Longlegs

Director: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Kiernan Shipka, Jason Day
Running Time: 101 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

Summoning the cinematic spirit of David Fincher circa Se7en, writer/director Oz Perkins' Longlegs is a cold, methodical descent into criminal hell that's most easily classified as horror. But for a decent portion of its run time, it isn't, unmistakably invoking psychological thrillers and nail biting procedurals like The Silence of the Lambs or Zodiac. And that doesn't even get into the ME3GAN similarities. Of course, this is of little surprise to anyone who saw Perkins' densely atmospheric 2015 film The Blackcoat's Daughter, assuming it was only a matter of time before he'd make a picture that breaks through in a major way.

This is that project, but not just for featuring one of Nicolas Cage's craziest, off-the-wall performances, even by his standards. The terrifyingly bizarre turn isn't even the top headline here, telling you all there is to know about how insane the rest must be. Aside from an abundance of clues, Perkins throws a lot at the wall, but the real shock is that it mostly sticks, as this hunt for a Satan-worshiping serial killer coldly conjures up its own form of existential dread. 

It's the 1990's and agent Lee Harker (Monroe) is still reeling from the murder of her FBI partner when she's assigned by her supervisor Carter (Blair Underwood) a string of murder-suicides in Oregon orchestrated by an occult serial killer who leaves behind Satanically coded letters signed "Longlegs." Possessing intuitive abilities that border on clairvoyance, Lee's all business, deciphers patterns and symbols in these notes that could lead to the killer.

With Lee's devoutly religious mother Ruth (Alicia Witt) frequently checking in to make sure she's saying her prayers, she soon receives a cryptic Longlegs note, as the mounds of evidence start pointing to a creepy, pale-faced man named Dale Kobble (Cage) as their prime suspect. Mentally unraveling at the thought she may have a connection to him that extends beyond the parameters of this case, traumatic pieces of Lee's childhood return haunt her. While it appears the FBI have their perpetrator, the impending threat of another murder looms unless she can somehow crack his code. 

Broken into three chapters, the film boasts a 1970's flashback opening that's impressively presented in boxy home movie style, giving us our first partial glimpses of the creepy title character. Luckily, Carter immediately recognizes what he has in Lee, frequently willing to entertain and investigate any of her leads within reason. But the problem is that while all signs point to a disturbed Kobble, evidence shows he's not physically present for the murders, begging the question of whether someone or something else is. 

Giving her most withdrawn, muted performance to date, Monroe channels Jodie Foster in Lee's battle to maintain a steely composure in the presence of pure evil. She also conveys a social awkwardness and anxiety that makes her ability to carry a meaningful conversation difficult. When talking to Carter or his young daughter, it's obvious Lee would rather be examining gruesome crime scene photos. But the tensest moments come when she's alone, gun drawn, heart racing and breathing heavily in panicked anticipation of what's next. The film isn't traditionally scary so much as profoundly unsettling, with Andrés Arochi's moody cinematography only enhancing that discomfort.

Unrecognizable behind powdered white makeup and prosthetics, Cage does goes off the deep end as androgynous killer and classic rock superfan Kobble, Everything about the performance should border on parody, but he subverts those expectations by completely freaking us out instead. Every minute he's on screen feels like the riskiest of tightrope walks, but he brilliantly pulls it off, reminding us what what happens when his quirky talents are purposefully utilized in an ideal role. Essentially the co-lead, Blair Underwood makes a more subtle impact as the skeptical but trusting FBI boss while a movie-stealing Alicia Witt will bowl you over as Lee's eccentric mother. A disturbing Kiernan Shipka also has a brief, but memorable scene as the only remaining Longlegs survivor.

There's a big info dump in the final act, and while it's always tempting to criticize those, at least the reveal doesn't disappoint, nor does its gut punch of a conclusion. It's easy to see why the film's viral marketing shrouded the plot and Cage's appearance in secrecy, as Perkins definitely knows how to pick his spots. Once all the cards are laid out, this mystery transforms into something more recognizable, but its calling card remains a cat-and-mouse game between this emotionally rattled agent and the monster haunting her.  

Dream Scenario

Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula, Dylan Baker, Kate Berlant, Lily Bird, Jessica Clement, Marnie McPhail-Diamond, Paula Bondreau, Noah Centineo
Running Time: 100 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Nicolas Cage has taken on so many wild roles over the past decade it's easy to forget just how skilled he is at inhabiting average, everyday people trapped in circumstances beyond their control. In writer/director Kristoffer Borgli's black comedy Dream Scenario, we're reminded, which isn't to say Cage's bland, middle-aged protagonist doesn't have his fair share of quirks and eccentricities. But for the most part, he's almost painfully normal. At least until stumbling upon overnight fame for a really unusual reason, creating far more problems than it solves.  

In asking viewers to consider how they'd endure a similar situation, most of the film's surprises come from unfamiliar places. He might be the butt of the joke, but it's likely most couldn't handle things any better, as this sci-fi fantasy morphs into an existential nightmare that offers a scathing social commentary about the cost of fame. Once the public starts projecting their own ideas of him into the world, we get a story that wouldn't seem out of place in The Twilight Zone. And at its center is Cage, who isn't playing the agent of chaos this time, but its unsuspectingly hapless victim.

Socially awkward, mild-mannered biology professor Paul Matthews (Cage) can't seem to catch a break. An adjunct at a local university, his lectures on zebras bore students while his supportive wife Janet (Julianne Nicholson) and daughters Sophie (Lily Bird) and Hannah (Jessica Clement) roll their eyes at him. Desperately wanting to be published, the timid Paul halfheartedly confronts a former colleague (Paula Bondreau) over an allegedly stolen idea before encountering ex-girlfriend Claire (Marnie McPhail-Diamond), who confesses he's been inexplicably appearing in her dreams. 

After Paul grants Claire permission to write about these dreams for an article, strangers start coming out of the woodwork claiming to recognize him from their dreams. As his celebrity profile rises, he hires a forward thinking PR firm to help manage his suddenly limitless opportunities. But when everyone's dreams turn increasingly violent and sinister, an angry, unsympathetic public blame Paul, making him their number one target.

The one thing all these dreams (cleverly referred to as a "collective Mandela Effect") have in common is that this bearded, balding man's walk through role in them is limited to passive observance, no matter how dire or outrageous the situation. While irked by how closely that resembles his actual tendencies, there's still a large part of him enjoying the newfound fame, with the best scenes revolving around how his undersized personality conflicts with it. Previously defined by a small, anonymous existence, this strange phenomenon makes his world a whole lot bigger, flipping whatever life he had upside down. 

Paul's lectures are now not only well attended, but exciting, with students eager to pick the brain of the world's most recognizable face. But the gap between Paul's desires and people's expectations grow, most noticeably in his interactions with goofy, people pleasing public relations CEO Trent (Michael Cera) and the firm's smitten assistant Molly (Dylan Gelula) who becomes obsessed with recreating her explicit dreams of Paul, to disastrous results.

Paul becomes sort of an everyman symbol society can embrace until these dreams turn to nightmares. But what's most astonishing is just how far the script goes with this, depicting a cancel culture catastrophe where popularity hinges on fans' fickle whims. Their dreams aren't "real," but they're still emotional triggers, representing at least some piece of them or they view reality.

Borgli's even more interested in the concept of entering someone else's consciousness, culminating in a great visual payoff involving Paul's marriage that's as strangely moving as it is comical. There's also a heavy emphasis on how his plight connects to the ethical conundrum surrounding dream technology. If there's any drawback, it's that the film sometimes trips over itself in the delivery, unsure how to get this all out. Still, there are deep ideas in here that make a good enough case for subsequent viewings.    

Playing an introverted, unassuming professor battling perceptions of his more dangerous nocturnal counterpart, there are definite echoes of Cage's work in Charlie Kauffman's Adaptation, with the actor again proving why he's an ideal fit for off-the-wall parts that amount to more than they first appear. And given how he's resisted critics and audiences placing him in a box throughout his career, it's only appropriate he's playing someone trapped in such a predicament. But with as much to say about us as his embattled character, Dream Scenario rarely backs down when it comes to exploring the full ramifications of its oddball premise.                                  

