Repo Men Review

I was very apprehensive about going to see “Repo Men.” After all, a 20% on the tomato meter pretty much guarantees its going to be a piece of shit on wheels. However, despite my resources I found myself encapsulated by its premise. So then, what premise could be so good as to sway me away from my best intuitions? This one: in the future recent feats in the field of medicine has allowed corporations to be able to create prosthetic organs at the low, low price of $600,000+. Needless to say the average Jo could never afford such pricey necessities, so what’s the solution? Why give them a payment plan of course! But what if you can’t pay that off? Well, when you can’t pay off your house the bank takes it away, when you can’t pay off that fancy new car the bank takes it away, but what about when you can’t pay off your liver, or your heart, or your new left lung? That’s where the Repo Men come in. Sounds like a pretty fucking awesome premise right? It may come to a surprise to you then that film itself is not nearly as bad as the tomato meter makes it out to be, however not nearly as good as it could have been. In other words: a hell of a lot better than “Alice in Wonderland” but no where near as good as “Shutter Island,” genuine mediocrity that if in the hands of a better director and writer could have been something truly great.

As the title implies, Repo Men follows the story of two of these infamous repossession agents. The first is Remy, played by Jude Law, and some other guy played by Forest Whitaker (who lost a ton of weight by the way). They’re job is to stroll around the city with a high-tech scanning gun and check people for overdue organs, then, whether in a crowded city block or in the comfort of their own home they tranquilize the client with a dart and cut out their unpaid for property. The beginning scene gives us a sense of how disconnected from human mortality these men truly are. While getting it on with some pretty lady in his sky-high pent-house one unlucky fellow finds himself tracked down by Remy. The man begs for his life, Remy tranquillizes him and his lover, after which he puts on some soothing music to ease his job of removing the man’s prosthetic organ, a process in which no details are spared. “Wow, this is pretty gruesome and gritty” I thought to myself, only to realize just how two-dimensional Remy really is as a character, even after he has to get a prosthetic heart.

My mind couldn't help but think about Wikus from last year’s magnificent “District 9.” I think one of the reasons that film worked so well was because of Wikus. See, Wikus wasn’t an incredibly smart or physically substantial person in fact he was a somewhat stupid and very skinny, and that’s what I liked about him. He wasn’t your average, gun toting badass; he was a scared little man on the run from an inhumane weapons corporation. The point that I’m trying make is that he was an original, likeable (in the sense that he was hate-able) character: Remy is not. Jude Law’s portrayal of the stalwart action hero is as bland as any, even though he has a British accent. But who can blame the guy, the only person I’ve ever seen be able to make such characters appear three-dimensional is Bruce Willis and Jude Law is no Bruce Willis. Oh yeah, in case you were wondering Whitaker did his job well.

However, the crap doesn’t just end Law; in fact I think the primary problem with this film is its script and ham-handed direction. See, “Repo Men” had a TON of good ideas; however it didn’t flesh them out to their best potential. For instance, there are actually communities of homeless people with prosthetic organs living in decaying urban areas. Sounds pretty intense right? No, not really. “Repo Men” apparently had thought centering the second half of the film on a boring, contrived, and nonsensical romance instead of a story about a hunted and impoverished portion of humanity was a good idea, or perhaps it thought the liberal use of blood and guts would distract us from its idiocy. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that Remy was married and infatuated with this woman at the same time? And to top that off that he DOESN’T want his wife to divorce him. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention he had a wife that left him because of his job. I guess it must have slipped my mind because the film couldn’t really make me give two shits.

The final kicker in this cluster-fuck of mistakes is the ending fight scene and metaphorical sex scene. Remy and Mrs. Love Interest whom, I forgot the real name of because I didn’t really care about her, in a final attempt to outsmart the system break into the corporation building and begin registering their prosthetics into the repossession machine. However, before they can do this they must fight an angry mob of -- knife-wielding business men? Anyhow, onto the metaphorical sex scene: wanting to trick the computer registration system of repossessed organs Remy and Mrs. Love Interest have to cut each other open and stick a high-tech Wal-Mart item scanner into each other to key in the items -- apparently they found this an appropriate time to start making out.

