Saving the best for last: Rachel’s fav, ‘Stand By Me’ (5/5)

“Stand By Me”

Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman
Directed by: Rob Reiner. Based on the short story “The Body” by Stephen King.
Rating: R
Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes

We’ve all had them, some perhaps more than others — the times in your life when you realize that everything’s about to change.

I’ve got one of those coming up myself. Come the end of September, I’ll be living minutes from the Atlantic in suburban, southeastern North Carolina — a bit of an about-face from the rolling hills and beautiful lakes of upstate New York that I’ve lived among my whole life.

So for my final review, I wanted to leave you with my favorite movie, “Stand By Me,” in the hopes of winning it over a few new fans, or rekindling an old love (save the best for last, right?).

Made in 1986 (what I like to think of as a twist of fate as I was born that same year), “Stand By Me” has the reputation of a cult classic that, despite the incredible amount of positive reviews, has not quite broken into the mainstream.

For those unaware, take a seat — the immensely powerful and dramatic “Stand By Me” is based on the short story “The Body” written by the Master of Horror Stephen King — but in an extremely uncharacteristic style (think more “Shawshank Redemption” than “Pet Sematary”).

This is one of the only times that I would choose a film adaptation over the written version, but even so, King’s generally morbid and terrifying methods of storytelling are nigh nonexistent in “The Body.”
Instead he relies on his sharp memory and keen perception of psychology to tell the tale of four 12-year-old boys on a journey to see a dead body.

OK, I’ll admit, it sounds gruesome. But this unsettling plot is actually the gateway to a beautiful and dramatic reflection on youth, friendship and the first painful awareness of mortality and the knowledge that everything changes.

And while King’s version naturally leans toward the more cynical side of the spectrum, director Rob Reiner’s “Stand By Me” will leave you with an immense sense of melancholy tinged with a nearly imperceptible feeling of promise.

The film starts with a very understated title scene followed by a shot of a reflective Gordie Lachance (played here in the adult/narrator role by Richard Dreyfuss, who brings a wonderful balance of whimsy and rumination to his mostly voice-over role). We then see the reason for Gordie’s musing — a newspaper article headlined “Attorney Christopher Chambers fatally stabbed in restaurant.”

The audience is then transported back to 1959 as Gordie (here played by Wil Wheaton) tells of the first time he saw a dead body at the age of 12 along with his friends Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) and Vern Tessio (Jerry O’Connell).

A local kid, Ray Browers, had disappeared several days before. Vern overheard his older brother discussing the accidental finding of the body near the railroad tracks with another gang member while they had been joyriding with a stolen car. The teens decide to keep their mouths shut to avoid getting in trouble for stealing the car.

With dreams of becoming heroes, the four younger boys start on a trek along the rail to find and hopefully recover the body.

While the movie is full of 12-year-old-boy antics (breaking into the town junkyard and a memorably disgusting story from young Gordie involving how Davie Hogan gets revenge for his cruel nickname), it mostly centers around the more intense, dramatic moments. Each of the boys are coming to terms with who they are and what their place is in the world in different, and often painful, ways.

Gordie’s older brother has recently passed away and he is now largely ignored by his parents. Chris’ father is abusive and his brother a no-good gang member, and he fears his family will keep him from living any sort of decent life.

Even if you haven’t experienced exactly what any of the characters have, King and Reiner make it easy to be able to connect and relate with them regardless. Who hasn’t experienced being bullied, albeit perhaps not with one so vicious as Ace Merrill (a young and decidedly tough Keifer Sutherland).

And who hasn’t felt worthless (Chris) or in need of extreme danger to make them feel alive (Teddy)?
Simply put, “Stand By Me” is a beautiful movie from beginning to end. From the music to the cinematography to the script and the absolutely incredible job done by the young cast, the film was made with deliberate care and expertise, and it shows.

River Phoenix’s untimely death in 1993 makes his role as the troubled but loyal Chris Chambers that much more poignant. His performance is a large part of what makes “Stand By Me” so incredible.

