Teaser For Cronenberg’s New Thriller ‘Cosmopolis’

David Cronenberg is one of those directors who’s really never made a bad film, yet he’s never even been nominated for an Oscar. Why? Because the Oscars are bullshit, but what else is new? Cronenberg, much like other extremely cerebral directors like William Friedkin and Harmony Korine, has a way of tapping into the human psyche in a way that seems comfortably strange. Relatable in some ways, completely unheard of in others.

Last year, Cronenberg directed the critically acclaimed and surprisingly mainstream erotic-drama-thriller, A Dangerous Method. This year, he seems to be going back to his surrealist routes with CosmopolisStarring Robert Pattinson, the film follows Eric Packer, a 28-year-old billionaire asset manager whose day devolves into an odyssey with a cast of characters that start to tear his world apart. Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, Cronenberg will write and direct this film, set to be released sometime in 2012.

For those of you doubting the strength of Robert Pattinson as an actor, just shut up. Seriously, just shut up already. The guy did the nearly impossible – He escaped the Twilight persona. Robert Pattinson is an extremely talented young actor with an already eclectic resume and disgustingly bright future ahead of him. And I’m not just saying this because I love Twilight, which I don’t. I’m saying it because the difference between him and Taylor Lautner is that Pattinson actually understands the meaning of emotion and facial expression.

If you’re still skeptical, check out the teaser trailer below. Cosmopolis also stars Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, and Juliette Binoche, AKA, the best cast I’ve seen this year thus far.

Grizzly Review: Casa de mi Padre

Will Ferrell is possibly the most creative man working in comedy today. There you go, I said it. Allow me to convince you further. Will Ferrell has starred in some extremely funny movies about newscasters, race car drivers, step brothers, the NYPD, figure skating, minor league basketball, used car salesmen, male models, human elves, and coaching kids’ soccer. He’s also co-founder of the legendary comedy sketch site, Funny or Die. This year, he’s also starring in The Campaign, a film about two North Carolina senators with presidential aspirations that end up childishly competing for the top spot.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that Will Ferrell is a God in his arena, and has earned his fans through a lot of hard work. But as funny as he is, it was never imagined that he would make a film that could be considered “revolutionary” or “important”. The crazy part, though, is that he did, and it’s called Casa de mi Padre. What makes this film so important isn’t necessarily its screenplay, its cast, its director, or even really the film itself. It’s important because it’s one of the few, if not first, times that an American actor has tackled a completely different language for an entire movie, and spoken the language well.

Following rancher Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell), Casa de mi Padre follows Armando as he tries to prove to his father, Miguel Ernesto (Pedro Armendariz Jr.) and his drug dealing brother, Raul (Diego Luna), that he is able to take on the rights and responsibilities of a respected man. After a long time away from home, Raul returns with his fiancee, Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez), a beautiful woman who isn’t actually in love with Raul, but with Armando. Raul’s return home is met with some bad news by his father. The Alvarez Ranch is deep in debt, and has no way of coming up with the money. Raul promises he will take care of everything, but Armando soon learns that Raul’s business isn’t exactly legal.

After learning of Sonia’s whereabouts and plans to marry Raul, The Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal), Mexico’s other richest and most ruthless drug dealer, devises a plan to kill Raul and get his woman back into his arms where she belongs. Now, it’s up to Armando save the day and get the respect from his family that he knows he deserves.

Casa de mi Padre is a sporadically hilarious and ultimately brilliant experiment for Will Ferrell, who has really taken a risk with this film. Stating that the film will actually have a bigger release in Mexico than in the United States, after seeing the film, I’ve almost realized why. The film really caters toward the Hispanic community. Many of the jokes will be lost on American audiences, and unless you speak or understand Spanish, much of the banter between best friends and long-time collaborators Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal will really just fly over your head.

As for Will Ferrell, he’s such a dedicated actor that he really does make the Spanish work. It’s evident through his other films that he’s always had an interest in Latin culture, but up until now he’s never been able to flesh out the ideas as much as he’s always wanted. Through Andrew Steele’s script and Matt Piedmont’s hilarious direction, Ferrell and the rest of the cast are able to really create a culturally astute and politically necessary film that suggests a step forward in the bond between the United States and Mexico. With all of the atrocities going on due to the cartel, it’s refreshing to see that two nations with such seemingly opposite ways of life are able to do something so unified.

Granted, not everything in the film works, with its script about half as funny as the ever-present physical comedy that Ferrell’s movies are known for, but the lack of laughs in the film’s first half is not only made up for in its second half, but can be overlooked due to the sheer brilliance of the premise and goal of Casa de mi Padre. At 84 minutes, the whole thing flies by with ease, but when I was walking out, I felt like I had just been a part of a life changing social experiment that would forever change the way I look at movies.

There are critics who are deeming the film racist towards Mexicans, racist towards Americans, and just all around racist. Allow me to retort. As a Mexican-American, I can honestly say, on both accounts, that Casa de mi Padre is not racist. In fact, it’s anything but. By poking fun at both Mexican and American cultures without being mean-spirited and obvious, the film finds a wonderful balance between culture and hilarity, offering a good dose of both that kept me involved and engaged.

