DVD REVIEW - "Kill the Irishman"

I love mob movies.  I love true stories turned to film.  Thus, when I saw the preview for this I could  not wait to see it.  However, the film was only scheduled for limited release in a few screens across the country and St. Louis was not on that short list.  "Kill the Irishman" is now available on DVD and I highly encourage you to rent this picture.  The film stars Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, and Christopher Walken.

This is the true story of an Irish mobster named Danny Greene.  Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio, Danny rises from his poor upbringing to become the president of the International Longshoremen's Association in Cleveland.  This leads to his involvement with the Mafia in Cleveland, dominated by an Italian family with connections to the Gambinos in New York City.  After a "disagreement" with one of Cleveland's top mob officials, the Jewish money launderer and lone shark named Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken) puts out the contract for Danny Greene's execution.  This begins the brutal and true all out war waged between the Italian mafia and Danny Greene's crew.  In the summer of 1976, 36 bombs detonated in various mob killings all over the Cleveland area.  Most of which were aimed at Greene, who had an uncanny knack for avoiding death.  He became a media sensation, and popular opinion either labeled him a hero of the people and the neighborhood he loved or a vicious egomaniacal killer with an unsatiable thirst for money and power.

This movie is a must see on many levels.  First and foremost, as outrageous as the story becomes - it is 100% true.  There is no fabrication or embellishment to this screenplay, penned by Jeremy Walters and Jonathan Hensliegh (who also directed the film).  The attention to detail is fantastic.  This movie does not look at all like it was filmed in 2011.  It is a complete immersion into the 1970's, down to the fine detail of using actual television news coverage from the 70's to help tell the story. 

The cast is the film's greatest strength.  The director has chosen some of today's most talented, and in some cases, most underrated actors to bring these real life characters to life.  Ray Stevenson is fantastic throughout as the seemingly unkillable Danny Greene.  His performance is consistently powerful throughout the film.  I am very much looking forward to seeing his next performance in the upcoming "The Three Musketeers" as he will be portraying the flamboyant Porthos (previously enacted by Gerard Depardieau and Oliver Platt).  Vincent D'Onofrio is as quirky and entertaining as ever in his portrayal of John Nardi, an Italian mobster who gets shafted by his own organization and allies with Greene.  Christopher Walken ... ahhh, Christopher Walken.  Has he ever turned in a bad performance?  The answer is a simple "no".  And while he does not play a large role in the film, his character is ultimately responsible for the whole story you are about to see, and Walken owns every scene he is in.

Lastly, Val Kilmer portrays the good cop, Joe Manditski, who is a native of the same neighborhood as Danny Greene.  In another world, with another set of circumstances, Greene and Manditski would probably have been best of friends.  In this one, Manditski cannot help but secretly like Greene, and all the while he pursues him as a good cop should.  Val Kilmer is one of our generation's best actors.  It is a shame that his career seems to have dwindled from the bright lights of the big screen to more of the Direct to DVD market.  Time, as well, has not been too kind to Kilmer.  He is not aging particularly well as the once "Iceman" is now more aptly categorized as more of a double scoop of soft serve.  But, his talent is as strong and chiseled to a sharp point as it ever was, and hopefully with more roles like this - we will see Kilmer back on the big screen where his caliber of talent belongs.

In conclusion, "Kill the Irishman" did not get the big screen time it should have, and as such not enough people have seen or heard of this film.  This is one of the best mob films made in recent history.  Given enough time and word of mouth recomendations from one person to another, and the day will come that this film will be rightfully listed on any Top 10 Mob Movies list that is worth paying attention to.  If you like movies like, "Goodfellas", "Donnie Brasco", and "The Departed" - you need to see this movie.  And then, you need to tell as many of your friends and family who like good movies that they need to see this movie.

4 out of 4 Bright, Shining Stars on this one !

John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders

DVD REVIEW --- "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night"

I remember seeing preview trailers for this film and thought it looked like fun.  I also thought it would be interesting to see Brandon Routh getting out from under the trainwreck that was "Superman Returns".  I am not at all familiar with the comic book source material, so I am judging the film solely on its merits as a movie and not an adaptation.  I had my calendar marked to see it in the theater.  Unfortunately I was not able to make it opening weekend.  This movie bombed so bad, I don't think it was in theaters a second week.  It is listed as one of the biggest flops of 2011.  It grossed only $4 million worldwide, with a budget near $20 million.

