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Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter starring Michael Shannon & Jessica Chastain

Posted on February 14, 2012 Written by ripitup

Take Shelter movie poster — Take Shelter starring Michael Shannon & Jessica Chastain. Feat. Kathy Baker.

Take Shelter Story

Curtis (Michael Shannon) is a family man in his mid-30s. He works in construction, and tries to deal with the fact that he has a deaf daughter as well as he can. He has a happy enough marriage with wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain).

The problem is, he has started to things that indicate a heavily destructive storm coming, and yet nobody else seems to either see them or care. These visions are combined with seriously disturbing nightmares, and Curtis tries to cope in two ways: He starts researching mental illnesses, inspired by the fact that his mother (Kathy Baker) was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and he also starts building an underground storm shelter.

He spends & borrows a lot of money without letting his wife know, and his visions have started to affect his work.

Is Curtis mentally ill? Or is he actually gifted in sensing things other can’t? Either way, it looks like Curtis’ personal and professional life will crack before he can find out…

Take Shelter: Worth watching – despite the pace

I was looking forward to Take Shelter ever since I saw the trailer, which does a great job of reflecting both the premise and the mood of the movie. The problem is, what looks extremely gripping in a 2-minute trailer may not always be that exciting in a 2-hours-plus movie.

The acting is top-notch-especially with Michael Shannon. He is so good, he leaves you wondering why the hell he hasn’t scored a Golden Globe or even Oscar nomination. Jessica Chastain also does a great job as the loving wife who doesn’t know what to do with her husband as he is not letting her in. So no problems with the cast.

I fell in love with the premise right after the trailer. Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, what can be more intriguing than a protagonist that is likable and relatable, but yet that secretly makes us fear the safety of his family- because of him. And we keep wondering about his mental state, and whether or not he is crazy.

The movie, to me, has only one weak point-and that is the pacing. The director takes a little more time than necessary, and effective, to show us Michael’s state of relationships and mind. The premise is strong enough and the acting is good enough to make you deal with the dragging parts, but I think the movie would have been a lot more effective, had it been about 20 minutes shorter.

But all can be forgiven if you make it to the end, as it is pretty good. Some believe it is open to interpretation, some believe it couldn’t have been less ambiguous. Decide it for yourself. But one thing is for sure- despite the too slow moments, this movie is just not the same old story.

It also has a brilliant title, and question. Should Curtis take shelter with his family against the storm, or should he shelter them against himself?

Currently rated at 7.7. on IMDB. I will give it a 7, though if the pacing had been a little faster, this movie would be a deserving 8.

Fracture starring Ryan Gosling & Anthony Hopkins

Posted on February 9, 2012 Written by ripitup

Fracture Movie Poster — Fracture starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. 2007.

Fracture Premise

Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) is a very smart, rich and successful man married to the beautiful Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz) who is many years his junior. Of course she is cheating on him with a guy close to her age- cop Robert Nunally (Billy Burke).

So Ted decides to kill his wife, destroy Rob and get away with it. He plans everything- from how Rob is the cop that shows up because there was a shooting in his house to how he will confess…

Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) is a young and very successful prosecutor dying to move up to the corporate world. He has only one case left, and then he will leave for his glamorous new career.

The case seems easy enough- they have the weapon, the confession, the guy. They just don’t have the body since Jennifer has gone into a coma. But hey, they have everything they need. Moreover, the defendant, Ted, seems crazy enough to represent himself…

But of course Ted is a lot smarter and a lot more meticulous than they could have ever imagined. He plays his cards well, and he seems to have foreseen every move.

As the case goes on, and Willy gets to see Ted for who he really is, but both his relationship (with corporate lawyer Rosamund Pike) and career get jeopardized. How the hell can he win against Ted?

Worth Watching

Fracture is a real treat for the lovers of a solid legal thriller. The actors, unsurprisingly, do a great job. The script is so cool that you think it was probably adapted (and adapted well) from a bestseller. Sure, the movie has flaws, and I couldn’t have cared less about Willy’s romance with the gorgeous lawyer Nikki (Rosamund Pike), but bear with it.

Their relationship gives us a good idea about Willy, and it carries elements that move the plot forward. The villain is extremely clever and well-prepared, and well… the only reason the movie got 7.1 (and not an 8 on IMDB) is because people don’t agree on the ending. Frankly, I loved it. Watch it.

Directed by Gregory Hoblit, written by Daniel Pyne & Glenn Gers.

Fun Notes on the Cast

– English actress Rosamund Pike plays Elizabeth Bennet’s older/prettier/milder sister Jane in 2005’s movie Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth is played by Keira Knightley.

– Cliff Curtis, who plays Rob’s partner, co-starred in Colombiana as the uncle of the main character (Zoe Saldana) and he also guest-starred in two episodes of Body of Proof as the love interest of the main character Megan Hunt (Dana Delany).

– Billy Burke, who plays the lover/cop, is Bella’s father in the Twilight series.

Laughing hard with Married with Children: Starring Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate & David Faustino

Posted on February 2, 2012 Written by ripitup

Married with Children with Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate & David Faustino. Image via amazon

Ever since Friends and Coupling ended, I have been on the lookout for my next favorite comedy. Nope, How I Met Your Mother doesn’t do it for me. Sure, it is entertaining sometimes but it doesn’t hook me. It is something to watch if I’m eating and it is on.

The reason? You see- Barney isn’t funny after Friends’ Joey or Coupling’s Patrick-both notorious womanizers that come with great lines. Hey, Joey has confidence and he is an actor. Patrick is…in the words of his ex Susan…a tripod. Oh well, the feeling is mutual.

The greatest fans of How I Met Your Mother don’t typically like Friends. I guess they like their actors to have all the technology, to be dressed in fashion and they prefer the sense of humor. Hey, you can read my Coupling and How I Met Your Mother posts for more reasons.

Modern Family lost me after 3 episodes. My friend assured me that it gets a lot funnier, but you see- to me- Ed O’Neill is Al Bundy. Yes, he is a great actor who he can pull off any role- but he can never be as funny as Al Bundy, and Modern Family isn’t a match for the ultimate loser family- the Bundys.

I’ll get into specifics, and I hope Married with Children fans stay on and get nostalgic. There’ll be quotes!!!

Married with Children Premise and Characters

Al Bundy (Ed O’Neill) is a shoe salesman. He hates his job and his life. His wife and two kids don’t respect him, and according to them (and to any other character in the Married with Children universe) – being a shoe salesman is the worst fate a man can ever have. His customers are usually fat women with bad tempers. He fondly remembers his high school years when he scored 4 touchdowns in one game and was single with no kids…

Peggy Bundy (Katey Sagal) is the most undomestic housewife you can ever meet. She hates housework, rarely cooks and is bad at it, is very unsupportive of Al when it comes to his job. Her hobbies are daytime TV, shopping and making fun of Al. She is constantly demanding sex from Al, and rarely getting it.

Al and Peggy have been married for a long time, and even thought they love putting the other down, they don’t have the will or the energy to go do something else. And despite the fact that they openly lust after a hot person when they see one, they never cheat on each other. So their love-hate relationship, along with their political incorrectness and absolute inappropriateness add to the hilarity of the show.

Kelly Bundy (Christina Applegate) is their gorgeous, slutty, and not-so-smart teenage daughter. Her hobbies are talking on the phone, dating boys and annoying little brother Bud.

Bud Budy (David Faustino) is a manipulative, smart kid who loves making his sister’s life hell. And as he grows up, we see that he can’t use his brain cells when it comes to girls.

Marcy (Amanda Bearse) and Steve Rhoades (David Garrison) are the next door couple and the complete opposite of Bundys. They are newly and happily married, they have a regular and satisfying sex life and they make good money. More often than not their appearances annoy the hell out of Al, but he has a love-hate-benefit relationship with his neighbors.

After Steve

After Steve lost all of his materialistic ambitious and ran off to become a park ranger, Marcy stayed single for a while.

But in the 5^th season, during one episode she announced she got drunk at a party, passed out and woke up married. The husband turned out to be Jefferson Darcy (Ted McGinley) a younger, good-looking man who didn’t do much apart from staying pretty.

While some people think that the show got less funny after Steve, you need to remember that Ted McGinley joined the show well after 100 episodes. And while we still loved the characters and things were still funny, the novelty effect had worn off.

I don’t remember exactly when Married with Children stopped being hilarious, and I’m currently on season 7 (again) and am still having a blast. While I don’t get laughing cramps all the time, it is still a bloody good time.

Favorite Lines

You have to see Married with Children- to hear the lines, see the facial expressions and interactions to see what the fuss is all about. I started re-watching the series, and it is still funny as hell. Is it always great? No-towards the latest seasons, the jokes and the characters become too predictable and a lot less funny. You start guessing what character will make what joke, and be right %80 of the time.

But that being said, it is one of the funniest shows ever made – and you have quite a bit of episodes to enjoy before getting bored. Yes, it is a sitcom with laughing tracks, 80s and 90s exaggerated fashion and good music (I love the 80s and 90s, so the music is a plus for me).

Yes, it is out there, and yes- the characters would be obnoxious in real life. But together, in that show, for a very long time, they make the audience laugh hard. I still remember some of the lines back when I first starting watching it. You are by all means allowed to hate it, but at least do yourself a favor and try it.

I’ll add more quotes soon.

Married with Children Season 2, Episode 11: How Do You Spell Revenge?

Kelly: Dad, can I talk to you?

Al: Why?

Kelly: Please, it’s important daddy.

Al: OK. Now, listen this is not about sex, is it? ’Cause I don’t know anything about that.

Kelly: I know. Mum told me.

Al: (talking to Kelly) I’m not saying it is bad to be a girl-(then adding) I’d rather be dead myself (continues talking with a straight face)

Al: Oh great! My daughter is dating the spawn of Norman Bates and Seabiscuit! (on finding out that Kelly’s boyfriend is the son of Peggy’s ugly ex and his horribly fat wife.)

Season 2, Episode 13: You Better Watch Out

Al: Bud, apologize to your sister.

Bud: No.

Al: Ok.

Kelly: Can we go to that new Lakeside Mall?

Al: No, we can’t and I’ll tell you why. That mall is killing your father.

Bud: I thought mom was doing that.

Season 2, Episode 14: Guys and Dolls

(on Bud’s bad grade and torturing his sister)

Peggy: I think I know what the problem is. He has too much free time. What can we do about it?

Al: We could get him a wife.

Season 2, Episode 15: Build a Better Moustrap

Al: This is great! “Daddy, I need money.” “Daddy, I need food”. “We need somebody to clean after a mouse with a broken neck”…Just once I’d like to hear-“Al, I’m outta here I’m taking the kids”. But on the good side, life is half over.

Al: You know I have no insurance so you must be killing me for the sport.

Season 2, Episode 17: Peggy Loves Al – Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Peggy: Honey, you want something special for Valentine’s Day?

Al: Yeah, but she’s wrestling in the mud and I’m just living there.

The door rings- Peggy guesses:

Peggy: Maybe it’s Cupid.

Al: Nah, he never shows his face around here after making this match.

(On their traditional Valentine’s Day Sex)

Al: Now, the kids are upstairs. We probably shouldn’t do it up there with your screaming and everything.

Peggy: No, Al. That’s your fault. You were the one who turned the lights on.

A Dangerous Method with Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley & Michael Fassbender: Disappointing

Posted on February 1, 2012 Written by ripitup

A Dangerous Method Plot

If you have seen the trailer, you’ve seen it all:

Freud (Viggo Mortensen) wants to work with Jung (Michael Fassbender), who is at the time treating a female patient (Keira Knightley). Jung is impressed by how smart and educated his patient is, and he encourages her to pursue her dreams about being a doctor. After she gets better, she enrolls in the university to become a psychiatrist. She and Jung seem to agree more on things than Jung and Freud do, as Freud is not happy with Jung’s fascination with things that aren’t %100 scientific. He is not also thrilled about Jung’s attitude towards his patients where he seems to want to be their life coach as well, and not just their doctor.

Things on Jung’s end get more more complicated as he starts sleeping with his ex-patient, and starts treating another psychiatrist. Among all the S&M and his new patient’s lack of morals and limits, Jung’s chosen path starts differ radically from Freud’s.

A Dangerous Method Review

Well, this won’t be the last time the trailer of the movie is a lot more fun than the movie itself. I’d written a positive preview based on it, but the movie well…didn’t live up to my expectations. Let’s review this in the fashion of the one word association thing they do in the movie.

Movie – disappointing

Knigthley- annoying

Jung- mental

Story: dragging

Characters: unrelatable

Freud: saner

Relationships: seriously?

Gross (Cassel’s character): gross

Yes, I was expecting a somewhat controversial and a little kinky movie. But I was also expecting it to be fun, engaging and interesting. Instead, we get too much dialogue, a Jung that needed more therapy than his patients, a female patient whose diagnosis was only left to the audience to guess, a wife that’s anti-feminism personified. …

It is not to say I don’t have anything positive to say. I do. Keira Knightley’s performance was good, it was her character that was truly annoying. We got her issues, her problems the first three-four times they showed us, so there was no need to drag it.

Carl Jung was surely more than a man who slept around with his patients, took advice from a mental patient that also happened to be psychologist, saw his kids as hindrance to his career???

In a movie where Sigmund Freud is the only one who makes sense, the characters go around in circles with annoying manners and dragging scenes, great cinematography, costume design and acting don’t impress you much.

If you like Viggo Mortensen and Cronenberg, stick with A History of Violence. A Dangerous Method has its moments, but not enough of them.

My favorite part of the movie (spoiler!!): When Sabina (Knightley) picks a side in the dispute.

Currently rated at 7 imdb. I am however once again impressed by Mortensen’s acting skills.

Also on Keira Knightley:

Last Night starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes & Guillaume Canet

London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell & Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley Trivia: Facts About the Oscar-Nominated Star of Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen

Also on Michael Fassbender:

Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender Trivia

The Awesome X-Men: First Class with James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon & Rose Byrne