Under Seen in 2012 – Movies Spotlight – March 2013

Every year there are a number of great films that seem to be overlooked due to their small budgets, bad marketing, and/or limited theatrical releases. Here are a few of the best neglected films of 2012 (that you have probably not seen, but should).

Film: Dredd

Director: Pete Travis

Cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, and Lena Headey

Plot Summary: This action film takes place in a dystopian futuristic city overridden by crime in which police officers are judge, jury, and executioner. On a routine call to investigate a murder, a seasoned veteran Judge Dredd and his rookie trainee Anderson find themselves in the middle of tenement controlled by a vicious gang. They have no choice but to fight their way out (and for Dredd that means bring every criminal to justice).

Why You Need to See It: What is most incredible about this film is that the mere idea of a new Judge Dredd project is completely laughable (which is probably why no one saw this film), because the 1995 Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd is so utterly terrible (and a huge disappointment to the fans of the 2000AD comics), and yet Pete Travis, writer Alex Garland, and company have made one of the year’s best action films.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Film: Goon

Director: Michael Dowse

Cast: Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Marc-Andre Grondin, and Liev Schreiber

Plot Summary: This sports comedy is about Doug Glatt a club bouncer who finds that he has a real talent for fighting. Exploiting his toughness and team loyalty, he earns a place on a small town minor league hockey team as its enforcer.

Why You Need to See It: Goon is very funny – graphically violent and vulgar, but very funny. It is one of the best sports comedies in some time, and is most akin to genre favorite Slap Shot (as they both deal with minor league hockey goons). What also works fantastically well about the film is how it captures the spirit of playing and travelling as part of a team (the shenanigans and joking).

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Film: The Innkeepers

Director: Ti West

Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, and Kelly McGillis

Plot Summary: The Yankee Pedlar Inn in New England is famous for being haunted, but it has fallen on hard times and is closing. During its last weekend open, two employees Claire and Luke are determined to find evidence of supernatural activity in the hotel.

Why You Need to See It: The Innkeepers is thrilling and scary, but this throwback horror film does not rely on cheap tricks to insight its moments of terror. Rather, it slowly builds tension and develops its characters (which gives the viewer more of a stake in the outcome) taking its time to optimize the impact of the third act. It feels like a classic ghost story.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Film: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Cast: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller

Plot Summary: This drama is about Charlie a high school freshman who is having a hard time. However, everything changes for him when he is taken under the wings of two seniors Sam and Patrick.

Why You Need to See It: On top of the excellent performances from the film’s three main actors, The Perks of Being a Wallflower succeeds because it earnestly addresses the high school experience through drama, comedy, romance, and its wonderful characters. It feels in many ways like a film made by John Hughes at his best.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Film: Safety Not Guaranteed

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, and Jake Johnson

Plot Summary: This dramedy is about Darius a magazine intern who has felt lost since the death of her mother when she was a child. However, when she is dragged along with another intern by one of the magazine’s writers to work on a story about a man seeking a companion for time travel, she unexpectedly finds something that inspires her again.

Why You Need to See It: Safety Not Guaranteed is a time travel narrative that plays better than most of its big budget contemporaries. It has a wondrous genuine tone that draws the viewer in, to go along with its great characters. Also, it is quite funny.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Film: Sound of My Voice

Director: Zal Batmanglij

Cast: Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius, and Brit Marling

Plot Summary: This mystery drama is about Peter a journalist who is investigating a cult leader, Maggie, claiming to be from the future with the intension of exposing her as a fraud. To get a firsthand look at Maggie, Peter and his girlfriend go undercover and are initiated into the cult, only to be pulled in deeper.

Why You Need to See It: Sound of My Voice is a mystery built on very well-crafted suspense and a fantastic payoff (which leaves the viewer questioning all the details that the film has shown them). Despite its micro-budget (i.e. lacking big action set pieces or other such spectacles that populate Hollywood mysteries and thrillers), the film is thoroughly compelling on the strength of its script and performances.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Goon (2012) – Review