Renfield

Director: Chris McKay
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, Camille Chen, Bess Rous, Jenna Kanell, James Moses Black, William Ragsdale
Running Time: 93 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

For many, the primary reason to see Chris McKay's horror comedy Renfield was locked into place upon discovering Nicolas Cage would be playing Dracula, donning the iconic cape previously worn by Bella Lugosi, Christopher, Lee and Frank Langella. After Universal's failed attempt at rebooting their movie monster franchise with 2017's The Mummy, casting Cage as the Prince of Darkness seems almost too perfect, as it's just the kind of character this notoriously risk-taking actor can literally and figuratively sink his teeth into. You can also picture him doing backflips reading the script, salivating at the idea of putting his own distinctive spin on a role that lends itself to the kind of weird, wild reinterpretation he specializes in.

As you'd expect, Cage doesn't disappoint, and though it won't lead to big budget sequels or spin-offs, that likely wasn't the intention anyway. After all, the story's emphasis is cleverly placed on Dracula's beleaguered assistant, opting instead to administer just the right amount of Cage, whose fantastical take comes in measured, but memorable doses. The rest falls on his co-stars, who more than hold up their end by continually bringing the laughs. Working from Ryan Ridley's screenplay, McKay balances two seemingly disparate plots with very little fussiness or confusion. And in featuring some humorously exciting action sequences and impressive practical effects, it's 93 minutes seem to fly by at a breakneck pace.

After ninety years, former attorney R.M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has grown tired of serving as Dracula's (Cage) loyal assistant and constantly being at his beckoned call. In exchange for bringing him master victims, he's been granted immortality by his master, gaining super speed and strength when he consumes insects. But when Dracula must recuperates from a brutal attack, the two relocate to New Orleans, as an increasingly fed up Renfield secretly joins a 12-step support group for people stuck in toxic, co-dependent relationships.

Following a warehouse massacre, Renfield finds himself in the crosshairs of Lobo crime family enforcer Teddy (Ben Schwartz), which catches the attention of hot headed N.O.P.D. officer Rebecca Quigley (Awkwafina), whose own father was killed by the Lobos. As Renfield and Rebecca form an uneasy alliance, Dracula concocts a huge plan, further manipulating his assistant. But at some point, Renfield will need to tell Rebecca about his dilemma and eventually summon the courage to break free from Dracula's control.  

While various attempts at bringing Dracula into the modern world have yielded mixed results, this takes a fresh approach by adopting Renfield's point-of-view. Without wasting time getting to business, it dives headfirst into a black-and-white opening flashback sequence that inserts its two leads into 1931's Dracula. As an early indicator of McKay's willingness to take creative leaps and make some unexpected choices, it works, providing a memorable first look at Cage in the part. He still makes this Dracula outrageously his own, but seeing him incorporated into the classic film underlines how good a fit he is, resembling Lugosi at points and even lifting mannerisms from other past portrayals (with a little Quasimodo thrown in).

As Renfield, Hoult plays straight man to Cage's ghoulish creation, faring especially well when his character yearns for a more normal life outside of pleasing his abusive master, which the film's self-help spoof really hammers home. Awkwafina's casting brings an entirely different dynamic to the type of role usually occupied by a safer, less polarizing choice. The gamble pays off, as she shoots off some sarcastically clever one liners while exterminating the bad guys alongside Hoult, with whom she shares some good chemistry. And the always entertaining Ben Schwartz steals his scenes as the loud mouthed, self-proclaimed hitman who wimpily takes orders from his mob boss mom Bellafrancesca (Shohreh Aghdashloo).  

This can all lead to one place, with Renfield seeing the light and attempting to get out from under Dracula's thumb. For Rebecca, it's about cleaning up the streets and avenging her dad's murder. Both intersect in a gory, violent climax that's as comically action packed as everything preceding it. Cage's performance may not be the only thing worth talking about, but it's high on the list, aided in part by the comparable craziness surrounding him. Undeniably odd and not for everyone, Renfield isn't perfect, but fans of the genre will probably have a tough time resisting its unique charms.           

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Director: Tom Gormican
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Neil Patrick Harris, Lily Sheen, Paco León, Katrin Vankova, David Gordon Green
Running Time: 107 min.
Rating: R 

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Tom Gormican's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a tale of two movies, both starring Nicolas Cage as himself, or at least some version of it. One film is the meta fantasy we anticipated from its insane trailer, while the other spoofs the actor's big budget action spectacles like Face/Off and The Rock. Actually, nearly everything Cage has ever done is referenced, and even though the portions exploring the psyche of one of our most fascinatingly weird and gifted performers surpasses a somewhat formulaic plot, both merge at a beautiful place in the end. Gormican even squeezes a bromance in there that feels completely on brand for star who always functioned as the ideal vessel for obsessive fandom. None of this cuts too deep, but remains completely self-aware in the way you'd want a Nic Cage film about himself to be, comically digging into the neurosis, insecurity and narcissism that accompanies a majorly recognizable star wrestling with a mid-life crisis. 

Those elements dovetail nicely into real-life criticisms of Cage working non-stop on mindless action vehicles for big paydays. But it's to his and Gormican's credit that the script doesn't shy away from that, even going so far as to revolve the entire story around it. As expected, we get what's probably a highly fictionalized version of the actor, which is almost beside the point when what matters is that the Cage on screen matches how audiences and fans perceive him in reality. It's a huge distinction the movie's smart enough to recognize, at times even shielding it from criticism as it ironically emerges to be one of the safer, more accessible mainstream pictures Cage has recently made. And yet it still remains delightfully odd since so much of his popularity stems from being able to infuse that unmistakable eccentricity into all of his work, regardless of genre. It'll draw the most comparisons to Adaptation in how it occupies a vaguely similar kind of meta-verse, but this time he's the subject, with Easter eggs, career call backs and inside jokes to spare. It's a real treat for both diehard and casual Cage fans, neither of whom will walk away disappointed.

Things aren't going well for legendary Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage. Having just been passed over for a career rejuvenating role in the latest David Gordon Green project, his relationship with ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan) is strained and he's just made an embarrassing spectacle of himself at daughter Addy's (Lily Sheen) sweet sixteen party. Mentally tormented by a younger, more successful version of himself, his agent Richard Fink (Neil Patrick Harris) suggests he take million dollar payday to be the guest of honor at billionaire playboy and Cage superfan Javi Gutierrez's (Pedro Pascal) birthday party in Majorca. 

Despite Cage seriously contemplating retirement and wanting to be anywhere else, he takes the gig, eventually warming up to Javi as they bond over their shared love of films and even plan to develop a movie together based on Javi's screenplay. But when Cage is cornered by CIA agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) with information that his new friend is a wanted arms dealer behind the kidnapping of a politician's daughter (Katrin Vankova), the actor's reluctantly roped into going undercover. Now suddenly the star of his own real-life action adventure, Cage needs to tap into what he's learned in his most famous roles to escape this mess and protect his own family.

An opening kidnap scene with Con-Air as its backdrop confirms that whatever we hoped to get from this wacky premise will be delivered, while mirroring back at us our own relationship with Cage's most memorable roles. Everything from Captain Corelli's Mandolin, The Croods II, Leaving Las Vegas to Guarding Tess are acknowledged in surprisingly funny ways that feel clever rather than forced, saying as much about fans' opinions of these titles and the actor as it does Cage himself. But hardly just a retrospective homage, the script's at its best when attempting to get inside the star's head as he wrestles with personal and professional failings. The former is a bigger problem since any attempts to connect with daughter Lily involve him shaming her into sharing his strange obsessions, like a love for the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. His one-sided bonding attempts are met with exasperated eye rolls from her and mom Olivia, as both doing little to hide their contempt for years of neglect.

