MOVIE REVIEW: White Bird in a Blizzard - 'Marriage Destined To End In Death'

Director: Gregg Araki
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni

Release Date:  October 24, 2014

Our teen years are the happiest days of our lives, right? The parties, the thrills, the excitement, the adventures, the world is truly in our hands. We might believe that but in all actuality, our teen years can come with some pretty awful memories as well. But we refuse to remember those, I mean, who chooses to remember the bad memories over the good? That is exactly the case for Shailene Wodley's Kat Connor in her latest film White Bird in a Blizzard, whose mother goes missing quite randomly in the middle of January. Director Gregg Araki who specializes in subjecting young people is back at it again with his latest film. Unfortunately, the complete lack of mystery and suspense is the downfall of the film.

Kat Connors (Shailene Woodley) is 17 years old when her perfect homemaker mother, Eve (Eva Green), a beautiful, enigmatic, and haunted woman, disappears - just as Kat is discovering and relishing her newfound sexuality. Having lived for so long in a stifled, emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and certainly doesn't blame her doormat of a father, Brock (Christopher Meloni), for the loss. In fact, it's almost a relief. But as time passes, Kat begins to come to grips with how deeply Eve's disappearance has affected her. Returning home on a break from college, she finds herself confronted with the truth about her mother's departure, and her own denial about the events surrounding it...

White Bird in a Blizzard can easily be apart of a double feature with the other film being Gone Girl. Heck, if you have the spare time add Horns to it as well and you'll have yourself a nice triple feature. But the first two films have more in common than the latter as they both deal with the true story behind a "perfect" marriage and reveals this story through the mystery of a missing spouse. White Bird in a Blizzard on the other hand goes deeper than what director David Fincher and author Gillian Flynn had a chance to by looking through the viewpoint of an offspring. In this case, a hormonal teenage girl. This small difference plays a huge role in the film.

The difference between the two films is White Bird in a Blizzard does not care much about the mystery in the novel. After the first 15 minutes into the film you already know who did it. The why is more of a twist but you are never surprised or filled with suspense throughout the film. This is probably because Araki has always been one to subject young individuals and more specifically how they handle their identity and relationships. If you are a fan of the source material, Laura Kasischke's novel, than you will be upset that Araki never addresses the LGBT identity that is addressed in the novel.

This can easily be considered Woodley's Havoc as she drops the teenage girl image that she built through The Secret Life of the American Teenager with a couple of nude scenes throughout the film. She picked the right film to show Hollywood and her fans that she is ready for more mature roles as she completely nails the different emotions her character goes through. Despite her strong want for sex, she never comes out as a slut and rarely over dramatized other emotions as well. Christopher Meloni brings a strong performance as Kat's father but Eva Green just feels out of her element as Kat's mother. A pet peeve of mine has always been casting a big name actor for such a tiny role and that is the case for Thomas Jane's Detective Scieziesciez.

White Bird in a Blizzard is currently available on VOD with it set to have a limited release on October 24th.

MOVIE REVIEW: Horns - 'Love Turned Them Into The Devil'

Director: Alexandre Aja

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Heather Graham

Release Date: October 31, 2014

When I think of successful horror directors from the 21st century, only a few names automatically come to mind: James Wan, Rob Zombie, and Eli Roth. That is an incredibly small amount compared to the number of horror films that come out in a year. But there's one director that has gone undetected and after watching Horns, that will no longer be the case for Alexandre Aja.

Based on the novel by Joe Hill, Horns is a supernatural thriller driven by fantasy, mystery and romance. The film follows Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe), the number one suspect for the violent rape and murder of his girlfriend, Merrin (Juno Temple). Hungover from a night of hard drinking, Ig awakens one morning to find horns starting to grow from his own head and soon realizes their power drives people to confess their sins and give in to their most selfish and unspeakable impulses - an effective tool in his quest to discover the true circumstances of his late girlfriend's tragedy and for exacting revenge on her killer.

It's hard for any actor to leave the shadows of a character that made him a household name. Robert Downey Jr. will always be Tony Stark, Hugh Jackman will always be Wolverine and Daniel Radcliffe will always be Harry Potter. The difference? Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Jackman love being known for those roles. Seeing how Radcliffe will be starring in three films in the Toronto International Film Festival including Horns, it's clear that Radcliffe is ready to be known for more than just Harry Potter and with his work in Horns,  he's taking steps in the right direction. Radcliffe was on the top of his game as Ig and this was his best performance by far since putting down his wand. Radcliffe was not the only one to put up a solid performance in the film. When Ig confronts his parents with his new set of horns, Derrick (James Remar) and Lydia Perrish (Kathleen Quinlan) bring some high emotion and seriousness that the film truly needed. Juno Temple, as Merrin, was very minor but shaky as it was hard to understand why everybody loved her. Her grieving father on the other hand, Dale Williams (David Morse), was brilliant.