There is one thing that keeps this film from falling apart and that is the very end, which I will not tell you because – Well, because despite all the gaping flaws of this film its still commendable due to its intriguing premise and the fact that it still manages to entertain, even if we do have to switch from thoughtful, philosophical mode to blockbuster-popcorn flick in the first and last fifteen minutes.

Alice In Wonderland Review

It puzzles me that it took Tim Burton so long to finally create his stylized rendition of “Alice in Wonderland.” Ever since I could recognize his hand in direction I always thought to myself “Man, it would be so cool if he made 'Alice in Wonderland.'” Honestly, one could go as far to say that Lewis Carrol's novel and Burton were born for each other, destine to have their lives intertwine. It may surprise you then that Burton's vision for Carrol's novel is, well it's pretty crappy. It has awkward pacing, gives us little time to identify with the characters but most of all it manages to make the experience boring. I know, I found it hard to believe as well. Hearing this one may be inclined to ask “So what went wrong?” Many things. First off was Burton's vision for the film. Previous silver screen adaptations of Carrol's novel were more or less none narrative, estranged adventures that had little or no purpose beyond giving lots of strange stuff to look at and go “Well that's weird.” Quite surprisingly, Burton was never impressed by these creative oddities, saying that they were just strange, narrative-less , emotionally empty joy-rides. So what did he do to correct this? He attempted the arguably impossible, to give “Alice in Wonderland” a narrative. Now, I am all for narratives, in fact I believe every great film needs at least a good narrative, however I don't think that was the best trajectory for Wonderland. See, on its own as a strange, fun-filled adventure Wonderland excelled, but when we constrain it to narrative it means removing much of the unnecessary strangeness that made it so lovable. Needless to say, that is exactly what Burton did. The final result is an unprecedentedly boring, fast paced, story with a lazy narrative.

Burton's recreation of “Alice in Wonderland” follows the story not of the young girl Alice, but rather twenty year old Alice. Being a young woman, as well as part of aristocracy, she is expected to marry a lord. Needless to say, when she is confronted by her suitor she flees, all these decisions she is expected to make is just much for her. Noticing a rabbit in a dinner-jacket hopping scuttling along side her in the bushes she chases after it till it leads to its rabbit hole. She falls in and thus begins her-not-so-fantastical adventure.

Burton's “Alice In Wonderland” isn't a completely worthless venture, just that it does no play to its strong suits. Like previous adaptations it has a variety of strange, interesting characters, places, and events that all add up into something of value. However, Burton mutilates any and all cool portions of the story either making them to parallel with people in Alice's life or simply keeping their strangeness to a minimum. I suppose if the film gave us more time with people in Alice's actual life the whole narrative idea could have played out a bit better, but it doesn't. Rather, it tries to get to Wonderland as fast as possible, perhaps it was confused as to what it wanted to be. Either way, it does not attempt to push itself in any single direction a very thoroughly, making it feel very muddled and cheap.

However, while it may lack continuity and consistency in the arrangement of its parts, the pieces nevertheless add up to give us a beautiful aesthetic gem. From cinematography, to its color pallet this is a drop dead gorgeous film. If you are simply looking for something to star at and go “Well that's pretty” for two hours then this will be well worth your ten dollars. Like JamesCameron's “Avatar” its 3-D doesn't try to pop out at you and hurt your optical senses, rather it is subtle and complimenting to the beautiful world that is Wonderland.

Depp is yet another one of the few positive aspects of this film. Making great use of his character creation ability he gives us a truly mad, “Mad Hatter.” Depending on his mood his accent will change from lispy, whimsical British to angry Scottish making him a very enjoyable whenever he is on screen. Due to Depp's trademark style of acting it is hard for one to decide whether his performances are nomination worthy or simply over-the-top, for this one I really can't tell, though I would like to believe the first. A subtle blend of CGI and contact lenses make up his great bulbous, uneven eyes, further complimenting the character's insanity.