It's admittedly difficult to picture Cage having an ex-wife and daughter who are this normal and well- adjusted having been under the celebrity microscope for so long. But that's partly why it works since it would be too uncomfortably realistic and detrimental to the story if they acknowledged his multiple ex-wives who were often decades younger. Besides feeling like a cheap shot and clashing with the film's tone, him instead having a likable and relatable ex-wife and daughter disappointed in his behavior was definitely the way to go. It helps set up a payoff later when Cage has to step up to protect his family, showing signs of the father and husband they always hoped he'd be. 

In both purpose and execution, this has to be one of the better uses of de-aging technology in the past few years, as Cage argues incessantly with the imagined "Nicky," (credited as Nicolas Kim Coppola) a young, brash, fame-hungry version of himself circa his Wild at Heart and Honeymoon in Vegas era. He's crazy Cage on overdrive, chastising the actor about how much more famous and successful he used to be while preying on the his biggest insecurities. But luckily, new buddy Javi's admiration  knows no bounds, as proven by his shrine room dedicated to Cage's career, complete with a life-size Castor Troy wax figure.

Continuing a streak that began with The Mandalorian and continued into WW84, Pedro Pascal again proves his versatility as either hero or villain, almost stealing this out from under the actor it's supposed to be about. As an overexcited child who's finally gotten to meet his hero, he's the movie's beating heart, playing Javi as a creepily endearing ode to fandom itself, letting viewers vicariously celebrate the oddness of this one-of-a-kind pop culture icon through him. While a couple of their misadventures, drug-induced excursions and improvisational exercises together run longer than necessary (adding about 10-15 minutes of bloat to the film), that's forgiven since Cage and Pascal have such a great chemistry, geeking out at every turn over movies and, of course, their favorite movie star. 

Cage's performance is pitch perfect, bringing great comic timing and self-loathing to a character that's him, though not quite. There's also an effective payoff to Nick's ineptitude as an undercover CIA mole being forced to turn on his best friend and maybe the only person who truly understands the enigma that's his life. The movie knows what we want, delivering a few swerves before arriving at a third act with murder, disguises, explosions, betrayals, insanity and a really great surprise cameo. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent still may not be as crazy as even the gentlest of Cage's films, but it couldn't exist without them, no matter which incarnation of the actor you prefer.                            

Pig

Director: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin, Darius Pierce, Cassandra Violet, Julia Bray, Elijah Ungvary, David Knell
Running Time: 92 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Nicolas Cage must have known something we didn't. Hardly the actor to conform to expectations or follow any kind of predictable career trajectory, there's always been talk about how the Oscar winner's choice of roles have flown off the rails in recent years, even by Cage standards. Annually churning out an onslaught of low budget, V.O.D. action titles led to criticisms surrounding everything from his financial situation to the unusual cries that he's wasting his talent in projects so clearly beneath him. But then something happened. The films got a little weirder, more interesting, and better. 

Regardless of how little seen Mandy or Color out of Space may have been, they were ambitious, visionary sci-fi head trips that reminded us Cage rarely phones it in or stops challenging himself, even as we sometimes scratch our heads at the choices. He gets it, and that's all that matters, constantly finding moments of invention and discovery within questionable characters and projects. It was only a matter of time before a fresh filmmaker came along and recognized this, coming up with something that perfectly plays to his biggest strengths as a performer. 

Michael Sarnoski's directorial debut, Pig, is eccentric in all the ways we've come to expect Cage movies to be, but there's an intelligence and melancholy to its story that allows the actor to do the kind of work we know he's capable of. It would be a different movie without him, possibly teetering on the edge of disaster due to the odd premise, but he keeps it afloat with his most affecting performance in years. Sarnoski's script takes its time exposing the mystery of this man, letting Cage fill in most of the blanks and avoiding a predictable path of bloodshed and violence that's accompanied some of the actor's more recent outings. This has more important things on its mind, delving into the relatable bond between man and animal before peeling back the layers to reveal the true loneliness at this reclusive protagonist's core. It's not for everyone, but even those who can't quite get on its unique wavelength should be able to respect the care and craft with which it's made. 

Robin "Rob" Feld (Cage) is a reclusive loner living off the grid in a cabin in the Oregon woods, where he spends his days hunting for truffles with his prized foraging pig. He's visited weekly by Amir (Alex Wolff), a young, inexperienced entrepreneur who buys the truffles from Rob, supplying the ingredients to a high-class restaurants in the Portland area. But when Rob is unexpectedly assaulted in the middle of the night and his pig is stolen by mysterious assailants, he must call on whatever contacts remain of his previous life to locate the animal, with whom he shares a deep bond that perplexes Amir. As he reluctantly chauffers a bruised, battered loner into the city's underbelly to follow a dangerous lead, the more we learn what drove him into the forest, as well as Amir's own history, which interects with Rob's in surprising, unexpected ways. As they get closer to discovering what happened to the pig, Rob doesn't even have to think twice whether it's worth the extreme danger he's putting them both in.    

With a hulking frame, dirty overalls, long, stringy unwashed hair and an unkempt beard, Rob is a man of few words, at first glance closely resembling a composite of the Unabomber. And Cage is so good at giving  nothing away in these early scenes other than his devotion to this pig, who more than just a pet or a means to him making an income, is the only family member he has. It's clear something happened to isolate Rob in this cabin and adapt a lifestyle he's made work for him, but to reveal exactly what, would spoil nearly all the film's surprises. 

With a sharp suit and bright yellow sports car, Amir couldn't appear more superficially different from Rob or unsympathetic to his plight, and while that initially appears to be true, the deeper they dive into this recluse's history, the more Amir's facade starts to crack. For a stretch, it nearly evolves into a buddy picture with Cage and Wolff, until we realize the stakes are higher than that, with Rob reentering a world in which he may be remembered, but not necessarily welcomed ever again. A Fight Club-like sequence when he offers himself up as a sacrifice for key information is difficult to watch, revealing the humiliating depths he needs to sink to reclaim what's rightfully his.

Heading down a path that seems to suggest a dark, violent thriller, the script instead leans further in the direction of sadness and regret, with Rob coming face-to-face with a world he abandoned and no longer holds a place for him. A scene in a posh restaurant where he confronts a chef is unbearably tense as a bloodied Cage calmly stares a hole through this guy, emotionally breaking him down with only a few painfully true words until he gets what he needs. More than any other sequence, it reveals who Rob was, or rather explains what he's become since. And once we find out all the details, it's tough to blame him for any of it. 

Cage does most of this work without utttering a word, using his body language to convey a broken, irreparably damaged soul whose name still carries just enough currency ten years out to garner some lingering respect, but also utter disbelief and pity. When the final showdown does come with the man responsible for what happened to his pig, it's settled not with fisticuffs or a shootout, but something more profound, that has more far-reaching, emotional ramifications for the three men involved. Everything about the last act is unusually restrained, finding Rob right back where he's meant to be, with a hint that perhaps he's been slightly altered, if not necessarily changed, by the traumatizing experience he's endured.      

Snowden

Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Scott Eastwood, Logan Marshall-Green, Timothy Olyphant, Ben Schnetzer, LaKeith Lee Stanfield,
Rhys Ifans, Nicolas Cage
Running Time: 134 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

At what cost? That question runs through Oliver Stone's Snowden, and the controversial figure around which his film revolves, government whistleblower Edward Snowden, who in 2013 infamously leaked to the media classified information on mass surveillance being conducted by the National Security Agency. Such a hot-button topic would seem ideal for Stone, the maverick director and Vietnam vet who's made a career of tackling socially and politically charged material with an "in your face" style in films like JFK, Natural Born Killers and Nixon. But that Oliver Stone is gone. Already showing signs of it with his relatively fair, if even somewhat sympathetic, treatment of President George W. Bush in 2008's underrated W., Stone's interest in pushing buttons has diminished considerably in recent years. On one hand, it's a shame since it's never been more necessary, but on another, it's easy to argue he's earned the right and can't be expected to keep repeating himself. A straightforward but exceptionally well made biopic, Snowden represents more of this new, slicker, mainstream Stone uninterested in courting "controversy."

