Movie Review: Surrogates

Bruce Willis plays Tom Greer, an FBI agent in a future where you stay home hooked up to a "stim chair" and your idealized robotic body double (your surrogate) goes out into the world feeding you data. From your chair, you control what your surrogate does and says with your mind. Sounds interesting, right? It's not. The movie doesn't work for a few reasons. The dialogue is strained and there is simply too much of it. The characters are constantly using dialogue to explain what's going on in the movie. Never a good thing. There are scenes that are so contrived you'll be reminded of Shyamalan's, The Happening (if you were unfortunate enough to have seen it). James Cromwell, the actor who played the inventor of the robots in I, Robot, plays the inventor of the surrogates in Surrogates. That goes beyond typecasting and was truly a foolish decision by the casting director. Ving Rhames provides unintentional comic relief as the Rastafarian leader of the anti-surrogate movement. The movie is based on the novel, The Surrogates, by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldelle which was published in 2005. The source material is good but the movie only plays up the mechanical aspect and misses the philosophical point. Maybe they shouldn't have rushed to get it to the screen and spent more time on the screenplay. Skip the movie. Read the book.

Movie Review: Jennifer's Body

Oh boy! Not Academy Award material but not horrible. I expected worse. It's Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Mean Girls meets The Exorcist. Yes, I know, it is blasphemy to mention a movie like The Exorcist in the same breath as Jennifer's Body but they are simply both about demonic possession. The major difference (other then the former being one of the all-time great horror movies and the latter hovering dangerously close to being the worst) is that one is about a sweet girl taken over by a demon. The other is about a girl who is already pretty scary taken over by a demon that's only marginally scarier. The only real change in Jennifer (Megan Fox) is that now, she eats boys. Actually, that's not much of a change. I'm quite certain Jennifer has eaten a boy or two prior to her becoming possessed. Only now, she needs to eat them to stay beautiful. If you can look at the movie as a commentary about teenagers and jealousy and rivalry (the pool scene at the end is classic) it's actually pretty funny and occasionally, scary. And yes, it is a showcase for Megan Fox's body. Guys will probably find her sexier in the Transformer movies where she does not have razor sharp teeth. You don't have to see it in the theater. Wait for it to be On Demand.

I Am Never Alone

Knock knock. Who's there? Someone, because I never feel alone.

I Pray For Guidance

Every morning and every night, every time I find myself not knowing what to do or what to say, I pray for guidance. "Do nothing" or "Say nothing" is usually the answer. Most things are not quite as important as I seem to think they are.

Movie Review: Amreeka

Amreeka is a little movie with a big heartfelt story about optimism, pride and hope in the face of hardship, ignorance and prejudice. It's the story of a divorced Palestinian woman (Muna) and her decision to immigrate to the United States with her teenage son (Fadi), hoping for a better life. She leaves her hectic life in the war-ravaged West Bank with it's dirty over crowded streets and humiliating Israeli check points, to come to the U.S. Unfortunately, life here isn't exactly a bed of roses. In addition to all of the usual problems adjusting to a new culture, U.S. forces have just invaded Iraq and racism against Middle Easterners is at an all-time high. As soon as they arrive, they experience treatment from a customs officer that is uncomfortably similar to the abuse they endure at the hands of Israeli's. Muna, a bank executive back home, finds herself flipping burgers at White Castle. Fadi, smart and actually more mature and better educated then his American counterparts, is constantly harassed. The movie goes back and forth between her struggles and Fadi's. With little exposition and excellent acting, the movie tells a real story that will stick with you long after you get home. Find a movie theater where it's playing. Don't miss it.
p.s. Writer-director Cherien Dabis has first hand experience with the prejudice and harassment that comes with being an Arab in the United States. The Secret Service came to her high school to investigate rumors that her 17 year old sister was involved in a plot to kill the president. Ugh.

I Had A Dream Once.....

I was sitting across a table from someone I was very close to at one time but had not seen in over a decade. I reached across the table and touched their face. I said, "I know this is just a dream but it is still so nice to see you." I woke up feeling so calm and better, overall. It felt like so much more then a dream.

Movie Review: The Informant!

Although slow in the beginning, The Informant! is an entertaining, exceptionally well acted and finely crafted movie based on a true story. Matt Damon plays Mark Whitacre, an obsequious pathological liar who has worked his way up the corporate ladder at ADM, the agricultural company. His performance is reminiscent of his pitch perfect performance in The Talented Mr. Ripley (and let's not forget Damon's range, after all, he is Jason Bourne). The Informant won't be your favorite movie or the best movie you'll see this year, but it is definitely worth seeing for its incredibly well chosen cast and the skillful way it gives you a glimpse into the mind of a somewhat likable sociopath.