It's hard to classify Horns as one specific genre. The love story between Ig and Merrin had scenes that were filled with emotion and heartbreak that you would want your favorite romance film to contain. But as soon as Ig grows his horns and people start spilling their sins and evil desires to Ig, the film will have you laughing. But that laughter will quickly disappear as the film becomes dark by the third act.

Horns does not have the gore that we are used to seeing from Alexandre Aja, but by the time the third act arrives the film turns into a full out horror film when Ig travels with a gang of serpents. But Horns for the most part is a blood-free affair which leads to some disappointment, especially if you are familiar with Aja's earlier works. That doesn't mean that the visuals disappoint, you just wish there were more. But with what Aja did with this script, that is a win in my books.

The biggest disappointment of the film is determined by whether or not you've read the book. This is not the best adaptation of a book in recent memory. There are a lot of story arcs from the book that did not make the film and if it did it would have made certain scenes better. For example, the final battle scene between Ig and Merrin's killer. The final showdown plays out a lot differently in the book compared to the film which made it short lived and rushed. Does not mean the film doesn't do the source material any justice, it just could have been done better.

Horns is currently available on VOD but will still hit theaters on Halloween. The film is not worth your money when it comes to seeing it in theaters but you will have fun with it while you watch it On Demand.

MOVIE REVIEW: Kill the Messenger - 'Dark Alliance'

Director: Michael Cuesta
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Robert Patrick, Jena Sims
Release Date: October 10, 2014

In 1996, Gary Webb published articles under his 'Dark Alliance' series that exposed the CIA's enrollment in the funding of the Nicaraguan contra's to smuggle cocaine into the United States. The articles faced heavy attacks as jealous bigger newspaper companies and of course the CIA scrutinized Webb's sources and ethics. Just like investigative journalism, Kill the Messenger isn't all what it is cracked to be.

Two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner leads an all-star cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb. Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation's streets...and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings from drug kingpins and CIA operatives to stop his investigation, Webb keeps digging to uncover a conspiracy with explosive implications. His journey takes him from the prisons of California to the villages of Nicaragua to the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. - and draws the kind of attention that threatens not just his career, but his family and his life

If this film was only first forty-five minutes in length then this review will read much differently. I will tell you to see this film opening weekend as it will receive a 'Full Movie Experience' rating. Wouldn't be surprise either since director Michael Cuesta has directed numerous television shows and even took home a Primetime Emmy for Homeland. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. The first forty-five minutes will have you on the edge of your seat as Webb travels the globe to find the truth behind this CIA conspiracy. As Webb learns new information, perhaps even yourself will learn some new history as well, the suspense only grows. 

After Webb publishes the articles and the tables get turned against him, the film loses all its intensity and suspense. You find yourself now slouching in your chair, just waiting for anything to happen to grab your attention again. Has Cuesta never directed a two-hour television special before? Even the ending leaves you waiting for more, literally. As the film ends with a run-on shot of an escalator, you are waiting and hoping something more happens. Perhaps giving the viewers a better understanding of the flaws behind Webb's article or extending the timeline that the film covers. 

Regardless, Kill the Messenger is a film you should check out at one point due to the facts that are covered within the film. You will learn something new about our government and the war on drugs.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Judge - 'You Can't Afford Me'

Director: David Dobkin
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga

Release Date: October 10, 2014

The Judge pairs two acting heavyweights together on the big screen for the first time. Robert Downey Jr. is a two-time Oscar nominee for his works in Chaplin and Tropic Thunder and a five-time Golden Globe nominee, taking home three of them for his work in Sherlock Holmes, Ally McBeal, and Short Cuts. Let's not forget that he is also an Avenger. Playing opposite to Robert Downey Jr. is Robert Duvall, a six-time Oscar nominee, winning only once for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Tender Mercies and has four Golden Globes in his trophy case as well. Put these two in a courtroom drama, a critic's favorite, and you're walking into award season feeling confident that The Judge will dominate the nominations. However, director David Dobkin's inexperience in this genre ends up being a major downfall for the film.

In The Judge, Robert Downey Jr. stars as big city lawyer Hank Palmer, who returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town's judge (Robert Duvall), is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.

The first thing one needs to realize is that The Judge is NOT a courtroom drama but instead a flat out drama. Yes, we have a hearing and we very much care about the outcome but the film never focuses on Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton) vs Hank Palmer. Instead, this film is purely about Hank Palmer vs Joseph Palmer. No matter what differences the father-son combination have, Hank is willing to put it towards the side to make sure his father does not end up behind bars. The Judge on the other hand, never lets go of his stubbornness throughout the trial, giving his son more problems than any attorney has ever done in his whole career, even Dickham. Due to this, throughout the film you want to learn more about the family dynamics and what caused the drift between Hank and his father instead of learning how Hank will win the case for his father.

