THE MASTER

I wish that people hadn't pumped the idea into my head that The Master was about Scientology. Because, guess what? It wasn’t. Instead, the film delved into the psyche of religious (or cult) leaders and their followers in general. The film played out like it was mirroring the unstable thought patterns of the characters. That may be why it had so many fantastic technical aspects to look at but at the same time lacked the decent storytelling that well-balanced/interesting films should provide. Little was offered within film that made me care about it or its characters, except maybe for the character Freddie Quell’s moonshine making abilities and even that wasn’t terribly engrossing.

Freddie Quell, played by a gaunt and leathery-skinned Joaquin Phoenix, was a demented person who went off to war only to come back even more mentally deranged then he was before. The film saw him try to work through many of his problems. In fact, the sluggish first third of the film just follows him making moonshine, acting a fool, and kinda-sorta dealing with his craziness. He ends up finding The Cause, which provided him with a way to spotlight his daddy issues AND his mommy issues. The Cause was led by Lancaster Dodd (daddy), played by a rotund and soft-looking Philip Seymour Hoffman. The choice to cast Dodd and Quell with these contrasting body types was nice. It gave you a visual difference between the men to focus on so you wouldn't be too bogged down with the fact that mentally they were quite similar. I mean, they were both wackadoos. Dodd was a crazy genius type with a lot of anger. And what struck me the most about him was that he was not near as charismatic as I believe a religious leader should be. Yes, characters in the film seemed to love him but it was unclear as to why. Even his wife Peggy Dodd (mommy), played by a wholesome-looking Amy Adams, seemed to have no good reason to love and devote herself to the man. But then again, she was a difficult character to get a real grasp of since she technically had two roles to play. Publicly she was a doting wife and privately she was an authoritative and strong women...as a matter of fact, one might call her a ‘master.’ Her complexity did catch me by surprise at first but after the film past the two hour mark the surprise had turned into disdain.

(The Weinstein Company)

There may be deeper meanings behind The Master than what I picked up, but I don’t feel the need to subject myself to a second viewing of it to see what I missed. Simply put, if you like for a movie to have a plot and be somewhat entertaining, The Master may not be the movie for you. If you like for a movie to be over two hours long and to be frustratingly tedious, The Master might have been made specifically for you. Although, I have a hunch that the film was made more for Paul Thomas Anderson, himself, than it was for anyone else in the viewing audience.

The Campaign

The Campaign is almost as ridiculous and lowest-common-denominator focused as real life politics. Yes, a satire of America’s democratic process should be filled with brainless gags. But the goal should be for the tomfoolery to be consistently funny as well as over-the-top. The Campaign loses sight of the funny and ends up being staggeringly boring by bombarding you with one stupid gag after another with no break to come up for air. Sure it has the random funny bit to wake a chuckle or an "awww” out of you but with the sheer volume of jokes thrown out in the film there are bound to be a few hits amongst all the misses.

Will Ferrell plays the philandering husband and multi-term North Carolina congressman, Cam Brady. Two deep-pocketed CEOs, the Motch brothers, played by Dan Akroyd and John Lithgow, decide to put up a rival/puppet candidate against Brady in the 2012 election. They chose the lisp-talking mustachioed Marty Huggins, played by Zach Galifianakis. Both candidates are asses who find ways to make bigger asses of themselves and each other than they already are. The thing about Huggins is that he is an ass with a heart of gold and two adorable pugs who steal every scene they are in. So, if I had to vote for the lesser of the two evils then I would vote for him almost solely because of the pugs. Aside from the cute and cuddly pugs, only two other things make this movie somewhat bearable. The first is Dylan McDermott who played the ruthless campaign manager Tim Wattley. He was subtle and he was the most amusing character in the film. The second was seeing Wolf Blitzer and Chris Matthews deliver the news of the candidates high-jinks, from the baby punching and the Uggie punching to the sex tape being used as a campaign commercial. I could go on, but I am already trying to forget the hour and a half of my life that I lost to this film.

