REVIEW: The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

The Lincoln Lawyer, 2011

Review by Kerry Gleason

March 18, 2011

 

The Lincoln Lawyer begins and ends with an edgy, urban montage, and Los Angeles doesn’t seem to have changed. The characters in this story do, and that is why The Lincoln Lawyer works so well.

 

Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is Newman-esque in his portrayal of a small potatoes, big-city defense attorney who is successful in putting most of the bad guys he represents back on the street. That puts him at odds with ex-wife Maggie MacPherson (Marisa Tomei), an assistant district attorney. A courthouse deputy, Val Valenzuela (John Leguizamo) gives Haller a line on a rich boy (Ryan Phillippe) who needs a lawyer, and Earl, fire up the Lincoln.

 

Much of the time, Haller works out of the back of his Lincoln town car, delivering wise cracks faster than the speed limit. McConaughey portrays the whiskey-swilling Haller unflinchingly, proud of his street smarts and too proud to let a bad guy get the best of him. He’s sleazy enough to be believable as a defense attorney, yet honorable enough to respect the laws. Director Brad Furman creates superb pacing for John Romano’s intelligent screenplay, based on the novel of the same title by Florida crime beat reporter Michael Connelly. The transformation of D.A. Corliss (Shea Whigham) from formidable courtroom opponent to dunce was a slight stretch, but it had to happen. William H. Macy brings intrigue and realism to the character of Frank Levin, Haller’s investigator, and Trace Adkins is barely recognizable, but effective, as Eddie, the biker.

 

Early on, I had flashbacks to “The Verdict,” and McConaughey brings many of the same qualities to the screen as Paul Newman did, even bearing a facial resemblance. The late night talk show hosts will be happy to know that he does take off his shirt, briefly, which portends box-office success. The Lincoln Lawyer is a fun ride.

 

I rate The Lincoln Lawyer four hood ornaments out of four.

 

 

Beer Pairing for The Lincoln Lawyer:

As a Tribute to the star and funniest line, delivered by Leguizamo:

 

A Matt’s Beer Ball (Matt’s Brewing, Utica, NY)

 

Oracle of Bacon

Matthew McConaughey – 2

Marisa Tomei – 1 (Starred with Kevin Bacon in “Loverboy,” 2005)

Ryan Phillippe – 2

William H. Macy – 1 (Starred with Kevin Bacon in “Murder in the First,” 1995)

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REVIEW: Limitless

Limitless, Relativity Media, 2011

Review by Kerry Gleason

March 18, 2011

 

The idea of a cerebral boost that would allow anyone to utilize 100 percent of his or her brain capacity instead of the standard 10 percent, or 20 percent if you pay attention to the screenwriter, is thrilling. While Limitless is categorized as a “thriller,” it is not. At some points, the film dragged, and I almost wished my Sno-Caps were laced with razor blades.

The problem: Limitless has more hanging threads than a hippie sweater vest with fringe. In the end, you will wonder about many, many details.

Briefly, Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a writer with a stalled career and an already-spent book advance who sponges off a girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) until a junkie turns him on to a clear pill, NZT, that allows the brain to reach its highest capacity. Imagine what could happen.

I entered the theater excited about the brain booster idea, and imagined all the potential that might have. In the aftermath, I identified four reasons why this film failed, for me:

1. I usually hate movies about writers. Watch me conjugate a verb. Boring.
2. I hate most movies about stock traders. Watch me buy short and sell long. Oooh! Scintillating.
3. I hate most movies that represent greed as a virtue.
4. I hate all movies that glorify drug addiction. That is what Limitless is about.

Bradley Cooper is a talented actor with uncanny ability. He stars in this film. He co-produced this film, most likely as a vehicle to elevate Bradley Cooper to leading-man status. Director Neil Burger (The Lucky Ones) made sure his producer was the benefactor of a zillion close shots that show Cooper’s dazzling baby blues. Spare me, and pass the Sno-Caps. Screenwriter Leslie Dixon (Mrs. Doubtfire, Pay It Forward) skimped on her homework with this half-witted, unimaginative script about a guy who should have all the wit and all the imagination.

She lost me in the beginning flashback, with Morra’s cheesy narrative where he claims to have a “four-digit IQ.” There is no such thing. Most standardized IQ tests use the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, which maxes out at 155. Other accepted scales peak at 190.

I might have lived with the movie and gone for the ride if Morra stayed true to his ambitions as a writer instead of making the unlikely right-brain, left-brain swaperoo and veering off as a greedy, vigilante day trader.

Enter Robert DeNiro, who must have lost a bet to take the role of Carl Van Loon. Van Loon is not fleshed out,  a character without character. His shining moment, a monologue near the film’s end, clatters by like a rush-hour A-Train without making a whole lot of sense.

Ms. Cornish will likely be nominated for awards like Best Portrayal of a Yo-Yo by an Actress in a Supporting  Role.

A better use of NZT would be to give that unlimited cranial capacity to somebody like Robin Williams, then turn him loose on open-mic night at the Imrov. That, my friends, could be a movie worth watching.

My rating:  1 roofie out of 4.