I am telling you all of this before I continue for a simple reason.  Sometimes, it is best to not judge a book by its cover.  I rented this movie, expecting a fun B-movie that would hopefully have some decent action, some humor, and just generally provide some mindless entertainment for a couple hours.  Go into watching this movie with those kind of expectations, and you will be thoroughly entertained.  This is a fun, silly movie.  It never feels like they are trying to take themselves too seriously with this and neither should you.  Just sit back, grab some popcorn, and have fun with this.

Brandon Routh does a fine job playing the lead character.  The movie takes place in New Orleans, the apparent mecca for the undead just looking to find some place they can quietly live out their unnatural lives.  In this world, one man - a pulse pounding human - has been appointed to oversee criminal matters of the underworld as an impartial investigator.  This job belongs to Dylan Dog. 

The movie plays out as a loose mystery taking in plenty of action and comedy along the way.  It is predictable and yet, it is entertaining enough that you don't mind.  While I doubt there will be a big screen Dylan Dog 2, it would not surprise me to see it happen as a direct to DVD project.  As long as Routh returns as the hero, that would be just fine with me.

Give this movie a try.  It will surprise you.

3 out of 4 Stars

John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders

DVD REVIEW --- "The Company Men"

Sometimes after I watch something on DVD for the first time, I stop and wonder why this movie did not rule the box office.  In the case of "The Company Men", it's because it was only released to limited markets in the U.S.  And then, I have to ask "why"?  This is a smart, well-conceived, well-made, film with a fantastic cast and a topic completely relevant to our world today.

This is not the movie for the big action fan.  Its not a spoiler to tell you - there just isn't any here.  What you do have is thorough look at how the collapse of our markets, corporate downsizing,  and the greed at the top ripples throughout society from the CEO all the way down to the average guy.

The cast is top-notch and all deliver powerful, absorbing performances.  Ben Affleck leads the ensemble made up of Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Craig T. Nelson, and a surprisingly good Kevin Costner.  The script by John Wells weaves in and out of the characters lives with a great sense of balance and timing.

Of all the films out there dealing with the events of the corporate world and the stock market in the past few years, this movie should definitely be listed up near the top of the list - right next to and perhaps ahead of "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps".  Great cast, great performances, great story, and all around great execution - this is a definite must see film.

4 out of 4 Stars

John M. Dunlap

The Hollywood Outsiders

 

DVD REVIEW --- "The Conspirator"

This film is our first big screen look into the rest of the story behind the assassination of President Lincoln.  The film has a LOT going for it.  The film has a fantastic cast including:  James MacAvoy, TomWilkinson, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, and Colm Meaney.  The film has Robert Redford, who has won an Academy Award for his directorial skills and talents, as its director.  On paper, this should be a slam dunk.

Unfortunately, this film does not make the transition from paper to film.  The scenery is amazing.  The attention to detail for the time period is fantastic.  The CGI recreation of Washington D.C. at the time period in question is really awesome.  This movie is absolutely beautiful to look at.  That gorgeous scenery, the overtime put in by the Art Department and the CGI team is not enough to carry this film along.  The story is interesting.  However, the telling of the tale is so lifeless, and flat it all gets lost in the pretty pictures.

I am a fan of Robert Redford as a director.  That was the main reason I picked up this DVD.  However, after sitting through this movie, I can tell you a trip to the history museum would be a more entertaining (and informative) way to spend two hours versus sitting through this watching James MacAvoy fight an uphill battle that you know from the start (history buff or not) that he has no chance of winning.  

2 out of 4 stars (One star for the cast, the other for the amazing visuals of the film)

John M. Dunlap

The Hollywood Outsiders

"Love & Other Drugs" --- Jake Gylenhaal, Anne Hathaway

Let it be known, I am a sucker for a good love story.  Let it also be know, Jake Gylenhaal and Anne Hathaway are two of my favorite "new" actors.  He should have been SpiderMan, can't wait for her CatWoman.  Thus, this DVD rental should have been a slam dunk.  On paper, everything looks good.  The preview trailer looked good.  It's got a nice group of supporting actors, including Hank Azaria and one of my favorites - Oliver Platt.

It starts off as a simple story of two shallow, heartbroken people who find each other, find each other scared at the level of attraction to one another and agree to maintain a no-strings attached affair that predictably escalates to love thus causing one or both of them to flee.  Somewhere in the third act, after a montage choreographed to a Bryan Adams tune, one or both of them realizes love isn't such a bad thing and the lustful young couple re-unite, much to the happiness of a teary-eyed audience.