And while this is my favorite movie and I started watching it at a young age, keep in mind that it is a very emotional movie with adult themes that may disturb young viewers (it is rated R). There’s also an immense amount of vulgarity from the kids and the older gang.

As the running time is relatively short at an hour and a half, I would highly recommend taking a look at the featurette “Walking the Tracks: The Summer of ‘Stand By Me’” in the special features. It includes interviews with Stephen King, Rob Reiner and most of the main cast  in 2002 (it’s interesting to see how much the young boys have grown, especially Jerry O’Connell).

In the featurette, King describes the story as being that of “kids who are discovering the world.”
“Stand By Me” shows that not all journeys have to be physical (though mine decidedly is) — often, the mental journeys are the ones that make the biggest difference.

5 of 5 stars

Dark, violent and funny, ‘Defendor’ has surprises (4/5)

“Defendor”

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Kat Dennings
Directed by: Peter Stebbings
Rating: R for drug use and language throughout, violence and sexual content.
Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes

It’s a maniac with marbles, it’s Woody Harrelson in a funny costume, both, it’s DEFENDOR!

Rarely does a movie transcend the boundaries of a genre well. But “Defendor” is a comedy, action flick and drama rolled up into one pretty good film.

The emotional aspects of this movie were relatively surprising. I was expecting an off-beat comedy, but instead got a more realistic version of “Kick-Ass” complete with the mental turmoil of being a superhero-sans-powers.

Woody Harrelson stars as Arthur Poppington, a mentally challenged city man who is tired of the drug kings running his shattered home. Rather than the honest working man, the streets are full of corrupt cops and prostitutes enslaved to the drug pushers. Arthur creates the alter-ego Defendor (complete with duct-tape logo and black face paint) to protect the city and fight back against the drug runners.

By day, Arthur works as a road crewman under Paul Carter (Michael Kelly), who has taken Arthur under his wing. But the independent Arthur wants no handouts and instead lives in an abandoned warehouse by himself, unbeknownst to Paul.

In his search for his arch nemesis Captain Industry, Arthur happens upon the bought-out undercover policeman Chuck Dooney (Elias Koteas) and the young streetwalker Kat Debrofkowitz (Kat Dennings of “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”). Kat “befriends” Arthur and tells him she knows the identity of Captain Industry — mob boss Kristic (Alan C. Peterson), who Kat wants taken out for her own selfish motives.

“Defendor” is an unexpectedly dark movie with comedic undertones. The tough themes circling the devastated city and Arthur himself are balanced by Arthur’s marble throwing, “Oh no, not the lime juice!,” and random labels (“Defendoor” over the warehouse entrance, for instance). This sort of humorous melancholy brings an immense feel of realism to “Defendor” that makes its points strike home all the harder.

Although “Defendor” can be seen on the surface as a superhero parody, it becomes blatantly clear that it’s more of a reflection on society and one man’s drive to fix it. Our laughter is hardly a mockery of Arthur and his intelligence level but rather we laugh at the brutal silliness of it all, and by extension the crazy lifestyles inherent with drug abuse and prostitution. “Defendor” takes backroom conversation and thrusts it into the limelight of humor while forcing it to maintain its dangerous vibe.

“Defendor” manages to be an honest movie in the realm of the fantastical. Woody Harrelson’s performance is impeccable as he flawlessly switches between animated and spirited to dejected and grim and Elias Koteas is a superb bad guy. Kat Dennings does a suitable job as Kat Debrofkowitz but I feel that her limited range just can’t hold a candle to Harrelson’s.

This movie isn’t suitable for all viewers, largely due to the themes of drugs and prostitution itself. But there are also scenes of violence and language — it’s rated “R” for a reason.

This is the writing and directorial debut of Canadian Peter Stebbings, and I think it’s safe to say he has a long career ahead of him in the movie industry.