Killer Joe

William Friedkin directed the crap out of Killer Joe. It is hard not to appreciate the way he smushed together dynamic humor and appalling images. Killer Joe is laugh-out-loud funny. And not that sort of uncomfortable laughter you might do when you see a stranger (or friend) trip and fall. You know, the laughter that comes when you aren’t sure if the stranger (or friend) is seriously injured or not? It’s not that laughter. It’s the laughter that comes from real comedic timing and delivery on the part of an outstanding ensemble cast.

Emile Hirsch plays Chris a drug dealer from a north Texas town who gets himself into a financial bind when his mom steals his supply. His solution? Hire a contract killer, Joe played by Matthew McConaughey, to kill his mom so he can collect on her life insurance policy. Oh gosh, will this plan go off without a hitch? I’m not sure if I’m giving too much a way, but no. Things will not go off without a hitch. Not even close. The story is ridiculous and highly entertaining. And Hirsch, who I’ve only every referred to before as Speed, was excellent in his role in this silly/violent/silly plotline. And as far as McConaughey is concerned, I’m beginning to think he plays himself in every movie he is in, Killer Joe is no exception. And contrary to how that might initially sound, I actually mean that as a compliment…

The compliments don’t end with the two of them. I have appreciated Thomas Haden Church for a long time now. I am ready for others to love him as much I do. This movie may help with this. He plays Ansel, Chris’ dimwitted father. He is amazing. No one can play dumb like he can. And his splotchy facial hair is so hideous that I can’t help but be proud of his commitment to the role. Ansel is married to his second wife, Sharla played by good ol’ Gina Gershon. That woman knows how to play a tramp. She is a contemptible character in the film. But for as vile as Sharla is, she does not deserve the treatment she receives from Joe in the film. And I have saved the best for last, Dottie. Juno Temple plays her and oh, how she plays her. There is something sad and yet beautiful about her character. She is complex and powerful even though she has the outward appearance of a weak and childish girl. If I didn’t know that she was from England, I would have thought that she was born and bred in Texas. Temple has talent oozing out her pores. And if you have any question about her pores you can see just about all of them in this film. She is not shy about baring it all.

If you are shy about people baring it all then Killer Joe will not be your cup of tea. Also, the film is dark, disturbing, and has the potential to offend great masses of people. Killer Joe is rated NC17. This could be because the rating system is completely inconsistent, unpredictable, and unfair. It could also be because of the pesky graphic violence and nudity. But none of the violence or nudity seemed out of place or excessive. Of course, if you go into this film expecting male frontal nudity and women beating up men, you will be let down. Don’t let that dissuade you from seeing the film though. All of the violence in the film felt incredibly real. It is a fact that it’s just more common in life that we hear about men hitting other men and women and not so much women beating on other women or men. And for some reason people find naked women less offensive than naked men. The film takes advantage of these two facts. Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention the fried chicken in this film. Although I already won’t eat fried chicken, if I did before this film I would think twice about eating it after this film. I will leave it at that.

Safety Not Guaranteed

For a film based on a classified ad that was posted as a joke/filler ad in the 90s, Safety Not Guaranteed was not awful as one might expect. In fact, the story-lines in the film were remarkably earnest and more than sufficiently entertaining.

Kenneth placed a classified ad seeking a companion for a time traveling expedition warning that he had only done it once before and safety was not guaranteed. One magazine employee, Jeff, along with two interns, Arnau & Darius, were assigned to investigate and report on what this Kenneth guy was all about. In the process of learning more about the temporally mysterious Kenneth, they find out about themselves and each other. There was an overwhelming amount of self-discovery in this film which could have gotten old fast. But surprisingly it didn't. At least not for me. And I think that may be because of how the robust and honest stories unfolded, how the weirdness happened, and how the friendships blossomed so convincingly in the film.

(FilmDistrict and Big Beach)

Kenneth, played by Mark Duplass, was a tough nut to crack. He was the sort of guy who does a balancing act on the thin line between endearing and annoying. He acted as though he was stronger and more intelligent than he actually was and he had a mullet. Darius, played by Aubrey Plaza, was the female intern who was able to gain the trust of Kenneth. She was a loner-girl with family issues. She was likable and witty, but she keeps most people at a distance. The chemistry between the two of them was quite distinct. Their story-line seemed to be the main focus of the film but it was obvious early on that their story alone was not enough to support the entire film. Thankfully, you have the ever-so-full-of-himself Jeff, played by Jake M. Johnson, and the not-even-remotely-close-to-full-of-himself Arnau, played by Karan Soni. These two end up spending less time working on the article about the "time-travelling" Kenneth and more time learning how to come out from behind their emotionally protective barriers and behave like normal and functioning humans. Jeff started off as a prick but after spending time with the super shy Arnau he became slightly less prickish, almost respectable. And Arnau’s confidence meter climbed a few noticeable notches throughout the course of the movie. They were characters who were worth the time invested in watching the film.

