"A Kansas City Shuffle is when everybody looks right, you go left."

This past weekend was filled with more movie-watching goodness. I managed to squeeze 5 films in somehow. From my personal collection I watched X-Men: The Last Stand, Dead Poets Society and Ronin. And I decided to go out and rent a couple: Annapolis, which had very little potential and managed to cash in on none of it, and Lucky Number Slevin which turned out to be way better than I thought it was going to be. Today I get to write a review for one of those movies that just rocks!

Lucky Number Slevin tells the tale of Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) who is just the wrong guy, in the wrong place at the wrong time. After losing his job, his girlfriend and his apartment in the same day, things actually manage to get worse. He is mistaken for a friend of his who happens to owe a lot of money to the town’s two biggest crime lords: The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley). He is forced in to taking on a hitman contract against the son of The Rabbi and must also come up with $33,000 to pay off his missing friend’s gambling debt. With an eager neighbour (Lucy Liu) helping out and a ruthless assassin (Bruce Willis) following his every move, Slevin’s day goes from worse to abysmal.

"Sense is something you have when you have a choice."

At first glance Lucky Number Slevin looks like any other gangster movie. If anything though, the inclusion of so many high profile actors in one movie should tell you that a lot more is going on than meets the eye. This is one of those great caper films that only gives you enough information in each scene to whet your appetite for the next. The storyline unfolds in a clever and curious manner with flashbacks and jump-forwards filling in the gaps. I was not only entertained by some witty acting, but was also enthralled with the ingenious plot. Maybe I’m hyping it up too much but ultimately Lucky Number Slevin turned out to be far, far more engaging and entertaining that I thought it would. And I had high hopes to start with.

The cinematography and sets are just as curious as the plot. It’s all carefully arranged and decorated to keep your mind stimulated while trying to figure out what is really going on. And while I did figure out a few things early on I was still plenty surprised by a number of different twists and turns throughout the film. Unlike Inside Man, which I reviewed last month, Lucky Number Slevin manages to remain engaging and entertaining through to its finale. This is definitely a film that I could watch again and again.

"I was thinking that if you're still alive when I get
back from work tonight... maybe we could go
out to dinner or something?"

One of the most refreshing parts of the film was the various characters, played by actors that have seldom been seen in these rolls. Josh Hartnett portrays Slevin in a cool, relaxed and very witty manner. His interactions with the other characters are well scripted and delightfully executed. Lucy Liu is equally as clever and provides for some sharp dialogue with Slevin. Stanley Tucci even makes an appearance with a surprising and wonderfully acted finish. Morgan Freeman is probably the most startling in his role as a ruthless, yet intelligent mob boss. His manner reflects the charming and cheerful Freeman we’re used to in other films, but the heart of this character is unquestionably cold-blooded. His final confrontation with Sir Ben Kingsley’s Rabbi is chilling and revealing. And Bruce Willis does what he does best; being Bruce Willis. This is a good thing.

The picture quality of the single-disc DVD was phenomenal. Several times I was actually slightly distracted from the storyline by the clean, crisp colors and definition. This is one of those DVDs that makes you wonder how much better HD could actually look. Of course, having said that, I’ve actually seen HD and trust me, it truly is better than you can imagine. I was also impressed with the sound. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track produces a perfect balance between dialogue, music and sound effects. If you’ve ever seen the final gunfight in Open Range then you have an idea of how startling and impressive the sound effects are in Lucky Number Slevin.

"My name’s Goodkat. You can call me Mr. Goodkat."

Bonus features include two commentaries with director, Paul McGuigan, a couple of the actors and the writer. Deleted scenes and a short making-of featurette round out a fairly slim special feature offering with the standard trailer thrown in. I’m hoping this film will gain a good following like The Usual Suspects (no, I’m not comparing that phenomenal film to this quite-good film) and a 2-disc Special Edition will be available in the future. As usual, I haven’t had a chance to watch any of the bonus material. I keep saying that I’ll get back to you when I do watch it, but we both know that’s not likely. Do you really want to read a review on a movie’s commentary track?

I’ve read a couple of reviews that were very negative towards Lucky Number Slevin. I guess, like some movies, this is one that will either appeal to you greatly or will leave a bad taste in your mouth. But since you have great respect for me (you’re reading my blog aren’t you?) then you’ll obviously love Lucky Number Slevin and will be sending me numerous emails proclaiming my genius as a DVD reviewer and offering to name your next child after me in honour of my excellent taste in films.

