The Life of Crime Without the Criminal: A Most Violent Year

Similar to Inherent Vice, the hype machine of A Most Violent Year was in full running when I was still abroad in China. Trailers were hard to find, the internet was horrible, and Collider was pretty much my only site for movie news. The previews and information on this movie was fairly steady throughout early to mid-2014, and I for one wasn’t buying it. It looked like another Scorsese knock-off, adding insult to injury by taking away Jessica Chastin’s flowing red locks (what an insult!). I missed the hype the second time around during the Oscar buzz season where, to many critics dismay, it was completely shafted in nominations but made a fair amount of critic’s top 10 lists. Still not swayed by these turns of events, I waited until my mother (as always) sent me a newspaper clip of a review from the Kansas City star, and on a brisk Saturday afternoon I decided the trek to the Logan theater to check it out.

After a few days of reflection, was it worth seeing it? The answer is definitely yes, but I can understand how this slipped through the Oscar cracks.

A Most Violent Year tells the story of businessman Abel Morales and his efforts to grow his empire while remaining a non-made man. His wife Anna comes from a criminal background and Abel does not want to go down the same path her father did. Road-blocked by his gangster competition, a “neutral” DA, and frequent high-way robberies, Abel has to figure out how much of a gangster he wants to be.

The story itself is intense but can also be slow at times. Thinking back, Abel is in about 90% of the movie which lends a character study feel to it, although I don’t think that was the purpose. It was more likely to show the effects of having a torn mentality when the odds are stacked against you as a man who is trying to run a family and a business; to that regard it works. To quote Boardwalk Empire, “You can’t be half a gangster”, and Abel’s actions throughout the movie parallel the same thin-line that Nuckie Thompson walked.

Since the characters carry the movie, they obviously put a lot of stake on the actors and it paid off. Oscar Isaac is quickly becoming a massive force in Hollywood, which is crazy considering his first major role that I can think of was a deadbeat dad in Drive. He’s among a new crop of actors (many of which are cast in the new Star Wars) that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere and are now in everything. To some extent, Jessica Chastain (Me Amore!) had a similar success and exposure explosion a few years ago, and together they kill it. Isaac has such range you can picture him in this role which is the complete antithesis to Llewyn Davis, and tiny Chastain is as threatening (or more so) as the men who rob her trucks. Their characters play well off each other, and are what hold your attention throughout.

The cinematography and production are understated but play well with the theme. The color is under saturated which gives it a grimy but clear feel (see the metaphor there?), almost the opposite of a movie like Nightcrawler which shines and blinds with every shot. As I wasn’t alive at the time, I can’t verify it works as a period piece, but from what I know of the decade the decadence and overindulgence is played out effectively. Why would someone who just closed on a giant mansion want to keep expanding? Because it’s never enough for some people, and that specific decade brought that in full force. If you want to dig there’s probably some underlying political or socio-economic message in this, but those aren’t the things that I am generally well versed in or pick up on a first viewing.

With all the positives, you would think that this would be up there in my hallowed hall of fame for 2014, and yet I can’t quite give it that merit. It’s a good film, probably along the same lines as American Gangster in terms of quality and feel, but it doesn’t really stick with you. It plays it relatively safe, and while it was enjoyable I don’t really have a need to see it a second time. There are a couple of really unique chase scenes that get the blood pumping, but besides that it follows the leads as they try to scrape together enough money to perform their big purchase. There’s a lot of (admittedly) intense scenes that take place at tables, but it feels more like a financial drama than that of life and death.  If you like either of the lead performers, it would be worth checking out in theaters, but outside of that you can probably wait to see it at home. 

Final Grade: B+

What you’re doing this weekend: What We Do in the Shadows

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m not a huge fan of the modern comedy. I know a lot of people enjoy these movies for their light-hearted escape from the harshness of reality, and I enjoy the occasional classic as well. That being said, I feel that in the wake of movies like Anchorman (and its sequel), Old School, and even Zoolander that the adult-focused comedy has kind of hit a cycle it may not be able to pop out of. Recent attempts like The Interview and Unfinished Business certainly perpetrate this idea, and I think their weak box office performances is showing the good people that still go to theaters agree.

It turns out that our answer was waiting in the wings, not in the US but in NZ (New Zealand, if you will)!

What We Do in the Shadows is an independently produced vampire mockumentary co-written, co-directed, and co-starring Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Concords fame. Interestingly enough, it was successfully funded through a Kickstarter campaign to start screening in the US.

Even more interesting, it is F*&king hysterical.

I’m not sure if everyone in the theater at the Music Box was drunk or stoned, but my friend Josh and I were roaring right along with them. It’s been awhile since there has been a stand-out Mockumentary style comedy and this plays it so right. Seeing these ancient beings argue about such petty squabbles as who cleans the dishes are acted and scripted so well it feels like you’re right there in the world with them. It’s a self-aware deconstruction of a million different vampire tropes and how those would “realistically” suck (#pun cue the eyes rolling). Having your roommate sketch what you like look before you go out, your victims bleeding all over your furniture, and dealing with the local gang of werewolves all are presented so blasé and mundane for our protagonists it’s absurd. I won’t get into too many specifics here as there is a lot that needs to be unspoiled, and as a huge vampire genre fan myself it was easy to laugh at the ridiculousness of the mythology.

Going in expecting a pretty bare-bones plot, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it held up. I was a little worried that the premise and shtick would get old, but the laughs kept coming throughout the whole movie (and into the credits). I am considering a second viewing already, as there are so many call-backs and subtleties that I’m sure I missed a few.

I could go on about the production itself, but in reality I really don’t have much more to say than go see this movie. It’s sharp, fast paced, and completely unique, again something you don’t see often with modern comedies. During the slow releases of spring, this a movie that you will be thinking of and talking about for weeks.

Final Grade: A

Coming to you live from the couch: Blue Ruin, The Iceman, and Chef

As a recently acclimated Chicago resident (again), I forgot how unforgiving and drab the year starts off. Between snow flurries, sub-freezing weather, and a lack of want to wait for a bus or train, it’s been hard to muster up the wherewithal to leave the comfort of my home to make it to the Cinemas. Couple that with only having 1-2 days open a week and it makes a mean cocktail against staying relevant to new releases.

Luckily, your old pal Netflix seem to have seen this occurring from 2014 and decided to drop a bunch of indie movies that flew under a lot of radars over the last couple of years. You could effectively call this post “What to stream with your significant other to feel like a hipster when you’re waiting for takeout for the 4th day in a row”:



Blue Ruin:

One of the many movies that get brought to my attention via the newspaper clippings my Luddite mother sends me, this movie didn't catch much national recognition, awards or otherwise. Lucky for me, I’m the kind of film nerd that ploughs through movie podcasts, and boy was this the darling of them. Trying to shy away from spoilers, I would say this is a deconstruction of the revenge movie. Hypothetically, in real life if you wanted to kill someone you wouldn't have to go through a network of mobsters and fight scenes before finding the final boss. Blue Ruin takes on that concept by introducing a drifter who goes back to his home town to avenge some family members and finishes with his mission in the first act. The rest of the movie depicts how their respective families and friends would react to someone they know being murdered/ a murderer.

Using a lot of stark color contrasts and being one of the most grounded in reality movies I’ve seen in recent years, Blue Ruin almost plays out like a documentary of the main character’s life. It’s sad, dark, and intense, but has a sensitive side to it where you can almost sympathize with both sides of the conflict. If I were to nit-pick, I would say that it may not be the best actors outside of the main character (you can tell these are not recognizable people) and that it has an INCREDIBLY independent feeling which I know is a turn off for some people. Not sure this would break my top 10 of the last year, but definitely worth checking out on cold dark night.

Final Score: B+

The Iceman:

Welcome to Sam Tucker’s Interactive Review of the true-story Crime Drama The Iceman! In this, you get to decide if the movie is for you based on a short survey, which is presented to you…right now!

1. Do you like Michael Shannon? If so, check here:
2. No, really, do you like Michael Shannon?
3. Do you like decade spanning Crime Biopics?
4. Does the name “Richard Kuklinski” ring a bell?
5. Would you like to see Ross from friends and Captain America in ridiculous mustaches?

Now tally your checks, and here’s your handy score guide:

• 1-2 Checks: Maybe skip it, unless you checked both boxes 1 and 2.
• 2-3 Checks: Definitely check it out, but you don’t need to pay attention the entire time. Maybe you have some laundry that needs to be folded?
• 4-5: You’ll love it, but it won’t be your favorite of all time

Thanks for playing!

Final Score: B-

Chef:

Do you have a heart? Do you have Netflix? You do? Okay great, go ahead and check out Chef.

Like, this weekend.

In all seriousness though this is truly a fantastic watch. As you can tell from my reviews, I generally don’t get behind things that are “family-friendly” or “light-hearted” or “not incredibly dark/disturbing”. This movie is truly all heart though. The performances across the board are endearing, it’s a relevant story, and the food aspect itself is amazing. The story centers on the titular Chef, played by Producer, Director, Writer, Best Boy, Grip, and Main Star Jon Favreau, quitting his job as a downtrodden but well known LA chef and starting his own food truck. This kicks off a journey with his somewhat distanced son and ex-wife that eventually shows how much he really cares about his family. While it admittedly sounds like a cookie cutter (#FoodPun) plot, it’s fairly subtle and is carried heavily by the performers. Favreau clearly has some pull in the industry and a few key cameos really help the movie out, which is nothing against the main cast who were also fantastic.

As mentioned above, the food itself almost counts as a character. My boy Scott told me that the scenes of food preparation were shot with a real chef doing the work, and it is mouthwatering. If you leave this viewing without desperately wanting a Cuban sandwich, you had a food coma (ha!) in the last third. While I admit I don’t know much about the food industry, and even less about the Food Truck industry, the idea of being a “safe” creator versus striking out on your own is fairly applicable across other industries (such as film itself). This makes it not a completely alien experience to those who don’t have “Cutthroat Kitchen” on DVR and allows you to revel in the many shots of five star meals being prepared by an expert.

If there were any negatives, I would say the picture-perfect ending was one of them. Again, it was nice and uplifting but I think they could have ended it on more of an ambiguous ending instead of force-feeding you the last two minutes. And I know its nitpicking but this movie has what I call the “Dennis Leary” effect, wherein the writer/producer/star just happen to pair themselves up with some of the most beautiful starlets in Hollywood. Again, small potatoes (#NailedIt!), but just something that makes me quietly smile to myself and shake my head.

TLDR: Chef is a charming little movie, and since it's streaming you really owe it to yourself to feast on it.

I’m on a (dinner) roll!

Seriously, someone call a doctor.

Final Grade: A