When you break it down each of the four main characters in the film could be classified as depressed, but depressed in an 'entertaining to watch' kind of way. It was impressive how well the characters came across as real people. I have met Kenneth's and Arnau's before, several, in fact and all in primary school. You can be certain there is a douchey Jeff on almost every street corner. And there are probably loads of Darius’ in the world, although most of them are not as thin and pretty as Plaza. It was nice to watch these true-to-life characters evolve the way they did in the film. It was not nice to see Plaza and Duplass kiss though. As much as they worked well together, the two of them kissing somehow felt wrong. There were little things like that throughout the film. It was full of a number of strange contrasts. But all the complaints I had about film were balanced out by some thing to praise about the film. It was familiar yet unexpected, serious yet silly, and just what I was looking for yet I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for.

Bernie

Richard Linklater done-did-good with Bernie. In making this film, he gave Jack Black an opportunity to show the world that he has serious acting chops and he gave Shirley MacLaine the opportunity to have some fun with a role that she was oddly perfect for...

In Bernie, the two main characters were people with "issues." You had Black, who played Bernie Tiede, an effeminate (aka super gay yet also super Christian) assistant funeral director and MacLaine, who played Marjorie Nugent, a rich widow with a forceful personality (aka often ornery and likely misunderstood). Bernie and Marjorie met and became "friends" while Marjorie was grieving over the loss of her husband. The relationship between Bernie and Marjorie was an unusual one and not at all a healthy one. You see, it ended when Bernie shot Marjorie in the back and stored her in her own freezer for a few months while he used her money to become something of a small town philanthropist. He was found out and tried for her murder and then things became even more interesting.

The storyline was woven together with interviews of townspeople talking about Bernie and Marjorie. The interviews had the potential to detract from the story. They didn't, instead they made the movie. The interviews were a big reason why Bernie was fun to watch. They were necessary. The film wasn’t so much about who Bernie and Marjorie were but how they were perceived by others. Marjorie was hated because she was a rich "bitch" and Bernie was loved because he was overly friendly and did things for others. It was an interesting dynamic but the way people judge others in itself is not unusual. The unusual thing was that Bernie was so loved by the townspeople that, even after giving a confession, a large portion of the townspeople wanted him to be set free. It was up to Matthew McConaughey as the quirky District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson to go outside of the box and outside of the county to receive a fair trial against Bernie. It is a unique story that is told with some serious flair.

You can describe Bernie as almost any genre and provide a somewhat accurate description of what the film is. I choose to describe it as a dark-comedy/docu-drama/crimey-whimey type film. It has a lot to offer and it is worth checking out. There are many things to appreciate in this film for anyone who has lived in, visited, loved, hated, or just simply heard about Texas. And although the story is based on events that happened in a Texas town, it makes little sense to hold that fact against the film because the film is more about small town mentalities and eccentricities than anything else. Plus it's a chance to see Jack Black really act. He surprised and impressed me. I wouldn't be too shocked if he ended up with an award or two for this performance.

(Millenium Entertainment)

Oh and Dale Dudley played a very believable radio personality in the film. It was a stretch for him, I am sure, but he pulled it off. So there was amazing acting all around, from Jack Black all the way to Dale Dudley.

Dark Shadows

The recipe for Dark Shadows appeared to be as follows: a pinch of Beetlejuice, a dash of Edward Scissorhands, and a reckless amount of excrement. The film was made without any care or consideration for the loyal fans who expected a decent film. Dark Shadows conjured up images of meadow muffins. Evil meadow muffins. You see, meadow muffins don’t sound half bad when you hear the name. But once you are within viewing and smelling distance the awful truth of what they are comes out to assault your senses. And Dark Shadows did not take long to show its true colors as a big mound of poop.

