Review: "The Whole Nine Yards" Surprises (Happy B'day, Bruce Willis)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Lynn
WRITER: Mitchell Kapner
PRODUCERS: Allan Kaufman and David Willis
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Franco
EDITOR: Tom Lewis
COMPOSERS: Randy Edelman and Gary Gold

CRIME/COMEDY

Starring: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Rosanna Arquette, Michael Clarke Duncan, Natasha Henstridge, Amanda Peet, Kevin Pollack, Harland Williams, and Carmen Ferland

The Whole Nine Yards is a 2000 crime comedy starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. The film focuses on a struggling dentist living in Montreal and his neighbor, a former mob hitman living under an assumed name.

Nicholas “Nick” or “Oz” Oseransky (Matthew Perry) is an American dentist living in Canada, struggling with his practice and suffering his monstrously selfish wife Sophie (Rosanna Arquette) and her tiresome mother (Carmen Ferland). His troubles start to pile when a hit man, Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski (Bruce Willis), moves into the neighborhood under the witness protection program.

Sophie figures Jimmy has a bounty placed on his head by whatever group he betrayed to the authorities. She forces Nick to go to Chicago and rat out Jimmy to Janni Pytor Gogolak (Kevin Pollack), a mob boss who has a score to settle with The Tulip. Sophie assumes that Gogolak will pay her husband a finder’s fee for locating The Tulip. But things are never so easy as one, two, three. Everyone, from Sophie to Jimmy and from Janni to Jimmy’s sexy wife, Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge), has a plan of his own, and poor Nick’s just a pawn. Will he survive them?

The Whole Nine Yards is both surprisingly funny and good; in fact, it’s probably one of the best crime comedies since Get Shorty. The film’s strength and quality lies in two things: the cast and the writing. Most of the stars are pretty good character actors, and they usually don’t get credit for being so, Bruce Willis especially. He’s a big time movie star and can generally carry a quality action flick. Put him in a quality ensemble piece, and he soars because he can play well off his colleagues. Amanda Peet has a sexy energy that livens the film, but the big surprise is Matthew Perry. He’s a funny guy, an expert at mixing sarcastic asides and pratfalls. He’s also quite good at playing the ordinary joe barely making it in extraordinary circumstances.

Mitchell Kapner’s script is light and breezy, but tightly written. It goes by quickly and smoothly, but it gives the cast a lot of room to play to their strengths. The sarcasm is nice, but Kapner’s feat is that he uses ugly violent crime and murderous characters to make a good comedy – a farce about mobsters, hit men, and cops, who despite the obvious differences in their respective professions, often act like the same people.

7 of 10
B+

---------------

As a Sequel, "The Whole Ten Yards" is an Incomplete Pass

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 55 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: Howard Deutch
WRITERS: George Gallo; from a story Mitchell Kapner (based upon characters created by Mitchell Kapner)
PRODUCERS: Allan Kaufman, Arnold Rifkin, Elie Samaha, and David Willis
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Neil Roach (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Seth Flaum
COMPOSER: John Debney

CRIME/COMEDY

Starring: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Kevin Pollack, Natasha Henstridge, Frank Collison, Johnny Messner, Silas Weir Mitchell, Tasha Smith, and Ellisa Gallay

The Whole Ten Yards is a 2004 crime comedy. It is also a sequel to the 2000 film, The Whole Nine Yards, a title derived from the popular expression that means completely and everything.

Many critics have already asked, “Why is there a sequel to 2000’s The Whole Nine Yards?” It’s a legitimate question. Nine Yards was a nice crime comedy and caper film with some really neat characters, but half the really good ones bit the bullet or were looking at jail time by the end of the film. Who knows why The Whole Ten Yards exists, but it’s a fairly decent film with a lot of belly laughs, although its plot is almost nonexistent and the script lumbers around like a shooting victim on weak legs.

Lazlo Gogolak (Kevin Pollack) is just out of prison, and he’s looking for his son Yanni’s killer. Yanni (also played by Pollack in the first film) was one of those funny characters that got whacked in Nine Yards. Lazlo knows the killer is Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski (Bruce Willis), but he also knows Jimmy is hiding somewhere. So Lazlo finds the next best thing, Jimmy’s former neighbor and the second husband of Jimmy’s ex-wife Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge). That would be hapless fall guy Nick Oseransky or Oz (Matthew Perry), as his friends call him.

When Lazlo kidnaps Cynthia, Oz runs to Jimmy for help and inadvertently leads Lazlo and his band of merry killer idiots to Jimmy’s hideaway in Mexico where he lives with his wife Jill (Amanda Peet), Oz’s former assistant and a budding contract killer. Things aren’t going well for Jimmy and Jill. They’re trying to have a baby, but Jimmy may be shooting blanks. Jimmy also has something Lazlo wants, and Lazlo has something Jimmy wants. Everyone’s playing everyone, and poor Oz, just like the last time, is caught in the middle.