What this does contain is ideas and a sense of urgency surrounding an issue that shouldn't really be all that controversial on paper. It's pretty simple and boils down to whether you feel the moral price of our security is worth the cost of giving up a certain amount of our constitutional freedom. But where you stand on that issue may determine not only to your personal feelings on Snowden and his actions, but perhaps even which side of the political fence you fall. In that sense, it's touchy, and the film does a compelling job dramatizing both sides of that ethical dilemma, even in scenes you wouldn't expect. It also contains a romantic subplot that doesn't feel like one, less a throwaway than a natural and pertinent extension of the main plot, featuring characters whose futures we care about despite our familiarity with the outcome.

As tame as Stone's become, anyone expecting complete impartiality won't get it, with the screenplay clearly showing an allegiance to Snowden, played by a scarily well cast Joseph Gordon-Levitt as kind of a tragic antihero to be revered and celebrated for his sacrifices. Make of Stone's stance what you will, but anyone that shocked or even offended the government has these capabilities probably have their heads buried in the sand. Snowden wasn't telling us anything we really shouldn't have assumed already. The real question was whether he had the right to do it and the potentially dangerous precedent that's set when someone does.

Based on two non-fiction books covering the events, the film picks up in 2013, with Ed Snowden (Gordon-Levitt) hauled up in a Hong Kong hotel room secretly meeting with documentarian and Citizenfour director Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) and journalists Glen Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) and Ewen MacAskell (Tom Wilkinson). Preparing to spill his guts to them while simultaneously releasing of the NSA's top secret surveillance data to the media, flashbacks paint a complicated picture of Snowden, an antisocial conservative who finds himself working for the cyberwarfare arm of the CIA after being discharged from the Army.

Snowden picks up the intricacies quickly, becoming a star student of  Deputy Director Corbin O'Brian (Rhys Ifans) before moving on to the NSA and making some disturbing discoveries about how the government is acquiring data and potentially violating citizens' rights. As his disillusionment grows, the only constant is free-spirited girlfriend Lindsay Mills (Shailene Woodley), an Obama-supporting liberal who tolerates his opposing political beliefs up to the point where even he starts to doubt them, the stress of his job eventually threatening his health and that of their relationship. Armed with incriminating evidence that can shake the U.S. government to its core, Snowden makes a fateful decision, insuring that his life will never be the same again.

A lot of information is dispensed about Snowden's background and what there is to glean of his personality, which can best be described as "robotic." It's an adjective he's even assigned to himself, as he often comes across as someone suffering from some kind of anti-social disorder, demonstrating behaviors that don't seem all that dissimilar from Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. While lacking that character's worst narcissistic tendencies, Snowden's intelligence is undeniably his worst enemy at times, as well as his most dangerous weapon. Holding political beliefs in direct opposition to what he eventually does, his time in the CIA and NSA trenches establish him as an important cog in the government's machine, his cyber skills essential in their burgeoning electronic surveillance program. But as his climbs the ranks, the more he sees, and the more his anxiety and guilt grow.

This isn't an easy role to play as far as real-life public figures go, or even otherwise, as in the place of a distinctive personality, Snowden is imbued with a rote, mechanical sense of duty that's eventually shaken. Lowering an already deep voice a few octaves lower, JGL has the flat affect and emotionless verbal delivery down pat and looks enough like his subject, but where he really excels in capturing Snowden's inner struggle. The government's actions contradict everything he signed on for but risking the comfort and security his occupation provides Lindsay and himself in the name of "doing what's right" may not be worth the price.

It's a credit to Stone and Kieran Fitzgerld's screenplay that Edward's relationship with Lindsay isn't treated as an afterthought with the latter having thoughts, complaints and opinions worth listening to and fighting about, as an impressive Woodley confidently sidesteps the trap that too often marginalizes girlfriend characters in male-driven biopics. Strong in a role she seems ideal for, audiences will undoubtedly draw parallels between the actress and the idealistic hippie she portrays. The presentation of Snowden as a selfish, thoughtless boyfriend consumed by his job could be viewed as the director's conscious effort to pacify potential critics of the character's fairly reverent treatment throughout. Or it could just simply be true.       

The action doesn't necessarily move at a breakneck pace and we aren't marveling at the editing as we would with Stone's classic 80's and 90's offerings. And while crisply photographed by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, you'd be hard-pressed to find supporters championing it for a spot in the top tier of the director's best looking films. It speaks volumes that even Nicolas Cage's virtual cameo (as a U.S. Intelligence official) isn't crazy at all, perfectly serving its function like most of the other moving parts in the story. And that's completely fine. Stone trusts the extraordinary subject do most of the work, recounting events presumably as they happened with little space for editorializing.

Toward its third act, it fully evolves into this gripping thriller, culminating in a jarring transition that melds real life and movies in a way you've never quite seen before in a biopic, making you appreciate the lead performance that much more. Controversy isn't everything when it can be just as effective taking a logically straightforward approach to telling an exceptional story. With Snowden it rings especially true, as the scariest part of it all is just how flawed and relatable the protagonist is, offering up the very real possibility that anyone placed into similar circumstances are capable of making the choices he did.
                   

Drive Angry

Director: Patrick Lussier
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner, Katy Mixon, David Morse, Billy Burke, Charlotte Ross, Tom Atkins
Running Time: 105 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

It must be nice being Nicolas Cage. Getting paid millions of dollars to star in any mindless action movie of your choosing with crazy hair opposite women half your age isn't such a bad deal. Regardless of whether you call it Drive Angry, Drive Angry 3D, or Tarantino's missing third feature from Grindhouse, the actor's latest is more Nic Cage being Nic Cage. But at least say this for him: He always "sells out" in an entertaining and hilarious way, crafting an insane onscreen persona that works for him. No matter how awful his choices in material sometimes are, even his worst performances are still strangely fascinating. Against your better judgment, you find you just can't turn away and anxiously anticipate what crazy thing he'll do next. I can get on board when the filmmakers at least extend us the courtesy of going along with the joke. Patrick Lussier's Crank-style homage joins the actor's recent Kick-Ass and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans in really "getting it." And if you like scuzzy, violent B-level grindhouse flicks doubling as gothic horror action-comedies, then this is your thing. You also get performances better than you'd think a movie of this ilk deserves, which makes sense looking at the credits. With actors like crazy Cage, Amber Heard, David Morse and an incomparable William Fichtner sharing the screen together, I'm wondering whether it even stood a chance of not working despite how ridiculous it all is.

Cage plays John Milton, a lone drifter and felon who saves a hot, young waitress named Piper (Heard) from her abusive boyfriend, taking her along on his manhunt to track down Satantic cult leader Jonah King (Billy Burke). He's in possession of Milton's granddaughter and is planning to offer her up as a sacrifice unless he can somehow find a way to stop him. Following Milton is a mysterious stranger with paranormal powers known as The Accountant (Fichtner) who clearly wants something from him, even though we're not exactly sure what right away or even whose side he's on. All we know is that he's creepy, hilarious and comes armed with plenty of sarcastic one-liners, which is more than enough since he's easily the best thing in the film and deserving of a sequel of his own. The plot ends up being even more over-the-top and silly than could have been expected from the honest previews and just gets even sillier once all the crazy details of Milton's bizarre situation start to surface. That info starts clarifying things a little, but it's not like that makes much of a difference since the balls-to-the-wall action scenes carry the most interest, and a lot of them are real keepers, namely Milton shooting at intruders while he's busy getting it on with a waitress. We also get to watch what must be the most fatalistic gun shot to not kill anybody, even though we know exactly why not.

