The Next Three Days Is Smart, Put Together Well By Art Byrd

I was hesitant about seeing The Next Three Days. The storyline follows Lara (played by Elizabeth Banks), a wife thrown in jail for a murder. Lara’s husband, played by Russell Crowe, comes up with an escape plan.

But John is just a college instructor, an ordinary guy. I wondered how they could pull off the breakout without the film leaning towards utter stupidity.

But they did. The Next Three Days is one of the smartest and sharpest movies I have seen in 2010. The movie is written and directed by Paul Haggis, who directed the Oscar winner Crash.

After exhausting all means for an appeal, Lara and John realize that she will be in prison for the rest of her life. Their young son, Luke, is having a hard time with Lara in jail.

The way John puts the breakout plan in action was very interesting. Especially when he finds out -- well into the plan -- that Lara will be moved from a county jail to a prison in three days.

First, he finds career jail escapist Damon Pennington, played in a great cameo by Liam Neeson. Pennington has become an author entertaining readers with his exploits. John learns from Damon how to observe a break-in pattern in jail security, how to flee before the city wide perimeters are set up by police, and the importance of getting passports.

John goes to the shady part of town to get passports but is beaten and robbed by street thugs. At every turn John runs into some sort of roadblock. Then his luck turns around: he gets the passports and learns how to break into a medical truck and access Lara’s medical records on the Internet. There is a great scene where John uses one of the thugs that beat him up to get money from drug dealers.

What I enjoyed was that most of the steps of the plan were explained as John was doing them.

Haggis’s use of flashbacks was crucial to the story. Did Lara do the crime or not? Throughout the film, we are not sure. Neither is John, even when Lara confronts him about her guilt or innocence.

The movie was shot in Pittsburgh. The city became part of the action with car and subway chases. 

The Next Three Days is not doing well at the box office, but the movie is smart and seems very realistic. But even more than the action, the heart of the movie is watching a husband’s willingness to do anything to believe in his wife’s innocence and to keep his family together.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Closes Book on Great Movie Series By Art Byrd

One of the hottest books of 2010 is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (TGWTDT), which was written by former journalist Stieg Larsson. He died in 2004 before the book and its sequels -- The Girl Who Played with Fire (TGWPWF) and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (TGWKTHN) -- became popular. Very popular.

The books were turned into three movies with the same titles which also are very cool. Stieg Larsson was Swedish, so the movies were made in Sweden.

Last fall, I was in Cleveland and had a chance to see TGWTDT but I went to another movie. I’ve regretted that not seeing the movie on the big screen.

The Swedish producers and filmmakers of TGWTDT have done something unheard of in the way of sequels: They released TGWPWF within months of TGWTDT being in theaters. Now they have released the final chapter of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.

Within the last month, I have seen TGWTDT and TGWPWF on DVD. Both movies were excellent. They left me very interested in seeing how it all ends.

All three movies center on Lisbeth Salander, a computer hacker whose punk rock look, complete with piercings, makes her an unlikely heroine. But she is that -- and much more. 

In TGWPWF, Lisbeth (played amazingly by Noomi Rapace) is set up for three murders. She is on the run while trying to solve the murders. In the end, she finds out that her own father, Zalachenko, a crime lord, is part of the conspiracy against her. 

In a bloody showdown, Lisbeth is shot in the leg, shoulder and head by her father. She summons enough strength to strike her father with an axe. Surprisingly, he lives to be put in the same hospital as Lisbeth.

It turns out that as a young girl, Lisbeth set Zalachenko on fire because he abused her mother. In TGWKTHN, Lisbeth is in the hospital recovering from her injuries. The police still want to charge her with attempting to kill her father.

Another integral character of the all three movies is investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played by Michael Nyqvist. He believes Lisbeth is innocent and strike out to prove it. The conspirators, a secret group, are determined to silence Lisbeth. They threaten Mikael and his colleagues at the magazine he works for, the Millennium.

TGWTKHN has a lot of “how are the heroes going to win?” moments. The evidence they have and need is taken; people are beaten up and followed around. Lisbeth is put on trial and the findings slowly start to prove her innocence. At that point, the movie picks up speed, yet it slower than the two other movies.