4 of 5 stars

‘Invictus’ conveys important message for America (4/5)

Invictus

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon and Tony Kgoroge
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Rating: PG-13.
Running time: 2 hours, 14 minutes

Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
— William Ernest Henley

From the eloquent directorial mind of Clint Eastwood comes one of the most inspirational films of the past year — “Invictus,” based on the true story of South African President Nelson Mandela’s venture to unite his apartheid-torn land by way of the national rugby team.

The premise itself seems contrary — the notably physical, aggressive game of rugby promoting peace and fellowship. But many sports fans will agree that there’s hardly a more unifying experience than cheering for the same team, especially on the national level (ask any soccer fan how they felt after the U.S. pulled out a narrow tie with England last World Cup, or when Landon Donovan scored the overtime goal that catapulted America into the second round).

“Invictus” begins with the induction of Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) as the first black president of South Africa. He arrives at his office to find all Caucasians packing their things with the assumption that Mandela will hire only black South Africans.

Cue Mandela’s first speech of inspiration, in which he assures the staff that “What’s past is past. We look to the future now.”

But Mandela realizes that he cannot bind a country with what many bitter whites would perceive as empty, lofty words — he must find a way to unite them on their own level. He expresses this in his first meeting with François Pienaar (Matt Damon), the captain of the South African rugby team, the Springboks:

“But how do we get them to be better than they think they can be? That is very difficult, I find. Inspiration, perhaps. How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do? How do we inspire everyone around us? I sometimes think it is by using the work of others.”

Although the Springboks are, frankly, not very good, Mandela sees an opportunity to join South Africa together in cheering for their national team in the 1995 Rugby World Cup hosted by South Africa.

Pienaar is faced with the difficult task of motivating his own team to greatness — personally and professionally. They are assigned to give black village children rugby lessons, a project first viewed with scorn. But when the players see the children and realize the effect they are having, their level of pride in themselves and their country begins to increase.

The rugby team is also given a tour of the prison that Mandela was held in for 27 years, an emotional experience for Pienaar. Mandela had given him a copy of the poem that had kept his heart, soul and mind afloat throughout the dark periods of hard labor and imprisonment — “Invictus,” a Latin word meaning “unconquered,” a poem written by Englishman William Ernest Henley in 1875.

A wonderful subplot in “Invictus” is Mandela adding four white South Africans to his team of black bodyguards. “The Rainbow Nation starts here,” he tells his angered head of security. “Reconciliation starts here.”

This inspirational and highly quotable film is something I believe everyone should watch, if only for the message of putting aside pettiness for the good of the country (something America could take a lesson in, I think).

Freeman does an absolutely incredible job as Nelson Mandela. And, really, who better to play the icon? Freeman looks born to play this role, and it’s said that Mandela himself said that Freeman is the only actor who would be able to properly portray him.

For his part, Damon does well, but his role is fairly limited to the humble captain who “leads by example.”

The rugby matches themselves are all right, but the filmography tends to cheese up a bit during the moments meant to be portrayed as suspenseful or moving — Eastwood did so well allowing the actors and the story to build its own dramatics that I wish they had left the creativity out of the games, a traditionally emotional experience in its own right. It almost seemed that though they understood and accepted the nuances and subtleties of speech, they couldn’t understand the fervor that is naturally built behind a sporting event.

But despite the few weaknesses, “Invictus” is overall a very strong movie that I think everyone, especially our politicians, should watch. I think the feel of the movie is summed up by an early discussion between Mandela and his assistant, Brenda Mazibuko:

Brenda: You’re risking your political capital, you’re risking your future as our leader.
Mandela: The day I am afraid to do that is the day I am no longer fit to lead.

4 of 5 stars

‘Cloudy’ brighter than expected (3.5/5)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell
Directed by: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Rating: PG for brief, mild language.
Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

I wasn’t in a big hurry to see “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” for a couple of reasons.

