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Mini Reviews (February 2010)

Good Advice, Extraordinary Measures, Blind Justice, The Maid, The Messenger, Uptown

Good Advice (February 5/10)

Though it boasts a promising setup and an impressive cast, Good Advice is simply unable to sustain the viewer's interest for the bulk of its mercifully brief running time - with the pervasive lack of laughs and woefully sluggish pace ranking high on the film's list of problems. Charlie Sheen stars as Ryan Turner, a high-powered investment banker who loses everything virtually overnight after he bets millions on a stock tip that turns out to be bogus. Facing homelessness, Ryan decides to surreptitiously take over his ex-girlfriend's (Denise Richards' Cindy Styne) advice column to make a few extra bucks - with the column's unexpected success inevitably placing Ryan at the center of an increasingly invasive media frenzy (which, in turn, threatens his burgeoning relationship with Angie Harmon's grouchy Page Henson). Director Steve Rash has infused Good Advice with a sitcom-like sensibility that admittedly proves an ideal complement to Daniel Margosis and Robert Horn's less-than-complex screenplay, yet there's just never a point at which the viewer is drawn into either the high-concept storyline or the plight of the central character - something that's due primarily to the aggressive vibe of superficiality that's been hard-wired into all the proceedings. It's a shame, really, given that the central trio's affable work has been augmented by an eclectic supporting cast that includes Jon Lovitz, Rosanna Arquette, and John de Lancie, with their combined efforts at wringing laughs from hopelessly stale material falling flat on an all-too-regular basis (and it certainly doesn't help that Margosis and Horn have peppered the movie with a number of eye-rollingly silly comedic set-pieces, such as Ryan and Page's trip to a performance artist that expels paint from his body in a most disagreeable fashion). The total absence of chemistry between Sheen and Harmon's respective characters cements Good Advice's place as a hopelessly underwhelming romantic comedy, and it ultimately seems unlikely that even Sheen's most die-hard fans will find much of anything worth embracing here.

out of


Extraordinary Measures (February 6/10)

Based on a true story, Extraordinary Measures follows businessman John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) as he teams up with a grouchy research scientist (Harrison Ford's Robert Stonehill) to find a cure for a genetic disorder before it claims the lives of his two children. It's a compelling premise that's employed to watchable yet far-from-spectacular effect by director Tom Vaughan, with the filmmaker's pervasively middle-of-the-road approach ensuring that, as virtually every other critic has already noted, the movie generally plays like a small-screen inspirational drama. There's little doubt, however, that the stellar performances and almost procedural-like nature of the storyline prove instrumental in elevating the proceedings on a fairly consistent basis, as it's admittedly difficult not to become wrapped up in Crowley and Stonehill's ongoing efforts at conquering the deadly disease. The surprising absence of tension - Crowley is, after all, working against the clock to find a treatment - is subsequently not as problematic as one might've expected, with the inclusion of a few thoroughly moving interludes certainly going a long way towards cultivating a sporadically poignant atmosphere. In the end, the unapologetic earnestness with which Extraordinary Measures has been infused effectively compensates for its various flaws - with the actors' uniformly stellar work ultimately staving off the movie's made-for-television proclivities.

out of


Blind Justice (February 20/10)

Watchable yet entirely forgettable, Blind Justice follows near-blind gunfighter Canaan (Armand Assante) as he reluctantly agrees to help defend a small town against vicious bandits (led by Robert Davi's sinister Alacran). It's an excessively familiar premise that's employed to middling effect by director Richard Spence, as the filmmaker - working from Daniel Knauf's screenplay - has infused the proceedings with a deliberately-paced sensibility that essentially (and effectively) prevents the viewer from wholeheartedly connecting with the material on an all-too-consistent basis. There's little doubt, then, that the movie's mild success is due primarily to Assante's typically intense turn as the grizzled protagonist, with the actor's engrossing work matched by an eclectic supporting cast that includes Elisabeth Shue, Adam Baldwin, and Jack Black. It also goes without saying that the sporadic emphasis on elements of a decidedly tongue-in-cheek nature - ie Canaan grabs ahold of a thug's genitals and snarls, "how do you like your eggs? Scrambled?" - proves instrumental in compensating for the unusually sedate atmosphere, and although the action-packed climax ensures that the film ends on a positive note, Blind Justice is ultimately not quite the irresistible bit of pulp fiction one might've expected from its promotional materials.