For better or worse, you get what you pay for each time out with Cage regardless of the trashy material he often onto and this is no exception, except for the fact that it knows how ludicrous it is. As usual Cage is just having a silly, dumb time imitating himself imitating Clint Eastwood and not taking anything seriously, which in this case works perfectly fine. We get to see him shoot people, listen to him talk in his goofy Cage voice and have a good laugh at his latest hair disaster so all is well. The always busy Amber Heard, whose star continues to burn brighter with each performance, stretches to play trailer trash perfectly while surprisingly never falling into the thankless love interest trap. She's as much an ass-kicker as he is, which should come as a relief for anyone who thought she was only cast so Cage could add to his laundry list of age inappropriate female co-stars. Billy Burke gets the job done as the crazed Koresh-like cult leader (even if he more closely resembles Rick Springfield) but the film belongs to well-traveled character actor William Fichtner, who gets a chance to show those unfamiliar with his work what they've been missing and blows Cage off the screen. Best known on the big screen as the bank manager who stands up to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight and on the small screen with appearances on Invasion, Prison Break and Entourage, this is the first time he's really been cut loose in a senseless big budget action movie. And of course Fichtner makes the most maniacal thing about his maniac character the fact that he doesn't act maniacal at all. Few can play cool, calm and creepy better, and not nearly with as much dry wit. The entire movie ends up being a well-deserved showcase for him, as he approaches scene-stealing levels of eccentricity that should make Christopher Walken proud.  Unfortunately, David Morse isn't given nearly as much to do as a grizzled mechanic and must slog through a role so insignificant there isn't even much an actor of his talents can do with it. 

It's easy to see why this died a quick death at the box office since it's only getting more difficult to convince moviegoers to spend their money watching Cage mock himself again, especially in 3D where the stakes for mind-blowing entertainment are raised. But like last year's Piranha remake this is the kind of cheesy, B-level grindhouse movie that feels defensible for that format. Still, even only at 105 minutes, the plot stretches thin, so it comes as somewhat of a relief that it's an unimportant element. This makes it the perfect rental or guilty pleasure purchase if you're in the mood for movie junk food, or just feel like rewarding yourself for avoiding the shattered expectations that would have likely accompanied a theatrical viewing. At home those expectations are hovering at a more manageable level and the performances of Fichtner and Heard alone should be enough to seal the deal for anyone straddling the fence about checking it out. Thankfully recalling well-made, fun garbage like Con-Air rather than The Wicker Man, Next or Bangkok Dangerous, Drive Angry not only knows it's supposed to be a bad Nic Cage movie, but proudly wears that badge on its sleeve, making no apologies for reveling in its own awesome awfulness.

Kick-Ass

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong
Running Time: 114 min.
Rating: R

★★★ 1/2 (out of ★★★★)

The superhero, comic book satire Kick-Ass fully succeeds at what it's trying to accomplish just as long as you don't think too hard at what that is. But I didn't care. It's a glorious mess of a movie that's tonally all over the map, playing as both a laugh out loud comedy and a hard R-rated testosterone-fueled action vehicle, making it easy to see why it didn't connect with a mass audience. But it's also easy to see how those very same qualities help make it it work so well as I'm not sure this was intended for large-scale commercial consumption to begin with. During the first hour I was a little confused at the angle from which writer/director Matthew Vaughn was approaching the material and he does jam too much story in, but that's eventually cleared up as it comes together in thrilling ways.

Top to bottom to the casting and performances are rock solid right down to even the smallest, throwaway roles but there's only one that's downright astonishing, and it's all anyone will be talking about. Lost amidst all the controversy surrounding Hit Girl is the hard work it must have taken on the part of this young actress to give us 2010's most polarizing and memorable screen character. The only thing that would have held this adaptation of Mark Millar's 2008 comic book back would be pulling punches. Thankfully, Vaughn refuses to compromise and the result is a movie that will piss off some but entertain many more who can appreciate its dark humor.

The idea that superheroes can just be ordinary people wanting to help but also struggling with their own personal issues has been explored in films like Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Batman movies. Geeky teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) has probably seen all of those multiple times and read the comics and now he's asking himself why no one has ever decided to become a real-life superhero. Barely existing at school and having absolutely no chance with his longtime crush, Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca), he orders a silly superhero costume from the internet and hits the streets, taking the law into his own hands. Unfortunately, he gets his ass kicked. A lot. When he becomes a worldwide You-Tube sensation after trying to save a victim from a gang attack, he adopts the masked identity of "Kick-Ass" and attracts the unwanted attention of mob boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong) who sees him as major threat to his organization. But in the process he gains the appreciation and services of Damon and Mindy MacCready (Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz), father and daughter gun experts who when in costume transform into the crime fighting duo known as "Big Daddy" and "Hit Girl." Big Daddy harbors a personal grudge against D'Amico and isn't above using his vigilante daughter or Kick-Ass as a means of settling it. A fourth superhero, the goofy Red Mist (Superbad's Christopher Mintz-Plasse) enters the picture as a potential sidekick with sneaky ulterior motives.

At first, it appears the primary focus of the film is supposed to be the evolution of this geek into the crime-fighting Kick-Ass, but Vaughn tries to cram a million different things in the first hour with the other two sub-plots before joining them so it seems to take a little bit to get there. Because of this the pacing initially seems sluggis as Vaughn lingers on the detailed origin story while cutting back and forth between the mob stuff and the father/daughter relationship (easily the most compelling story thread of the three). But it's impossible to complain since it all works and so much more is done right. The journey Dave takes isn't much different than Peter Parker's in the Spider-Man movies, only replacing the power and responsibility with bad luck. He's just a kid getting beat up every night in a silly costume who lands on the internet. This opens up an interesting commentary on how people are more than willing to watch and be entertained by real violence than make any any attempt to stop it themselves. That fact that's he's essentially just playing dress-up not only makes the film funnier, but adds suspense because he's always in legitimate danger.

But enough about him. The real reason to see the movie is Hit Girl played by Chloe Grace Moretz, who up until now was best known for playing the bluntly honest, wise-cracking little sister in (500) Days of Summer. This is that part with the volume amped up times two hundred. Nothing can fully prepare you for what she does here as a masked assassin every bit as dangerous and no less believable than Christian Bale in The Dark Knight or Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. It's hilarious, but also invites the question of whether the sight of an 11-year-old foul-mouthed murderer is disturbing even within the confines of satire. Yes it is, but it's supposed to make you uncomfortable and the fact that her father is not only raising a vigilante killer but destroying her childhood to settle a grudge and likely causing her irreversible psychological harm isn't ignored. Despite delivering her shocking dialogue (and beatings) with the poise and confidence of actors double her age as Hit Girl, it's that detail Moretz never ignores in her performance as Mindy.

You can just picture Quentin Tarantino sitting on his couch furiously sketching ideas for Kill Bill Vol. 3 with The Bride vs. Hit Girl, whose fight scenes are probably the most impressively choreographed we've seen on screen since those two films of Tarantino's. John Murphy's adrenaline-pumping score, as well as the other perfectly placed tracks from Joan Jett, Gnarls Barkley and The Prodigy only help to further fuel the energy level. While no one even comes close to matching Moretz, Cage gets second place, giving a performance inspired by Adam West from the 1960's Batman television series. Has there ever been a better inspiration for a part? Crazy Cage dressed as Batman. Playing it like Adam West. And it's just as insane as you'd imagine, earning the actor immunity from me ever writing a negative word about him again, and maybe even forgiveness for Ghost Rider and Next. While a small role, it finally answers that nagging question of how Cage would fare as a superhero, with the result being overwhelmingly favorable. This is him at his absolute best and a reminder just how great he can be when given a well-written character that fully capitalizes on his zaniness.

Relative newcomer Aaron Johnson would have made a likable Peter Parker if Tobey Maguire wasn't available and that's pretty much the role he's playing here. Surprisingly, the screenplay even finds a way to throw a clever, original twist into the usually tired superhero sub-plot of a geek pining after the hot, popular girl. And after this and Hot Tub Time Machine it seems as if Lyndsey Fonseca is now that go-to girlfriend these days in comedy, which is fine by me since she's really good at it. Even David's comic book obsessed friends (played by Clark Duke and Evan Peters) are actually funny, adding levity to the plot when needed without coming off as unnecessary filler. As Red Mist, Mintz-Plasse is basically McLuvin' in a costume and that's exactly what's called for in his part. The movie isn't perfect and at 114 minutes could have probably used an extra trim in the editing room since it feels slightly longer than that, but the performance of Moretz and the character of Hit Girl is the movie and everything else falls into place because of it.