Beer Pairing for Limitless:

Bright Ale (Little Creatures Brewing, Australia)

 

Oracle of Bacon

Bradley Cooper – 2

Robert DeNiro – 1 (starred with Kevin Bacon in “Sleepers,” (1996)

Abbie Cornish – 2

REVIEW: “Win Win” (2011)

“Win Win”
Fox Searchlight Pictures (2011)
A movie review by Kerry Gleason
for MoviesWorthALook.com
March 9, 2011

“Are you okay?”
Just about every character asks this question at least once in “Win Win,” written and directed by Tom McCarthy. He’s created a realistic portrayal of a small-town, small-time lawyer, Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach. Giamatti adds texture to the film, per usual, with a flawless portrayal of a flawed character who simply wants to make things okay for his family. He assumes guardianship of Leo Poplar (Burt Young), and subsequently is visited by Leo’s punked-out dropout grandson, Kyle (newcomer Alex Shaffer). Kyle, who was kicked off his Ohio wrestling team, gives Flaherty and his assistant coaches (Jeffrey Tambor and Bobby Cannavale) something they have been lacking in the gym and out – a winner. Tambor’s priceless facial expressions and Cannavale’s childish glee need no words, and we all may know characters like them in our own lives. Add Flaherty’s headstrong wife (Amy Ryan) to the mix as Flaherty’s matrimonial conscience, and bang! You’ve got chemistry among characters who care a whole lot about each other, but can’t quite figure out how to help themselves. Or their clanking plumbing, just one of the recurring gags that make this flick memorable.
Kyle’s wrestling prowess becomes the vehicle that unifies them. But this is not a typical sports movie where the outcome of the contest drives the outcome of the film. “Win Win” is not about wrestling. Giamatti and company remind us that “Win Win” is first and foremost about life, and even when it seems you are ahead, circumstances can take you down to the mat in a hurry. The characters, so expertly acted, lift this film out of its sober depths, making it a rowdy, fun ride.
Schaffer, a New Jersey state champion in wrestling, adeptly infuses playfulness, teen angst, maturity and then the human frailty that is sparked by the arrival of his mother (Melanie Lynsky). I can’t wait to see what he will do in his second film. It is the teen who inspires the others to do whatever it takes to live, and to live with their own decisions. Ryan’s reversal and her impact on the youth pack power, and the resolution of the many conflicts in this film are plausible and thought-provoking.
Tom McCarthy, I don’t have to ask. You are okay.
“Win Win” gets four referee whistles out of a possible four. Dark horse for major award consideration for director, screenplay, best film, lead actor and supporting cast.

Oracle of Bacon —

Paul Giamatti – 2
Jeffrey Tambor – 2
Amy Ryan – 2
Burt Young – 2

REVIEW: “Red Riding Hood” (2011)

Red Riding Hood (Warner Bros., 2011)
Kerry Gleason
for MoviesWorthALook.com
March 8, 2011

The big, bad wolf may have big teeth, in the form of a spectacularly accomplished cast, but “Red Riding Hood” has no bite. Everything is wrong about this film, from the concept, to the dull, predictable, flawed script, to the misguided direction. The Brothers Grimm are grimmer in their graves than ever.
Screenwriter David Leslie Johnson (“Orphan”) and director Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight,” “The Lords of Dogtown”) have converted the wolf that devours Grandma (Julie Christie) into a werewolf, in order to capitalize on the current vampire/werewolf craze. Given the cheesy CGI and neutered fright factor of the werewolf, Johnson would have been better advised to stick to the original script. The scariest part of the film is an attack by a real wolf, and the terror in that relies solely on a cheap jump technique, where the CGI wolf appears out of complete darkness.
The writer failed the story. Everyone knows the story of Red Riding Hood, and it has endured for centuries. “Red Riding Hood” numbs the audience with bland, cliche-driven dialogue, where all the characters sound pretty much the same. Here are a few of the flaws. There’s lovely Valerie ( Amanda Seyfried), the pretty, blonde protagonist, who is in love with her childhood chum, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), whose contrived escape from an impossible circumstance is never explained. Ma (Virginia Madsen) arranges for Valerie to marry tinsmith Henry (Max Irons), who apparently is going to earn many shekels fashioning bracelets from tin. The conflict between Peter and Henry is barely contentious, a mere inconvenient animosity instead of the rip-out-your-throat brutal competition you would expect for the hand of the prettiest maiden in Daggorhorn. Cesaire, the father/woodcutter/drunk/derelict (Billy Burke), apparently has no say in what goes on in his house, as his wife, Suzette, makes all the hook-ups between the smithee and her daughter. Unlikely for that time period. Given the revealed history of Suzette, it is unlikely that she would force her daughter into an unwanted arranged marriage.
The scene that bothered me the most was a minor establishing scene. We come upon Grandmother’s house – in the woods, of course. Deep in the Black Forest, which despite the dense thicket, is covered in sun-loving flowers. Inside, Grandma sits by a roaring fire in a hollow-tree fireplace. I’m not a contractor, but I’m thinking that’s against code, especially in a forest. Second, where will the elves bake their cookies?
Then there’s the scene where Peter unties Valerie’s bodice, undoubtedly the best scene in the movie, and they are forced to run, yet Valerie’s Middle Ages wardrobe is instantly secured for the chase. My limited knowledge of the haute couture of the time period, and the gender, says this might take some time.
The supposed bad guy, Solomon (Gary Oldman), is barely dark enough to be a villain, especially given the talent and proven capacity for evil by the actor. His role was as satisfying as luke-warm soup.
The film is undoubtedly stylish. But it is a stylized eerieness that ill-serves the story, and the setting lacks the grittiness of the time period. People in that time wore the same tattered clothes, they carved their lives out of the woods and they smelled bad in their unwashed existence. Hardwicke’s glam wood never existed.
Red Riding Hood fails us by wasting an amazingly talented cast. I give it one-half a tin bracelet out of four.

Oracle of Bacon —
Gary Oldman – 1 (acted in JFK with Bacon in 1991)
Virginia Madsen – 2
Billy Burke – 2
Julie Christie – 2

NOTE: The popular version of Little Red Riding Hood that we know was adapted by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century from various Euro-folklore sources, most notable, La Petite Chaperon Rouge by Charles Perreault in the 17th century.