Movies

‘The Garfield Movie’ – This is Not the Cat I Was Looking For

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

I grew up on Jim Davis’ “Garfield.” I loved this lazy cat whose affection for lasagna and reveling in his own laziness and selfishness often had me laughing quite uncontrollably. I even got my first-grade teacher to initiate a celebration which I proudly called “National Number One Garfield Day” which my classmates were eager to participate in. And yes, I reveled in those animated classic television episodes in which the orange tabby cat was voiced by the late great Lorenzo Music who perfectly captured Garfield’s sarcasm, gluttony and eventual self-awareness without missing a beat.

Years later, Hollywood brought Garfield to the silver screen, but with limited, if any, critical success. While the 2004 live action “Garfield” movie had the brilliant Bill Murray voicing the infamous cat, the story felt more like a “Toy Story” clone instead of representing the feline we all grew to love in our youth. And seriously, when we see Jon Arbuckle get lucky with someone of the opposite sex, I have to believe something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Now we have “The Garfield Movie” which brings the infamous cat back to the animation realm with Chris Pratt voicing him. It starts off introducing Garfield into the age of the internet and apps as he proceeds to order an obscene amount of Italian food which he scarfs down in record time. Following this, we jump back in time to when he seemingly gets abandoned by his father and ends up wandering into an Italian restaurant across the street where he meets Jon Arbuckle who is all by his lonesome eating a pepperoni pizza. They quickly form an unbreakable bond as Jon, like us, cannot resist this cat’s infinite cuteness in the slightest.

At the start, it looks like “Garfield The Movie” is going to respect the comic strip’s history perfectly as it acknowledges this feline’s love of lasagna among other things, and it was a kick to see him land flat on Jon’s face while he is in bed as if to tell this human, “Get up asshole, make me breakfast!” But from there, Garfield and everyone else is thrown into a story which is generic at best.

While doing a raid on the refrigerator for midnight snacks, Garfield and Odie get kidnapped by a Shar Pei and a Whippet who take them to an abandoned mall where they meet Jinx, a Persian cat who is bent on revenge against Garfield’s father, Vic, who abandoned Jinx at a very inopportune moment. While Garfield wants nothing to Vic after all they have been through, the both of them quickly realize they need one another in order to secure their freedoms and obtain an obscene volume of milk for just one cat.

From there, this movie goes into the usual tug and pull of a father trying to make amends to a child he wasn’t there for, and a child who wants nothing to do with a parent they feel abandoned by. I think you have a good idea of where the story goes from there as it goes through the usual tropes and cliches father-son motion pictures have to offer, and it quickly became apparent to me that this was no “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

On top of that, there is a lot of retconning going on here. Those who kept up with the comic strip know Garfield reunited with his mother at one point, and this gave the orange cat more dimension than he had previously. Here, he reunites with his father, and it doesn’t have the same dramatic heft. Also, Odie is made to look like some super genius whom Garfield can only dream of being as smart as. But one of the delights of the comic strip is how Odie is as dumb as a post, so this dog’s genius behavior feels completely out of place.

And when it comes to Garfield’s relationship with Jon Arbuckle, it is much too loving to where there is no drama between owner and cat found here. Garfield revels in his selfish endeavors to where Jon is constantly infuriated beyond repair, and none of this animosity is found here. I kept waiting for Jon to admonish Garfield for playing with the power seat in his car or for eating a fern plant he just bought. But no, they just get along all too well here. Even a trip to the vet feels routine, and I remember just how terrified Garfield was about going to the vet.

As much as I wanted to appreciate what director Mark Dindal and company did here, and there’s no doubt kids will enjoy this movie, I really came out of this cinematic endeavor feeling like this wasn’t the Garfield I grew up on in the slightest. Moreover, as we watch Garfield traverse a critical portion of Lactose Farms where every conceivable form of security was put in place, it only reminded of infinitely superior scenes in Pixar films like “Monsters Inc.” That the “Mission Impossible” theme plays at one point is no surprise, and it made my eyes roll as this addition feels much too obvious.

The voice cast is clearly having a lot fun here. Chris Pratt clearly revels in voicing Garfield, and he does a good job even though he still can’t hold a candle to Lorenzo Music. Samuel L. Jackson is an inspired choice to play Garfield’s father, Vic, and I say this even though I kept waiting for the bad ass motherfucker within Jackson to erupt. Yes, this is a family movie, but still…

If there is one cast member to single out above all others, it is Ving Rhames who voices Otto, a bull and former mascot for Lactose Farms who is pining to be reunited with his long-lost love. While he could have played this lovelorn bull as if he was in on the joke, Rhames instead plays this animated character ever so straight to where his dramatic pauses provide the biggest laughs this film has to offer.

For what it’s worth, “Garfield The Movie” is bound to delight the kids, and their parents are bound to watch it with them hundreds of times once it arrives on physical and digital media. Still, I came out of it frustrated as this really didn’t feel like the Garfield I know and love. Instead, you have an orange tabby cat stuck in a movie with a story unbefitting to his legacy and easily pales in comparison to the average animated classic.

Perhaps Garfield as a character has long since outlived his usefulness in popular culture. Jim Davis’ creation is nowhere as popular today as it was back in the 1980’s, and perhaps studio executives are afraid of making this orange tabby cat look as lazy in this age of Me Too, Times Up and an intense desire for true representation in Hollywood.

All of this reminds me of a scene in “Here Comes Garfield” in which Garfield attempts to explain to Jon, without words, why Odie didn’t come home with him after they both went outside to play. Jon, of course, doesn’t understand what Garfield is describing to him in the slightest, and Garfield ends up telling him ever so dryly:

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

When it comes to Garfield and Hollywood, this still remains the case.

* * out of * * * *

‘Ocean’s Trilogy’ Review and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

When you think of the “Ocean’s Trilogy,” you think of big movie stars, high stakes, and witty banter. These are individuals known for being con-artists and having a certain set of skills, but they bring an element of fun to the proceedings. They are interesting, layered, and unique.  These are not your bargain basement crooks and thieves. These films are also aided by the direction of the stellar Steven Soderbergh. He makes everything pop and sizzle on screen. He knows how to add just the right amount of style to these films without taking away from his ensemble cast.  The beauty of a Soderbergh film is the fact he can dabble in a number of genres and make a film successful both commercially and financially. He’s not just pigeonholing himself into one type of film.  He can do an independent film that gets people talking or he can do blockbuster films like the “Ocean’s Trilogy.”

