Peter Andrews

‘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.

‘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.

‘The Informant!’ Puts a Comedic Spin on an Insanely True Story

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The Informant movie poster

“This film is based on real events, but not everything you’ll see is real, some are a fabrication. So there!”

-opening disclaimer

“The Informant!” is not just your typical corporate corruption film in which the main characters are on a mission to uncover the truth and expose wrongdoings. The movie is really about getting to the truth of who Mark Whitacre is. As the film goes on, we find he is not only being dishonest to everyone around him, but also to himself. Whitacre ends up being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder which makes clear how far his mental health has unraveled. Soderbergh gets us to trust Whitacre along with Damon, and the rest of the movie involves us getting deeper into his psyche. Whitacre doesn’t just deceive his employees, he deceives the audience watching this movie as well.

Much has been said about how Damon went all Robert De Niro (or Daniel Day Lewis or Christian Bale) on this role by putting on 30 pounds and a mustache to play Whitacre. But he more than succeeds in bringing an everyman quality to this role which is not at all easy with a star like him, known for his good looks (the term actor fits him better anyway). It certainly sets his character apart from Jason Bourne, who Whitacre is clearly not like (he does liken himself to James Bond though). Damon has never been given a role like this before, and it should be considered further proof he is a better actor than many give him credit for.

Soderbergh’s decision to give “The Informant!” a comic tone is an interesting choice, and it is a reminder of how he is still one of the most unpredictable filmmakers working today. Earlier in 2009 he gave us one of his indie film experiments, “The Girlfriend Experience,” which starred Sasha Grey. While this one was done on a bigger budget, my understanding is he shot it almost as fast (30 days to be exact) perhaps because the studio wasn’t sure if people would see it or not. Looking more closely at the script, this could have been Soderbergh’s “Michael Clayton,” but he had taken this story, the kind we see in the papers every day, and made it into something a little different. While the tone is a bit inconsistent throughout, and you are not sure of how amusing the film is meant to be, that may be the whole point of this cinematic endeavor.

The humor throughout is very dry, and it sticks in your throat for good reason. Whereas everyone here looks like they are having a blast with the material, you have to remind yourself once in a while that “The Informant!” is, yes, “based on a true story” and that Whitacre’s conviction gave him a prison sentence three times longer than those he exposed. This may be one of those movies designed to thwart expectations as it has been promoted and advertised as a full out comedy. Still, it is not meant to be a laugh a minute comedy like “Airplane!”

When all is said and done, “The Informant!” really belongs to Damon as much as it does to Soderbergh. As Whitacre, Damon never looks like he is just acting or simply doing an impersonation. This is also clearly not a performance that stopped at the physical appearance, but one which really gets into the inner trappings of this bio-chemist’s mind. From start to finish, we keep hearing Damon’s narration about the little things he knows and what he makes of the people around him. I somehow figured this would all lead to a big realization at the film’s climax, but it really illustrates the deteriorating state of Whitacre’s mind. Damon actually makes you empathize with this man even while he comes across as a Bernie Madoff in training.

I also have to say that for the life of me, I cannot remember the last time there was a character which inspired so many dead or befuddled stares from other people. It’s like every single character he comes into contact with has at least two or three moments where they look at Whitacre with their jaws dropping all the way to the floor. Have you ever seen another movie where so many characters look like they are about to say, “Excuse me? Would you mind repeating that? YOU WHAT??!!”

The two actors who end up giving Whitacre the most dubious glares throughout “The Informant!” are Scott Bakula and Joel McHale. Both play off of Damon perfectly, and their expressions mirror our own as we come to discover the secrets of Whitacre’s ways at the same time they do. Bakula gives us a coolly collected FBI agent instead of the intense and easily aggravated ones we see in these movies. But not to worry, he does lose his temper eventually. McHale proves to be even drier here than Bakula, and at the movie’s end, he still cannot figure out if Whitacre has been completely on the level with him. Then again, Whitacre probably can’t figure that out either. Someone once said if you believe in a lie so much, it eventually becomes the truth, and this proves to be Whitacre’s biggest affliction.