There are numerous hilarious, laugh-out-loud scenes in The Whole Ten Yards. Ten Yards, however, is totally a character driven piece. The plot and story are crippled and confusing, and the story has too much subterfuge for its own good. Even as a character piece, this film feels stretched thin. The actors have to be “on” all the time, or the film will fall apart; thus, a lot of the comedy routines and scenes feel like they go on too long or they’re too over the top. Perry frantically bounces off the walls, but he mostly succeeds in making both his character endearing and the film viewable. Amanda Peet maintains the sexy energy she had the first time. Willis is good, but a lot of his scenes are poorly written and/or staged.

Poor Natasha Henstridge is wasted, as is Kevin Pollack. The Whole Ten Yards is not so much a wasted opportunity as it is a wasted effort. As funny as it can be in moments, it’s largely forgettable and you do have to wonder why it’s here. Still, it’ll make a good rental when you “just want something to watch.”

5 of 10
C+

"If a Tree Falls..." Just One Story About the ELF

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011)
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
Unrated by the MPAA
DIRECTOR: Marshall Curry with Sam Cullman (co-director)
WRITERS: Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek
PRODUCERS: Sam Cullman and Marshall Curry
EDITORS: Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek
COMPOSER: James Baxter
Academy Awards nominee

DOCUMENTARY

Starring: Daniel McGowan, Bill Barton, Kirk Engdall, Jacob Ferguson, Jim Flynn, Greg Harvey, Tim Lewis, Lisa McGowan, and Jenny Synan

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front is a 2011 documentary film that delves into the origins of the radical environmental group, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Nominated for a best documentary feature Oscar, the film focuses on Daniel McGowan, an early ELF member, who would face life in prison after being arrested on December 7, 2005.

The film introduces the viewer to McGowan and explains his situation, as he awaits trial for his involvement in acts of arson that burned down a tree farm in Oregon and a research building at the University of Washington in 2001. Daniel recounts how he came to embrace environmental activism and how that led him to Oregon. There, he met like-minded individuals who believed in more direct confrontation when protesting for environmental causes. “More direct confrontation” often meant property damage, especially large scale acts of arson.

The film also explains the origins and motives of the ELF, as well as the methods they used against their adversaries. Their use of economic sabotage and what they considered guerilla warfare would get the ELF branded as eco-terrorists. The second half of the film details the F.B.I. investigation of McGowan and his associates and how law enforcement was able to discover their identities and arrest them. The film also examines larger questions about environmentalism, the effectiveness of activism, and the use of the word, “terrorism.”

As a film about Daniel McGowan, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, is a quality documentary drama. The filmmakers allow McGowan to tell his story, and he is both honest and articulate. This allows the viewer to get a sense of the man, his times, the places, and the events before, during, and after the ELF. Director Marshall Curry shows off his storytelling skills in the moments when the consequences of McGowan’s actions hit home – on him, the young woman who would become his wife, and his parents and siblings. His feelings of dread, boredom, helplessness, and fear, and also his family’s tears and grief can feel like a punch in gut.

The film’s title, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, is honest. This is “a story” about the ELF, not an all-encompassing take on the organization. Curry and his cohorts’ use Dan McGowan as a vehicle to tell a story about the ELF, but ultimately, this documentary is less about the group than it is about McGowan.

That is a bit disappointing, but who knows when and if any one filmmaker will be able to pierce the secretive organization’s veil wide enough to make a great film about the ELF. Although this is a good documentary, focusing on McGowan isn’t enough either to answer question about labeling activists as terrorists or to make If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front a great documentary. There just seems to be too much missing from it.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Documentary, Features” (Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman)

Friday, March 16, 2012

85th Academy Awards Set for February 24, 2013

Academy Sets 85th Academy Awards® Date

Beverly Hills, CA (March 14, 2012) – The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, and the Oscar® telecast will be presented on Sunday, February 24th.

The ceremony will take place at the Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network to more than 225 countries.

Review: "Big Trouble in Little China" is Still a Big Deal (Happy Birthday, Kurt Russell)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: John Carpenter
WRITERS: Gary Goldman and David Z. Weinstein; adaptation by W. D. Richter
PRODUCERS: Larry J. Franco
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Cundey
EDITORS: Steve Mirkovich, Mark Warner, and Edward A. Warschilka
COMPOSERS: John Carpenter and Alan Howarth

ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY with elements of comedy

Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, and Donald Li

Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 fantasy and martial arts film from director John Carpenter (Halloween) and starring Kurt Russell. The comic adventure film follows a truck driver who plunges into a mysterious underworld beneath Chinatown where he takes on a powerful ancient sorcerer.

