January 2014 Movie Reviews

January 2014 Movie Reviews

Jack Ryan, Labor Day, Ride Along, Stranger by the Lake, and That Awkward Moment

By Brett Takeshita

January. The month during which studios dump out their "lesser" films after releasing their award contenders during December. In other words, studios tend to have little faith in these movies, and in most cases, it shows. January 2014 definitely proved this stigma true with mediocrity.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
2.5 stars out of 4

It's a shame that this little-seen thriller was overlooked by many, for Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is a pretty good time. Based on the Tom Clancy novels, Jack Ryan follows CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) as he uncovers a Russian terrorist plot against the United States and attempts to prevent an economic collapse. Is the premise fresh? Not particularly. Is the terrorist attack feasible? Nope. But when you have a swift thriller that's as fun and entertaining as Jack Ryan, who cares?

Kudos to director Kenneth Branagh for approaching this film with gusto. He understands that some of this story is ridiculous, and rather than approaching this film with a self-serious attitude, he has fun with it. (This is somewhat similar to his winning approach to the ridiculously stupid but entertaining Thor). The action is brisk and beautifully shot in its clarity. Pine is a fantastic charismatic lead who allows us to engage with our hero and his introduction to the CIA world. Keira Knightley is great as Jack's fiancee who is frustrated with all of Jack's snooping and sneaking. (It's rad that she doesn't have to play the nagging fiancee at home or the hot damsel in distress. She actually gets involved with Jack's mission in an integral and exciting manner). And Kenneth Branagh seems like he's having a blast as the evil, scene-chewing Russian terrorist. Jack Ryan takes a while to jump off, but once it does, it never slows down. You're in for a fun ride.

Labor Day
2.5 stars out of 4

Jason Reitman is one of this generation's most talented directors (and one of my favorite directors of all time). Time and time again, he makes some of the most thought provoking dramas that are flourished with tons of brilliant, biting humor. Labor Day is his first crack at a straight up romance film. While this definitely isn't one of his best works due to some ultra hokey writing, Labor Day is beautifully composed and wonderfully directed.

We follow Adele (a lovely Kate Winslet), who is the depressed single mother of her precocious son, Henry (Gattlin Griffith). He often takes on the duty of the adult of the household as he constantly looks after his mother, who often is incapable of doing things alone. One day while they are out, they meet Frank (a steely and fantastic Josh Brolin). He's a fugitive out on the run. They aren't quite sure if he's dangerous or not, but they decide to let him seek refuge in their home. What evolves is a deep romance between Adele and Frank that gets ever more complicated as they fall harder for each other. Labor Day has been getting many comparisons to Lifetime original movies, which is partially valid. The sickly sweet romantic scenes had me belly laughing from their ridiculous over-the-top nature. (The infamous pie baking scene between Adele and Frank is hilariously terrible). However, even when the romance gets a little too melodramatic, Winslet and Brolin are talented enough to make you constantly care.

Where Labor Day succeeds best is during the magnetic and intense thriller-like moments. There are a couple of scenes trickled throughout (I won't spoil them for you) that provide a real jolt. Reitman stages these sequences masterfully, and they really get you on edge. You find yourself caring about these people. I wonder if Labor Day would've been better if it was played more as a suspenseful thriller. However, what we have here is a flawed but engaging piece.

Ride Along
2 stars out of 4

Believe it or not, I was really excited to see the critically maligned Ride Along. Kevin Hart, who has deservedly become one of Hollywood's top comedic stars, never disappoints. Ice Cube proved with 21 Jump Street that he, too, is a talented comic actor. So with Hart and Cube together, you should have a wildly hilarious and entertaining movie to watch. However, not even these two funny men can save Ride Along from mediocre writing and lack of originality. 

Hart plays loser security guard, Ben, who is excited to marry his beautiful girlfriend, Angela (Tika Sumpter). But of course this relationship can never be that simple. Ice Cube plays Angela's tough cop brother, James, who disapproves of Ben and believes that Ben isn't man enough to marry his sister. So Ben decides to "ride along" in a cop car with James for a day and prove that he is a strong, smart dude who is perfect for Angela. 

As you might be able to tell, Ride Along has a pretty stale premise. We've seen this many times before. But what Ride Along is really meant for is to allow its co-stars to riff off each other, with Ice Cube's seriously angry comic delivery to counterbalance all of Hart's wildly colorful and unpredictable musings. Director Tim Story wisely allows the two to bounce off each other throughout, and it seems as though he allowed them to improv quite often, which is where much of the strong humor comes through. But for the most part, the screenplay is so stale, and the jokes are super unfunny. If you're a huge fan of Kevin Hart, you might want to consider seeing Ride Along. Even when it's not funny, it's often mildly entertaining. However, for everyone else, steer clear.

Stranger by the Lake
3.5 stars out of 4

The first great film of 2014 is the erotic French thriller, Stranger by the Lake. Even if you don't think that this is a movie for you -- the explicit gay sex scenes and languid pacing might scare off even the most adventurous moviegoers -- I urge you to seek out this gripping gem, for it truly might be one of the best thrillers you'll see all year.

Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) is a handsome, kind man who frequently spends his days near a serene French lake, which primarily serves as a gay cruising spot. The men who spend their days at this lake hook up like its nothing (trust me when I say that Stranger by the Lake might feature some of the most full frontal male nudity you will ever see in any film). But Franck is a little smarter and doesn't hook up randomly or senselessly. He often talks to the lonely Henri (Patrick d'Assumcao), who quietly sits near the shore as he reflects upon the disintegration of his relationship with his wife. And then mysterious gentleman Michel (Christophe Paou) enters the picture. Franck gets to know this magnetic individual and slowly begins falling for him. But just before the relationship blooms, a death occurs that shakes up the lives of these men. What evolves is a brilliant story about love, sex, friendship, and passion, and how far people are willing to go to get what they want.

Alain Guiraudie wrote and directed this stunning thriller that is reminiscent of Hitchcock's finest works. Stranger by the Lake is a quiet, slow-burning suspense film that reveals its layers ever so delicately. You won't know what hit you until the flawless final frame, which is perhaps the most haunting ending of any film I've seen this year. Guiraudie uses the lake location wonderfully. We never leave it and are forced to see it in both its beauty and horror. His dialogue is stellar, for it is subtle and yet speaks so much about the characters and their true natures. His decision to use no music and to keep most of the shots long and wide really helps set an almost uncomfortably quiet and objective world. The first murder scene, which consists of one 5-minute uninterrupted take from an extremely wide angle, is truly one of the most jaw-droppingly suspenseful and masterful scenes I've seen in a while. This is exquisite filmmaking. Stranger by the Lake is divine.

That Awkward Moment
1.5 stars out of 4

That awkward moment when you are looking forward to seeing a dude's romantic comedy and end up realizing you wasted your time with the abysmal That Awkward Moment. Ladies and gentlemen, we already have a contender for one of the worst films of the year.

I won't delve too far into the plot since you already know it, and you know how it's going to pan out. We are introduced to three bros -- hunky Jason (Zac Efron), smart Mikey (Michael B. Jordan), and goofy Daniel (Miles Teller). After Mikey splits up from his cheating wife, the boys decide to take an oath of relational abstinence. Basically, they can have casual hook-ups with random chicks, but they can't enter relationships or fall in love. Of course, all three begin seriously seeing some other women and struggle with the whole "bros over hoes" mantra. Who will lose the bet?

Let me admit this first: That Awkward Moment has a strong leading cast. Efron, Jordan, and Teller all have both the comedic and dramatic chops to pull off a film like this. They share nice chemistry and usually seem like they're having a good time. It's a real bummer though that the writing and direction from Tom Gormican is so flawed. First of all, there are no surprises to this story, so you are just impatiently waiting for that perfect finale to happen. Second, nearly all the jokes are cringe-inducing in their awfulness. Third, this film, which is only about an hour and a half long, feels like its about double that. Boy this film just meanders and drags and scrapes along, trying to be this edgy rom-com that both guys and girls will like, but instead just comes across as a movie that is trying way too hard on all fronts -- to be hilarious, inventive, hip, raunchy, and insightful with very little success. When the funniest part of the film is when Zac Efron accidentally dips a dildo (hanging from his crotch) into a man's martini, you know you've got a problem. Cinephiles, I advise you not to take up a date with these gents, no matter how hot or charming they may be.