Downey Jr. has been cruising on blockbuster stardom ever since he took the role of Tony Stark. So when Downey Jr. decided to take on The Judge as his next featured film, it was clear that he was chasing an Oscar. Unfortunately, he will have to wait at least another year to take home that award. RDJ brings the same Tony Stark mannerism to Hank Palmer, a mannerism that RDJ has perfected and shines throughout the film with. Match that with the amazing chemistry he has with Duvall and you'll think RDJ will be landing a nomination. Wrong.

But the problem with the film does not rely on RDJ or any other actor as they all deliver with the little wiggle room they are given. It's as if Dobkin has very little faith in his stellar cast to flourish and does not allow them to show off their acting chops. Instead, we have a film that changes tones quite unnaturally from comedic to dramatic. It could also be that throughout the huge trial that everybody is awaiting a verdict on, there is a love-story thrown in that never really goes anywhere between Hank and high school sweetheart Samantha (Vera Farmiga). Perhaps the biggest reason for the failure behind The Judge is all the cliches that the film contains. Any father-son cliche you can think of, is present within the film and none of them are presented in an intelligent or clever way. It is clear that Dobkins is out of his element and if it wasn't for the stellar cast, this film would not be looked at twice. After all, good acting can only take you so far.

MOVIE REVIEW: Let's Be Cops - 'Patrolman'

Director: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle
Release Date: August 13, 2014

Buddy cop films are starting to reemerge as a Hollywood favorite with films such as The Heat, 21 Jump Street and Ride Along hitting the big screen over the past couple of years, with sequels either already being made or are in the process of being made for both 21 Jump Street and Ride Along. So it's no surprise that director Luke Greenfield decided to take a stab at it with Let's Be Cops. The two films mentioned earlier were lucky enough to attract A-list stars for each film as Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum were casted for their respected roles. Greenfield's film on the other hand, was not as fortunate with the A-listers but he managed to get a member of one of the most successful Hollywood families in the business, a Wayans. Damon Wayans Jr. is a regular on FOX's New Girl and is ready to bring his TV success to the big screen. Unfortunately, Let's Be Cops will have you filing a warrant search for more laughs.

When two best friends, Justin (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Ryan (Jake Johnson) dress as police officers for a costume party, they become instantly famous in the neighborhood. However, these non-cops soon find themselves tangled in the real life world of crime, mobsters and dirty cops.

The biggest highlight of the film happens to be the chemistry between co-stars Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson, which is no surprise since the two both star in New Girl. The personality they bring to their characters is very enjoyable and dense. However, the whole direction Greenfield went with the impersonation of cops was very, very underused. Jake Johnson's Ryan was very ballsy in his decisions after "becoming a cop" such as buying a police vehicle on eBay, taking real police calls and upgrading his uniform to a sergeant's rank, but the film fails to use its imagination to the fullest. Then, adding a lot of coincidences to develop the film doesn't benefit the film either as Justin's new crush, Josie (Nina Dobrev), happens to be former lovers with mobster Mossi (James D'Arcy) and Justin and Ryan's favorite restaurant happens to be connected to the Mossi's drug hideout. Imagination was truly missed, causing a dragged out second act.

The film had a few chuckles when the duo was only taking their new "careers" semi-serious but as soon as Ryan loses controls and starts making some pretty risky decisions the laughs start picking up. It shines especially when the pair of fake cops get an informant, Pupa (Keegan-Michael Key). Pupa is by far the funniest character in the film. He is the only one who demands laughter whenever he is on the screen and the leads feed off his energy as well. Natasha Leggero plays Annie, a crazed sex-addict, and even though she's in only one scene, that scene is the craziest one in the movie.

The third act will surprise you as viewers are finally greeted with the action part of the film. Prior, Greenfield did a great job for the most part (minus the scene when Justin had a group of mobsters dance like fools) of balancing the right amount of comedy and action to develop our characters but Greenfield throws that combination out completely and focuses on just the action, which works for the film completely.

Overall, Let's Be Cops is not the best of what Wayans and Johnson have put out like in their show New Girl but their chemistry sure does out shine that. The pacing and lack of imagination kills a lot of the momentum causing the film to be the least enjoyable of the other buddy cop films that have been released this year like Ride Along and 22 Jump Street. I look forward to seeing the two team up again one day on the big screen, but you should see their first pairing on the big screen from the comfort of your home either On Demand or Netflix.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Expendables 3 - 'The Past Meets The Future'

Director: Patrick Hughes
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes
Release Date: August 15, 2014

Sylvester Stallone is back with another installation of The Expendables and just like the first two films, Stallone gathers a handful of action stars from the past and teams up to do what they do best on the big screen, kick some butt. The first two films felt very similar due to the plot points and dialogue being recycled. But for the third installation, Stallone decided to change it up a bit - bringing in a new generation of action stars. Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz, and Glen Powell all join the team of old-timers. A brilliant idea from writer Stallone indeed because I'm not so sure how many more films he can make with just the same team. Unfortunately, new faces were the only new and refreshing addition to this trilogy, repeated dialogue and plot points are used once again.

Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables — but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.

The movie starts off with a bang as Barney, Christmas, Gunner (Dolph Lundgren), Road (Randy Couture) all save a former Expendable Doc (Wesley Snipes), from an armored prison located on a train. Who wouldn't want an action film to start any other way? This pre-credit sequence gets you ready for what is to come from the rest of the film. Unfortunately, things don't pick up much right after. Stallone and the other writers on board gives us similar trends we saw in past films but instead of Church (Bruce Willis) giving out the missions a new CIA agent does, Drummer (Harrison Ford). 

Nevertheless, Ford replacing Willis in the film was not the only thing new in The Expendables 3. After an ugly incident that ended with Caesar (Terry Crews) getting fatally injured, Barney suggests that the crew retires and that it may be time for some new and young blood. This is something I believe to be a beautiful concept because the first two films gave younger audiences a glimpse of the action stars that older generations enjoyed and now in the third installment, audiences are gifted with a glimpse of what actions stars are going to be gracing the big screen in the years to come. I am especially happy with the addition of UFC star Ronda Rousey, who will give young girls around the world a role model that isn't a Disney princess. Unfortunately, their screen time is limited as the new comers are well, still new to the game and get caught after their first mission resulting in the old-timers coming out of their brief retirement. Hopefully, Stallone brings back the young guys for the fourth installment, which has already been confirmed. 

There is one final thing that is different about The Expendables 3 and that's the rating. The first two films were both rated R, yet the latest installment got a rating of PG-13. A rating that changed the vibe of the movie for the sure because there was less blood and less heads being blown off than we were given previously. Are those things necessary for the film? No. But if Stallone wants to keep true to his 1980's action roots than it is. But where the action dipped, the laughs made up for it. Warning, if you don't know much of the actor's past work than the jokes will go right over your head. As jokes were made about Snipes' recent jail time, Willis' departure from the film, Li's height, Statham's accent and Schwarzenegger's famous 'Get to the CHOPPER!' line.

Overall, The Expendables 3 was a very fun time to watch even though you get the feeling you have seen it all before if you saw any of the previous films. The action sequences were not up to par as the past and the new-comers didn't bring the big impression that they should of but the jokes made and chemistry between the actors made up for it. With that being said, you should totally skip this film on all formats and wait for it to be on Netflix or On Demand. If Stallone indeed does get the bad guy he wants for The Expendables 4, Dwayne Johnson, brings back the new-comers and has the rating go back to R than maybe, just maybe the fourth installment will be the best one yet. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 'Cowabunga'

Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner
Release Date: August 8, 2014

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made their splash into our lives in 1984 via a comic book published by Mirage Studios. The original concept was just a joke at first but little would the creators know, they just created four heroes that would soon be loved by people all over the world. The turtles have went through many transformations since '84 and producer Michael Bay and director Jonathan Liebesman transformed the turtles once again. Originally they planned to have the turtles lose their 'teenage' and 'mutant' titles and just have them be Ninja Turtles... from space. But that idea was thrown out the window and instead they decided to give them a new look and somewhat of a new story. Unfortunately that wouldn't be enough to save Liebesman from putting out just an average film.

Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder (Tohoru Masamune) and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

If you're planning on watching TMNT with hopes of seeing the same turtles you saw growing up than abort mission now and don't waste your money. If you want to give this film an open mind than you'll enjoy a... decent film. Like I said previously, TMNT has been through many changes throughout it's history so no one should be surprised that Bay, Liebesman and their team decided to change the pizza eating ninjas once again. I personally grew up with the Foot Clan being ninjas, and some might have been fans of the Foot Clan members who were robots. But change is constant, and this time the Foot Clan are a paramilitary force.

When the word ninja comes up, I automatically think of lean, quick and fairly small fighting machines. In their latest adaptation, the turtles are no longer small but HUGE and STRONG. Yes, we see the turtles show off their martial arts skills with their weapons of choice but when it comes to fighting their opponents, we lose the martial arts and get more brute force that would be personally the only thing I have against the physical changes that the turtles went through. As for other changes, their story took a minor change that was too big for me to accept. For some odd reason, superhero films love to connect their characters together. April O'Neal, her deceased father, and his boss Eric Sachs all have a connection with the creation of the turtles. This addition to the story is unnecessary and creates a huge coincidence that O'Neal was the one who discovered the turtles which makes the film distasteful.

If you didn't love TMNT because of the action then you were definitely like myself and loved the franchise due to the relationship and interaction between Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Leonardo (Johnny Knoxville) and Raphael (Alan Ritchson). As soon as the four turtles get some screen time, your love for the franchise will finally appear. Director Liebesman does a great job portraying the first 'T' in TMNT throughout the film which is 'Teenage.' You're drowned by humor and even though adolescents and children are the targeted demographic, adults will let go of a few chuckles. The interaction between our favorite pizza eating ninjas wasn't the only thing that was hit right on the nail. The characteristics of each turtle was perfectly demonstrated as well. With Michelangelo being the star of the film with his laid back personality and a very humorous crush on O'Neal. Perhaps Donatello's nerd level could have been toned down a few notches. Splinter (Tony Shalhoub) on the other hand gets more shine than he has in other mediums as we are shown how and who taught the turtles everything they know. As for the humans, they are pretty sub par in the film.

Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles met some expectations but not enough for it to be a solid movie. I wouldn't consider it an awful film due to it perfectly capturing the brotherly love between the four turtles, which is something I enjoyed the most. Liebesman took an odd direction when it was decided to make the turtles into huge monstrous fighting machines which totally disregarded the 'Ninja' in TMNT but the last 'T', 'Turtle', was used beautifully and often in the film. Especially with the fight scene that took place in the snowy scenery. There were enough parts to make this film really good but the film does not carry the entertainment throughout. The movie truly becomes dull when the turtles are not on the screen. Overall, I would only suggest you add this film to your DVD collection as a nice modern homage to your childhood.

MOVIE REVIEW: Jersey Boys - 'Too Good To Be True'

Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: John Lloyd Young, Christopher Walken, Vincent Piazza
Release Date: June 20, 2014

Although Jersey Boys is a hit musical on Broadway, you don't need to see the musical to know that it is very successful. One of the reasons is that it is referenced in films. I mean, if Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz can be bribed and distracted from their police work with some Jersey Boys' tickets then the musical has to be amazing, right? That was a reference from the 2010 film The Other Guys, if you don't recall who Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz are. It is only right to take such a successful musical that went on to win four Tony Awards including 'Best Musical' and put it on the big screen. And who gets the privilege of directing it? Nobody else but the man himself, Clint Eastwood. Eastwood has taken a step back from directing since his 2011 film J. Edgar which received its fair share of negative reviews despite Leonardo DiCaprio playing the lead. Unfortunately, Jersey Boys will not avoid the negative reviews as the film falls flat when music isn't involved.

Jersey Boys didn't always go by that name, they were once "The Variety Trio" and Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) was Frankie Castelluccio before he entered the band. The group consisted of Tommy Devito (Vincent Piazza), Nick Devito (Johnny Cannizzaro) and Nick Passi (Michael Lomenda) but once Tommy heard Frankie's voice, he took him under his wing and taught him everything he knew. But not everything went well for the group, they just couldn't find that distinct sound. That was until they were introduced to songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen). The group went on to rename themselves The Four Seasons and success followed soon after. But like the lyric from their hit 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You', things were too good to be true as the group slowly fell apart.

Clint Eastwood has a resume that leads you to believe that Jersey Boys would be a hit. He was the composer for seven of his films, was on plenty of soundtracks, and has directed a biopic called Bird. So how is it possible that Jersey Boys was not as good as the Broadway musical? Simple, the music Eastwood has produced, composed, and written all have a different sound than of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. See, Eastwood is jazz and the Four Seasons are more pop-ish and the result is Eastwood not having emotional attachment to the music and focusing more on the backstage struggles. 

Besides Eastwood failing to focus on the music as much as the musical does, Eastwood also didn't know what kind of film he wanted to make. He gets caught in between the musical it should be and the Goodfellas vibe that it shouldn't be. Eastwood spends more time going into the history of Tommy DeVito and his criminal past than any other character. To add to the criminal aspect, the band grows a relationship with mobster Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken), and the only positive part of that is that Walken is amazing for the role and gives life to the film whenever he is on screen. But even with that, it's still not a good enough excuse to spend so much time on the mafia aspect when that means the music gets the back burner.

There is no doubt that the music Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons wrote and performed are fun and catchy despite it being a tad bit out-dated, but it should ultimately be the highlight of the film. But the majority of the musical numbers were performed so stiffly that if you are a fan of the musical you would be highly disappointed with the film. With the musical being approximately 15 minutes longer than the film, you're better off seeing the musical. There most likely won't be any awards handed out to this film unlike the musical. Wait until Jersey Boys is on Netflix for you to see it.