I didn’t read the books. I knew I couldn’t wait for the TGWKTHN to hit DVD release, so I went to Cleveland to see the last film on the big screen. It was worth it, but the last scene with Lisbeth and Mikael provided a weak ending.

Currently, there is an American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo being filmed. It’s directed by David Fincher, whose last movie was The Social Network. I can’t predict how it will be, but I can tell you the Swedish version of TGWTDT will take you to the edge of your couch.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

Unstoppable On Track with Nonstop Action By Art Byrd

IDenzel Washington and Director Tony Scott teamed up for my favorite film of all time, Man On Fire. Unstoppable is their fifth collaboration.

The movie takes the audience on a huge roller coaster ride with plenty of crashes. The movie starts with two dumb dudes -- Dewey, played by Ethan Suplee (My Name Is Earl), and Gilleece, played by T.J Miller (She’s Outta My League) -- who work in the freight yard with trains. 

Dewey is told to move a train and Gilleece notices the air brake cables are disconnected. Dewey disregards the warning because they are only moving the train a short distance. Then, after putting the train in a gear that gives it a little power, Dewey jumps out of the cab to manually adjust something on the track. Of course, the train picks up speed and chubby Dewey can’t get back in to stop it. The train is off on its own.

I like that the threat is from a human error rather than a terrorist plot or a mad man trying to blow something up. The train is now the villain.

Rosario Dawson, often seen in independent films and Web projects, proves she’s worthy of the big screen as Connie, the station dispatcher trying to deal with the runaway train. Of course, things can only get worse, and she discovers the train is carrying deadly chemicals.

Denzel plays Frank Barnes, a locomotive engineer with more than 25 years on the job who must train an apprentice, Will, played by Chris Pine (Star Trek). There’s a good chance Will may replace Frank, and that creates a tension between the two. Then Frank and Will find out the runaway train is heading towards their locomotive. The near collision was very good and heart-stopping.

Frank and Will decide to go after 777 by hooking up to it to slow it down.

Unstoppable is like a monster movie where the runaway train takes on its own devilish like behavior by gaining speed and smashing things. It even has a devilish name, 777. The movie is visually gritty with a 70s film look.

It also moves so fast that it was dizzying at times. It has all the movie mainstays of two main characters who dislike each other but come together for a dramatic climax as they (predictably) stop the devil train before it reaches the town and blows-up everyone.

Despite the reliance on formula, Unstoppable was worth the ride. And we have a local connection to the movie: Poland native Jeff Hochedoner has a great supporting role, portraying Clark.  

On a side note, if you want a laugh, you should see the spoof of Unstoppable from Saturday Night Live. Here is a link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/193067/saturday-night-live-unstoppable-trailer


Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

Hereafter Makes You Look at Life Differently By Art Byrd

In the past years, director Clint Eastwood has made amazing films without being “Clint Eastwood: The Actor” in them.

Last year, Eastwood made Invictus, the story of Nelson Mandela and his country, South Africa. The film didn’t make a lot of money at the box office. It seems the audience has a hard time accepting an Eastwood film without him grunting or beating someone up.

Eastwood’s latest film is Hereafter, which tells the story of three people dealing after-death experiences. The first story is of Marie, played by Cecile de France, a French news anchor. While on vacation, she runs for her life from a tsunami -- a giant tidal wave that does a huge amount of damage and washes people away.

The tsunami scene is so realistic that it’s frightening. We get the experience of what it may feel like facing such a disaster. Marie is thought to be dead, but she comes out of it with a “crossing over” experience that changes her life.

The next story is of two young twins, Marcus and Jason (Frankie and George McLaren), who have a unique bond. One of the twins dies in a car accident. The remaining twin has a hard time dealing with the loss. He goes on a search for psychics to help him communicate with his dead brother. Most of the so-called psychics prove to be fake or not too helpful. On the Internet, the twin finds George Lonegan -- a psychic who doesn’t do any readings anymore.