Lucky Number Slevin gets 8 ½ broken noses (out of 10).
Look right, then go left and find ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ trivia here.

"Spiders? Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies'?"

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of hosting the Third Official Ridiculathon of 2006: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Chamber of Ridiculousness. In one day, myself and some fellow movie fanatics watched all four Harry Potter films. While it was not the longest Ridiculathon I have ever had, it was still over 10 hours of movie-watching, not including breaks. So many thanks and congratulations to Chris, Amanda and Anne, who all made it through the entire day! And a special nod goes out to Laura and Brian who were each able to join us for one of the films.

"It's Levi-OOO-sa, not Levio-SA."

While the Harry Potter books are some of the most entertaining I have ever read the films themselves are actually not as impressive as they could be. I enjoyed watching them, especially in the Ridiculathon format, but I have to admit that they can seem somewhat lacking at times. I’m not sure if that’s because the books themselves are so full of character development and plot or if the films are geared toward a younger audience. Either way they are very entertaining but I think there is potential in the franchise that is going unrealized.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary
member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five time winner
of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."

The fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is helmed by yet another director, David Yates. I am not familiar with any of his work but am hoping that his direction manages to finally realize the full potential of J.K. Rowling’s sensational imagination. The film is currently in post-production and will be released sometime in 2007. Of course, that means I won’t see until it is released on DVD sometime later that year or early in 2008.

My only major complaint about the films so far is Harry Potter himself. I still cannot understand why he doesn’t even open his mouth when the Goblet of Fire produces his name. Despite all the accusatory looks and Dumbledore’s near fury at reading Potter’s name, Harry quietly makes his way to the room with the other 3 champions, not saying a word. Why on earth wouldn’t he immediately state “I didn’t put my name in!”? He doesn’t even try to leave the competition. He doesn’t say a word while Barty Crouch and the others are discussing whether he should compete or not. I simply don’t understand it. There are too many times where Harry decides to keep his mouth shut rather than divulge the truth. Add that to Radcliffe’s poor acting skills and you get a frustrating film version of a beloved character. He certainly looks like the Harry Potter described in the books, but I find his attitude and lack of maturity quite annoying.

"Something wicked this way comes."

On a more positive note I am more than thrilled with Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape. I swear the character was created just for him. I can think of no other actor who could hope to pull off the same sinister and mysterious quality that defines Snape. And although Rickman is notorious for playing the bad guy, I refuse to admit that Snape is actually bad. Yes, I’ve read the Half Blood Prince, but I think there is more going on here than meets the eye. Mark my words, Snape will be justified in book seven.

The Ridiculathon itself was very enjoyable. We started the day off at approximately 10:00am and finished sometime around 10:30pm. Everyone was prepared with plenty of snacks and my lovely wife provided a delicious lunch. It was comfortable, it was loud, and it was a blast. And if you missed it, have no fear. When the fifth movie is released on DVD you can be sure that another Ridiculathon will be planned and ready.

"As from this moment, The Triwizard Tournament has begun!"

Next up, the Fourth Official Ridiculathon of 2006: Star Trek: The Search for More Ridiculousity. Stay tuned for details!

A Year in Reviews

Well it’s been a whole year since I first started this little blog. Although my postings have been somewhat sporadic lately I am pleased that I’ve managed to stick with it for this long. And I’m very, very happy that some of you have found it to be interesting and entertaining to read. I hope you’ll keep coming back for another year.

As a way of looking back I thought I would take a quick look at some of the movies I’ve watched in the last year. So here are 12 movies I saw; one for each month. These are the ones I consider the best that I saw that month. Enjoy and please share your comments with me; I love hearing from all of you!

So get comfy. This could get lengthy (which is how I like my movies).

October 2005

One of the first films I mentioned when I began my blog was Batman Begins. It was definitely one of the best movies I saw that month. It was refreshing and exciting to see the Batman franchise brought back to life, especially after the catastrophe of Batman & Robin. Christopher Nolan’s dark, new vision of the caped crusader created a world that I hadn’t really seen since Tim Burton’s original. I remember gasping when one of the thugs is violently pulled inside a storage container, his scream cut short, and then silence. This was the Batman I remember reading about in the comics.

November 2005

It turns out I watched a lot of great movies in November. High Fidelity, The Pianist and Leon stand out among the rest. But I have to mention The Count of Monte Cristo, if for no other reason than I’ve watched it four times in the last year and a half. I just love this movie. The story and characters are so intriguing and the acting is incredibly well done. Everything about this film is entertaining and engaging. I even used a clip of it during this summer’s AYC (Anglican Youth Camp) as an illustration of God’s unending belief in us. That one clip caught the interest of a number of teens who then wanted to see the film for themselves. It also inspired me to read the book (given as a fantastic gift from my wife). Any film that can produce that kind of interest is well worth a look. And another. And another.

December 2005

While I had to suffer through Fantastic Four during the holiday season, I’ve got to give kudos to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I watched it three times over the course of the Christmas week. This is just one of those fun movies that has great action and lots of laughs. Brad Pitt is in his element in this kind of movie. The action sequences are incredible, as long as you’re willing to suspend your disbelief (which is a fundamental requirement of movie-lovers) and the story is extremely entertaining. The image of Brad Pitt careening over a ditch in the back of an out-of-control car while holding his finger up and yelling “We need to talk!” is unforgettable.

January 2006

January was all about 24, Lost, and the Band of Brothers Ridiculathon (the first Ridiculathon of 2006). However, I did manage to watch a few movies (including The Count of Monte Cristo) and The Incredibles stands out in my memory. Pixar creates beautiful, hilarious, thrilling films and I think The Incredibles is one of their best. Everything from the soundtrack to the story and the animation was masterfully done. I recently watched the special features and commentary from the film and am blown away by how difficult it is to achieve some of those effects. I haven’t seen the most recent Pixar creation, Cars, but I’ve heard it doesn’t quite stand up to the studios past films. I can believe that; The Incredibles set the bar very, very high. Watch it again, soon. It’s better than you remember.

February 2006

The Star Wars Ridiculathon (the second of 2006) made its debut in February. But the one film that stuck out most for me that month was Serenity. It is based on the short-lived television series, Firefly, which I have never seen, but am keen to see. The film is a sci-fi / comedy / action / western / thriller, and it has some of the best writing and dialogue. The quips and comebacks used by the characters are what make this film so entertaining, and the story itself is pretty good too. I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I was just expecting a mindless action romp but it turns out there is a fair degree of intelligence in this little gem. I highly recommend it and suggest you all pool your money to buy my the complete Firefly television series on DVD. Only $29.99 at HMV!

March 2006

Joaquin Phoenix is fast becoming one of my favourite actors and Walk the Line is a big reason for that. Shauna and I are big fans of the ‘music-related’ movies, especially those based on real-life musicians like Cole Porter (De-Lovely) and Bobby Darin (Beyond the Sea). Apparently Johnny Cash himself, before his death, had selected Phoenix to portray him in the story of his rise to fame, struggle with drugs and tumultuous relationship with June Carter. When I first saw the film in March I was blown away by the incredible acting, and singing, talent of Joaquin Phoenix. It’s almost haunting to see how closely he resembles Cash in his performance. Great music, incredible acting and an engaging real-life story make this a definite must-see.

April 2006

It’s difficult to only pick one movie from this month. Somehow I found the time to watch 23 movies in April and Shauna and I saw several that were very, very good. Rent, King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia are just a few of the movies we managed to squeeze in. However, this was also the month in which I saw Scarface for the first time ever. I have always appreciated Al Pacino’s acting talent and I thought I should finally see one of his debut roles (and his most famous). While it’s certainly not the best film I have ever seen I will admit that Pacino does an incredible job in bringing Tony Montagna to life. I think some viewers underestimate just how much work was involved in simply getting the accent right. Pacino makes it seem second nature. And the thematic elements of Scarface have become some of the most well known, and used, in film making. Say hello to my little friend and give Scarface a viewing.

May 2006

With summer on the horizon my movie watching started to take a dive. But it’s not hard to pick my favourite from May. Russell Crowe is another favourite actor of mine and his performance in the Ron Howard film, Cinderella Man, was more proof of his ability. It’s not just a “boxing movie”, as my wife describes it. First, it’s a true story and brings to light the struggle and reality of America during the Great Depression. Second, it’s a brilliantly directed film with wonderful cinematography and writing. And thirdly, it’s a really, really good boxing movie. The movie doesn’t pull any punches (sorry, couldn’t resist) about its clichéd plot (read: happy ending) but the telling of that plot is what makes it so entertaining. I strongly recommend it.

June 2006

The low-point of the year, as far as movie watching is concerned. I only found time for 9 movies in June. I’ll never forgive myself. On the plus side it makes it very easy for me to pick my favourite from that month. The Red Violin is a diamond-in-the-rough film that Shauna and I discovered a few years ago. We both instantly fell in love with it and I’ve been hunting the globe for the perfect DVD release ever since (so far there have been problems with all 3 different versions I’ve tried). This is the beautiful story of a violin as it travels over the world and through the lives of a variety of different people. It’s a story of life, love, music, passion, violence, greed and perfection. You’ve never seen a film quite like The Red Violin and I urge you to see it if you haven’t already. This is the kind of film that could be written about and spoken of for hours and days and years.

July 2006

While watching the Band of Brothers series a while back I gained an appreciation for Ron Livingston. His performance in the WWII mini-series was phenomenal. Neither Shauna nor I had ever seen Office Space, which stars Livingston, so we decided to give it a blind buy. I’m very glad to say that our decision was not fruitless as Office Space is the definitive comedy about office politics, cubicles, staplers and life in general. This little cult classic features some very memorable characters and is a must-see for anyone who has ever worked in a Dilbert-like environment. The printer-smashing scene is one of my favourites; great music.

August 2006

My birthday month saw an unofficial Ridiculathon (#3 of 2006) with some friends (8 films in 2 days), one of whom had never seen any of the Indiana Jones films (I won’t mention any names, but his initials are Chris Siegle. Oops!). It was also my chance to work AYC and make the teens watch some of my favourite movie moments. But my favourite of the month was probably Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Quite simply, it’s a classic. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are the classic film duo in one of the last classic westerns of cinema. Like Scarface, if you have any interest in films you owe it to yourself to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You won’t regret it.

September 2006

Last month was the start of Lost: Season 2 for Shauna and I, so I’m amazed I was able to watch any movies at all. In addition to catching Mr. & Mrs. Smith again I was fortunate enough to discover Inside Man. While my review of the film indicated that the ending may have been a bit of a let down, the film itself is very well done and one that I will remember for a long time. If you like heist films then you’ll love Inside Man. Whether or not you discover the “mystery” early on like I did, you’ll still enjoy seeing how the robbery takes place. There are a lot of intelligent ideas in this film and the acting is top notch. Clive Owen gives a great performance as the heist leader while Denzel Washington is his usual brilliant self as the detective attempting to stop it all. A great film with some intense moments.

Well, there you go. A 12 film year-in-review. I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you and I hope you’ve taken the opportunity to see a few films this year that you’ve never seen before. Now hit that ‘add comment’ button and share with us some of your favourites from the past 12 months.

[sung] "Unhappy... unhappy... very, very, very, very..."

Ever since Ferris Bueller’s Day Off I’ve been a fan of Mathew Broderick. He created a character that has become an icon for my generation and anyone else who experienced any part of the 80s. When I heard that he and Nathan Lane were starring in the Broadway production of The Producers I was sorry that I would never get a chance to see it. And finally when the stage production was turned into a film version both Shauna and I were thrilled that we would finally get a chance to see one of our favourite 80s actors in a hit musical.

Ferris Bueller, where have you gone? Bueller? Bueller?

The first 10 minutes of the film were painful. Not painful like Reservoir Dogs or Saving Private Ryan, where the agony you feel is part of the director’s intention. No, the pain in The Producers was a result of the stilted, forced acting of Mr. Broderick. It wasn’t funny and it wasn’t intelligent; it was silly and nearly unbearable to witness. Shauna and I had to literally turn the whole thing off after about an hour. Maybe the film gets better in it’s second half but I’ll never know. Don’t make me go back there!

In its defence, a friend of mine and her husband (shout out to Amanda & Chris) watched the original Mel Brooks version of the film and they said the Broderick character was portrayed almost exactly the same. So it’s possible that Broderick’s acting is not the problem; it’s the character that is so darn annoying.

I can’t justify giving a full review of this film since I didn’t watch the whole thing and therefore I won’t be giving it a score. Suffice it to say that there’s a chance you’ll either really enjoy the film or you’ll want to hang yourself before it’s half over.

A couple of the musical numbers were quite well done, specifically “I want to be a Producer”. There, I said something nice about it.