MOVIE REVIEW: Trust Me - 'You Never Learn Howard'

Director: Clark Gregg
Starring: Clark Gregg, Saxon Sharbino, Sam Rockwell
Release Date: June 6, 2014

Clark Gregg might be well known as Agent Coulson in Marvel Universe, but when he isn't playing an agent he's playing other roles in Hollywood. In 2013 alone, Gregg starred in four films and plays a big role in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. So when it comes to acting, Gregg is no stranger and is very versatile in the roles he can play. But there is one role in Hollywood that Gregg has only taken up once and that is directing. In 2008, Gregg first took the director's seat in Choke, a film that only received a 54% on the Tomatometer from Rotten Tomatoes. 6 years later and Clark is taking a second jab at directing with Trust Me, which made its debut at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. Unfortunately, not much has improved since Gregg's last time as a director.

Howard Holloway (Clark Gregg) is a child star turned agent for child actors who seems to be struggling at keeping his clients due to his arch-nemesis Aldo Shocklee (Sam Rockwell) being able to woo them all away. Things appear to look dim for Howard and his future as an agent until he meets a talented unsigned 13 year old actress Lydia (Saxon Sharbino) who has just been cast to play a role in the latest movie franchise based on vampires. But closing deals has never been easy for Howard, especially when he has Aldo attempting to steal his new client. Aside from this, Howard has to deal with a drunk and volatile man that is Lydia's father. The closer he gets to achieving the close of his career, Howard grows suspicious that Lydia is not everything that she seems.

The first hour of Trust Me was well put together, delivering a strong plot with jokes to match it. The film opens up with a flash forward of what is to be Howard's demise. Following the first hour of the film, you'll assume that when the film does get to the scene shown in the flash forward that it would be delivered in a comical fashion just like the rest of the film. Oh, how I was greatly mistaken.

The third act is when the tone of the film drastically changes. Suffering from a hurried storyline, Sharbino finds herself changing who she was portraying in the first hour on a dime. The very dark tone shift is about child abuse and how it is to be a young actor in Hollywood. Alone, the third act could work but with how the film set itself up throughout the first hour, the two tone just doesn't mesh the way Gregg hoped it would.

Which is awful because you actually grow to like Gregg's Howard and find yourself rooting for the underdog throughout the film. You want nothing but success for him and when things don't go his way you find yourself laughing. Then as soon as the tone shifts, all the fun you were having with the film just disappears and you catch yourself wondering if you are still watching the same film that you started.

On June 6th, Trust Me is set to hit limited theaters and will also be available for purchase on iTunes and On Demand on the same day. With Edge of Tomorrow and The Fault in Our Stars set to release the same day, you should over look the film and wait for it to be available to watch on Netflix. The third act is enough to ruin your enjoyment of the entire film but Gregg shows us that he is not that far from finally putting it all together when he's in the director's seat.

MOVIE REVIEW: Blended - 'Welcome to Africa'

Director: Frank Coraci
Starring: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Wendi McLendon-Covey
Release Date: May 23, 2014

Grown Ups 2, Adam Sandler's last film, was a huge bust despite raking in over $130 million in the box office, receiving a disgusting 7% on the Tomatometer from Rotten Tomatoes. You actually have to go back all the way to 2009 for a live action film of Sandler's that got over 20% which was Funny People that got a score of 68%. In Blended, Adam Sandler puts aside his "Grown Up" pals and teams up with Drew Barrymore again. This duo has brought us some of my favorite Sandler films such as The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, but can they give us another hit or will Sandler deliver another bust?

Lauren (Drew Barrymore) and Jim (Adam Sandler) are two single parents looking to rekindle their love life after 20 years of marriage. Lauren and Jim end up going on a blind date with each other at Hooters and things couldn't go any worse, leaving them both to believe that they are just better off single. The two never want to see each other again but unfortunately for them, that is not how fate works out. Turns out, both families end up going on the same African safari resort for spring break. Will their African journey make the two families kill each other or will it unite them?

Blended is a romantic comedy in which Adam Sandler hopes he can take a step in the right direction when it comes to making hits again. Two single parents with a combined five children makes it seem a little Brady Bunch-esque, but unlike Mike and Carol Brady these parents are dysfunctional and not the best at parenting in general. Adam Sandler has proven himself to be a successful romantic comedy lead but has also shown us he can be that shouting, immature man-child. Which happens to be the films biggest problem; it doesn't know which Sandler they want to give us. Despite giving us two different Sandlers at times, we see the chemistry we love in his past films with Drew Barrymore. There's just something about Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler on the big screen together that just creates magic. In the middle of the film, the two actors meet up accidentally for a morning cup of coffee. Not much is said besides them talking about their respective children and gazing at the scenery. Words are at a minimum but the chemistry is at a high. Really makes you wonder, why it has been ten years since the duo has teamed up to make another film? The scene ends with two rhinos having intercourse - que in the second Sandler.