1.) I like to think that I’m open to movies, but truthfully, I’m highly biased against any recent animation that doesn’t come out of Pixar Studios (or, to a lesser extent, Pixar’s owner, The Walt Disney Co.). Before “Cloudy with a Chance,” Sony Pictures Animations has been responsible for such bombs as “Open Season” and “Surf’s Up.”

2.) It’s based on one of my all-time favorite childhood books, and the catastrophes that were “The Golden Compass” and “Where the Wild Things Are” have left me wondering why the imaginative spirit that those books inspired within me seemed to skip over anyone in the movie industry. (I refuse to watch “Bridge to Terabithia” for that very reason.)

But it’s hard to say no to 11-year-old sisters (especially when they have a vice grip on the remote and disturbing knowledge of a young adult’s pain threshold). And so I found myself last Saturday nursing a hand with a Wii-remote-shaped bruise and watching “Cloudy with a Chance.”

Thankfully, it got me laughing right away — a banana falling on the Columbia Lady was hilarious and put me in just the right mood for the film.

The charm and originality of the book are preserved in the movie, as well. Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) is the typical socially-awkward-but-wants-to-make-a-difference nerd (he actually reminded me a bit of Hiccup from “How to Train Your Dragon”). His inventions, such as the spray-on shoes, are pretty cool, but often backfire.

Despite his father Tim’s requests for Flint to give up the science act and join his side at the local bait shop, Flint soon comes up with a way to turn the flavorless island town of Swallow Falls (where everyone eats sardines) into a regular smorgasbord — a machine that can transform water molecules into food.

When the machine is accidentally launched into the atmosphere, wonderful (and delicious) things begin to happen — mostly in the form of cheeseburgers.

Flint finds himself in the company of a junior weather reporter, the beautiful, vibrant and overly perky Sam Sparks (what a great name for a weather reporter) played by Anna Faris.

Swallow Falls used to be a pretty OK town — until the Baby Brent Sardine Canning factory closed down. Now, Mayor Shelbourne (Bruce Campbell) is determined to find a way to put Swallow Falls back on the map — and with Flint’s invention, he believes he has found a way. But the effects of gluttony catches up to him in many ways, and soon the machine becomes a danger to the town’s residents and tourists.

With the help of Sam and his pet monkey, Steve, Flint must shut off his best invention before it destroys the island.

Flint, Sam, and the formerly famous “Baby” Brent must all come to terms with who they actually are — which leads to many hilarious, heartwarming conclusions.

Flint’s pet monkey Steve (voiced by the ever-hilarious Neil Patrick Harris) is 100 percent the best part of this movie. I only wish that he was the main character — that’s one spinoff movie that I could actually get behind.

Maybe my one major complaint with “Cloudy with a Chance” is how easily it lends itself to becoming a video game — it was hard to forget that I wasn’t sitting on the couch with an X-Box remote in hand at times. The visuals and plot were great, but I wondered at the motives at times.

Overall, this is one literary adaptation that didn’t make me want to scream — an accomplishment in its own right. There’s no doubt that “Cloudy with a Chance” is aimed for the young, but I think it will also appeal to those young at heart.

3.5 of 5 stars

Hopkins can’t save ‘Wolfman’ (2.5/5)

The Wolfman

Starring: Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Rating: R for bloody horror violence and gore.
Running time: 1 hours, 59 minutes (unedited director’s cut)

“The Wolfman” is a series of understated sequences followed by moments of unintentional comedic effect.

Joe Johnston (“Jumanji,” “October Sky,” “Jurassic Park III,” “Hidalgo”) tries his hand at this simply adequate remake of the 1941 classic “The Wolf Man.”

The updated “Wolfman” is a dark enough production, and the style and pacing will appeal to many who love older movies, but the film’s subtleties and plot-driven manner have made it difficult for contemporary audiences to immerse themselves.

In fact, the worst parts were undoubtedly the scenes that were meant to draw in today’s audiences — they felt too contrived, too predictable, too cheesy. And that is exactly where Johnston will scare away the classical aficionados, thereby driving away any solid viewership.