The seriousness of the story is offset by the wonderfully breezy music score by Marvin Hamlisch which treats the goings on as a bizarre farce that goes further out of the hand than anyone could have imagined…and then it gets even more bizarre from there. Even as the situation becomes increasingly serious with the walls closing in on Whitacre, Hamlisch’s score remains surprisingly upbeat throughout. Along with the retro opening credits, it’s almost like Soderbergh was trying to give the film a 1970’s look even though it takes place in the 1990’s.

So, while it’s not quite a great movie, “The Informant!” does have a lot going for it, and it is very inventive in how it presents this morally corrupted yet well-meaning character. While Whitacre may think he’s like Tom Cruise’s character in “The Firm,” he is nowhere as lucky as him. Perhaps a more dramatic motion picture could have been made about this man’s life, but none would be anywhere as entertaining as Soderbergh’s.

SO THERE!

* * * ½ out of * * * *

‘Ocean’s Thirteen’ is a Better Than Expected Sequel

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Oceans Thirteen movie poster

“Ocean’s Thirteen” was one of the few threequels from 2007 which really delivered without any frustration, and I was relieved how it did not suffer from an overabundance of plot and characters. True, the story and twists in plot are a bit hard to follow at times, but this was also the case in the last two movies in this trilogy, so why should this one be any different? This is a movie which invites you to sit back and relax and to have some fun, and for me it delivered.

The gang is back with the exception of Julia Roberts who was in the previous two movies, and Catherine Zeta-Jones who appeared in the last one. It’s just as well because there really is not much they could do here. They would have been wasted in bit parts which would not have required much from their presence. As George Clooney and Brad Pitt point out at the beginning in regards to the characters Roberts and Jones played, “IT’S NOT THEIR FIGHT!”

This one starts off with their friend Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould) in the hospital where he is recovering from a nasty heart attack. This was brought on when he got screwed out of a partnership by the devious Willie Bank (Al Pacino) who is legendary in Las Vegas for stabbing everyone who ever worked for them in the back without any remorse. None of Ocean’s gang is happy about this, and they quickly begin to plot their revenge against him. Their plan is to essentially bankrupt Willie on the opening night of his new casino, and whether or not they win is irrelevant as long as he loses big time.

Clooney and Pitt are as cool as ever in returning to Las Vegas, the scene of their insidiously clever crime from the first movie. They never miss a beat as their confidence remains unbreakable while they attempt to screw over Pacino’s character. Matt Damon is great as always as Linus, the guy who always wants to put more into the plan, and he remains convinced of how he can pull it off if those around him would just give him a chance. However, I could easily spot who his character’s father was from a mile away. Don Cheadle has some great scene stealing moments as Basher Tarr, especially when he tries to divert Pacino’s attention in one key scene.

Pacino has been ridiculed for some time now as he is constantly accused of giving the same bombastic performance over and over again. Ever since his Oscar winning turn in “Scent of a Woman,” people keep saying he overplays every role given to him, and while there is a lot of evidence to this fact, I don’t think it’s always the case (“Donnie Brasco” anybody?). He succeeds in underplaying his role here, and his usual bombast is not on display as much. He has a quiet menace in some scenes which really works, and Clooney plays off of it very effectively to where they both generate some good chuckles along the way.

It’s also great to see Ellen Barkin again and reuniting with her “Sea of Love” co-star Pacino as his chief assistant, Abigail Sponder. She still looks very hot, and it’s nice to see her acting again instead of hearing about all those divorce stories between her and her millionaire ex-husband. She is a lot of fun to watch here, and there is a great moment where she ends up getting seduced by Matt Damon’s character, and the way she plays her inevitable seduction is both hilarious and quite believable.

Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould return as well to the Ocean’s franchise, and their presence is very welcome. Hollywood is as always obsessed with youth, so it’s nice to see two older guys still being allowed to make their mark in a big Hollywood movie like this. And I don’t want to leave out Shaobo Qin who plays Yen. Qin gets more to do here than he has in the other Ocean’s movies, and his acrobatic skills come into focus when he has to make his way across a very unpredictable elevator system.

Andy Garcia is also back as Terry Benedict, and the Ocean crew is forced to partner with him in order to complete their revenge against Pacino’s character. How Garcia’s character gets done in is too good to spoil here, and it results in one of this sequel’s most inspired moments.

Steven Soderbergh, or Peter Andrews if you really want to call him that, keeps the coolness factor up and running, and he provides us with what this movie is supposed to give, a good time at the movies. With a movie like this, you can’t ask for much more. This must serve as a vacation for Soderbergh from all his more serious movies like “Traffic” and “The Good German,” and it is always great to see him jumping from one genre to another.

Whereas a lot of sequels have underwhelmed mostly because of constant overhyping, this one is smart enough not to fall victim to that. I was always surprised when I heard they were going to do a sequel to “Ocean’s Eleven,” and then another sequel after “Ocean’s Twelve.” Each one delivered for me, and this one does as well.

* * * out of * * * *

 

‘The Girlfriend Experience’ has Sasha Grey Teaming up with Steven Soderbergh

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The Girlfriend Experience movie poster

“The Girlfriend Experience” represents one of Steven Soderbergh’s more experimental films as well as the occasional escape he gets from mainstream filmmaking. Like “Bubble,” he shot it with a very low budget and a relatively inexpensive camera, and he cast actors in it with no previous experience. There is, however, one exception to this, and that is Sasha Grey. Known to people, though they probably wouldn’t openly admit it, as one of the biggest stars in pornography films, she gives the term “Grey’s Anatomy” a whole new meaning. Her being cast in the lead role should show just how big of a breakthrough the world of pornography has made into the mainstream media, something which can no longer be denied.

This movie takes place a month or so before the 2008 Presidential election between Obama and McCain. Sasha plays Christine, a high-priced escort who goes by the alias of Chelsea, as she services the rich commodities brokers of New York. Sex does play a part in her job, but this is not the only thing she provides. Chelsea gives herself over to you as your girlfriend for the evening; one who will listen to your problems over a dinner at a nice restaurant, and she is there for you when the reality of life hits you too hard, or if your wife and kids are giving you too much to deal with. Basically, she is selling companionship as a commodity, and she has become independently wealthy because of it. Throughout the movie, she seems to have a disconnect between what she does, and the life she has outside of it. But as the story goes on, you will see this façade take quite a beating.

Sasha’s life outside of being an escort includes having a boyfriend who works as personal trainer at gyms. He is played by Chris Santos, and his relationship with Sasha is a stable one. While their chosen professions differ from one another, they are essentially the same; they sell their services for a price and try to remain independent while running their individual businesses their own way. Chris and Sasha are, to put it bluntly, pimping themselves for a price, except Sasha is getting a better price for her services. Unlike others, Chris is comfortable with what Sasha does for a living, assuming it remains in certain parameters the two of them have set for one another.

“The Girlfriend Experience” is really not about sex, and there is no simulated or non-simulated sex to be found here. Those looking for the typical Sasha Grey experience need to be made fully aware of this before they sit down to watch this film. She does have one nice full-frontal scene near the beginning of the film, but it is hardly titillating in the way you would expect. What this movie is really about is the practice of buying and selling certain commodities, and of how even the feel of loving companionship has become an ever-growing business. The question presented to us is, are we so drained of feeling and morality that we feel more comfortable buying companionship than we are in obtaining it naturally? Furthermore, what if the line between what you do for a living and what you do outside of it becomes blurred? Can you remain objective in such a situation?