Usually the cameos in Adam Sandler's films are highlights but this time around most of them are just duds. Joel McHale, Kevin Nealon, Shaquille O’Neal and Terry Crews all make cameos but the only one worth talking about is Crews. But then after his fifth musical number it gets tiring. Sandler does pay homage to his past films with Barrymore by throwing in two character cameos from their past films. Shockingly, even with all the negatives that Blended consists of, the film isn't all that bad. Yes, the acting from the children was not the best, Sandler's goof ball comedy ruins scenes at times and some moments that happen to be too silly, but there are jokes, believe it or not, that are actually laugh out loud funny. Try your hardest to hold it in, but you will laugh. Perhaps if Sandler just stayed with the successful romantic comedy lead side instead of his comedian side, the film could have been better, but the end result is quite charming. I wouldn't recommend going to theaters to see this film, it's best that you wait until the film hits Netflix or On Demand to have a family movie night just to see this one. Be cautious when you do decide to see this film with your young ones as there is an overload of masturbation and sex jokes.  

MOVIE REVIEW: Neighbors - 'Just Don't Call the Cops'

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron
Release Date: May 9, 2014

In 2013, Seth Rogen had all of us laughing out loud with his summer comedy This is the End. Rogen, who wrote the film, had his buddies James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and almost everybody else in Hollywood join him for the film. But this time Rogen removes himself from behind the scene and decides to work on screen, leaving the script writing for newcomers Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brian. Rogen is also joined by both Zac Efron and rose Byrne for this film. With a weaker supporting cast and Rogen not writing the jokes, will Neighbors be another success or bust for Seth Rogen?

Seth Rogen plays Mac Radner, and with his wife Kelly (Rose Byrne), move into a peaceful neighborhood that is perfect to raise their baby girl. Well, that is until the Delta Psi Beta fraternity move right next door to them. Mac and Kelly want to appear cool but they want to make sure that the fraternity respects the fact that they also have a baby to raise. They greet Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron), the charming president of Delta Psi Beta, with open arms and a joint to show off their cool side. After Delta Psi Beta’s first party the Radners decide to keep their cool persona and approach Teddy with the noise complaint to their face in hopes that would be enough. Teddy makes a request of his own, to always approach him first with noise complaints instead of calling the police. However, after one more extremely loud party, Mac and Kelly end up calling the police. When asked who called them, the officer points his finger at the Radners, and the frat boys officially declare war.

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are portrayed as hard drinking, pot smoking parents who have no regard for taking care of their new baby. As they partied on a couple of occasions while leaving their new born baby in the house alone. But despite that, the couple is instantly likeable throughout the film and you become invested in their attempts to shut down the fraternity. Not because you want to see their lives go back to normal and have their daughter not be raised next to drugged and sex crazed college students but because you want to see to what extent they will go to make it happen.

Sometimes juvenile, vulgar humor works for a film and sometimes it doesn't. For Neighbors unfortunately the latter applies to the film. Neighbors lacks character and plot development and instead focuses on stringing together a collection of silly and entertaining skits and this is where the film fails. If the skits are a hit and indeed enjoyable then Rogen was able to follow up This is the End with another comedic hit. Every scene basically involved sex, drug use, or some kind of adolescent act. In parts those elements can be hilarious but when that's the only thing the film consists of then you're going have some problems.

Seth Rogen has most of the time stuck to this type of comedy, and I don't have a problem with that because that is what we have grown and loved about him as an actor. But Rose Byrne on the other hand? Once again, she has surprised me with her character being exceptionally funny. After Bridesmaids and Get Him to the Greek, I am starting to expect to see the serious actress from August: Osage County have me laughing. Teen crazed females are probably excited that Zac Efron is a star in the film and they get an opportunity to see their eye candy shirtless but I wonder how they will feel when they see Seth Rogen with his shirt off. Not a sight you want to remember. But Efron did impress me with his role.

The momentum of the film stays the same throughout and the pranks are delivered in no particular order. They work but due to seeing them in the promotional campaign of the film, you aren't caught as off guard as you could have been. Neighbors will have you laughing out loud but not necessarily because it’s funny, mostly because of how outrageous the pranks are. Pass on seeing the film in theaters and wait for it to hit Netflix or On Demand.

There’s no real build or through line for Neighbors. The stakes stay about the same from beginning to end and the pranks are delivered in no particular order. Thanks to the lack of layers, Neighbors misses out on the opportunity to resonate and become one of the greats, but it still has enough charm and humor to make it worth your while. Read more at http://collider.com/neighbors-movie-review/#A6wIbgdh6Fhiymls.99

There’s no real build or through line for Neighbors. The stakes stay about the same from beginning to end and the pranks are delivered in no particular order. Thanks to the lack of layers, Neighbors misses out on the opportunity to resonate and become one of the greats, but it still has enough charm and humor to make it worth your while. Read more at http://collider.com/neighbors-movie-review/#A6wIbgdh6Fhiymls.99