out of


The Maid (February 24/10)

Sporadically intriguing yet ultimately unsatisfying, The Maid follows the title character (Catalina Saavedra's Raquel) as she attempts to hold onto her position as the sole caregiver for a larger family - with the arrival of a second maid triggering a series of passive-aggressive schemes designed to push the newcomer out. Filmmaker Sebastián Silva has infused The Maid with a low-key visual style that instantly establishes an atmosphere of documentary-like authenticity, which initially proves effective at sustaining the viewer's interest even through the movie's more overtly mundane stretches. One's willingness to indulge Silva's decidedly laid-back sensibilities slowly but surely begins to wear thin as time progresses, however, and there's little doubt that the film's pervasively less-than-enthralling vibe exacerbated by a kitten-murdering, increasingly unlikable central character (ie it's impossible to believe that this willfully obnoxious woman would've remained in the family's employ for over two decades). And while the inclusion of a few crowd-pleasing moments within the film's final half hour - ie Raquel finally meets her match in the guise of a grizzled older maid - effectively (and temporarily) alleviates the otherwise tedious atmosphere, The Maid's uncomfortable mix of avant-garde and conventional elements ultimately cements its place as an admittedly well-made misfire.

out of


The Messenger (February 26/10)

Oren Moverman's directorial debut, The Messenger follows injured soldier Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) as he's assigned to the Army's casualty notification service alongside a grizzled veteran (Woody Harrelson's Tony Stone) - with problems ensuing as Will finds himself drawn to a recent widow (Samantha Morton's Olivia) and her young son (Jahmir Duran-Abreau's Matt). Moverman has infused The Messenger with an atmosphere of gritty authenticity that's certainly reflected in its various attributes, with the documentary-like vibe perpetuated by, among other things, the uniformly naturalistic performances and Moverman and Alessandro Camon's pared-down screenplay. There's little doubt, though, that the film's early success is due primarily to the inherently compelling nature of the protagonists' harrowing duty, as such moments have been hard-wired with a suitably intense feel that's heightened by the searing work from several one-scene actors (with Steve Buscemi's moving turn as a grieving father a clear highlight). It's only as Moverman places an increasingly prominent emphasis on Will and Olivia's tentative friendship that the movie begins to lose its momentum, with the couple's less-than-enthralling scenes together culminating in a technically-impressive continuous conversation that effectively brings the proceedings to a dead stop - thus ensuring that the remainder of the film suffers from an anti-climactic quality that's exacerbated by Moverman's progressively aimless modus operandi (ie the inclusion of a rather inconsequential stretch in which Will and Tony embark on a spur-of-the-moment road trip). Such concerns can't quite negate the strength of The Messenger's opening hour, however, and it ultimately goes without saying that Foster and Harrelson's respectively striking work is alone justification for the film's existence.

out of


Uptown (February 27/10)

Uptown follows strangers Ben (Chris Riquinha) and Isabel (Meissa Hampton) as they get together in real life after meeting on the internet, with the film subsequently revolving around the pair's efforts at getting to know one another over the course of several dates. Though director Brian Ackley generally does a nice job of capturing the awkwardness that's part and parcel with new relationships, Uptown has been suffused with a pervasively uneventful atmosphere that ultimately proves oppressive - as Ackley continually stresses the almost aggressively inconsequential small talk that comes to define Ben and Isabel's ongoing encounters. Ackley's unabashedly low-key modus operandi wouldn't be quite so problematic had he managed to transform either of the central characters into fully-fleshed out, thoroughly compelling figures, with his inability to do so ensuring that it becomes impossible to work up any interest or enthusiasm in Ben and Isabel's tentative romance (ie the relentlessly superficial nature of their conversations inevitably ensures that there's no real connection between the couple). This absence of chemistry also plays a significant role in dulling the impact of what should've been an emotionally-affecting conclusion, which effectively cements Uptown's place as a well-intentioned yet thoroughly uninvolving misfire (and this is to say nothing of the less-than-clear sound quality, as much of the dialogue is drowned out by Ackley's decision to shoot at real locations like subway cars and crowded parks).

out of

© David Nusair