Let’s start with “Ocean’s Eleven,” which is, of course, a remake of the 1960 film starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. I don’t think it is fair to compare these two films as they are forty years apart, but I will say that both are entertaining and sleek in their own ways. Remakes in general tend to get a bad rap, but when they are done with the right people involved and the right mindset, they can really deliver the goods.  It’s about taking an idea and making it your own without copying from the original source material.  This is not always easy to accomplish, but they did that with “Ocean’s Eleven” in 2001.

The charming George Clooney stars as Danny Ocean, a professional thief who has recently been released from prison. Even though he served time, he’s on the lookout for his next big caper.  Once he gets involved with the thrill of the chase and the risk and reward that comes with it, it’s hard to turn it down or live a normal lifestyle after that. He meets up with an old partner named Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), and they are looking to hit up Las Vegas for their next big heist. When it comes to a heist like this, money is important. They end up securing the money from Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), and their plan is to rob three casinos in Las Vegas, which are owned by Tishkoff’s rival. The stakes are high, at $160 million, so they need to make sure they are on their A-game.

In order for Danny and Rusty to pull this off, they will need to assemble the right team. They enlist the help of Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), and Virgil and Turk Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan). Every one of them brings something unique and special to the table. Julia Roberts also shows up as the Danny Ocean’s ex-wife, Tess, and she has a bone to pick with Danny. Andy Garcia is in the film as well as Terry Benedict, the owner of the three casinos they are trying to rip off in the film.

“Ocean’s Eleven” Cast Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Li Dian Feng, Scott Caan, George Clooney ,Brad Pitt ,Matt Damon, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Edward Jemison and Carl Reiner © 2001 Warner Bros. Photo by Sid Avery

For my money, “Ocean’s Eleven” is the best of the three films.  The pacing is terrific, and there is never a dull moment in the film.  Even though there are a lot of moving pieces, it never feels like the movie is overstuffed, boring or too long as it moves at a brisk pace.  Also, when you have top-notch actors and actresses together, you know you are going to get some great performances.  A big part of the fun of these films is seeing these Hollywood legends go toe-to-toe with one another.

Moving onto “Ocean’s Twelve,” which came out in 2004, I don’t want to go into too much detail on this film just in case you are watching this trilogy in order for the first time.  I will say I found it to be a little bit more of a slog to sit through and a bit of a letdown after “Ocean’s Eleven.” It was merely an OK film.  It was successful at the box office, but I didn’t find the story as engaging this time around.  Of course, the characters are still entertaining and fun to spend time with, but since there isn’t a great story or plot to drive them, they quickly run out of steam here.  It ends up being one of those films where the cast had a lot more fun making it than we had watching it.

 In 2007, they came back with “Ocean’s Thirteen” which introduced Al Pacino to the proceedings and was once again directed by Soderbergh. Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones are missing here, which makes this film feel a bit off in regards to the female-male ratio.  Roberts, especially, was such a big part of the first film, and Zeta-Jones was also very charming and lit up the screen in “Ocean’s Twelve.”

“Ocean’s Thirteen,” however, is a nice return to form after the lackluster and underwhelming “Ocean’s Twelve.” It’s almost as if Soderbergh sat down and realized what was missing from the last film and made sure to make up for those mistakes this time around.  The addition of Al Pacino to the mix is also a juicy twist as well.  What I enjoyed most about “Ocean’s Thirteen” is how it brought back the fun factor from the first film. “Ocean’s Twelve” was an entertaining film at times, but it was also a lazy one as well.  This time, they work on making sure the fun is included along with a story that can hold its own in the process. 

When these films work best in this franchise, it is when they realize we are just as interested in the story as we are in the characters.  They go hand-in-hand. They play off each other in a sense.  We love to see the characters in action and find out all of the twists and turns along the way.  It was clear they put time, effort and brains into the first and third films. They lost their way a little in “Ocean’s Twelve,” which feels like a sequel they didn’t put a ton of thought into.

“Ocean’s Eleven” – * * * ½ out of * * * *

“Ocean’s Twelve” – * * out of * * * *

“Ocean’s Thirteen” – * * * out of * * * *

4K Info:  The “Ocean’s Trilogy” is released on a three-disc 4K set from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  This set only includes the 4K discs, so if you are looking for Blu-rays and 4Ks together, you will not find them here. According to the press release, the 4K remasters of “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve” and “Ocean’s Thirteen” were completed at Warner Brothers Discovery’s Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) with the participation of Soderbergh. All of the films are rated PG-13, and their respective running times are 116 minutes, 125 minutes and 122 minutes.  There is also a digital copy for each film which allows you to own all three copies of the trilogy.  Subtitles are included in English, Spanish, and French.

Video Info:  I really like the look of these movies on 4K.  Having previously seen “Contagion” on 4K, also from Soderbergh, I’m happy to report this is another fantastic looking 4K set.  Its color is vivid, bright and filled with a lot of life.  It’s also dark and mysterious when things turn up a notch. All three of the films look great on 4K.

 Audio Info: There is a lot of talking in these films as they are going over plans and information, and the dialogue comes in crystal clear on all three films.  The soundtrack is just right in covering the dialogue, music and background noise without being too distracting. It captures the essence of each film.

Special Features:

“Ocean’s Eleven”

• Commentary by Steven Soderbergh and Ted Griffin

• Commentary by Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia

• Are You In or Out? The Making of Ocean’s Eleven

• Pros & Cons: Inside Ocean’s Outfit

• The Style of Steal

• The Look of the Con

• Original Ocean’s, Original Cool

“Ocean’s Twelve”

• Commentary by Steven Soderbergh and George Nolfi

• Ready, Jet Set, Go: The Making of Ocean’s Twelve

• HBO First Look: Twelve Is the New Eleven: The Making of Ocean’s Twelve

• Deleted Scenes

“Ocean’s Thirteen”

• Commentary by Steven Soderbergh, Brian Koppelman and David Levien

• Third’s a Charm: The Making of Ocean’s Thirteen

• Ahab with a Piggyback: The Means & Machines of Ocean’s

• Jerry Weintraub Walk and Talk

• Masters of the Heist

• Deleted Scenes

Should You Buy It?

I’m seeing this set go for about $55 right now online, which is a really good price. That’s a little less than $20 for each 4K.  If you enjoy a good movie collection, this one is definitely recommended.  You get all of the old special features included here along with updated 4K transfers on these films as well.  These are 4K transfers where it is clear they put a lot of care and effort into them. They didn’t just throw them together.  If you enjoy heist movies with great casts, you really can’t go wrong with this trilogy.  I’d recommend you go out and buy this set right now at its current price. You can make a weekend out of watching all three films and really enjoy yourself.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘American Sniper’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

Out of all the films I watched in 2014, “American Sniper” was the one which hit me the hardest.  I had never seen a film like it before, and I was surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did, considering I’m not a huge fan of war films. This is much more than a war film, though.  It’s a personal story, and this part of the film resonated with me much more than any shootings. Although there is one particular shooting that made me wince, Chris Kyle was only doing what he was trained to do as a Navy Seal.

Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle in one of the best performances of his career.  Not only did he put on the weight to play Kyle, but he completely became him.  On the special features, they talked about how they would have moments on set that would cause goosebumps because his performance was so true to life.  It’s always a thing of beauty when you see an actor completely devote themselves to a role and a film.  It helps that the film was directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood.  There’s also a quality screenplay by Jason Hall, adapted from Kyle’s book of the same name.

Kyle believes strongly in America and goes through some intense training that would make most men run for the hills, but he eventually becomes a sniper for the Navy Seals. Before he even attempts to do this, someone informs him that most men quit.  Kyle says he is no quitter.  Meanwhile, he meets his wife, Taya, played by Sienna Miller, and they eventually have a child together, adding even more pressure to Kyle’s life.  He ends up taking part in four tours, which puts a strain on their relationship and his well-being.  He knows he is doing a service to his country and protecting his fellow men, but that doesn’t make things any easier.

Bradley Cooper gained 40 pounds of muscle to play Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in the film American Sniper. “It wasn’t at all like a costume,” he said. “It was like … this sort of transformative experience to me because there was no going home from it.”

One of the things I admired the most about this film was the patience in which it was filmed.  Kyle ends up doing four tours, and we get to see the tours along with him spending time with his family.  For me, the “at home” scenes were far more effective than his time as a sniper.  This is not to take anything away from his time on tour and how it’s filmed.  The scenes are jarring and extremely well shot.  I’m just always more engrossed in the human side of the story, and that truly adds more to what’s happening during his time becoming “The Legend”, a nickname he seems proud of at times, but also a little uneasy about as well.  He is known as the U.S.’s deadliest sniper.

A lot of attention and praise was put on Cooper upon the film’s release, but credit also goes out to Miller as she has an extremely tough role to portray as well as Taya.  She has to be supportive of her husband while also looking out for the best interests of her family.  One thing is certain: her love for Kyle never waivers.  She just worries about feeling disconnected from him.  It’s clear he’s not the same when everything is over.  How can he be?  As he tells his psychiatrist, he thinks more about the men he couldn’t save as opposed to the ones he did.  However, Taya wants her husband back, and she wants the man she married.  The ability to disconnect from the war is a hard one, and that is explored in great detail in this magnificent film.

“American Sniper” made my list of the top ten films of 2014, and it is also one of the best films Eastwood has ever directed.  Everyone watches movies for various reasons. I watch movies to be moved and engrossed by great stories and fascinating people.  On my third viewing, I’m happy to report “American Sniper” holds up incredibly well.  It’s also enhanced by the 4K transfer Warner Brothers has added to the film as well.  It was released a few years before 4K discs became a reality, and with this being the ten-year anniversary of the film, it’s a great time to add it to your collection and upgrade the Blu-ray if you already own it.

* * * * out of * * * *

4K Info: “American Sniper” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It also comes with a digital copy of the film as well. The film runs at 132 minutes and is rated R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references.

Video Info: “American Sniper” on 4K really takes you into the heat of battle.  I did mention that the war scenes didn’t hit me as emotionally as the sequences between Chris and Taya, but they still had their impact nonetheless.  You would have to be a rock to not be moved and affected by what’s happening on screen.  All of it is shot with just the right number of colors and texture.  It’s sort of a dreary looking film, but that is to be expected with war.

Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is also an improvement over the inconsistent audio on the previously released Blu-ray of the film, which was a bit too loud at times.  This time, it’s right on cue throughout the entire film. It was also fairly consistent during the quieter moments as well.

Special Features:

One Soldier’s Story: The Journey of American Sniper

Chris Kyle: The Man Behind the Legend

Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – The Heart of a Hero

Navy SEALs: In War and Peace

Bringing the War Home: The Cost of Heroism

The Making of American Sniper

Guardian

Should You Buy It?

“American Sniper” is finally on 4K, and it was well worth the wait.  The technical aspects are amazing, as they usually are with a Clint Eastwood film, especially on 4K.  Bradley Cooper turns in an astounding performance and one which really hit me like a ton of bricks. Sienna Miller also turns in an underrated and potent performance as well.  This is a film firing on all cylinders, and it will make a great addition to your physical media collection.  This is top-notch filmmaking and a film that comes from a labor of love from everyone involved.  When you have films like this one, the audience is the ultimate winner.  The special features are also ported over the Blu-ray release as well, and they add a lot of context and information on the making of the film and Chris Kyle’s backstory.  This is a day-one purchase, especially with the impressive slipcover which is included with this release.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘The Beekeeper’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

Jason Statham is one of the most successful action stars of the 21st century, even though he’s not exactly reinventing the wheel with his performances. In most cases, if you have seen one Jason Statham performance, you have seen them all. He’s a calm, cool and calculated killer with a sense of humor. There is an element of over-the-top fun that permeates his films. Even though the action is fast-paced, bloody and violent in “The Beekeeper,” the tone of the film is perfectly balanced in terms of action and self-awareness.  The people making these films are fully aware of what the audience expects out of them, and they are more than happy to give it to them. They aren’t overly serious to where it’s dreary and dull, and they also aren’t so goofy you check out because it’s so silly.

The film opens up by introducing us to a retired schoolteacher named Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad), who rents out her barn to Adam Clay (Jason Statham), a beekeeper with a heart of gold. One day, she falls victim to an online scam and ends up losing not only her entire life savings but also two million dollars from a charity she was managing as well. After this life-changing mistake, she ends up committing suicide. This springs the beekeeper into action, as he believes in right and wrong. He also held a special place in his heart for Eloise, as she was the only one who looked after him and took care of him.

Along the way, Eloise’s daughter, Verona (Emmy Raver-Lampman), an FBI agent, starts to look into Adam Clay and his background. She doesn’t quite understand how a beekeeper can be so violent and hard to catch. It turns out he belongs to a group called The Beekeepers, and they all work together to make sure “the hive” is protected and safe from anyone who tries to disrupt the natural order of things in the world. Once he tracks down the scammers with help from the Beekeepers, he begins to make life a living hell for them. He wants to take everything from them in the same way they have taken everything from the elderly with their online scams.

I’m a huge fan of silly, over-the-top and fun action movies which are done with style, intensity and a sense of humor. “The Beekeeper” is one of the best action movies I’ve seen in a while. The pacing is perfect as the action comes fast and furious throughout the film’s 105-minute running time. It’s directed by veteran action director David Ayer, and he knows how to make these movies sizzle and pop on screen. The fight scenes are incredibly violent, in-your-face, and gory. They left me with my jaw on the floor. That is exactly what I’m looking for out of a Statham action film.