Soderbergh gives the movie a non-linear approach as the movie shifts back and forth in time, and we see the characters in different emotional states. This will undoubtedly annoy many who are so used to watching movies where everything is shown in chronological order. I, on the other hand, welcome this approach because it is always refreshing to see any filmmaker challenge the medium especially when movies these are mostly about tried and true formulas. This method makes this movie seem more unpredictable in regards to what will happen next, and it also gives the audience a somewhat alienating feeling which forces us to view these characters from a clinical distance. “The Girlfriend Experience” doesn’t want us to feel like we are in the same room with these characters. Instead, it wants to observe them and think about what they are going through. The movie also wants us to question if there really can be an unbreakable line between work and play. If we lose sight of this, is it even possible to bring ourselves back to where we once were?

As an actress, Sasha Grey is no Meryl Streep, but she does do good work here. Soderbergh made it clear he chose her in part because of her name value in porn films, and that is understandable. It will certainly bring a bigger audience to this film than it would have gotten if another actress played her part. Soderbergh also said he chose Grey because she is a lot like the character in that she runs her own business and is her own agent; she runs herself and has no one managing her. Indeed, looking at Grey’s career overall, it’s hard to think of another actress, let alone a more accomplished one, who could have been more believable here. In many ways, Grey is Chelsea, and she may even be the first to admit this.

Shooting this movie with a digital camera, Soderbergh makes it clear “The Girlfriend Experience” takes place in the real world and not some fictional one. The Elliott Spitzer scandal which came about because of his dealings with escorts like Chelsea could make this film seem like a documentary. In casting people with no previous acting experience, Soderbergh succeeds in giving us characters we recognize from our daily lives. Still, he doesn’t let you get too close to them. Just as you’re about to get closer, he moves the story in another direction to where you are just as starved for feeling as the characters are.

The film’s final image, of two characters locked in an embrace, seems to define it completely. We want this closeness to another person just as much as we are frightened of it. It makes us wonder if it is possible to achieve it without having to pay a price for it. The movie does not lay judgment on escort services or other forms of prostitution, but simply acknowledges how one of the oldest professions in the world still plays a significant part in our world whether we admit it or not. It has since evolved to another level where it is being offered for more than just a quickie in a motel.

“The Girlfriend Experience” is one of Soderbergh’s more interesting films of the past few years. It runs at a scant 77 minutes, but it feels longer as there is much to take in. Many will say he owes us a movie this short after splitting his previous movie, “Che,” into two. It’s not quite a great movie, but it is very good and willing to take chances other movies in 2009 have not. It will be interesting to see where Grey’s career will go from here. Porn actors and actresses rarely, if ever, make a break into mainstream films because of the stigma attached to their profession. But even those who consider themselves “morally superior” to pornography are probably bigger fans of it than they will ever admit. It all plays a big part in our lives, probably on more of an unconscious level more than anything else.

Of course, it will become a very lonely world if the only way we can get intimacy is to pay a high price for it.

* * * ½ out of * * * *

‘Logan Lucky’ Rescues Steven Soderbergh From His Unintended Retirement

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Logan Lucky movie poster

I never really believed Steven Soderbergh was all that serious about retiring from filmmaking. Since calling it quits after “Behind the Candelabra,” he directed the Cinemax television series “The Knick,” helped Spike Jonze edit his Oscar-winning film “Her,” executive produced the television series version of “The Girlfriend Experience,” and he has even gone out of his way to recut famous movies like “Raiders of the Ark” and “Heaven’s Gate” (the latter which has been referred to as “The Butcher’s Cut”). This man has had filmmaking in his blood probably since birth, and you can’t keep a good filmmaker like him down.

Soderbergh is finally back in the world of motion pictures with “Logan Lucky,” and it’s another heist movie but one with a cast of characters nowhere as smart or as gloriously debonair as those from the “Ocean’s Eleven” movies. In fact, during a newscast we hear someone describe this gang of thieves as “Ocean’s 7-Eleven,” and this description feels more than appropriate given what we have seen.

Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) is a hard-working construction worker at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but this soon doesn’t matter as his boss is forced to terminate his employment after he is seen limping around the workplace due to an injury which ended his ever so promising football career. Jimmy is told his limp represents a “pre-existing condition,” a term which these days should be seen as the equivalent of a four-letter word. On top of this, his ex-wife Bobbie Jo (Katie Holmes) informs him she and her husband will soon be moving to Lynchburg, Tennessee which will make visiting his daughter, Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie), all the more difficult.

So, what’s an unemployed father with few prospects to do? Well, rob the race track of course. For this, he turns to his brother, the one-armed war veteran and bartender Clyde (Adam Driver), to pull off this challenging heist (is there any other kind?) without a hitch. Together they assemble a team which includes convicted safecracker and explosives expert Joe Bang (Daniel Craig), their sister Mellie (Riley Keough) who figures prominently in Sadie’s beauty pageant contest and can drive a Ford Mustang better than Bobbie Jo’s car salesman husband Moody (David Denman), and a pair of brothers, Sam (Brian Gleeson) and Fish (Jack Quaid) who are willing to participate in criminal activities as long as it doesn’t interfere with their religious beliefs.

Is “Logan Lucky” among Soderbergh’s best movies? No, but it does provide the audience with a fun time, and you can sense the director’s giddiness as he tackles the screenplay written by Rebecca Blunt with an unrestrained relish. This is familiar territory for the Oscar-winning director, but we can easily sense how inspired he felt while making this feature. There have been many heist movies and there will be many more after this one, but Soderbergh makes this one breathe as it has a lively setting and characters who could have been mere southern clichés but who are instead brought to wonderful life thanks to the actors portraying them. Soderbergh is also well-served by his frequent collaborators which include composer David Holmes, cinematographer Peter Andrews and editor Mary Ann Bernard (pay special attention to those last two names) as they help realize his vision in a way few others could.

This is one of those movies which features a big-name cast, and watching it reveals even more big names than what you may have noticed when looking at the poster. One actor I got a huge kick out of seeing here was Daniel Craig as Joe Bang represents a much-needed change of pace for the actor best known as James Bond (by the way, I’m thrilled to hear he will be playing 007 for a fifth time). Adapting an Appalachian accent which could not have been easy to pull off, Craig is an utter delight playing someone who is not the least big refined or tasteful in the clothes he chooses, or is forced, to wear. Also, seeing him deal with an explosive device he made out of household substances is especially hilarious as he has us in suspense until he doesn’t.

Adam Driver, who is quickly proving to be one of the most talented actors of his generation, is a deadpan delight as Clyde Logan as his face remains an impenetrable one incapable of showing emotions. In fact, I think he is as deadpan here as Steven Wright is in his comedy routines, and that’s saying a lot. Despite the seeming lack of emotions, Driver makes Clyde a fascinating character whose loss of an arms says more about him than he could ever say about himself.

There are many other actors worth mentioning here, but I would rather not as it might spoil the surprises you will find in this movie. I do, however, have to mention Dwight Yoakam who plays Warden Burns as this role represents something of a departure from the typical bad guys he has been known to play. Yoakam is hilarious in scenes where he tries to control a prison riot by explaining to the inmates how “Games of Thrones” show no longer follows the books it is based on. It also took me far too long to recognize Seth MacFarlane as the pretentious British businessman Max Chilblain or Sebastian Stan as NASCAR race driver Dayton White. Then again, this should testify as to what they both can get away with as actors.

“Logan Lucky” goes on a little longer than it should as various loose ends take an extensive amount of time to tie up for us to have a satisfying conclusion, but it is still a wonderfully inventive movie which represents a welcome return for a filmmaker we never wanted to see retire. While it doesn’t match up to Soderbergh’s greatest masterpieces, it does show how his enthusiasm for filmmaking is still strong even after it appeared to be burned out forever. This movie also gives me an increased appreciation for the word cauliflower as well as the music of John Denver. You may ask why, but to discover why, you have to watch this movie.

* * * out of * * * *