It's a simple formula - we've all seen it done poorly a million times, and occasionally seen it done very well.  Had this film stuck to the formula, this would probably be right up there as one of the best love stories of all time.  The chemistry between Gylenhaal and Hathaway is definitely there.  The moments of brevity are well - timed and properly handled by Azaria and Platt.  This film goes wrong when it decides to bite off more than it can chew by introducing the idea that Hathaway's character (Maggie) has early onset of Parkinson's Disease.  Her fear of commitment is twofold:  1) that she will give her heart to someone who will ultimately reject her because of the disease (which we learn has already happened) and 2) she is selfless in love by thinking it is unfair that any partner should be "trapped" in a relationship with someone who is headed down the path she is on.

This film ends up being a long, drawn out affair NOT to remember - and quickly to forget.  If you are in the mood for a great love story about a couple truly in love and fighting to overcome sickness and make the most of their time together --- then I recommend the one and ONLY film that gets it right ... 1970's ultimate tearjerker, "Love Story" - starring Ryan O'Neill and Ali MacGraw.  In a lot of ways the creators of "Love & Other Drugs" were aiming for the kind of connection and raw emotion of that masterpiece - but fall miserably short.

** 2 stars --- and the only reason it gets those two is the great chemistry between Gylenhaal and Hathaway (which is sadly wasted here) and the saving grace of the film --- Oliver Platt.

Spend your DVD rental money wisely - pass on this one, get "Love Story".

John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders

"Paul" --- Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman

Nick turned me onto this movie.   I had not even heard of it until we did the Big Spring Preview show.  I must confess, at the time, it really didn't do much for me.  For the record - Nick, you were right on this one !

"Paul" is the hilarious story of two British Sci-Fi/Comic nerds (Pegg & Frost) who are on their first holiday to America.  The trip starts off with a visit to Comic-Con in San Diego and is then going to turn into a road trip via Winnebago through America's southwest to see all of the alien encounter tourist sites i.e. Area 51, Roswell, etc.  Along the way they meet Paul, a foul-mouthed, pot smoking alien who has been imprisoned on Earth since his UFO crashed in 1947 and has recently escaped and is trying to get home.

What follows is a hilarious, part buddy film - part action romp as this unlikely trio race across the Big Sky states constantly being pursued by the Men In Black (?) played by Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, and Joe Lo Truglio and several other oddball locals they encounter along the way.  Bateman convincingly plays the bad cop to Hader and Truglio who stumble along providing laugh after laugh in the good cop role.

This movie is fun from start to finish.  Predictable, yes.  Worth seeing, definitely.  And I would be remiss without giving special kudos to Steven Spielberg.  Apparently Mr. Spielberg has a helluva sense of humor or there is no way this movie could have happened, let alone have a cameo from Spielberg himself.  Suffice to say, if you want to get all the jokes and punchlines - you might want to make sure you have seen the following Spielberg classics:

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
"ET: The Extra Terrestrial"
"Jaws" (yes, I said Jaws)

*** 3 out of 4 stars

John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders

"Battle: Los Angeles" --- Aaron Eckhart

Ok, here's the bottom line on this movie ... Take elements of "Independence Day", "Cloverfield", and "The Sands of Iwo Jima" and add in some fantastic special effects and you've got "Battle: Los Angeles".

That sounds like a bad start to a review.  It is not.  This is actually a very good, well-paced action film.  Let's be real.  The number of films hitting the big screen that can be defined as 100% original are few and far between anymore.  If you are looking for original, well thought out stories, Hollywood is not the place to turn.  You need to be checking out indie festivals that don't get hyped on Entertainment Tonight for that.

"Battle: Los Angeles" opens up in the thick of the action, automatically inserting the audience into a first person perspective.  If you did not like the hand held camera work of "Cloverfield" - this is not the film for you.  If you enjoy the way a director will pull you into the film with this technique, proceed.  A'la "Independence Day" we learn quickly that an advanced alien intelligence has surrounded the Earth and is commencing an attack that can only mean one thing - the extermination of humanity.  Whereas ID4 goes off and gives up different perspectives of the event through multiple plotlines starring nothing but A-list actors, this movie starts and finishes with how this event is effecting the lives of one small group of people.  This is a much more effective story-telling style because the audience is not being spoon fed information.  You are learning what is going on just as the characters are finding out.