Burton certainly had an interesting idea for “Alice In Wonderland” sadly it didn't pay off. Due to hapless direction and lazy story and plot-devices the film comes out a bland, CGI filled Tim Burton mishap.

A Serious Man Review

Sometimes I find myself envying atheists and agnostics and their ability to toss the reasons for certain events to mere chance and coincidence. Not to criticize them, just that I envy their convenience, and I think Lawrence Gopnik does as well. See, as a religious, at least to some extent, person “A Serious Man” spoke very deeply to me personally, and for the record: no I'm not Jewish. However, one does not have to share another's faith to be able to understand struggle, and while that struggle may come in all different shapes and sizes there is always a question griping at us, whether its right in our face or nudging us in the back of the head, it always seems to be the same question: why does this happen me, aren't I supposed to be the blessed one? As most of you already know, in almost all religions people are taught that “everything happens for a reason.” That the higher power, whether you call him/her/it “God” or “Billy Bob The Great,” has everything happen in order to compliment a higher purpose. Sounds like a convenient philosophy in order to cope with a world as contorted as ours, to a certain extent one would be right. However, that philosophy seems to lose its power once we get caught up in all that contortion, and boy oh boy if Lawrence Gopnik isn't caught up in it I don't know where is.

If one was to examine it for its most elemental constituents one would find the plot of “A Serious Man” to be a modernized and greatly expounded upon story of Job. I am sure everyone at some point in their life has heard the story, or at least a variation, of Job: Job is a good and faithful servant of God or appears to be greatly blessed. But then, in order to prove that Job's faith in Him ran deeper than the extent of which he benefited God turned Job's life into a living hell. With “A Serious Man” The Coens have brought never-before-scene dimension to this ancient tale. So then, how did they do it? With the fictitious Jewish physicist Lawrence Gopnik.

From the very beginning we can tell Gopnik's life is falling apart. His wife wants a divorce, his son is slacking off in school, his daughter seems to have some strange obsession with washing her hair, his brother is a lazy, mooching failure that he has to take care of, and there is a Korean student in his physics class that is planning to blackmail him if he does not give him a “pessing guradue” on his midterm; and why is all of this happening? He doesn't know – and neither do we.

After watching “A Serious Man” I began to think deeply about the Coens' previous master-piece: “No Country For Old Men.” In terms of its overall purpose and narrative “No Country For Old Men” was punctual – no, let me rephrase that – it was perfect in its use of mechanics. Through the framing of the shots, the use of editing, and the delivery of the lines “No Country For Old Men” always got the reaction it wanted out of you; “A Serious Man” is no different. Through seemingly inexplicable actions of the world surrounding Gopnik “A Serous Man” always makes sure we are as frustrated and confused as Gopnik (and yes, that is a good thing.) However, the Coens are too smart to go over-board on the inexplicableness, they very wisely keep the characters believable however, have them allude our full understanding.

One could say that “A Serious Man” is very much so a performance driven film, mostly because it is. Michael Stuhlbarg's portrayal of a man desperately trying to understand why his life is going to hell in hand basket is at times funny, and at other moments heartbreaking. See, Gopnik is man who believes that beyond a shadow of a doubt everything has consequences, whether moral or metaphysical. However, not even his long, perplexing physics equations can help him understand what's happening to him, and his local Rabbis don't seem to be any help either.

If one was to summarize “A Serious Man” as a modern day Job story they would not be entirely correct. See, “A Serious Man” is about more than just a man struggling with his faith, it's also about the world that's destroying it. Both through symbolism (like how Gopnik's neighbors are slowly moving their property line to encroach upon his) and overt events (his son's descent into laziness and drugs) “A Serious Man” tells a tale of how American culture can ebb away at one's faith.

In all that it does “A Serious Man” does it perfectly. It is yet another cinematic gem from the Coen Brothers that only further proves their ability to refine their subject to its best form. A compelling, pertinent, and brilliant piece that rivals their “No Country For Old Men.”