The fresh gags and inspired performances from the entire cast puts Casa de mi Padre in the same league as other ingenious spoofs (or homages depending on how you look at it) like Black Dynamite, Machete, and Grindhouse. What really gets me about the accusations of racism is the fact that two years ago, when Machete was released, nobody claimed it was racist because it was made by a Mexican filmmaker, even though the jokes were just as concerned with Hispanic culture as they are in Casa de mi Padre. But now that white filmmakers are doing the joking, it’s considered racism.

It’s unfortunate that a film like this doesn’t get the recognition that it deserves. There really is a lot to love about Casa de mi Padre, but it seems like a lot of American critics just don’t fully understand all of the jokes, or the entire message portrayed in the film. If there was one line to really sum up what Casa de mi Padre is all about, it’d be an exchange between Armando and an FBI agent towards the end of the film. The agent tells Armando, “Not all Americans are bad,” which Armando responds to with, “Not all Mexicans are drug dealers.” Indeed, Will Ferrell. Indeed.

3.5/5 Bears

The Walking Dead: Michonne’s Introduction!

I have yet to hear a single reader of the Walking Dead comics say “the show is so much better than the comics!” In fact, I presume it will never happen. Fans of the comics must be objective when watching the show, due to the dozens of important differences. During the season 2 finale, I could practically hear the sigh of relief sweeping over those watching when they saw the introduction of Michonne.

This is huge for the show! Michonne is arguably one of the comic’s best characters. Mutantstarr has given us the origin story of Michonne on their website. Check it out:


Looks like we are in for a very exciting season 3!  Here is a look ahead to season 3 video from the cast and crew on AMC’s website.

Grizzly Review: Silent House

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS REGARDING THE CONCLUSION OF SILENT HOUSE

Memories and dreams have a fascinating way of surfacing themselves through what’s known as a “trigger”. For instance, it’s been proven that a person who has a panic attack is susceptible to have another one if put in the exact same geographical location of where the first one occurred, regardless of the emotions currently expressed in that place. I, myself, have had some experience with this, and it’s very odd to be in a place where something unpleasant has happened to you. Even though you’re no longer in any danger, you almost get the feeling that the place itself is going to attack you.

Silent House takes this premise, and essentially capitalizes on the fear that comes with remembrance. Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen), a beautiful girl in her early twenties, is moving out of her childhood home. With help from her father, John (Adam Trese), and her uncle Peter (Eric Sheffer Stevens), they plan to be out of the house as soon as possible. John and Peter take some pictures of a hole in the wall chewed out by rats, and after arguing with each other, Peter storms out angry.

After a few minutes, an old friend, Sophia (Julia Taylor Ross) comes by and catches up with Sarah who doesn’t even remember her. Her and Sophia make plans to hang out before she leaves, with Sarah agreeing. Before she creepily rides off, Sarah assures Sophia that she remembers her. Sophia simply says, “I know you do. How could you not?” and rides off. When she goes back in the house, she hears a loud bang, and her and her father go up to investigate. This, my good people, is where the madness begins.

If you’ve heard of Silent House, you’ve probably heard of the method they used to shoot it. One take. The whole movie is one take. Supposedly. Elizabeth Olsen herself has said that there are thirteen hidden edits in the film. I’m not sure if that means added visual effects in post, or what, but considering some of the lens changes in certain scenes, I doubt it was actually all filmed in one take. Still, Silent House succeeds due to its deliberate plotting, excellent tension, and incredible ending.

The whole film is, in fact, a metaphor for rape. This is where the spoilers come. The end of the film reveals that both Sarah’s father and uncle molested her as a child, taking pictures with a Polaroid camera. The reason I mentioned the use of the camera before was for this exact reason. During that scene, Sarah’s face is subtly uncomfortable. It’s not the most obvious thing in the world, but it’s there. In fact, every step, every shot, every turn, look, jump, and scream has a purpose.

I’ve been listening about how great Elizabeth Olsen is for almost an entire year, now, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen her in a movie. She completely exceeded my expectations and totally blew me away. If that girl doesn’t win an Oscar by the end of the 2010s, I might just lose my mind. Her portrayal of a mental breakdown through recollection is one of the best performances I’ve seen recently, and the amount of terror that is evident in her entire body makes up for the lack of any real scares in the actual film.

Silent House is more of a psychological thriller-mystery as opposed to just plain horror, which I actually appreciate. It’s more concerned with telling a story than actually scaring you. That’s not to say that it isn’t creepy, because it is. It really is, but screenwriter Laura Lau was much more fascinated with the psyche of a rape victim almost twenty years after the abuse. The character of Sarah could just as well have been the stereotypical dumb girl trapped in the house. Usually in these films, there’s an easy way out, but the protagonist is just too stupid to see it. This is not the case, because Sarah’s fear is not only genuine, but it’s also helpless enough for us to see that there really is no way out. She’s as stuck in the house as she’s going to get, raising the stakes as well as our heart rate.