Sure, my expectations were high. It was not only a Tim Burton film starring Johnny Depp, but it was also a film based on a beloved gothic soap opera. I am not convinced Burton had a clear idea of what this Dark Shadows film was supposed to be...other than an excuse to work with his buddies Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Fun for Burton, bad for the audience. If it was meant to be a spoof then it was a failure. It lacked both intelligence and humor. The dialogue had more cringe-worthy moments then I could count. The plot development seemed haphazard and uncomfortable. And the acting was painfully below average. The most well executed part of the film was the clear and undeniable advertisement for McDonald’s. Did I go out and pick up some McDonald’s on my way home from the movie? No. I did not. Would I recommend this film to anyone that I like? No. I would not.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

aka The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

I am unclear on the reasoning behind changing the title of a movie based on a book called ‘The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!’ to ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ for US and Australian audiences but I don’t hold that against this movie itself. I did before seeing the film. But after seeing it, I can safely say that ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ is not a horrible title. The film is about 75% pirate-y and 25% scientist-y. And the pirates truly are a bunch of misfits, which is a big part of their appeal.

The clay figure characters, the sets, and the humor in this film are so well thought out and executed that it almost doesn’t matter that the plot ended up being the weakest part of the film. The characters are unmistakably Aardman. They have crazy little teeth and express more emotion than any number of human performers ever could. The sets used in the film are intricate and stunning to look at. The film is laced with an overwhelming amount of wit and whimsy. There is something to giggle at, snicker at, or just plain laugh at in almost every minute of The Pirates! The plot ends up being something of a let-down because while it is never entirely unimaginative, it is quite conventional.

The film is a pirate caper set in 1837, which centers on The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and his quest to finally be voted Pirate of the Year. I think it is safe to say that The Pirate Captain is not well suited to be a pirate, or a captain, let alone Pirate of the Year. He’s not a great pillager and his plundering skills are lacking. Nevertheless, his small and tremendously loyal crew is willing to help him with almost every silly, misplaced step along the way. During their pursuit toward the ultimate pirating prize, The Pirate Captain and his crew meet a young Charles Darwin (David Tennant), his brilliant ‘manpanzee’, and an evil Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton). The main scientist of the film, Darwin, informs the crew that The Pirate Captain’s plump parrot Polly is not really a parrot, but in fact, a dodo. Polly may just be the key to the Pirate Captain finally getting the recognition that he so desperately desires.  But one of the many things I learned from this film is that nothing in a pirate’s life comes without some sort of cost. After all, what respectable children’s movie doesn’t come loaded with a whole lot of knowledge nuggets?

I left this film with three things that I did not have before:
1. A greater appreciation for the actor who plays the second in command, The Pirate with the Scarf , Martin Freeman. (It made me more interested in seeing how he will do in The Hobbit.)
2. A more solidified belief that 3D is unnecessary. (I did not see it in 3D.)
3. A hankering for some ham. (That’s right. Ham.)

Beginners

Beginners seemed like an interesting enough film in its own right, but knowing that Christopher Plummer picked up several awards, including an Oscar, for his supporting role in the film it became a nagging sort of necessity that I see it. Since it was his first Oscar win, I had to see how good of a performance he actually gave. After all, as many of us know, he was robbed of a nomination, let alone a win, for his role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. But let’s not dwell on that...

Beginners was a sentimental, depressing, and complex film. The story was set in three different time periods in the life of an American graphic designer, Oliver (Ewan McGregor). In the ‘present’ part of the film Oliver was dealing with life after the death of his father Hal (Christopher Plummer). He was also dealing with a new romantic relationship with Anna (Mélanie Laurent) and having a new roommate Arthur (Cosmo), his late father’s Jack Russell terrier/scene stealer. In the ‘recent past’ part of the film Oliver was dealing with the passing of his mother, the news that his father was coming out of the closet AND the news that his father had also been diagnosed with the terminal cancer. Finally, in the ‘not-so-recent past’ part of the film Oliver was dealing with being a kid who had a great relationship with his melancholy-yet-loving mother a less than great/almost non-existent relationship with his busy hard-working father. There was a lot going on in the film and it was all handled in an honest and charming way. However, even with three plot lines going on, there were still a fair amount of lulls in flow of the film.