I can't understand anyone getting bent out of shape that this is "morally reprehensible" or "goes too far," especially with an "R" rating clearly slapped on it and in a year where the majority of entertainment has been aimed at the PG crowd, with many options to choose from. No one's forcing anyone to see it. After a cruel bludgeoning of Twilight movies, cash-grabbing remakes, and 3D junk, we've earned at least one hardcore, balls-to-the wall movie that doesn't play it safe and Vaughn deserves his vision being released as it was intended without the morality police throwing a fit. It's a testament to how frighteningly believable Moretz is in the role that it's caused so much controversy. Hit Girl deserves her own movie and Kick-Ass earns its sequel, surpassing in quality many of the superhero films it's satirizing.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Director: Werner Herzog
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Brad Dourif, Xzbit, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Coolidge
Running Time: 121 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is two hours of Nicolas Cage acting crazy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. For Cage fans it's a must-see and even his biggest detractors would probably want to check it out just for curiosity's sake. Even though this often hysterical film doesn't have much of a point and fell considerably short of my expectations, I would feel too guilty not recommending it, if only for its insanely high entertainment value. It's so concerned with putting its star in as many jaw-dropping, scenery chewing situations as possible that it forgets we also have to care about the character he's playing and the case he's investigating. It's fun mind you, but in a way it's similar to another remake Cage starred in a few years ago, The Wicker Man, where he ran around in punching women in a bear costume. He could have worn the costume again here with the key difference being that this film's actually made well and almost seems to take itself seriously at times. His work makes up for most of the script's shortcomings.

The film opens in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans Police Sergeant Terrance McDonagh (Cage) suffers a permanent back injury rescuing a drowning convict. When we see him six months later he's being promoted to lieutenant for his heroic actions, but can barely even function because of his addiction to vicodin and cocaine. Physically and emotionally unfit to handle any investigation, he's naturally assigned the biggest one involving an execution-style multiple homicide involving a local drug kingpin named Big Fate (Alvin "Xzbit" Joiner). He's also gotten himself into a mess with an important client of his hooker girlfriend Frankie (Eva Mendes), owes money to his bookie (Brad Dourif) and is about to be stripped of his badge and gun by the Feds. On top of all that, he has to watch over a teenage witness and care for his alcoholic father and sister (Jennifer Coolidge). A long list of responsibilities when you're strung out 24/7.

The screenplay by William Finkelstein isn't so much concerned about the homicide or exploring character motivation. Maybe it was before Werner Herzog was attached to direct and Cage signed on to star, but it sure isn't now. Nor does bear any resemblance to its namesake, 1992's Bad Lieutenant, starring Harvey Keitel, other than that both center around a corrupt cop. This movie is scene after scene of Nicholas Cage going as far off the deep end as humanly possible. Of course, that's nothing new. He's always accused of overacting but this time he's deliberately doing it so you can just imagine the results. Watch Cage hold up a pharmacy. Watch Cage get high before interrogating a suspect. Watch Cage disconnect an old lady's oxygen supply while threatening her at gunpoint. It goes on and on until finally running its course and it takes a lot longer to run its course than I expected, mainly because Cage is such a strong screen presence, even more so when he's allowed to fly off the rails like this.

By the time the film was over I couldn't even remember the name of the protagonist and I only refer to him here as "Cage," which is revealing when you think about it. You could almost draw a comparison with the criticisms that were leveled against Jack Nicholson for his portrayal of the Joker in 1989's Batman. That it was just Jack being Jack. I disagreed then because I felt the nature of the character called for that kind of over-the-top performance. This is a little different. It's a police procedural that doesn't have anything particularly important to say and little going for it outside of watching Cage lose it on screen. But, honestly, that's a lot. I don't know if it's a great performance but it's definitely a compelling one and there's no way this movie could have worked with another actor in the role. There's an attempt made to flesh out his relationship with Mendes' hooker and while her and Cage are much better together here than they were in Ghost Rider, I can't say there's much emotional investment. Val Kilmer's role as his partner is criminally underwritten and his screen time so minimal you wonder why his name even appears in the credits. It's all about Cage.

Not even upstaged by a pair of charismatic iguanas, he's the entire driving force behind the picture and that's it with everyone else in the plot existing as merely a means for him to act out. By the final third of the movie the case itself (which is so run-of-the mill it could be a Law and Order episode) is all but discarded in favor of watching Cage cut loose as only he can, engaging in behavior completely at odds with the story, but perfectly in sync with the lunatic he's portraying. It's almost as if Herzog said, "Screw it. No one cares about the case anymore anyway." As exhaustive and frustrating as it is, we do root for Terrence's redemption because Cage forces us to.

A big deal was made about the decision to shift the original film's New York setting to post-Katrina New Orleans but the movie could have taken place anywhere and it wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference. The circumstances surrounding Hurricane Katrina are about as necessary to the story as it was in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, if not less so. And that might be the biggest disappointment of the film for me. While setting it in New Orleans isn't distateful in any way, it feels like key opportunities were missed in conveying the feel of a very specific time and place. But what thankfully isn't lost are the parallels between the city and the protagonist, both of which were faced with tragic circumstances then eaten away by corruption.

Supposedly this film was green lighted without the blessing or support of the original's director, Abel Ferrera, who's gone on record slamming the production. But the film is so over the top and shares so little in common with his that it's hardly worth getting worked up about. If anything, the 1992 film represents exactly the kind of movie that should be remade. Herzog really had the right idea in molding just the shell of the original into a new story that explores different themes and other filmmakers would be wise to keep that approach in mind when adapting from previous works. I'm just still kind of at a loss as to my exact thoughts on the film because it's difficult digesting it as anything other than a guilty pleasure. It really needs another viewing, which I'd give it with very little hesitation. Despite a myriad of problems, Bad Lieutenant is compulsively watchable in a train wreck sort of way.

5 Actors/Actresses Who Need a New Agent (Badly!)

When I recently reviewed Adventureland I noted that the big surprise of the movie for me was the performance of Kristen Stewart. It was the kind of perfectly written part any young actress would dream to play and she hit it out of the park. Those who know Stewart only from THAT OTHER THING she starred in will be equally surprised. Unfortunately for her, due to said choice, her reputation as an actress is pretty much shattered and she'll now have to work about a million times harder to prove herself. This got me thinking. When the right actor or actress meets the right role magic can happen, but more often then not that's like hitting the lottery. And to be able to build on that momentum and sustain a consistently successful career is nearly impossible. The fact is many of these actors probably have agents who don't have a clue what they're doing and the ones that do might not listen because their egos are too big. Angelina Jolie doesn't have an agent. Neither does Bill Murray. And they've done just fine.

The actors/actresses on the list below don't have careers that are in dire straits, nor do they necessarily need a "comeback" (that's a different list entirely) since they're still planted firmly in the public's conciousness, but if things keep going in the direction they are, it won't be long before they do. Yes, they're all making money but they could be making MORE MONEY and MAKING GOOD MOVIES also. In a perfect world, they go hand in hand. The good news is that the situations of these five (with the exception of one) could be considered "fixable" and don't have problems a simple change in representation or a dose of reality couldn't quickly solve. At one time or another I was fan of all of them and if anything they should take it as a compliment they were singled out because it means I think they're talented and still have a lot left to offer. If I didn't I just wouldn't have wasted my time. This list could easily be expanded but I've chosen to narrow the focus only on these five because their careers are most worth salvaging. Two of these sting because I was a huge fan of theirs, but only one makes me furious with disappointment (it'll be obvious who). This person has been torturing us with her shitty choices for nearly a decade and it's time for an intervention. As a special gift I'll be giving all of them some free advice as to how they can turn things around. They'd be wise to take it.
 
5. Nicolas Cage-Okay, so he lucked out with Knowing which, thanks to a good director, turned out to be successful despite on paper carrying the hallmarks of his embarrassing blockbuster action choices over the past decade (frequently featuring him with crazy hair). That minor success aside, things haven't been great creatively for Cage, who basically traded in his Oscar for cash. He's an action star, not an actor, which would be fine if the movies he made weren't Ghost Rider, Next and Bangkok Dangerous. Things don't look good for the upcoming Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Seeing his name on the marquee is practically a dead give away that the film is going to blow. Only The Weather Man and Lord of War stand out as anything worth writing home about in the past few years.