It also helps that the bad guys are so shady and underhanded, and the actors hit all of the right notes with their performances. Josh Hutcherson is smarmy, indifferent and filled with charisma and cockiness. He plays a spoiled and ruthless adult in his late twenties who has had everything handed to him, so he thinks he is above the law and can do whatever he wants. Jeremy Irons is the classic fixer.  He’s brought in to fix things and be the voice of reason when things get too hot and heavy for Hutcherson’s character. The way he reads his lines in this movie is just perfect. He’s an elegant, dignified and smooth-talking problem solver. He looks forward to these challenges, but he also knows the risks which come with them.

When it was all said and done, I had a blast with this movie. It’s a trashy action film that wears its bloody heart on its sleeve. It knows exactly what it wants to accomplish and pulls no punches. Statham is perfectly cast here as the complicated hero who will stop at nothing to get revenge on the bad guys. Even when it seems impossible and the odds are stacked against him, he finds a way to overcome all of the obstacles thrown his way.  It’s highly entertaining to see him have to wiggle his way out of tricky situations where he’s outnumbered and outmanned. The film also has some very violent and creative kills that go for the jugular and linger on the violence. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from “The Beekeeper,” but it’s a highly entertaining action film with blood, guts and humor.

* * * out of * * * *

4K Info: “The Beekeeper” is released on a single disc in 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It has a running time of 105 minutes and is rated R for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, some sexual references and drug use.  It comes with a digital copy of the film as well.

Video Info: They did a fantastic job with this 4K release. I thought the HDR was very vivid, bright, and colorful. Even though “The Beekeeper” is a trashy action film, they still did a great job with this transfer.  It pops with its color palette.

Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos soundtrack was the perfect choice for this action/thriller, as it allowed me to keep it on the same volume for the entire duration of the film. Action films need to have a strong soundtrack, but they can’t be so strong that they force you to turn down the volume throughout when the bullets and bodies start to fall. The soundtrack here is consistent from beginning to end, and it enhances the viewing experience.

Special Features:

None

Should you buy it?

At times, it is best to walk into a film completely blind without knowing what it is about or having read any reviews. This is exactly what I did with “The Beekeeper,” and I’m happy about that because it allowed me to enjoy the film without having any preconceived notions about it. I enjoyed the ride it took me on, and I thoroughly enjoyed Statham’s performance and the unique and grotesque kills he unleashed on the bad guys. When it comes to the 4K disc, the picture and audio quality are top-notch here. The film itself doesn’t have any special features, which is OK, as I can’t imagine they would have added a ton to the film overall. Sometimes it is better to have an air of mystery surrounding your film. Overall, I’d say buy this movie when it drops in price, as you will get a great action/thriller at a great price. I don’t think it’s the kind of movie you need to run out and buy right away, though.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘The Departed’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

When it comes to filmmaking, Martin Scorsese is not known for his brevity.  His films are lengthy and complex. However, because there are so many moving parts that are interesting and layered, it rarely feels like a slog to sit through them.  He also makes sure to assemble an all-star cast of some of the best actors in Hollywood so, as an audience, we are glued to the screen with each and every performance. It’s so hard to pick a favorite Scorsese film, as he’s trying to achieve something different and unique with each one.  From an entertainment standpoint, however, I think “The Departed” might be the most thrilling movie he’s ever made.  It was also the film which earned him his first and only Best Director and Best Picture Academy Award.

“The Departed” is initially set in 1980’s Boston and introduces us to a series of seedy and underhanded characters.  The local Mob boss is named Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson. He befriends a young Colin Sullivan and buys him groceries, as he knows he comes from a struggling family.  Fast forward to present day in the film, and Colin (Matt Damon) is now working on the inside for the Massachusetts State Police in their Special Investigation Unit.  Frank is still the leader of the Mob, but he has even more power because he knows Colin will keep him in the loop when the police get too close to him.

Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), a police academy recruit, is brought in to meet Captain Queenan and Sergeant Dignam, played respectively by Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg. Considering Billy’s family has a criminal record a mile along, they think he’s the perfect mole to go undercover and bring Frank down once and for all. In order for Billy to gain the trust of Frank, he needs to serve some time in prison and also commit some crimes with the help of his cousin, so his cover isn’t blown.  However, Billy is starting to feel as though he’s living a double life and his mental health is suffering.  This is when he meets Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), a police psychiatrist who is also currently dating Colin Sullivan.  Needless to say, this is a messy and tricky situation for all parties involved.

The beauty of “The Departed” is that it keeps you guessing all the way until the finale. There are a lot of different characters and pieces of the puzzle here, but the film never feels overplotted or too complicated.  It’s very engaging, well-paced and highly entertaining.  As an audience member, it takes you on quite a ride from start-to-finish. Scorsese also takes his time in developing his characters, and he trusts his actors to put their own personal touches on their performances.  There are so many standout performances here to choose from, but Nicholson and DiCaprio in particular are remarkable.  Nicholson brings an unhinged charisma to his role as the mob boss while DiCaprio is tortured and powerful in his performance.  As the old adage goes, “Do Your Job.” Everyone in this film knows how to do their job, and Scorsese gives them the platform to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.

The screenplay, which was written by William Monahan, is also able to keep the audience engaged and thrilled without ever feeling too gimmicky or implausible.  These are well-written characters that are looking to stay alive and pull the wool over the eyes of those looking to bring them down.  They have to stay one step ahead of the audience and also one step ahead of the characters in the film.  “The Departed” is also a remake of the Hong Kong Film, “Infernal Affairs,” which I own as part of the Criterion Collection. I have yet to see that one, but I definitely need to check it out after having seen “The Departed” numerous times.

All in all, “The Departed” shows Scorsese at his best in a world he has inhibited many times in the past.  This time, though, he has new players to work with.  Of course, we are familiar with the Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro films of the past such as “Casino” and “Goodfellas,” but it’s great to see him working with Nicholson for the first and only time along with Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin. Of course, his collaborations with DiCaprio have become legendary, but this was in the early stages of their working relationship, and you can see why they work so well together.

Screenshot

Hollywood has always had a fascination with crime movies and the characters who inhabit that world. Scorsese knows this world very well and how to make it accessible and fun for mainstream audiences. If I had to choose, my favorite Scorsese movies are “Raging Bull,” “The King of Comedy,” and “Taxi Driver.”  However, as stated earlier, if you are talking about pure entertainment value and pure fun, it’s hard to deny the power of “The Departed.” Even eighteen years later, this film still captivates and engages with its words, its story, and its players.   It only gets better and better with age. If you are seeing it for the first-time, you are in for a real treat.

* * * * out of * * * *

4K Info: “The Departed” is being released on a single disc 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  There is also a steelbook version of the film as well.  Whether you pick up the steelbook or the 4K slipcover, you can’t go wrong with either copy of “The Departed.”  It also comes with a digital copy of the film. It has a running time of 151 minutes and is rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material.

Video Info: This is a gritty looking 4K that is able to keep the dark and moody look of Boston and its seedy characters alive while also cleaning up the dirt and artifacts to make it look sharp and vivid.  This is a solid 4K transfer. The HDR is a big improvement from the Blu-ray.

Audio Info:  I would have liked a Dolby Atmos soundtrack on this 4K release, but as it stands, this is still a powerful audio transfer. At times, the music and the action scenes can be a little too loud as the dialogue is more leveled, but that’s a minor issue.

Special Features:

Guilt and Betrayal: Looking into The Departed (new)

Stranger than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie, and The Departed

Crossing Criminal Cultures

9 Deleted Scenes with introductions by Martin Scorsese

Should You Buy It?

When great films, Academy Award winning films at that, are available on 4K, you have to buy and add them to your collection, if you are a film collector.  It is the only way studios are going to keep releasing these films on physical media. Now, more than ever, with more and more brick-and-mortar stores getting rid of physical media altogether, we have to purchase these films and add them to our collection.  “The Departed” looks really, really sharp on 4K.  There are the previously released special features from the Blu-ray along with a new special feature as well. This is a great film from the legendary Martin Scorsese being released in the best format possible to watch movies.  This is a no-brainer in my book.  You can’t go wrong with either the steelbook or the slipcover version of this film on 4K. This 4K of “The Departed” comes highly recommended!

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

Underseen Movie: ‘Thanks for Sharing’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

WRITER’S NOTE: This review was written back in 2012, and I was reminded of this film when I recently interviewed the writer/director and stars of the 2024 film “Sweet Dreams.”

There are many who see support groups (or 12-step groups if you want to call them that). The truth, however, is that those who attend them are not any different from the rest of us, and they can at times be very funny. At the very least, these people deserve credit and applause for taking the time to get the help they need because asking for help is usually one of the hardest things to do.

“Thanks for Sharing” is one of the few movies I have seen which deals with these groups and the people who attend them. While it does take the subject of addiction seriously, it also finds a good balance between drama and comedy to where we find ourselves laughing with these characters and never at them.

This movie focuses on three men who attend the same Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting: Adam (Mark Ruffalo), Mike (Tim Robbins) and Neil (Josh Gad). Adam is an over-achieving environmental consultant who is celebrating his fifth year of sobriety. Mike is a happily married man who is kind of the elder statesman of the support group these men attend. And then there’s Neil, an emergency room doctor who is in serious denial over his addictions to where he gets in serious trouble with the law. I like how we are given characters who are at different stages of dealing with this addiction to where it gives you a good idea of why people come to these groups in the first place.

Adam is at a good place as he has really cleaned up his act and is coping with life really well. He takes great pains to keep himself on the right track by taking such measures as removing television sets from his hotel rooms so he won’t find himself watching anything pornographic. But then he meets the irresistibly beautiful Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow) while at a party where people are eating bugs (don’t ask), and the two are instantly attracted to one another. While Adam is eager to be in a relationship with her, he is not altogether sure he is ready to fall in love again after all he has accomplished. He is trying to keep his demons at bay, but it becomes much harder for him to do so.

Mike has been in recovery the longest, and he appears to have a great relationship with his wife, Katie (Joely Richardson). Things between them, however, change very quickly when his son Danny (Patrick Fugit) turns out to have some serious addiction problems of his own. Katie is thrilled to see Danny, but Mike is not sure he can trust him after all they have been through. In the process, we come to see that Mike, despite his well-earned sobriety, still has some major control issues he has yet to make peace with.

As for Neil, he has gotten himself into a painful situation when he stands uncomfortably close to a very attractive woman while riding on the subway. From there, things come to a head for him when he loses his job under embarrassing circumstances, and this finally makes him realize he needs help. Neil eventually finds solace through another recovering addict, Dede (Alecia Moore, better known as Pink), who is just starting to deal with her personal demons as well.

I am always yearning for movies which have down to earth characters, and “Thanks for Sharing” is definitely one of them. All of what everyone goes through feels very real, and nothing ever felt contrived to me. Granted, the storyline involving Robbins’ character is one we have seen many times before, but the acting between him, Fugit and Richardson are so good to where we can forgive the filmmakers for venturing into familiar territory. It really is a shame how most Hollywood movies do not dare give us more characters we can relate to on a human level. If they did, it would make most movies far more enjoyable and invigorating as a result.

“Thanks for Sharing” was directed and co-written by Stuart Blumberg, one of the writers of “The Kids Are All Right.” Finding a balance between comedy and drama can be very hard to pull off, but Blumberg is successful in doing so for the most part. He also shows a lot of love for each character here, and not just the ones who in recovery.

Mark Ruffalo remains one of the best and most naturalistic actors working today. As Adam, I never caught him acting once, and his chemistry with Paltrow is very strong. Ruffalo makes Adam a very likable guy as he struggles to not fall back into his old habits, and he makes you see how much of a challenge this is for him.

As for Paltrow, this is the most relaxed she has been onscreen in some time. While she was a blast to watch in “Iron Man 3,” she seems more in her element here as she portrays a character who is not an addict, but one who needs to face up to the issues slowly eating away at her. Watching her in “Thanks for Sharing” reminded me of just how wonderful she can be when she is given the right role.

Robbins remains as terrific an actor as ever, and I am always enthralled when I watch him in anything he does. His character of Mike seems like the typical father who has lost trust with those he should be the closest to, but he imbues this character with a lot of humanity to where he never seems like a simple caricature. His scenes with Fugit, who we have not seen enough of since “Almost Famous,” feel emotionally true, and their relationship feels authentic when it could have come across as ridiculously manipulative.

At this point, I am not familiar with Gad’s work other than him appearing in the acclaimed musical “The Book of Mormon.” Gad has the trickiest role here as he is this movie’s comic relief, but he never plays Neil for simple laughs. We are watching Neil as he is at the start of his recovery, and it isa rough start to say the least. Gad makes you root for Neil even as he does some of the dumbest and most reckless things anyone would ever have the nerve to do.

But there is no forgetting Alecia Moore, a.k.a. Pink, who gives an impressive performance as an addict who was pushed into this particular support group by a friend. Her character of Dede ends up forming a strong rapport with Neil, and they find in each other the strength they need to move past what is destroying their lives to where they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. From start to finish, she really understands this character very well, and I could see it in her eyes. Like Ruffalo, you never catch her acting here as she grounds her character in a reality which is not all removed from our own.

I liked how “Thanks for Sharing” showed how these support groups can become another addiction as its members begin to spend more time with others instead of their own families. While these characters have made great strides in conquering their demons, they still struggle with their urges every single day. Truth be told, it takes a lot of courage to face up to the things which are tearing your life apart, and long before this movie is over, you realize these addicts are not weak but strong.

The one thing I would have liked to see more of is how the family members deal with their loved ones’ addictions. My understanding is that they can only be so involved in what an addict goes through as they can never fully comprehend how dangerous their addictions can be unless they have experienced the same thing themselves. There is a scene between Paltrow and Richardson which addresses this divide, but I would have liked to see this movie go a little bit deeper in this area.

But when all is said and done, “Thanks for Sharing” fulfilled my need to see a motion picture with characters which we can recognize in our own lives. With all these superhero movies coming at us endlessly, it is important to remember we will never be perfect and cannot be everybody’s everything. It would be nice to be a superhero though, wouldn’t it? Lord knows we could use a couple of them right now. Anyway, I think this movie is definitely worth checking out.

* * * ½ out of * * * *

Terrence Malick’s ‘To the Wonder’ – Meandering but Still Unforgettably Beautiful

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Terrence Malick’s “To the Wonder” is, in many ways, a mixed bag of a film. Not all of its parts go together in a way which feels entirely cohesive. It focuses on a couple played by Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko who fall in love and come to America to start a new life, but they eventually find themselves falling out of love, and they constantly struggle to understand how something so wonderful can go so awry. And then we have Father Quintana (Javier Bardem), a Catholic priest who is struggling to keep his faith even as he feels the presence of God eluding him at a time when he is desperate to believe in an afterlife. The balancing act between these characters is wobbly at best, but Malick still gives us many beautiful and wondrous images which are very powerful, and these images quickly remind me of how brilliant he is at capturing nature on film.

“To the Wonder” starts off in Europe where Marina (Kurylenko) finds herself completely enamored by her American boyfriend, Neil (Affleck), as they take a tour around town. Along with them is Marina’s daughter, Tatiana (Tatiana Chiline), who is thrilled when Neil asks her if she and her mom would like to move with him to the United States to live. After briefly viewing the European sights, the film then heads over to Neil’s home state of Oklahoma where the flatlands appear to stretch out as far as the eye can see. Heck, it almost looks like hardly anybody lives there, so it is a huge relief when we see t Neil and Marina actually have neighbors.

As with “The Tree of Life,” “To the Wonder” functions mostly as a silent film as the majority of the dialogue we hear is as a voiceover. Malick is far more interested in the inner thoughts of his characters than anything else as they struggle with the things they want and which are constantly outside of their grasp. We feel their passion for one another, and we also feel their pain and disappointment when their love eventually fades away.

Having read up on Malick as a filmmaker and as a person, it is clear to me how this film and “The Tree of Life” are his most autobiographical works overall. What the characters go through is not much different from what he has experienced in his own life, and with these films, it looks as though he is still trying to pick up the pieces of what went wrong.

Kurylenko first came to my attention in “Quantum of Solace,” and she has made the most of being a Bond woman as her performance here shows. It is thrilling to watch her dancing around the streets of Europe as well as in a corporate drug store which typically sucks the life out of everyone who shops at one. In many ways, Kurylenko is the best thing about this film as she takes us through Marina’s transcendent highs and her emotionally draining lows with complete conviction throughout.

Back in 20123, people had serious issues with Affleck as an actor, and this is even after his film “Argo” won the Academy Award for Best Picture. I myself have never had any issues with his acting abilities, and he gives a strong, understated performance as Neil, and it is never his fault we come to know less about this character than the others we are introduced to here. I really wish Malick had given Neil as much attention as he did to Marina as this would have made Neil’s journey in this story all the more illuminating. Nonetheless, Affleck is still very good in here.

Rachel McAdams is inescapably luminous as Jane; a childhood sweetheart of Neil’s who shows up after Marina has gone away. Malick makes Jane look beyond beautiful as he frames her against fields of wheat, and it is emotionally draining to watch Jane bear her soul to Neil and try to melt his heart in the process. McAdams ends up disappearing from “To the Wonder” a little bit too soon, but she is a vision to watch throughout.

Bardem’s character of Father Quintana at first feels a little out of place as much of the focus seems to be on the relationship between Marina and Neil, but his presence makes more sense as this film goes on. With this character, Malick seems to be saying how our loss of love for one another may have to do with our relationship to God, or lack thereof. Bardem does some of his subtlest work as he portrays a man struggling to hold onto whatever faith he has left, and it results in some of this film’s most emotionally draining scenes.

When we watch Quintana visit the sick, the elderly and the dying, I found myself being reduced to tears as these moments ring so emotionally true in a way I would rather not realize as death is becoming all too common for me to deal with. Plus, Malick just had to use Henryk Górecki’s third symphony entitled the “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” which Peter Weir used to such great effect in “Fearless.” It remains a piece of music which is as beautiful as it is infinitely sad, and it always reduces me to a weeping wreck whenever I listen to it. I also have to admit I was very angry at Malick for using this piece of music here as it felt so unfair that he reduced me to a complete wreck in an inescapably manipulative way. Then again, I was in the midst of a very deep depression at the time, so that did not help matters.

But as mournful as “To the Wonder” is, there are still many beautiful moments to watch for as Malick remains a master of capturing the unpredictability of nature and animals on film. This includes moments like when Affleck and McAdams are suddenly surrounded by more buffalo than Kevin Costner dealt with in “Dances with Wolves,” the sunlight piercing through the colored glass in a church, or watching Kurylenko walking across the beach as the water covers the sand. These are moments which still will not fade away from my memory anytime soon. Working again with his “Tree of Life” cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, Malick still captures moments of visual poetry in ways few other filmmakers can ever hope to equal.

It is those incredible visual moments which make me want to forgive how meandering “To the Wonder” is as it unfolds before us. I have learned Malick actually shot this movie without a screenplay, and this made me wonder how the actors dealt with this style of filmmaking. Considering that Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz, Amanda Peet, Barry Pepper and Michael Sheen all had roles in this film which were eventually removed from the final cut has me believing there was a whole lot more to this film than what ended up onscreen. While “The Tree of Life” had several different story lines going on, Malick was able to rein them all in to where everything seemed to fit perfectly. With “To the Wonder,” he has a little too much going on, and the film ends up losing focus more often than it does not.

Still, if you are willing to tolerate those flaws, “To the Wonder” is still a profound experience filled with great performances and beautiful images which will stay with you long after this film has concluded. I really wish the audience I saw it with all those years ago felt the same way I did. I bring this up as one audience member remarked at how the lives of these characters proved to be far more boring than anyone else’s. Well hell, some people enjoy the simple pleasures in life more than others, but many are still insistent about how theirs are better than the average human being, and that is even though there is plenty of evidence to prove otherwise.

Seriously, it seems very fitting that “To the Wonder” was the last film Roger Ebert reviewed and gave to the Chicago Sun Times before he passed away in April of 2013. Rest in peace, Roger.

* * * out of * * * *

‘Contagion’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

Some of my favorite films are the ones which stick in my brain long after the credits have rolled. They make me uncomfortable, get under my skin, and make me anxious.  You might wonder why someone would want out of such a moviegoing experience, but I believe the best films really challenge and require something out of the viewer. I have seen “Contagion” three times now. I saw it during its theatrical run in 2011, re-watched it on Blu-ray during the height of the pandemic in 2020, and I watched it again recently on 4K. Every single time I’ve watched it, I’ve been utterly engrossed in it, even though I know all of the beats and how it’s going to play out. If anything, I gain something extra from this film because of how much it ended up being pretty damn accurate.

“Contagion” opens by introducing us to Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow), an executive returning home to her husband and son after a trip to Hong Kong. Upon returning home, she has a seizure and dies in the hospital, which leaves her husband, Mitch (Matt Damon), with plenty of questions but no answers.  It becomes even more agonizing for Mitch when his stepson passes away shortly after his wife.  He is wondering what she came down with, how it was transmitted, and if he is at-risk for it along with his daughter. His whole world has been turned upside down, and he’s constantly on edge, angry, and making sure he’s doing his due diligence to stay safe.

The story then shows us Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne), who works for the CDC, and he’s looking to trace the root of this problem.  Is it something people should be concerned about or is it an isolated incident? He brings in Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) from the Epidemic Intelligence Service, to talk to anyone and everyone who was in contact with Beth.  She is going to look anywhere and everywhere for a connection to what might have happened to Beth. She also wants to find out if anyone else is in danger of catching what Beth had as well.

It doesn’t take long for panic and hysteria to take over when the death toll is increasing every day.  It’s becoming a dog-eat-dog world out there, and people are willing to do whatever it takes to not only survive, but to protect their loved ones as well.  They are not afraid to take extreme measures if they need to, as they don’t want to be another victim of this deadly virus which, in the film, is called the MEV-1. Dr. Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle), meanwhile, is working around the clock to come up with a vaccine to treat this disease.

There is also a conspiracy theorist named Alan Krumwiede with a very popular blog, and he’s played by Jude Law. Alan is brainwashing his website visitors to try Forsythia, which he believes will cure this disease.  This creates two problems: one, people begin to look at Forsythia as a miracle cure and when the pharmacies run out of it, people start to loot and destroy them. The second problem is that people are now hesitant to take the vaccine, which will actually save lives and help stop the spread of MEV-1.  He’s looking out for his own personal gain and profit, but during times of panic, people will believe anything they read on the Internet.

There is also a storyline involving Dr. Leonora Orantes, a WHO epidemiologist, played by Marion Cotillard, who is looking through countless footage of Beth in order to determine the sequence of events in which she contracted the illness and whom she might have inflicted as well. Leonora is in Hong Kong doing this, and because they are worried about how their village will survive, they kidnap her in order to make sure they have access to the vaccine when it’s released.  They don’t want to hurt Leonora, and she is not scared for her life, as she just wants to help them. As stated previously, desperate times call for desperate measures. When it’s a matter of life and death, you never know what you are capable of doing as a human being.

The only issue I had with “Contagion” and why I couldn’t give it the full four stars is the fact that some stories are more interesting than others and, at times, the plot can be a little bloated.  There are some tremendous performances in the film, especially from Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard. Director Steven Soderbergh gives his actors plenty of space and freedom to show off their considerable acting chops. When the film is firing on all cylinders, it’s truly engrossing and engaging. It’s pretty easy to follow as well, even when they are using scientific terms which might not be as common or familiar to someone like myself.

“Contagion” an ambitious film, and for 80% of its running time, it’s a great movie.  The other 20% is a bit of a slog and can be a little over-stuffed plot-wise. Overall, though, it is a really, really good movie which features some of the biggest names in Hollywood on screen together.  It’s a dark, moody, and tense film that is relentless when the pressure is turned up. I will say this: every single time I’ve watched “Contagion,” I’ve enjoyed it even more and gained something new from it and an even greater appreciation for what it achieved on camera. This is a powerful piece of cinema, and it is a film that will always leave an impact because of what happened to the world in 2020.

I’ll end my review by saying this: I’m not an expert on Covid-19 and the pandemic, but this film foreshadowed a lot of what happened in 2020; from social distancing, handwashing, conspiracy theorists, vaccines and the ability to access to them, and what human beings are capable of doing when they are pushed to the brink of life or death.  For a lot of people, they probably want to put 2020 in the rearview mirror and not watch a movie which focuses on things that were difficult or challenging for the world.  I, on the other hand, find it therapeutic and cathartic to watch a movie like this, as it’s a way for me to deal with what happened in my own way. 

* * * ½ out of * * * *

4K Info: “Contagion” is released on a single disc 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It has a running-time of 106 minutes and is rated PG-13 for disturbing content and some language.  It also comes with a digital copy of the film.

Video Info: The minute I popped this movie into my 4K player, I was instantly transfixed by the picture quality.  It was a huge upgrade from the Blu-ray which I previously owned. The film has a dark and brooding look to it with green and blue hues. According to the press release, this was sourced from the original camera negative and the remastering was overseen by Soderbergh. This is exactly what you are looking for when you buy a 4K. You want it to come from the original camera negative and have it looked over by the director.  This is a beautiful 4K and the HDR is incredibly crisp and clear.

Audio Info:  There is also a Dolby Atmos soundtrack here, so this is a win-win for film collectors out there.  The music was composed by Cliff Martinez, who has worked on some of my favorite film scores, such as “Spring Breakers,” “Pump Up the Volume” and “Drive.”  He’s collaborated quite a bit in his career with Soderbergh. This movie does not work as effectively without this mesmerizing score.

 Special Features:

The Reality of Contagion – Featurette

The Contagion Detectives – Featurette

Contagion – How a Virus Changes the World –Featurette

Should You Buy It?