Big Trouble in Little China may well be John Carpenter’s most entertaining film with its heady mish mash of kung fu, eastern mysticism, action movies, fantasy, and camp. It’s a celebration of how a dumb movie can actually be outrageous, inventive, silly, and kinda smart, after all.

The story revolves around big-talking, wisecracking trucker Jack Burton, played by Kurt Russell as a kind of John Wayne beset by bad luck and pratfalls. Determined to get money owed to him, Burton follows Wang Chi (Dennis Dunn), a business associate, to the airport to pick up his fiancée, Miao Yin (Suzee Pai). When gang members kidnap her, Jack and Wang follow them into a wild adventure that tests the limits of Jack’s endurance and disbelief. Lo Pan (James Hong), a 2,000-year-old sorcerer who rules an underground empire in Chinatown, needs Miao to extend his life and power. A busybody lawyer (Kim Cattrall) further complicates Jack’s life when she tags along for the ride through Lo Pan’s terror filled labyrinth.

Carpenter directs the film at a break neck pace. Virtually every scene is packed with something strange and wondrous, so much so that the viewer never has time to really pay attention to the holes in the film. But it’s all played for fun: wild and lunatic martial arts fights, bizarre and ugly monsters, colorful costumes, imaginative sets, sparkling special effects, off-kilter shootouts and chases. It’s a great time at the movies, and that it maintains its charm without its SFX seeming dated is a testament to Carpenter’s skill, an under appreciated cinematic genius.

As usual, the team-up of Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell, who have worked together on three films and a television movie, results in a good movie. Russell, known as an action star, is actually an excellent comic actor. I don’t think this movie would really work without him, and it is certainly worth watching again because of him.

8 of 10
A

-----------------

New "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Movie December 2013

Paramount Pictures PR announced the following release dates:

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies are proud to announce the release of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES on December 25, 2013 (wide).

The following Paramount films have changed release dates:

ONE SHOT will open on December 21, 2012 (wide).

WORLD WAR Z will open on June 21, 2013 (wide).

President Obama and Cartoon Network Team Up Against Bullying

President Barack Obama Joins Cartoon Network To Speak Up Against Bullying

Will Introduce The Network’s Original Documentary Speak Up Premiering Sunday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT) with an Encore at 8 p.m. (ET, PT)

Commercial-Free Telecast Part of the Award-Winning “Stop Bullying: Speak Up” Pro-Social Campaign

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--President Barack Obama will deliver a special opening message that will introduce viewers to Speak Up, the original documentary from Cartoon Network that captures the authentic, everyday stories of America’s bullied kids and the youth who have helped them. Having already recognized the importance of dealing with this crucial issue by hosting the first-ever bullying prevention summit at the White House in 2011, Mr. Obama will speak to viewers, not only as the President but as a father and emphasize the importance of taking a stand against bullying.

The half-hour film, which is an extension of the network’s nationally recognized and award-winning pro-social initiative Stop Bullying: Speak Up, seeks to empower all kids to take part in the growing movement to help bring an end to bullying. It will premiere commercial-free on Sunday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT) with an 8:00 p.m. encore telecast. Speak Up is directed by Lee Hoffman (Third Act Productions), executive produced by Hoffman and Cartoon Network Chief Content Officer Rob Sorcher, and produced by Rebecca Miller.

“We are honored that President Obama wanted to add his voice to our program,” said Stuart Snyder, president and COO, Turner Broadcasting’s Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media division. “This is such a key issue for our audience and their families and his participation helps even more to raise awareness about the importance of speaking up.”

Before, during and immediately following the telecast, renowned bullying prevention expert and author Rosalind Wiseman will provide further explanation of key bullying issues for kids and adults, answering viewer questions online at http://www.stopbullyingspeakup.com/. Speak Up also will be posted in its entirety on the website for ongoing viewing by students, parents, educators and community leaders. Further viewing of Speak Up across multiple digital platforms will be facilitated free of charge to customers through Comcast Xfinity, Facebook, iTunes and YouTube.com, each for at least two weeks following the world premiere.

Along with the documentary’s youth participants discussing the difficulties in approaching adults and getting them to understand their situation, Speak Up also features appearances from the hosts of Cartoon Network’s Dude What Would Happen (CJ Manigo, Ali Sepasyar and Jackson Rogow), Venus Williams (World Tennis Champion), Chris Webber (Five time NBA All-Star), Hope Solo (Soccer Star), Matt Wilhelm (Pro BMX champion), Lisa Leslie (WNBA All-Star) and NASCAR drivers Trevor Bayne (2011 Daytona 500 winner), Jeff Burton and Joey Logano (youngest winner of a NASCAR Sprint Cup race).

Original theme music for the documentary, “Speak Up” was written and performed by Jonathon Tortora, Fredric Duey and Brett Spigelman.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 99 million U.S. homes and 168 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for youth and families.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.