Matt Damon (Bourne series, Ocean’s 11 series) plays George, a man who’s haunted by his ability to communicate with the dead. One of the elements of Hereafter I really like was that the film explained how George got his psychic sense: During a childhood surgery he died several times. He emerged from surgery with the ability to speak with the spirits of the dead.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will tell you Eastwood does a great job on having the three stories converge. The ending is one I would not have predicted, but it was perfect. Hereafter is a cinematic, heartfelt ride that’s long but worth the time.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Presents Several Stories a Woody Allen Way By Art Byrd

Woody Allen, the genius behind such legendary films as Annie Hall and Manhattan, releases a film a year – which is really otherwise unheard of in the cinematic world. But the last Woody Allen movie to play in a Youngstown theater was Vicky Cristina Barcelona back in 2008. Like all great treasures, you have to hunt his movies down. 

Recently I donned my Indiana Jones fedora and tracked down the latest Woody Allen film: You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. I had to drive to Cleveland’s Cedar Lee to see it. No problem, it was a great sunny day and I had some great iPod jams for the trip.

As do most directors, Allen has a signature style. It’s back You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, which offers an all-star ensemble cast presenting interwoven stories, moving in and out of each and performing some cool voiceovers. The film explores the human condition by sharing the characters lives and how they cope with them.
In the past, Allen often has used New York City as his movie backdrop. But for the last few films, he has used foreign locations -- such as London and Barcelona. This movie is set in London, where confused, middle-aged Helena, played by Gemma Jones (Harry Potter and Bridget Jones series), visits psychic Cristal, played by Pauline Collins (Paradise Road). Helena wants to know what her life will be like after her husband, Alfie, played by Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs and Titus), leaves her.

Next Helena goes to see her daughter, Sally, played Naomi Watts (Mulholland Dr., 21 Grams), who set her mum up with the psychic so she would not harm herself. Sally’s husband, Roy, played by Josh Brolin (W, Milk), is a medical school graduate who became a writer with one successful novel and is struggling with the second.

In the movie, the male characters do stupid things. Alfie tries to regain his youth with a bachelor pad, sports car and tanning. He becomes so lonely that he hires Charmaine, a call girl played by the ever-funny Judy Punch (Dinner For Schmucks), to show that he still has it. Then, he announces that he wants to marry her. Allen shows a younger woman and older man relationship slowly wearing thin.

Roy is attracted to Dia, played by Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), a woman he sees in a window of the building next his. Later, Roy does something that is totally wrong involving a writer who is in a coma, which in typical Allen style creates an interesting, humorous moment.

Basically, the movie is about people who are not satisfied with what they have.

The cast rounds out with Antonio Banderas (the Shrek series) as Greg, an art dealer who Sally works for and likes.

The acting is top notch; you really believe the characters are going through their trials and tribulations.

There is so much going on in the movie, but you are not confused as you are taken from one emotion to another. I enjoyed the movie, and Allen does a good job of wrapping it up with an understandable but weak conclusion.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger should be renamed You Will Meet Some Very Strange People.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

Easy A Offers Easy Laugh, Star in the Making By Art Byrd

In the 80s, there was teen movie after teen movie. The good ones were The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink and Sixteen Candles. They were made by the late great John Hughes.

Now in 2010, there is a coming-of-age movie that looked good enough to attract me as an adult. The movie is Easy A and the actress in it who caught my eye is red-haired Emma Stone.

I have seen Stone in bit parts in Superbad, The House Bunny and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. This is the first time that the almost 22 year old is carrying the whole movie. She does it well. First, she is a throwback to Lucille Ball. Stone has a unique look -- she not overly beautiful, but with her wide blue eyes, bright smile and like Ball, her distinctive red hair, she is adorable and funny.

Stone plays Olive Penderghast, a high school student who flies under the radar in the popularity department. One afternoon, she is talking with her best friend, Rhiannon, played by Aly Michalka (Disney 365), who is a gossip. Olive tells Rhiannon a harmless story about hooking up with a college student. She makes the story out to be more than what Olive said.

The story is heard around the school. The once unknown Olive is now the school floozy.

Olive receives attention she never had before. Then she takes her reputation to a new low by pretending to have sex with her gay friend, Brandon, played Dan Byrd (TV’s Cougar Town), at a party with an audience outside the door. She wants him to gain a reputation and escape being bullied.