I was so happy to be able to review “Contagion” on 4K and check it out. I recently reviewed “Wonka,” which I thought was an incredible 4K, but this one is even better, considering the improvements they made on the transfer. It still has the same gritty and dirty look to it while also providing an improved picture quality at the same time. The film itself is very close to being a masterpiece. I was very close to giving it four stars, but I had to deduct half a star because of a few issues, which I mentioned in my review. Still, with that being said, “Contagion” comes highly recommended. As physical media shifts to mostly online retailers, it is our duty to support 4K releases of films like “Contagion.”  Why? Because it encourages Warner Brothers and other studios to go into their archives and upgrade other great movies as well.  At the end of the day, they will do their part if we show them there is a legitimate market for physical discs.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

An Ultimate Rabbit Video Review: ‘Thanksgiving’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

So here I am with another video review of a recent movie release. This time it is for Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving,” a movie which was promised to us ever since Roth made his fake “Thanksgiving” trailer for 2007’s “Grindhouse.” But while that trailer came across as a send-up and satire of the many slasher films we grew up with over the years, this one is more of a reboot of what came before. It also comes with quite the cast of actors which includes Patrick Dempsey (recently crowned People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive), Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae and Milo Manheim to name a few. Furthermore, it proves to be far more well-produced and directed than the average slasher flick to where it becomes clear this one has a much higher budget what filmmakers would usually expect on a shoot like this.

What results here is a horror movie which is not about to redefine the genre in any way, shape or form, but instead one which acts as a love letter to those Roth and company grew up on like “Halloween,” “Silent Night Deadly Night,” “New Year’s Evil” and “April Fool’s Day” to name a few. I found “Thanksgiving” to be a complete blast as it featured a number of truly suspenseful and scary moments, and I found myself laughing harder here than at any other movie released in 2023. While Eli Roth’s output as a director has been mixed at best, this film reminds you he is a better filmmaker than we tend to give him credit for. From start to finish, I could say everyone in front of and behind the camera put a lot of love into this project, and they must have had the time of their lives making it.

Please check out my video review below, and you can also check out both the real trailer for “Thanksgiving” and the fake one Roth created for “Grindhouse.”

‘The Artist’ – Best Picture Winner at the 84th Academy Awards

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Believe it or not, “The Artist” is only the second silent film in cinematic history to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The first was “Wings” which itself was the first film to win this particular award. I figured there were several other silent films which took home this award, but I guess the Oscars came about as the movie business was quickly transitioning to what was once called “talkies” when these awards began.

Looking back at “The Artist,” I have to admit it was nice to see a filmmaker reach back to a time when the movie industry was in its infancy, just like what Martin Scorsese did with “Hugo.” But while “The Artist” does not quite reach the same level of greatness that “Hugo” did, it still proves to be a compelling motion picture with great performances, a powerful story, and it serves as a reminder of how great black and white can be for certain motion pictures.

The story told here is one which has been told a million times before. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent film star who sees his great career suddenly crash to the ground when sound is introduced into motion pictures. George initially resists this change, feeling that it is a fad which will pass by quickly before anyone knows it. Of course, we all know this is not going to be the case as change is in the air and there is no stopping it.

As George finds his career ruined by this advancement in film and technology, another actress he once befriended named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) embraces this technological change and sees her star rise to the heavens as a result. She has gotten great and truly genuine advice from George in how to make her mark as an actress, and she forever holds a special place in her heart for him. So, it comes to deeply hurt her seeing his career fall apart after what he has done for her, and then we see things for him get even more difficult with the 1929 stock-market crash. Will Peppy save George and help him make a comeback?

That the plot of “The Artist” is such an old one ended up taking away from the overall experience for me a bit as I knew where it was heading and that everything would eventually be alright. All I could hope for was that the director and actors would keep things interesting so that I was not thinking about the outcome too much. This is where this movie succeeds because the performances are so rich and the direction is nothing short of excellent to where I was caught up in the moment to where I started watching and stopped thinking so much.

Jean Dujardin looks like he walked right out of a 1920’s silent film here, and he was clearly born to play George Valentin. In doing a movie within a movie, he manages to balance out both Valentin the star and Valentin the man. Much of the acting in silent films involved a lot of mugging, and its great fun to watch Dujardin getting ready to shoot a scene as he makes clear how much he is playing for the camera. But when Valentin is not making a movie, Dujardin’s performance becomes all the more remarkable as he expresses emotions he is not in a position to verbalize onscreen or off of it.

This is the thing about screen acting; the most powerful moments in a movie can come from just one look from an actor. Being able to make clear what a character is thinking without saying it out loud is the biggest challenge, and the actors in “The Artist” have to work even harder because words will not save them, especially even when certain dialogue is put on the screen for all to see. That they do succeed in drawing us in emotionally with little in the way of sound or dialogue is a true testament to their talents.

Matching Dujardin scene for scene is Bejo who plays rising film star Peppy Miller. She is a joy to behold and an infinitely appealing presence here, and that smile of hers lit up my heart in a way few things can. Seeing Peppy rise to the level of a movie star is endless fun, but Bejo also keeps her a likable character even when success threatens to spoil her rotten. This made me like Peppy all the more as a result.

There is a slew of other great performances to be found in “The Artist” which does not have a weak one to be found in its entire cast. John Goodman looks like he’s having a marvelous time channeling his “Matinee” character for the role of studio boss Al Zimmer. James Cromwell is very touching as Valentin’s loyal butler Clifton as he becomes the conscience this fallen movie star needs to hear out. It is also great to see Penelope Ann Miller here as Valentin’s wife, Doris, a character who does not seem to be the least bit satisfied with this marriage.

But the one who upstages everyone here is Uggie who portrays George’s ever so faithful Jack Russell terrier named Jack. Uggie reminded me of Mike the Dog who stole many scenes in “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” from his human co-stars and, like Mike, he becomes as big a character as everyone else here. That he is able to convey certain emotions to where he gets a police officer to save his owner from certain death is amazing. His performance topped off what had been a great year for dogs at the movies along with another named “Beginners.” Isn’t it about time the Academy Awards gave animals special Oscars for their work onscreen?

Director Michel Hazanavicius stays very true to the way silent films were shot back in the day, and his extensive research of them certainly shows from start to finish. He makes “The Artist” look like it really came from the 1920’s as he transports you back in time to this specific cinematic period. He is also served well by a beautiful film score by Ludovic Bource which heightens the already strong emotions to great effect, and by cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman who gives “The Artist” a striking look which does not betray any of today’s technological advances which could have been used here.

Having said all this, “The Artist” would not have been my choice for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Awards (my pick was “The Tree of Life”). Plus, with such a familiar story, it feels like we are getting hit here by a case of deja vu. Regardless, it is still a fantastic piece of filmmaking which you owe it to yourself to watch if you have not already. Along with “Hugo,” many may look at 2011 as the year movies reached back in time to remind us of what a magical experience they were when they first came to exist.

* * * ½ out of * * * *