Thankfully, there were no lulls in the chemistry between the four lead characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between them. The strongest character, in my opinion, was Arthur. He was a little ray of sunshine in an otherwise depressing film. Arthur is, of course, a dog but writer/director Mike Mills made him a hopeful and uplifting character in a very clever way. He did this by expressing Arthur’s thoughts in the form of subtitles. I understand this could very well be considered too ‘cutesy’ for some, but for me, I loved it. In fact, Cosmo would have been a better supporting actor nominee than Plummer based on this film. Cosmo played his role subtly and playfully. He was a dog full of soul and intrigue. I’m not completely blinded by Cosmo’s performance though. Plummer did do a fantastic job. He played an old man with ease, but considering his age and film career, I would expect nothing less.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

I love the idea of a film about average looking actors playing average joe types living out one slightly above average day, so I was looking forward to Jeff, Who Lives at Home. I guess I should have known that the film was not destined to be a cinematic masterpiece, but I didn’t expect to be so disappointed by it. Don’t get me wrong, it was not an altogether awful film. There was something to like about it, specifically the cast, and even more specifically, Jason Segel. He clearly has a knack for portraying a chubby pothead man-child with a heart of gold. His character, Jeff, was not a far leap from his character on Freaks and Geeks, which is probably why he was so likeable. In Jeff, however, his actions were less guided by hormones and more guided by the drive to find a meaning in his life. Ed Helms was well-suited for the part of Jeff’s brother Pat. He wasn’t nearly as likeable as Jeff, but that was the point of his character. He played the contemptible Pat with anger management issues like it was second nature. And Susan Sarandon shined. She added a level of strength and talent to the film that was both necessary and fun.

The directors/writers Mark and Jay Duplass lucked out with their cast. And they made clever use of the ideas and storyline references of M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 film Signs. But they missed the mark in a few important places. They take it too far over the top to manipulate the audience into tears. I don’t mind when a film aims to pull at the heart strings but I prefer when the emotional manipulation in a film is more difficult to detect. And then there was the music. It was distracting and annoying. The music stood out to the point that occasionally I mistook it for an inconsiderate audience member’s ring tone rather than a part of the film. And the biggest let down of all was the end of the film. I don’t intend to give the end away, but I will say that it brought to mind two words: polished turd.

Oscar Predictions 2012

This is my first year to make any sort of formal Oscar predictions.  But with Gary Oldman finally being nominated for best actor, I decided that the Oscars were worth some serious consideration. Will Gary Oldman actually win an Oscar? No, probably not. Should he win an Oscar? Yeah, totally.

Oh and it may be important for me to note that I have not seen all of the nominated films. And chances are I will never see all of the nominated films. Okay, that being said and without any further ado, here are my guesses/preferences/wants/hopes for this year's Academy Award winners:

BEST PICTURE
Will win: THE ARTIST
Should win: THE ARTIST

**Should have been nominated: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY & ATTACK THE BLOCK

BEST DIRECTOR
Will win: Michel Hazanavicius,THE ARTIST
Should win: Michel Hazanavicius, THE ARTIST

**Should have been nominated: Tomas Alfredson, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY & John Cornish, ATTACK THE BLOCK

BEST ACTOR
Will win: Jean Dujardin, THE ARTIST
(Possible upset winner: George Clooney, THE DESCENDANTS)
SHOULD win: Gary Oldman, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

**Should have been nominated: Michael Fassbender, SHAME

BEST ACTRESS
Will win: Viola Davis, THE HELP
(Possible surprise winner: Meryl Streep, THE IRON LADY)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will win: Christopher Plummer, BEGINNERS

**Should have been nominated: Alan Rickman, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Will win: Octavia Spencer, THE HELP
Should win: Berenice Bejo, THE ARTIST

**Should have been nominated: Angelica Huston, 50/50

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Will win: RANGO
Should win: CHICO & RITA (simply for its title alone)

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Will win: A SEPARATION, Iran

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Will win: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Should win: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

**Should have been nominated: ATTACK THE BLOCK

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Will win: THE DESCENDANTS
SHOULD win: TINKER TAILOR SOLDER SPY