There aren’t many surprises with this movie — as with many remakes, you know where it’s going when you walk in. Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro) returns to England when his brother’s fiancee, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), seeks his help in finding her betrothed. The brother’s body is soon found, mauled by a savage beast, much like the bodies of other victims. Pub tales tell of werewolves, to which some scoff and others cross themselves.

While in England, Lawrence is reunited with his estranged father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), and finds himself falling for Gwen.

But a nighttime ride to a gypsy camp to uncover his brother’s killer ends in terror for Lawrence as the werewolf makes an unexpected appearance and Lawrence ends up being bitten.

Now Lawrence must cope with mending a broken relationship with his father, falling in love with his dead brother’s fiancee and, oh yeah, turning into a horrible monster.

The point of movies like this is not to have a flabbergasting ending but to plunge the audience into the story. Unfortunately, “Wolfman” is unable to grasp the viewer.

Having the lead role in your movie miscast, as was Benicio del Toro as the Wolfman, forces the rest of the film to rise above and beyond the call of duty to make up for such a noticeable lack — sadly, “Wolfman” fails to do this. A lesson for del Toro — being a producer does not mean that you should be the main character.

The shining beacon of this movie is undoubtedly Anthony Hopkins. He’s engaging and seems to get even creepier as he ages. (Is it even possible for him to top his role as Hannibal Lecter? Doubtful, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still scary.)

I actually was interested in this movie because of Emily Blunt (“Dan in Real Life,” “The Jane Austen Book Club,” “The Devil Wears Prada”), but this has been the first movie in which she has not totally captured me.

This movie does have some pretty interesting parts. I especially enjoyed the transformation sequences, but could have lived without most of the overdone fighting scenes. The atmospheric night scenes in the woods, however, were fairly frightening.

And they should have kept the viewers guessing [an engaged watcher’s imagination is all it takes to scare the wits out of someone, trust me] — because once you start getting some good, up-close-and-personal looks at the Wolfman, he’s not quite so scary anymore. More like Chewbacca with indigestion.

If you’re a fan of werewolves or of classic storytelling, “Wolfman” may be a movie worth watching.
But if you’re looking for a terrifying, action-packed gore-fest, this isn’t it (even the unedited version was tame enough for me to watch without covering my eyes).

2.5 of 5 stars

Jolie makes ‘Salt’ a tasty flick (4/5)

Salt

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schrieber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action.
Running time: 1 hours, 40 minutes

You may think I’m not a big fan of action movies because car chases and explosions are much more likely to put me to sleep than they are to stir me into an adrenaline-crazed frenzy. Also, I have a standing disdain for any casting director absurd enough to cast Vin Diesel or Dwayne Johnson (formerly “The Rock” — because tough nicknames make up for a lack of talent). But truthfully, I demand a certain level of intellectual integrity that most mainstream action flicks seem to sorely lack (“xXx,” anyone?).

Thankfully, there’s no need for “Salt” to be put on anyone’s “guilty pleasures” list.

CIA officer Evelyn Salt (portrayed by an exemplary Angelina Jolie) finds herself accused of being a Russian spy and detained by her coworkers.

Desperate to find her German nationalist husband, Mike Krause (August Diehl), who has gone missing in an apparent link to the accusation, Salt employs her intelligence and fighting know-how to escape from her fellow agents and track her husband down, all the while proclaiming her innocence.

With Salt’s identity in question and a mountain of evidence piling up against her, Salt is tracked by fellow agents Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber), who has also grown to be a friend of Salt’s. But for a CIA agent, loyalty to country exceeds loyalty to friendship and her coworkers are forced to examine the facts.

Just as Peabody has no idea of what Evelyn Salt is capable, the audience, too, has no idea of what Phillip Noyce is capable. “Salt” is a heart-racing jaunt with fantastic action sequences and a plot that will keep you on your toes (or at least the edge of your seat) helped along by the moderately quick running time of an hour and 40 minutes.