But if there’s any other “character” in the film that brings almost as much emotion as Sarah, it’s cinematographer Igor Martinovic. The stunning and frankly breathtaking visuals of Silent House serve as a character on its own. The particular sequence that really got me was when Sarah escapes the house about halfway through the film, and she’s just sprinting for dear life from the place. I’ve never seen anything like that before and it really just blew me away.

There are many interpretations one can make from the film, but one of the more divided opinions is that of Sophia. Some say she was real, others claim she wasn’t. Personally, I think that Sophia serves as an alter-ego of sorts to Sarah who entered her mind when her father and uncle raped her, but I guess I can’t be sure. I’m almost tempted to go back and watch Silent House again to see if I can catch some of the little subtleties I may have missed.

The negative reviews are expected for an art-house flick with such a heavy subject, but in all honesty, I loved that Silent House worked strictly as metaphor. Nothing more, nothing less. Silent House is truly unlike any horror film I’ve seen recently, and for that, I’m very appreciative.  The obviously misleading ads are going to get the asses in the seats, but getting them to stay there will be quite difficult, which is disappointing considering how much American audiences crave something new. As a loose remake of the 2010 Spanish-language film The Silent House, this remake changes the premise up a little bit, and adds an art-house twist that makes it all the more inviting. But this is one front door you don’t want to walk in to.

4/5 Bears

Grizzly Review: 21 Jump Street

Remakes, reboots, and sequels are getting so desperate that at this point I’m starting to lose hope. Every crappy ’80s show and every crappy ’80s movie is getting remade or rebooted or is being blessed with an unnecessary sequel that really just does nothing for the original film’s reputation. Granted there are some pretty great ones, like Fright Night and TRON: Legacy, but overall, it’s sad how little creativity there is in Hollywood.

Thankfully, not only does 21 Jump Street belong in the same league as reboots like Fright Night and TRON: Legacy, it surpasses them. Set as a sequel taking place in the present day, a good 25 years after the original show, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as Schmidt and Jenko, respectively, two dim-witted bicycle cops who, after failing to follow through with a drug bust, are reassigned to the 21 Jump Street division.

This particular division uses police officers who look young and puts them in high schools where drugs are being circulated and spread throughout the county. The mission this time? Sagan High School. The goal is to stop a synthetic drug that is quickly gaining popularity with Sagan High students. Schmidt and Jenko, along with some other young-looking officers, are sent to stop the distribution of the drug, as well as to find the supplier. Told to blend in, the pair of bumbling cops do anything but as they try to stop the dealers from spreading the drug to other schools.

During their first day at Sagan, Schmidt and Jenko learn that things definitely aren’t how they used to be. People are more sensitive, studying is cool, recycling is cool, gay rights are cool, even environmentally friendly cars are cool. At the top of the food chain is Eric Molson (Dave Franco), who Schmidt and Jenko suspect is the school’s major dealer. Together, Schmidt and Jenko work with the student body to bring Eric to justice.

Ice Cube plays boss to the bumbling duo.

When you think of ’80s TV shows that should be remade into movies, 21 Jump Street, probably isn’t at the top of your list. As it should be because, frankly, the original show just isn’t that good. Transforming Johnny Depp into a superstar is pretty much the only thing the show ever did right, and after its cancellation, it was kind of forgotten about. But through Michael Bacall’s genius screenplay, 21 Jump Street becomes one of the best teen comedies of the past few years.

Before I continue I’d like to celebrate the revelation that is Michael Bacall. In short, the man understands teenagers better than teenagers understand themselves. Writing the script for the 2001 film Manic, starring still budding stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel was only the beginning. From there he wrote Bookies which starred a still relatively unknown Johnny Galecki and Lukas Haas, but it was with 2010’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World where his writing career really took off. 2012 brings two of his screenplays, this film and Project X, to life. Looking at a resume like that, it’s no wonder the man is able to create a film that simultaneously contains loads of action as well as the fact that it rings so damn true to the trials and tribulations of adolescence.

The self-aware, smart, and raunchy jokes are in full effect as directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for their animated film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, go so far as to almost break the fourth wall with the film’s realizations of how tired and overused cliches and remakes are. With a pitch-perfect script and some great direction, 21 Jump Street was already on its way to becoming a comedy classic, but it’s the dangerously bromantic chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum that really catapults the film into genius territory. The two play off each other so well, I could have seriously just watched an entire movie about them just hanging out, eating pretzels, and talking about whatever the hell they wanted to.

Dave Franco also turns in a surprisingly strong and rounded performance, changing up the usual douchebaggy teen villain, and actually creating a character worthy of his own subplot. Rob Riggle and Ice Cube also bring in a lot of laughs as one of Sagan’s teachers and Captain Dickson, respectively.

In short, 21 Jump Street is a quintessential teen comedy that will be remembered for years to come as that movie that defied all expectations, and literally stopped everyone in their tracks. The balance of crude and sentimental humor makes it appealing to almost anyone who sees it, as I saw everyone from 14-year-old boys to 75-year-old couples walking out of the theater, raving about how much they loved it. Not only is 21 Jump Street the funniest comedy of the year, it’s also one of the best films of the year, something I never thought I’d actually be saying.

4.5/5 Bears