BEST ART DIRECTION
Will win: HUGO

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Will win: THE ARTIST
(Possibly surprise winner: JANE EYRE)

**Should have been nominated: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Duh: ‘Man or Muppet’ from THE MUPPETS

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Will win: THE ARTIST

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Will win: PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY
(Possible surprise winner: UNDEFEATED)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Will win: THE TREE OF LIFE
(Possible surprise winner: HUGO)

BEST FILM EDITING
Will win: THE ARTIST

BEST MAKEUP
Will win: THE IRON LADY
(Possible surprise winner: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2)

BEST SOUND EDITING
Will win: HUGO
Should win: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

BEST SOUND MIXING
Will win: HUGO
Should win: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Will win: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
Will win: GOD IS THE BIGGER ELVIS
(Another possible winner: INCIDENT IN NEW BAGHDAD)

BEST SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Will win: LA LUNA
(Another possible winner: THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOK OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE)

BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Will win: TIME FREAK

BEST HAIR (not a real category)
Will win: Gary Oldman, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Should win: Gary Oldman, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

© 2011 Focus Features by Jack English, Gary Oldman

The only thing that I am absolutely certain of after all this is that Gary Oldman's hair is pretty great.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I am not sure what I could possible say to give Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the justice it deserves, but I feel the need to say at least something...

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a damn impressive film. It is based on John le Carre’s first book in the Karla Trilogy and has been adapted and dramatized before by the BBC. Clearly the tale has some appeal. I mean, I like it. That is why I am surprised to say that while watching this 2011 version, I wasn’t overwhelmingly engrossed with the story. I was more bewitched by its ambiance. The atmosphere that I found myself falling in love with is probably the same thing that will bore the crap out of many viewers. The film has dark and wonderful cinematography and a slow but steady moving plot line. There is a smoky heavy feel to every slow moving minute. And it is topped off with perfectly chosen music which adds to the overall mystery and intrigue.

There is something quite captivating about all of the characters, or as I like to call them the tinkery-tailory-soldiery spies. The cast is a made up of Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, and Tom Hardy. Everyone in the film is pretty much known for being great at what they do and in this film everyone lives to their reputation. I have no complaints. Their mannerisms and appearances are almost hypnotizing. I was distracted by and jealous of Oldman’s perfect hair. Seriously, his hair is amazing. And his clothing, all of the clothing in fact, is flawless. The suits and overcoats are not only physically well-fitted on each of the actors, there are also well-fitted to the time period. Even more mesmerizing than Oldman’s hair and clothing was Tom Hardy’s 70s porn star hair and clothes. He seemed out of place next to all of the other key characters, but out of place in a good way.

It is clear that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy will never be a mainstream blockbuster. It is too intricate and slow moving. But I’m glad that this film was made. It shows that Tomas Alfredson has some serious directing skills in any language. And it is an excellent example of how Gary Oldman is one of the best actors around.

We Bought a Zoo

We Bought a Zoo lacked much of anything to blow the audience away. The characters were stereotypical and the performances were adequate. Matt Damon played the single father taking care of two children and dealing with the loss of his wife. He was charming and not too depressing. Scarlett Johansson played the zoo keeper as a fairly asexual person for the majority of the film. So, that was good. Thomas Haden Church was the comic relief and concerned brother. He has a knack for making even the most predictable scripts seem better than what they are. And let’s not forget the animals. The animals were all convincing in their parts. Sadly for a movie about the purchase of a zoo, animals were not a huge focus. It is more of a people movie than an animal movie. Of course, there was one tiger that got highlighted and one Capuchin monkey that made her way into a whole lot of scenes on Patrick Fugit’s shoulder.

The most surprising thing about this straightforward film is that the moody teenage son was not required to do any chores on a broken down zoo that needed as much help as it could get. I mean, the adorable scene stealing daughter was willing to make sandwiches and label them PB and J (with a backwards J for added cuteness), but the boy was allowed to sit around all day drawing pictures. It is hard to believe, but as far as family films go that is nothing new. We Bought a Zoo would fit in great on the Lifetime Movie Network. It is a simple film designed to pull at your heart strings.