Now Olive is labeled as easy. She embraces the label by embroidering a scarlet A on her clothes, mirroring Hester Prynne, the character ridiculed for adultery in the book The Scarlet Letter, which Olive is studying in school.

Then other guys start to plead with Olive to up their reputation by saying she made out with them. They offer gifts cards as payment. The situation gets out of hand.

I like that the movie deals with Olive’s situation in a real way.

Two highlights of the movie are Olive’s parents, Rosemary and Dill, played by Patricia Clarkson (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and Stanley Tucci (Julie & Julia, The Devil Wears Prada). They were witty -- kind of like hippies with a coolness that shows affection toward themselves and Olive. They showed that Olive had a good, stable home life.

There is one scene with Olive, her parents and her adopted brother, Chip, played wonderfully by Bryce Clyde Jenkins (My Homework Ate My Dog). This really showed the closeness of the family.

The movie also has real romance between Olive and Todd, played by Penn Badgley (TV’s Gossip Girl), who has secretly liked her since they were kids. Turns out that she feels the same way. Despite all the madness in Olive’s life, he is there to give her strength.

The movie has a great supporting cast. Two standouts are Amanda Bynes (TV’s What I Like about You) as the righteous religious girl trying to condemn Olive, and Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man 3), Olive’s favorite teacher who is trying to work within his bounds to understand the new Olive.

Emma Stone is a star in the making. Easy A showcases her comedic talents with a sprinkle of drama. The film is an easy laugh, but one that shows how a small fib can explode into a big lie.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

Eat, Love Pray Takes Us On A Great Cinematic Trip. by Art Byrd

We all like to eat, we all want to be loved and some of us pray. One movie has put those three elements together.

The movie is based on the 2006 bestseller memoir, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The story is about a woman who takes a year off and travels to Rome, India and Bali to find herself.

If there is any women or actress that I would follow on a cinematic trip like this it would be Oscar winner Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich, Closer).  Roberts is perfect for this film because she can show so many ranges of emotions for the changes the character is going through. Roberts’s smile can light up Powers Auditorium, her laugh is full and her sorrow is heartfelt.

The movie starts with Liz (Roberts), a travel writer who visits Ketut Liyer played by Hadi Subiyanto in Bali who is a local medicine man. In the interview, they shared a moment when Ketut tells Liz that her life will change and they will meet again.

After returning to her life, she starts to realize that she is not happy and doesn’t want to be married anymore to Stephen played by Billy Crudup (Watchman).

Still trying to find herself on her own, Liz meets an actor David played by James Franco (Spiderman movie series, Milk) who takes her life in a different direction which she likes. Then, Liz starts to feel dissatisfy again.

She explains to her good friend, Delia played by Viola Davis (Doubt, Law Abiding Citizen) . She needed to change and tell her about the man from Bali. I love this line from Liz, “When a man who looks like Yoda hands you a prophecy you have to respond.” Liz decides to leave for a year.

The greatness of this movie is to watch someone live the life they want.

In Rome, Liz is tries to learn Italian. Soon, she is meeting people,  eating great food and speaking fluent Italian. There is a great scene where she and her Sweden friend, Sofi played Tuva Novotny by order pizza but Sofi doesn't want to eat the pizza because she doesn’t want look fat. Liz convinces her to eat and enjoy. Then, they go shopping for bigger pants. Very cute scene. The scene is Rome are my favorites.

Then, Liz goes to India where she is living in a cult like retreat. Her insecurities return but there is Richard played by Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) who has a terrible situation that he is dealing with. He teaches Liz to let go.

One the last stop, Liz reunites with Ketut who doesn’t remember her until she shows him the pictures he gave her.

He starts to guide her on a spiritual journey. On a bike ride, Liz is almost run over by Felipe played by Javier Bardem in his car.

Their courtship is very sincere, funny and romantic. 

Eat Pray Love was directed by Ryan Murphy who created Nip/Tuck and the current hit, Glee. Murphy makes use of the great locations that set it up that we are exploring along with Liz.

Eat Pray Love can make you feel great that you went on the journey with Liz and envious that many of us may not take a year off for such a journey.

Edited by Michele Ristich Gatts