There’s no real build or through line for Neighbors. The stakes stay about the same from beginning to end and the pranks are delivered in no particular order. Thanks to the lack of layers, Neighbors misses out on the opportunity to resonate and become one of the greats, but it still has enough charm and humor to make it worth your while. Read more at http://collider.com/neighbors-movie-review/#A6wIbgdh6Fhiymls.99s

There’s no real build or through line for Neighbors. The stakes stay about the same from beginning to end and the pranks are delivered in no particular order. Thanks to the lack of layers, Neighbors misses out on the opportunity to resonate and become one of the greats, but it still has enough charm and humor to make it worth your while. Read more at http://collider.com/neighbors-movie-review/#A6wIbgdh6Fhiymls.99

MOVIE REVIEW: The Railway Man - 'War Leaves a Mark'

Director: Jonathan Teplitzky
Starring: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård
Release Date: April 11, 2014

No one knows trains like Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) does. He can tell you where a train is going, where it was made, the name of the route, the name of all the stations it will pass and what train to connect to even if you missed the train you needed. That last example is exactly how he ran into the beautiful Patti (Nicole Kidman) who would later become his wife - well not before shaving his mustache.

Patti later finds out that her husband is a broken man due to the time he served in World War II and is willing to pick up the pieces. But does she know the full extent of the damage done to Eric? The year is 1942 and young Eric (Jeremy Irvine), a signals officer, is ordered to surrender with the rest of his unit to the Japanese Imperial Army. They are sent to build what would later become the Burma Railway, a railway route between Thailand and Burma, with thousands of other prisoners of war. Making a railway is hard and tedious work to begin with, throughout the history of railways usually slaves are the ones who are left to do the construction, but not this time.The Burma Railway was once thought of being constructed by the British government of Burma in the past but they thought it would be too difficult to be built as they felt many men would die in the process and those who didn't would of wished they had, and that wasn't a risk they were willing to take.

Lomax and his unit are saved from the brutal physical work and used for their engineering skills instead. But Lomax will soon find out his life would not be any easier. He endures unimaginable torments at the hands of a young Nagase Takashi (Tanroh Ishida), a Japanese intelligence officer. Lomax is scarred from the events that happen during this time and it is Patti's duty to help Eric come to peace with his past and stop pushing his wife away.

The Railway Man had great potential with a great cast of Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård and Hiroyuki Sanada but director Jonathan Teplitzky fails to tap into this potential as there were many problems I came across in the film. The film starts off as a romance of sorts with Eric meeting Patti on the train and instantly wanting to see her again when he gets off the train. Eric even goes to the extent of train watching, hoping he will run into her again. Fortunately for Eric, he runs into her and they start dating from then on. Throughout this whole dating period all the way up to their wedding we never get a glimpse of Eric battling the dark memories from his war days. In fact we don't see much of how he is truly affected until AFTER his wedding. This brings up the question, did Patti suppress those dark memories? Possibly, but when the memories come back to haunt him, he pushes Patti away. What was different with Eric before and after the wedding? A question that was never answered.

The Railway Man is based on Eric Lomax's autobiography of the same name. Although I have yet to read the novel, you can grasp that the book goes into more detail than the film, but you don't get to feel the humidity or heat of the jungle. We SEE the prisoners of war look famish but we don't FEEL that unbearable heat they are living under. As for the Japanese soldiers, despite the scenes where they demonstrate their cruelty, fear is never instilled in you. Their were many scenes where Lomax did something against command or would interfere with other workers and the soldiers would leave them alone unpunished besides a quick yell in a foreign language.

One thing that made understanding the story challenging was the technique of using present day Eric as the story telling device, this made separating the flashbacks from the Burma Railway and the memories from a weathered and tortured Eric difficult to differentiate. When this method of story telling is used correctly, the building of tension and plot revealing points are done wonderfully, unfortunately this is not the case with The Railway Man. So much time is spent in bland, dull Britain at a dismally slow pace that any tension that is built up within the flashback dies out, killing any and all momentum. This also hurts the feelings drawn from the characters as well. When you begin to grow attachment to young Lomax and the abuse he is going through, the flashback ends and you're back to dull modern day Lomax in which you don't grow as strong of a connection with.

On the other hand, the acting done by Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine was the true highlight of the film. Both Firth and Irvine capture the emotional and mental damage done to Eric throughout his life. Especially in the scene where Firth is trembling on the bedroom floor, trapped again in a nightmare he can never shake. Irvine’s younger version of Eric portrays the full passion play of abuse: beaten, wasted and still filled with pride to tell them anything but the truth.

Overall, The Railway Man falls short of expectation. I recommend passing on this movie when it hits theaters but when given the opportunity to see the film via Netflix or on TV, you should sit down and give the film a shot. The performances done by Firth and Irvine are something you definitely should not miss.

Real life Eric Lomax and Nagase Takashi