I think it's great that he used the Oscar to leverage for bigger paydays in action movies, but I wish they were good movies and that he mixed it up occasionally with dramatic roles (like his brilliant turn in Adaptation) that remind us he is a very talented actor. Compared to others on this list he isn't in such bad shape because the public actually likes him and wants to see him do well. All he needs to do is pick better scripts and work with better directors and he's set. Easily solvable. 

4. Sandra Bullock-Anyone who thinks that the moderate success of The Proposal in any way signifies some kind of return to form for Sandra is kidding themselves, especially considering that her latest, All About Steve, is sitting at 0% (!) on the Rotten Tomato Meter. Everyone (well, at least the ladies) saw The Proposal because of Ryan Reynolds, who probably could have co-starred with a corpse and still opened it huge. But the good news is that no one stayed away because she was in it and the public will always like her.

It's now just a matter of finding the right projects, which is difficult because of how Hollywood tosses actresses aside when they hit 40. A select few like Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep have been able to overcome this but they have more talent and versatility than she does. Bullock is more similar to Meg Ryan in that while she's a solid actress, she was popular throughout the 1990's primarily on the basis of her cuteness and likability. What Sandy should do is the opposite of Cage. Take a huge blockbuster type role in a mindless action franchise to get audiences accustomed to seeing her as a big deal again. Playing an ordinary woman thrown into extraordinary circumstances is what drew audiences to her to begin with so there's no reason to think it can't happen again. Four words: SPEED 3 JASON STATHAM. Then after that she can attempt to stretch a little dramatically (which she once did to awesome effect in 2005's Crash).



3. Harrison Ford-It seems these days the only way you're going to see Ford in a good movie is if he's being referenced in a sight gag or used as a punchline [like in Fanboys and (500) Days of Summer]. Who can forget his "accent" in K-19: The Widowmaker or his unfortunate turns in Hollywood Homicide and Firewall? No matter how much money Indy 4 raked in it didn't do anything for him as far as a career resurgence. The film being awful likely contributed to that.

What he needs to do is stop taking silly comedies (he isn't funny) and cool it on the action roles. Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone can still get away with it at their age. He can't. Not because he isn't believable but because he's a different kind of actor than they are. He's a lot quieter and more low-key, making him difficult to cast. The answer at this stage is to take more gritty, independent character driven parts, even if they're supporting roles. He needs to take a page out of Stallone's book and pull a Cop Land (but of even higher quality). Ford is lucky in that he's a big star and age isn't nearly as much of a factor for actors as it is for actresses. It's really perplexing that he's struggled this much. 

2. Katie Holmes- Katie, Katie, Katie. When The Dark Knight opened last summer, one of the biggest surprises to come out of it were the amount of Holmes fans coming out of the woodwork claiming they actually preferred her take on Rachel to Maggie Gylennhaal's. I disagree, but it was a much closer call than expected. While she was definitely the weak link in Batman Begins, looking back the performance couldn't have been as bad as everyone originally thought if Maggie just barely managed to top it and no one can claim the sequel would have been any worse off had Katie chosen to return. That's cause enough for her to celebrate. What isn't is that she backed out of one of the most critically and commercially successful movies of all-time so she could co-star in Mad Money, which is cause for alarm any way you look at it. But the public's lukewarm reception (misplaced or not) to Gylenhaal in the role proves moviegoers may finally be willing to put concerns over Katie's personal life aside to give her a chance again.

Many forget that she was really on a roll for a while and could have possibly achieved the fame she has now through her work if things had continued down the path they were going. Make all the jokes you want about Dawson's Creek but she was amazing on it and there would have been no show without her. She had small but memorable turns in The Ice Storm, Go, Wonder Boys, Phone Booth, Abandon and The Singing Detective. And of course an appearance in Sam Raimi's The Gift that's legendary for reasons completely unrelated to her acting. Her career high point came in 2003's Pieces of April, where as the title character she delivered her best performance to date. She may have been woefully miscast in Thank You for Smoking but at least she had the foresight to work with a future Oscar nominated director. What's interesting is that the parts weren't showy or huge, just great fits for her. Her agent deserved a raise, a new house and a yacht. Instead, she got her walking papers when YOU KNOW WHAT happened in 2005.

Taking a couple of years off and keeping a relatively low profile may have been the best possible thing she could have done in terms of her public perception. The timing feels right now for a comeback. I'd start with really good supporting roles and then work my way up. If under a good director she can find a part that somehow combines the girl next door we originally fell for with her new mature persona it would be a solid first step. Even though she cheated a little, her name alone is now big enough to open a movie whereas just a few years ago it wasn't. That's an opportunity she can't pass up.


1. Kate Hudson-

2002- The Four Feathers
2003- Le Divorce, Alex & Emma, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2004- Raising Helen
2005- The Skeleton Key
2006- You, Me and Dupree (I actually liked this one but it was still an unquestionable flop)
2008-Fool's Gold, My Best Friend's Girl
2009- Bride Wars

I don't even know what to say about her anymore. If we combined all the pitiful choices of everyone else on this list it wouldn't equal an eighth of the damage Hudson has done to her career in the past five to ten years. Most frightening of all is how someone so young could have amassed a filmography of such garbage. Even if I refuse to believe she's Goldie Hawn's biological daughter until I see a birth certificate, she's insisted on taking roles her mother would of played 20 or 30 years ago. The difference: Her mom was funny.

I guess this finally settles the debate as to whether Kate was just "playing herself" in Almost Famous. She wasn't. Penny Lane would have never been dumb enough to sign on to those movies listed above. Nothing she's done can erase the magic of that performance but you can't say she hasn't been trying. Would it be wrong if my advice was to quit acting? Yes, it would. Which is why I'd tell her to just take a little break and then give Cameron Crowe a call. On the bright side, a lot of moviegoers like me still refuse to forget how unbelievable she was in that role and would be happy to welcome her back.

Knowing

Director: Alex Proyas
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Chandler Canterbury, Lara Robinson, Ben Mendelsohn
Running Time: 121 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

So, here we go again with Nicolas Cage. And his hair. Except this time things are a little different. His chronic overacting tendencies are tempered slightly while his hair is more in control than it was in Ghost Rider, Next and Bangkok Dangerous. Fewer actors have made poorer choices and seen more undeserving box office returns than Cage. And since winning his Oscar over a decade ago no actor has has caused us greater disappointment and frustration.
When his sci-fi thriller Knowing opened earlier this year after collecting dust on the shelf and wasn't screened for critics, it stood to reason that we had another one of his infamous action stinkers on our hands.

The director attached to this Cage project wasn't just some hack, but Alex Proyas, a gifted filmmaker responsible for two films that helped define sci-fi in the '90s: The Crow and Dark City. The latter, over time, has emerged as a cult classic in the genre while it remains a testament to Proyas' talent that former has transcended the tragic circumstances surrounding its star's death to be remembered as the visionary achievement it is. You wouldn't be far off to call either a masterpiece. Despite abysmal advanced word of mouth and widespread panning, Knowing surprisingly tore it up at the box office in March, resulting in a wide critical and commercial split not seen again until, well, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opened a couple of weeks ago.

The lone voice of dissent among a barrage of terrible notices came from Roger Ebert, who very controversially awarded the film four stars, calling it "among the best science-fiction films I've seen -- frightening, suspenseful, intelligent and, when it needs to be, rather awesome." Of course, in the minds of many this just confirmed long-running suspicions that he completely "lost it" after cancer surgery. For better proof of that, they probably should have submitted his opinion of this film as evidence instead. Either way, giving generous star rating doesn't constitute "losing it." Failing to articulate your opinions does, and no one could ever accuse him of that.

His review just might be more interesting than the actual film, which is fascinatingly sloppy. It's the weakest script Proyas has had to direct yet and is all at at once a mystery thriller, an action movie and a science fiction allegory. There's greatness in it to be sure and it isn't difficult to see why Ebert loved it, or why anyone who is a serious sci-fi fanatic would. And it's easy to see why mainstream audiences embraced it as well, as there's enough action to compliment the enormous ideas the script introduces but doesn't completely follow through on. Luckily, Proyas picks up a lot of the slack and the ideas are so big you wonder if it was necessary or even possible to follow through on all of them.