Review: Goon is a great sports comedy (probably the best hockey centric comedy since Slap Shot). The film is about Doug Glatt, an outcast in a family of doctors who works as a bouncer (and is not particularly intelligent). However, he finds his calling when he joins a struggling hockey club as their enforcer. Director Michael Dowse and writers Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg get hockey – the atmosphere, the lingo, the culture – which is why this comedy works so well. Its foundation in minor league hockey is solid (the games are also shot very well), but it can still be enjoyed without a knowledge of hockey specifically as sports culture/comradely is somewhat universal. That said, the film is also very funny – full of crude jokes, oddball characters and great hockey related antics and hijinks. In many ways it is very reminiscent of Major League. Along with the crude nature of the humor, the graphic violence of the film will probably not appeal to all viewers. There is a lot of blood and mild gore. Again, this is the story of a minor-league enforcer, whose role is to stand up of his teammates and fight. The film also has an interesting juxtaposition to what is happening in the NHL at present with the true enforcer role coming to an end. However, this is based on Doug Smith who was prevalent in the 1980s when enforcers were very much a necessary part of the game. Dowse and company structure the narrative well, creating the film both as a showdown between Ross Rhea (an aging enforcer who is feared throughout the league) and Doug and as a story about friendship and finding one’s place. Dowse does a very good job with the characters, economically and efficiently developing them. Doug is crafted as a brute, but a generally friendly and caring guy who supports his team and teammates as he beats the crap out of opposing players but does not do it from a place of hate. He is a very likable character. The viewer cares about Doug and his relationships, elevating the film from merely being funny or violent. Doug’s developing relationship with Eva (the love interest), his friendship with Xavier (the star player who has lost his confidence) and the admiration and showdown with Ross (which is great, two gladiators battling in the arena) are all stories the audience cares about. At its heart, Goon is the story of Doug finding where he belongs in the world, having been lost all his life. And in this, it works well.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Michael Dowse, coming off the terrible comedy Take Me Home Tonight, has returned to making films that are both funny and have good characters like his early work (Fubar and It’s All Gone Pete Tong). This is my favorite of his films to date. The soundtrack and original music from composer Ramachandra Borcar both contribute to adding to the great atmosphere and tone that Dowse creates, perfectly capturing the spirit of hockey. This is also true of Sean Vizsy’s art direction. Cinematographer Bobby Shore does a fantastic job with the hockey sequences. The games feel legitimate, which is often not the case in sports films. Goon is littered with great bit characters and performances. The Russian characters are very funny, and Jonathan Cherry’s goalie character is brilliant. Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill and Marc-Andre Grondin are great in supporting roles, as well. Liev Schreiber steals every scene he is in. He is just fantastic as Ross Rhea – big, strong, intimidating, and with the swagger of a gunfighter. Seann William Scott is good. He plays Doug as a man with a ton of heart and grit.

Summary & score: Goon is one the best sports comedies, just with more violence and cruder. 7/10

At the Movies – March 2012 – Part 1: Independent Films

Art-House Dramas:

Being Flynn (Paul Weitz) – Drama – Mar 2 [limited]

Summary: Nick Flynn, a struggling writer, takes a job at a homeless shelter to gather ideas. At the shelter, he encounters his estranged father, a self-proclaimed poet. Nick senses trouble in his own life and battles with the notion of starting a new relationship with his father. Filmmakers: Writer-director Paul Weitz has done good work in the past (notably About a Boy), but in recent years has churned out three duds in a row. Hopefully, this will be his resurgence. He is working with composer Damon Gough (About a Boy), cinematographer Declan Quinn (The Lucky Ones) and production designer Sarah Knowles (Arthur). Cast: The film stars Robert De Niro and Paul Dano and features Julianne Moore, Olivia Thirlby and Lili Taylor in support. Expectations: Paul Weitz in the director chair is a bit of a red flag (at least for me), but this does have a great cast. If Weitz just shoots the film straightforward, allowing the performances to drive the narrative, it should turn out well. Trailer: Here.

Silent House (Chris Kentis & Laura Lau) – Horror – Mar 9 [limited]

Summary: Visiting her family’s lakeside house, Sarah is terrorized, trapped inside the house. Filmmakers: Writer-director-producer Laura Lau and writer-director Chris Kentis are the team behind Open Water. They are working with composer Nathan Larson (Margin Call), cinematographer Igor Martinovic (The Tillman Story) and production designer Roshelle Berliner (Precious). Cast: The film stars Elizabeth Olsen (and is sort of a tour de force for her). Expectations: The premise of this film is that it takes place in real-time; not a new concept but something that should work well within the horror/thriller genre. This is also on many people’s radar as it is Olsen’s first follow-up to her fantastic performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene (which was one of my favorite performances of 2011). While I do not think this film will be anywhere near as good as Martha Marcy May Marlene, I am intrigued to see Olsen’s performance in this as running around being scared is thought of as easy, but the quality of these sort of films often hinges on just how good the lead is. Trailer: Here.