Many reviewers have compared “Salt” to a mixture of the Bourne trilogy and the James Bond films.
But Jolie turns the action genre into her own plaything and absolutely owns every moment of her screentime.

I’ll admit that I predicted part of the ending about halfway through, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment. I also think that most viewers will be left guessing ’til the end — there are plenty of twists to keep even the most seasoned moviegoers scratching their heads.

Angelina Jolie is the epitome of the female action star and she never ceases to amaze me. Her beauty, power and commanding aura have only grown with her.

But what was really excellent about her role as Salt is that her undeniable sex appeal is greatly toned down to a point where it’s hardly noticeable. And that allows you to focus on what’s actually going on rather than be distracted by the smoke-and-mirrors, peek-a-boo nudity that so often peppers action movies.

“Salt” isn’t entirely realistic and will leave you with a few questions when the credits start to roll. But it’s engaging and interesting and has some of the best acting so far this year.

Plus, don’t you just want to know if she’s a Russian spy or not?

4 of 5 stars

‘Inception’: Plan to see it twice (4/5)

Inception

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Paige, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout.
Running time: 2 hours, 28 minutes

If you’ve seen the previews, then this next point shouldn’t be much of a surprise: “Inception” is a mind-bending experience and is definitely a movie to watch twice. It’s nice to see original ideas again.

Dreams themselves are odd things to consider. They’ve long been seen as images from our subconscious — a mysterious force inside us that seems to know when we’re stressed and always conveniently knows what our biggest fears are (and, too, our deepest fantasies).

Director Christopher Nolan took the idea of random, internal thoughts and images to a new realm — a controllable arena in which your deepest secrets are vulnerable to the trained intruder.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the tortured Dominic Cobb with a dark past. Cobb is an expert in the art of extraction, or the ability to retrieve information out of others’ dreams. A man approaches Cobb with an offer — implant an idea into another man’s mind, and Cobb will be reunited with his children.

But implanting an idea is much harder than retrieving one — in order for an idea to stick, the dreamer must believe it is his or her own, organic thought.

Cobb assembles a team to help him break into the guarded mind of business heir Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy, “Red Eye”). He joins together with architect Ariadne (the fantastic Ellen Page, “Juno”) and research leader Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

A trick to Inception is to know who is dreaming and, therefore, who is in control. Also important is whose dream you are entering, because their subconscious could sense and attack you.

What makes entering Fischer’s mind so much more difficult is the use of sedation and the dream-within-a-dream stages. Also, Fischer has been trained against such interlopers, and so must be convinced to lower his guard.

The imagery of “Inception” will raise this movie above many others. Zero-gravity fights, dream building and imaginative scenarios will keep you amazed. But what will keep you invested is the story of Cobb and his wife, Mal (beautifully played by Marion Cotillard).

Leonardo DiCaprio proved long ago that he was more than just a pretty face (“Gangs of New York” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” are simply fantastic films), and though he’ll always be haunted by the memory of his blockbuster role as “Titanic’s” dreamboat Jack Dawson, DiCaprio has managed time and again to pull out amazing performances. His portrayal of the tortured Cobb is worthy of admiration.

I have to commend Joseph Gorden-Levitt. I’m used to seeing his charismatic personality shine through in his early works “Third Rock from the Sun,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” and, more recently, “(500) Days of Summer.” But his restrained role as Arthur demonstrates his desire (and, more important, his ability) to build on the more serious side of human emotion (his part as Rex Lewis in “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra” was a good jumping off point for him in this aspect, even if the movie itself wasn’t great).

“Inception” is wonderfully refreshing and a great example of thought-provoking film. The visuals are astonishing, the characters are memorable and the actors are superb. This is easily one of the best movies of 2010 — but looking at what’s come out so far, there hasn’t been much competition.

4 of 5 stars