In this case, the small group is a USMC platoon - reluctantly led by Aaron Eckhart and reluctantly followed by a young group of Marines.  As the story progresses, we learn the source of the conflict between the rookies and the veteran is more than just old versus new.  It is a plotline straight out of the John Wayne classic, "The Sands of Iwo Jima".  

The other redeeming quality is that the story we are following is its own chapter in this much larger event.  The alien invasion and all the ensuing destruction of national landmarks is all backdrop to the story these characters are experiencing.  They have a simple mission.  With all this chaos and carnage surrounding them, this one Marine platoon is charged with the duty of going behind enemy lines and rescuing an unknown amount of civilians that are trapped inside a Santa Monica police station.  They have three hours to succeed or they all perish as the Air Force is set to level Los Angeles in the hopes of stopping the advance of the alien attack.  That is the story we follow and they do not deviate.

I have mentioned repeatedly how this film borrows, and at times blatantly steals, from three other films.  At one point in this film, Eckhart's character almost goes verbatim to Robert Loggia's great line in ID4, "Get on the wire, tell them how to bring those sons of bitches down."   Normally this is an immediate turnoff to a film.

It is, however, one of the greatest strengths of "Battle: Los Angeles".  This is because these ideas and conventions from other films are used so effectively in telling this story you don't mind the fact that the filmmakers are doing it.  I went into seeing this film expecting the basic big explosions, super F/X, feel-good American Summertime action yarn.  I got what I came for.

The unexpected surprise is that this film is so much more than that.  The story is well-defined.  Aaron Eckhart's performance as the gruff, veteran Marine is top drawer.  This is one of those performances where you quickly forget you are watching Aaron Eckhart and instead become emotionally attached to his character, Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz.  The performances from the rest of the cast are well-delivered as well.  This leads me to the only drawback of the film.  By NOT using a cast of A-list actors, you are left with only knowing or recognizing them by the characters they portray and in this case, the supporting characters could have been developed more effectively as to bring the same level of attachment to them as well.  As it stands, you're rooting for Nantz and worried he's going to be get blown up at any given moment.  Your suspense level is raised if you feel this same attachment to the rest of these guys - but we don't get the chance.

Overall, this is a great movie to see on the big screen and the storyline and character study will keep it relevant and interesting by the time most people see it at home on DVD.

*** 3 out of 4 Stars

John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders

"The Adjustment Bureau" - Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp

Do we live our lives as the result of our decisions based from our own free will, or are we merely moving through the motions of some grand, master plan pre-determined by an unseen, unknown  higher power?  That is the question central to the plot of this film.  "The Adjustment Bureau" stars Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terrence Stamp, and a host of other talented character actors.  The film is an interesting blend of psychological thriller and romance.  I've seen it listed as a science fiction piece.  This is incorrect and misleading.

This film explores these questions through the lives of the main character, a young up and coming politician, David Norris (Damon) and a dancer, Elise Sellas (Blunt) he repeatedly encounters through chance meetings.  At every encounter they feel drawn to each other, perfectly connected, as if they were meeting their soulmate for the first time.  For reasons we learn about as the film progresses, this is of great concern to the men known as "The Adjustment Bureau" - a group of mysterious men charged with the duty of making sure everything goes according to plan.

Who's plan?  The answer to that is one of the strengths of the film.  While never seen, nor directly referred to by any one name (other than "The Chairman"), it is obvious this film is tackling age old questions of faith - from any denomination.   It is also interesting that while these men are an obvious obstacle that Damon and Blunt must overcome, they are not necessarily the "bad guy".  Really, as revealed in a great monologue moment by one of the leaders of the Bureau, "Thompson" (Terrence Stamp), if there is a villain in this film it is man himself.  He offers a historical answer to Norris' question of free will that leaves you wondering whether or not free will is such a great thing for mankind.

Overall, the film works well on many different levels.  It works well as a psychological thriller, a romance, and in several moments - both.  Matt Damon and Emily Blunt turn in quality performances.  Terrence Stamp is amazing.  This film is also a fine example of how often times the most well told stories are from people who fill both jobs of writer, and director.  This is the case for this film.  Although better known for his screenwriting credits (Oceans 12, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Sentinel), this film marks the beginning of another chapter in George Nolfi's career - as director.

This is an entertaining film - definitely great for a date movie.  He gets the action, thrills and Emily Blunt.  She gets the romance, the intrigue, and Matt Damon.  Audiences everywhere get a great moviegoing experience that in many ways feels like a good old fashioned Hitchcock thriller.

* * * * 4 Star Film (out of possible four)

John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders