Pontypool ***

The best horror films evoke a sense of dread.  And they never ease up the tension, there's no mercy for the weak!  Pontypool, a creepy Twilight Zone type story recalls  War of the Worlds and Night of the Living Dead. Starring veteran Canadian actor Stephen McHattie as Grant Mazzy, a morning DJ who likes to quote Norman Mailer and Anne Sexton.

The film opens on a bleak Valentine's Day morning.  On his way to work, Grant is flagged down by a woman. She speaks incoherently.  Once he arrives at the radio station, reports of odd behavior overrun the station. Without revealing anything more, Pontypool takes you on a ride.

Pontypool keeps you guessing and leaves everything to the imagination.  The gore is kept to a minimum and what goes on in your mind is far worse than anything on screen.

Finally, Stephen McHattie gives a great performance as a dying breed, the DJ who plays what he wants to play.  A worthy find on Netflix!

The Unbelievers: The New Proselytizers

Netflix documentary, The Unbelievers, follows two famous scientists, biologist Richard Dawkins and Physicist Lawrence Krauss, on their 2012 speaking tour preaching the gospel of reason.  Dawkins wrote the 2008 bestseller The God Delusion, a lengthy, but eloquent book arguing religion should disappear.  Since the events of 9/11, many scientists have rightly taken a stand against religious fundamentalism.  Like Bill Maher's often hilarious, but misguided Religulous, their view of religion is too skewed, meaning they characterize all believers as backward thinking and dogmatic. By ignoring the importance of spirituality in the human experience throughout history, Krauss and Dawkins undercut their own message.

Look no further than any textbook on Western Civilization and find monstrous atrocities done in the name of God.  History also displays how faith has inspired men and women to acts of understanding and compassion.

Dawkins and Krauss are eloquent speakers and do a fine job of explaining modern scientific theories. Their strident tone towards religion puts off many who are on the fence.  As a result, judging from the film, they often end up preaching to the choir.  

Carl Sagan, greatest spokesman for science in the 20th century, took a more nuanced view towards faith.  But 2014 is not a time for nuance. 

Religion can be a source of comfort for people struggling day to day in the face of obstacles Dawkins and Krauss could never comprehend.  Including "science is awesome" sound bytes from celebrities added little to the film.

Some believers do possess a dangerous confidence.  They believe everyone is wrong, except them (see Simpsons episode "Homer the Heretic").  I agree with Krauss and Dawkins, such individuals are obstacles to progress.  

Science and religion don't need to be in conflict. Unfortunately, the times say otherwise.

St. Vincent *** - A Comedy with Heart

In St.Vincent, Bill Murray stars as a surly man who's much more than he appears.  St. Vincent owes much to the John Hughes/John Candy comedies of the 1980s. When a single Mom played by Melissa McCarthy moves in next door, she enlists Vincent to watch her son Oliver after school.  Vincent swears, drinks, and proudly wears his beer gut.  Murray has a great chemistry with the kid as he mentors him on handling bullies and placing bets at the track.  As the story unfolds we learn about Vincent and his eventful life.  He's not the type of guy to talk about what he's done. Vincent lets his actions speak for themselves.  First time director Theodore Melfi stays away from too much sentimentality and yet achieves an emotional resonance. Chris O'Dowd and Naomi Watts are strong in supporting roles. Bill Murray does a great job as usual and we're lucky he's still making movies.

Birdman: *** FULL OF SOUND AND FURY

http://www.sundaydogparade.com/2014/09/birdman-movie-poster.html
Courtesy Ryan Gajda

As Birdman soars towards its tragicomic conclusion, we hear a homeless man on Times Square delivering a drunken recitation of the famous monologue from Macbeth which claims life is a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing.  Unfortunately, the same could be said of Birdman.  Compelling themes such as the creative tension between actors and writers, the clash between artist and critic, Hollywood turning its back on cinema in favor of banal comic book flicks, and the comeback of a struggling actor are all raised, but never addressed in a satisfactory way.