The Kid with a Bike (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne) – Drama – Mar 16 [NYC]

Summary: Cyril, a young boy, is abandoned by his father and taken in by the state. Samantha, the town’s hairdresser, decides that she with foster the boy on the weekends in a random act of kindness. Filmmakers: The film is by the writer-director brothers from Belgium: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (La Promesse and The Child are two of their better known films). They are working with cinematographer Alain Marcoen, who has shot most of their films. Cast: It stars newcomer Thomas Doret and Cecile De France (one of Belgium’s biggest international stars at present) with Jeremie Renier and Fabrizio Rongione in support. Expectations: It won the 2011 Cannes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Best Film, and was thought to be among the five Best Foreign Film nominees at the 2012 Oscars (though that did not happen). For those that like dramas and do not mind subtitles and relatively unknown actors (especially for viewers in the States), this should be well worth your time. Trailer: Here.

The Raid (Gareth Evans) – Action – Mar 23 [limited]

Summary: Responding to a call, a SWAT team finds themselves trapped inside a tenement owned by a mobster who unleashes droves of killers and thugs upon them. Now, they must fight to escape. Filmmakers: Welsh writer-director Gareth Evans returns to the genre of action with his new film (his last was Merantau). He is working with a trio of composers (Aria Prayogi, Joseph Trapanese and Fajar Yuskemal) and cinematographer Matt Flannery (who has shot all three of Evans’s films). Cast: It stars Indonesian martial arts champion Iko Uwais (who was discovered by Evans while Evans was making a documentary in 2007 – this is their second collaboration). Expectations: While Evans’s first two films were not successful, The Raid has been adored by anyone lucky enough to see it – even winning a Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Award. It is an epic action film with countless fantastic sequences and stunts. It is an absolute must-see for martial arts style action fans. Trailer: Here.

Art-House Comedies:

Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie (Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim) – Comedy – Mar 2 [limited]

Summary: Tim and Eric get a billion dollars to make a movie, but when production starts to go off-course they try to revitalize a failing shopping mall to make the money back (yes, it sounds ridiculous). Filmmakers: The film is by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, the guys behind the HBO show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! They are working with producers Mark Cuban (probably where the money came from), Will Ferrell (who also has a cameo) and Adam McKay, as well as composer Davin Wood (who works on their show), cinematographer Rachel Morrison (The Hills) and production designer Rosie Sanders (who also works on their show). Cast: Along with Tim and Eric, there are a lot of celebrity cameos, including: A.D. Miles, Jeff Goldblum, Zach Galifianakis, Will Forte, William Atherton, Ray Wise, Robert Loggia, and John C. Reilly. Expectations: This is pretty much exclusively made for fans of the show, but I assume there is hope that it will draw new fans to Tim and Eric’s stuff. The film is random and wacky (basically think of a live-action Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters). Trailer: Here.

Goon (Michael Dowse) – Sports Comedy – Mar 30

Summary: Doug Glatt, a bouncer, is an underachiever, especially when compared to his brainy family. However, Doug has a chance at glory when he joins an underperforming semi-pro hockey team as their enforcer. Filmmakers: Canadian director Michael Dowse has done funny work in Canada, but his first Hollywood film Take Me Home Tonight was fairly awful. Thankfully, Goon is a Canadian film, and he is working with a writing team made up very funny people: Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg. Dowse is also working with composer Ramachandra Borcar and cinematographer Bobby Shore (who he has worked with before). Cast: The film stars Seann William Scott and features Baruchel, Live Schreiber, Alison Pill, Kim Coates, and Eugene Levy in support, making up a great comedic group. Expectations: Goon opened in the U.K. in January and played to good reviews. It will also be available early via VOD in the States (Feb 24^th). I think it looks funny, and as a hockey fan I am looking forward to a good hockey comedy (the last one was probably Slap Shot, which this seems to resemble quite a bit). I also find it interesting when juxtaposed to what is happening in the NHL with the decline of the ‘enforcer’ role, fighting even being discussed as no longer being a necessary part of the game (though, many would argue that and fans love it). Trailer: Here. Review.