child. The people they meet on their journey range from criminally unfit parents to their antithetical role model counterparts. And yet this movie seems to suggest that, despite what we would like, it is the hardest of situations that bring out the best in us. Even after dealing with endless miscarriages or prolonged separations, the ideal parents will always be there for their kids.

Much like Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth, the first 75% of Away We Go is hilarious and light, while the last 25% contains harsh realities and sobering truths about life, love, and parenthood. The writing and acting are 100% spot-on, and a perfect blend of comedy and drama. The editing was also stellar. Unfortunately, the lighting and cinematography in this film were fairly average. Given the rest of Sam Mendes's oeuvre, it was a bit disappointing. Taken as a whole, this is a solidly entertaining, quasi-independent film that feels more like Zach Braff than Sam Mendes. But it's an uplifting movie with memorable characters and is not to be missed.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176740/

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

4/5

Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona tells its entire story in the title, which I'm sure Allen intended. It is about Vicky (Hall) and Cristina (Johansson) during a summer vacation in Barcelona, where they meet Juan Antonio (Bardem) who invites them to drink wine and make love to him. As a young narrator informs us, the two girls have differing views on love. Vicky is engaged to Doug (Messina) but is afraid she wants more than her boring but otherwise perfect marriage. Cristina is always looking for more and different ways to be pleased until she finds what she's looking for. Juan Antonio is frank and honest with his emotions and sexuality. While these all sound like unique characters, they're not; they're caricatures exaggerated to make fun of each social class (educated homemaker wishing for something more, ever-unsatisfied free spirit, and romantic bohemian artist). Even the side characters are laughable.

This is not to denigrate the acting, which was excellently understated, but rather to emphasize the humor. I was laughing throughout the entire piece, not because of the things that happened, but because of the characters' impressions of themselves--how they talked and what they said--that revealed Allen poking fun at each of these social circles. Technically, the movie was solid, with little risk and littler reward. (There was an odd cross dissolve during a shot/countershot conversation, but nothing else particularly awful comes to mind.) I actually didn't mind the narration that much (and thankfully they didn't try to explain it at the end like in Million Dollar Baby). The movie is a fairly light romp through what is clearly a male fantasy with nothing profoundly insightful, but it's well worth the ride.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497465/