Birdman has dazzling visuals including long tracking shots immersing the viewer into its world and extreme close ups to achieve intimacy between audience and character. Michael Keaton plays Riggan, a fading movie star mostly known for playing a superhero named Birdman in the 90s. Now 20 years later he's writing, directing, and acting in a play based on Raymond Carver's short story, "What We Talk About, When We Talk About Love." When a cast member falls victim to a freak accident Riggan replaces him with Mike (Edward Norton) an actor with an Orson Welles size ego. Emma Stone plays Riggan's daughter who's recently left rehab and looking like Lindsay Lohan.

As expected, things get crazier as the play's premier approaches.  Director Alenjandro Gonzalez Inarritu employs magical realism throughout the film, as Riggan's visons start to blur reality with fantasy, often involving visits from his superhero alter ego, the Birdman. Other films, with Woody Allen especially in mind, have more successfully used magical realism to advance the story.

Keaton's compelling performance will deservedly earn an Oscar nomination.  Not since Beetlejuice has he brought such manic energy to the screen. Coincidentally enough, Keaton had a similar role in small Indie film from 2005 called Game 6, in which he plays the desperate writer opposite a pre-Ironman Robert Downey Jr. as the acerbic critic. Keaton gave a heartfelt and honest performance, set during game six of the 1986 World Series.  The same idea worked much better without all the cinematic flourishes of Birdman.

Birdman has creativity and exuberance going for it, but lacks heart.  Watch enough movies and you start to see some synchronicity.  The night before seeing Birdman, I came across The Goodbye Girl.  From 1977, Richard Dreyfuss earned an Oscar for playing a struggling actor in New York.  Despite the sitcom setup, sharing an apartment with a woman and her daughter, Dreyfuss risked annoying the audience with his eccentricities and still managed to make an emotional connection.  Birdman will impress many, but will also leave them cold.

Interstellar *** A Spaced Out Epic

Chris Nolan's long awaited Sci-Fi epic Interstellar has finally arrived and while it has moments of true wonder, it's overlong and meanders in a netherworld of spaced out ideas. With a running time approaching three hours, Interstellar blatantly tries to top 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars.  I'd compare the experience of watching Interstellar to the moment you realize your favorite band's double album would've worked better as single record.

The story is set in the mid 21st century as Earth is running out of food.  History textbooks inform students the Apollo missions to the moon were a myth.  Scientists make feeble efforts to solve the food shortage.  Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, widower and former test pilot who mysteriously stumbles upon a secret NASA base. Although technological progress appears to have stopped, NASA continued to build spacecraft designed to travel the Solar System. Without revealing more, they draft Cooper to lead a mission to save the planet.

I was lucky enough to see Interstellar on an IMAX screen.  The special effects depicting space travel are quite extraordinary, very much inspired by the IMAX films about the International Space Station.  If Interstellar was simply a film about space exploration, I see unlimited potential for an amazing, even cerebral masterpiece; however, the story line about saving the Earth really weighs the film down.

Back on Earth, Cooper left his two children behind and they resent him for it. Jessica Chastain plays Cooper's daughter (who happens to be a genius).  Nolan tried to make the father-daughter relationship the emotional core of the story, but it never quite gets off the ground.  And that goes for most of the supporting characters; they are functional and predictable. McConaughey has his moments, but the flat dialogue and talkie scenes make Interstellar seem dull in comparison to Guardians of the Galaxy or Gravity - two films alive with humanity.

According to IMDB, Interstellar has been in the works for years and it shows it.  Originally Spielberg was set to direct, but he passed it along to the Nolan brothers.  At times, Interstellar feels as if three films were sandwiched into a one script. When the ending finally arrives, it's more relief than catharsis.  

Don't get me wrong, if you like Sci-Fi films, Interstellar is a must see.  I liked the underlying theme about the joy of acquiring knowledge and the excitement of discovery. I'll get behind that movie any day.  Public enthusiasm for space travel has declined after Apollo 11 landed on the moon and NASA does face an uncertain future.  Maybe this movie will inspire a new generation.  Maybe.

Nightcrawler **

In Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhall takes a dark turn as Louis Bloom, a Dale Carnegie quoting misfit who finds his life's purpose in selling graphic videos to local TV stations. In what's framed as a devastating critique of the media, mostly just states the obvious.  Yes, if it bleeds, it leads. Nothing new there.  An excellent performance from Gyllenhall fails to redeem Nightcrawler.

When we first meet Louis we realize he's the type of guy who will do absolutely anything for a fast buck.  He sells scrap metal, commits petty thefts, and enjoys negotiating with pawnbrokers.  One night he witnesses a "freelance" video crew led by a haggard Bill Paxton tape the aftermath of a high speed car accident.  Seeing the money making potential and a chance to indulge his voyeuristic impulses, Louis decides get into the exploitation business, and finds a sponsor in a local news producer at a fledgling station played by Rene Russo (Nina).

Early on Nina informs Louis about what stories get ratings in LA: well off white people put in peril by a person of color or someone from the lower classes.  So he goes out and and records home invasions and the station's ratings skyrocket.  Anyone who watches the local news can attest to the shamelessness of their nightly coverage.  In a superficial way, the film points the finger at the audiences who thrive on it.

The changing nature of television news is ripe for a great film.  But Nightcrawler is too one dimensional and not on the same plain as Network or The Insider.  Gyllenhall's performance as a charming sociopath has a tinge of menace, but we never get to emphasize with him, so he's more of a caricature than a character. Bottom feeders will thrive in any economy during time period. I don't see any grand statement about our time, more of a confirmation if anything?

The Cruelty of War: Fury ***

A first class combat film set in the final days of the Second World War, Fury never loses sight of the war's relentless cruelty.  Unlike other war movies there's no discussion of strategy or politics. The entire narrative is told from the foot soldiers' perspective, those who did the dirty work while others got the glory. While Fury's hardly free of war movie cliches, there's enough originality to surpass the confines of its genre. 

Written and directed by David Ayer, whose films often deal with the complex psychology of masculinity and violence, examples being End of Watch (2012) and Harsh Times (2007). I detect a strong Sam Peckinpah influence in the way he challenges the audience to think about the violence they are witnessing.

Fury follows a weary tank crew commanded by Sgt. Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt). His men are loyal and reliable.  When an inexperienced replacement Norman (Logan Lierman) joins the unit, he must, in true Peckinpah fashion, find the killer within himself. Although crude in their manners and simple in their speech, the soldiers in the platoon are determined to do their jobs with a gritty determination and are yet capable of compassion.

Ironically, the strongest section takes a place during a lull in the fighting. After securing a German town the men enjoy a brief respite from the war.  Dyer handles a complex situation with the right amount of nuance and tension.  The men have two things on their mind: alcohol and women.  Such situations tend to place humanity itself on trial. The sequence parallels moments from war literature going back to Erich Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front and Tim O'Brien's moving Vietnam war novel, Going After Cacciato.

The look and feel of Fury owes a debt to Spielberg's films Saving Private Ryan and Warhorse.  Unfortunately the final battle is grandiose and out of tune with the rest of the picture with an unfortunate leap into John Wayne territory.

Brad Pitt's effective in the lead and exudes a stoic weariness and a quiet strength.  Shia LeBeouf also turns in a good performance as a bible quoting GI.  Many will compare Pitt's acting to his Aldo Raines in Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. It's like the difference between Geroge C. Scott's acting in Dr. Strangelove and Patton.

Watching Fury, I kept thinking of Inglorious Basterds since both films take very different approaches to war movies and history.  In Fury, there's no talk about the greater significance of the Second World War.  It's simply a story about a group of men in a dangerous situation. Tarantino uses history as a playground of his imagination. Ayer's films tend to slap the audience in the face with wicked doses of reality. They make for an intriguing contrast.

Fury moves along conventional tropes with a few detours into uncharted ground.  At one point Sgt. Collier states, "Ideals are peaceful. History is violent."  The simple statement offers something rare in modern movies: wisdom.