The film centers around a mystery that must be solved and then completely changes the rules veering in a different direction entirely, far from what we expected containing moments that are truly scary as well as a couple of sensational child performances. As messy as it all feels at times, you can't say it isn't original or ambitious, especially the ballsy conclusion. It's science fiction with at least a few brain cells and a premise so interesting that even Cage's over emoting (thankfully kept to a minimum here) can't screw it up. While not the film it could have been or wants to be, Knowing has a lot more on its mind than it got credit for, and a great deal less.

John Koestler (Cage) is a widowed M.I.T. astrophysics professor whose lively lectures consist of trying to understand the universe and make sense of the controversial debate centering around Evolution and Intelligent Design. He comes closer to that debate than he ever wanted to when his son Caleb's (Chandler Canterbury) school holds a ceremony to unearth a time capsule buried under the school's grounds in 1959 containing children's drawings of what they think the future will hold. Except Caleb's sheet isn't a drawing. It's covered with a series of seemingly random numbers, scribbled by a creepy, disturbed young girl named Lucinda Embry (Lara Robinson) who we meet in a very effective prologue sequence. Upon examining the numbers Koestler discovers that they form patterns that accurately predict nearly all the major disasters of the past fifty years.

Naturally, the one person Koestler can count on, his colleague, cosmologist Phil Beckman (Ben Mendelsohn) thinks he's crazy and seeing something that isn't actually there, even suggesting he's using the list to subconciously make sense of his wife's death. In searching for the truth Koestler is able to track down the late Lucinda's daughter Diana (Rose Byrne) and her granddaughter Abby (Robinson pulling double duty). The children are a key component to the story, especially Caleb who hears noises through is hearing aid and is being stalked by mysterious "Whisperers," shadowy, pale figures who eerily recall the "Strangers" from Proyas' Dark City. Where things go from here is entirely unexpected and can't be discussed without heavy spoilers. It's much bigger than you think.

Sci-fi premises don't get much stronger than this. The set-up is so strong that the film almost backs itself into a corner immediately by presenting a mystery so deep and philosophically interesting that it's practically impossible for the script to resolve it in a satisfying way for all. But it does try it's best and final 10 minutes are so exciting and ambitious it could almost make up for the mistakes that precede it. Chief among them is the decision to have Koestler go into action hero mode stumbling (sometimes accidentally and sometimes not) into various catastrophic disasters and trying to save the day, against the backdrop of obvious, but visually impressive CGI. On another filmmaker's watch I could just imagine how terrible and cheesy looking these huge scenes could have been but Proyas succeeds in making them terrifying, especially a fatal plane crash that has a frantic Koestler desperately trying to rescue survivors in one long, uninterrupted shot.

The bizarre direction the story takes could have come off like a bad mythology episode of The X-Files but doesn't because there are some genuinely scary moments and suspense is effectively built. The "Whisperers" are absolutely terrifying, with their presence only enhanced by Simon Duggan's shadowy cinematography and a Marco Beltrami score that seems to pop up at just the right moments, effectively underlining the horror.

This film doesn't succeed because of Cage. He's one of those actors who has made choices so bad in the last few years that the second you see him up on screen you're almost immediately taken out of the film, with all thoughts shifting from what's happening in front of you to wondering how bad the movie will be because he's in it. As far as his recent bad paycheck performances go this is definitely one of his better ones and he's a lot more understated than usual. He's also more believable than you'd expect in the role of a college professor. Still, his mere presence rather than his actual performance makes the movie seem less than what it is and casting another actor in the role would have been a wise move creatively. The truth is any actor could have played it. Some better, some worse. This is in no way a return to form for him. We'll have to keep waiting.

It isn't difficult to see why most already had their knives sharpened and were prepared to rip Cage a new one before even seeing a minute of the film. I'm guilty of it myself. That's a problem and it's unfair, but he has no one to blame but himself for building up such a poor reputation in choosing projects. He's given strong support with exceptional performances from Canterbury and Robinson and anyone familiar with Byrne's work on TV's Damages knows what she's capable of as an actress so it's a relief that she's really given an opportunity to cut loose. She brings dimension to a role that should have been forgettable.

Ironically, Ebert's opinion of the film, as lofty as it is, seems closer to reality than the bashing it took from his peers just because it was the latest Cage action release. Those going in anticipating that will find more to think about than they expected, but those (like myself) who would have been happier that they didn't try to squeeze a typical blockbuster into the middle of it will walk away a bit let down that a premise so promising ONLY lets us consider the ideas rather than attempting to dig deeper and explore them itself. The film has a bunch of screenwriters credited to it which isn't a surprise because it does feel like there were too many cooks in the kitchen trying to craft a story that appeals equally to the mainstream action crowd and hardcore science fiction fans. Originally, Richard Kelly was the only writer attached to this project and I probably don't have to tell you how much better I think this would have turned out had he penned it.

Sometimes I just have to wonder what my opinion of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button would have been if I didn't know beforehand that David Fincher directed it. We enter films with certain mindsets and expectations, all of us guilty of altering our viewing experience to match them. And that's as we should because once we stop doing that we stop being passionate about movies. Ebert is obviously a huge fan of Proyas and this genre so that could have influenced his opinion greatly. Nothing wrong with that at all. I'm more likely to seek out a movie he overpraised not because I necessarily think it will be good, but because I know if it isn't, it'll at least be interesting and worth watching. In that regard, this didn't disappoint and neither did Proyas, who further confirms what everyone's suspected since The Crow, except this time with a messier template to work with. So that's at least an accomplishment for him. If he can do this much with material below his talent level just imagine the possibilities if he were given a top shelf script. The ideas presented in Knowing could easily fill up hours of discussion, even if the film itself can't.

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Ed Harris, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Harvey Keitel, Bruce Greenwood
Running Time: 125 min.
Rating: PG

*** (out of ****)

At the conclusion of National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets I was pondering an interesting question: Do you punish a sequel for essentially just duplicating the original? Well, if you happened to like the original then I’d like to think the answer should be “No.” I’ve always been of the belief that a sequel is supposed to take the ideas presented in the original and expand on them to build a new story while still remaining faithful to the first installment. But, really, should such a strict rule even apply to something like Disney’s National Treasure franchise? It’s just supposed to be mindless fun. If you can’t suspend disbelief or check logic at the door be prepared for a miserable experience. If you can, it’s a great time. Anyone who liked the first film will like this one just the same and anyone who couldn’t stand it won’t find anything to appreciate this time around either. Forgo any speculation about how it stacks up to original. It’s the exact same movie.

The good news for star Nicolas Cage is this ends his successive streak of bombs, as it goes without saying this is a huge step up from Ghost Rider and Next. Although I don’t know what it says when it takes a light family film like this to actually ring a decent performance out of him. As for the myriad of other Oscar winners and nominees in the picture, I never stopped and wondered what the hell they were thinking appearing in something like this, which is high praise considering the talent involved. While the material is beneath them it never feels like it because they all appear to be having a good time. As a result, I had a good time.

Discussing the convoluted, absurd plot of this film in any kind of detail is almost pointless. All you need to know is that treasure hunter Ben Gates (Cage) is back and now on a mission to recover the missing 18 pages of John Wilkes Booth’s diary in order to prove his great-great grandfather wasn’t a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Yes, you read that right. And that’s just the beginning. To do it he must follow a set of clues that take him everywhere from Buckingham Palace to the Oval Office to Mount Rushmore to find a fabled City of Gold treasure and uncover a Presidential “Book of Secrets.” Along for the ride again is his now ex-girlfriend Abigail (Diane Kruger), his bumbling father Patrick (Jon Voight) and tech sidekick and perennial third wheel Riley (Justin Bartha). There’s also the introduction of a new character, Ben’s mother Emily (Helen Mirren), a college professor who harbors a bitter 30-year-long grudge against his father. In one of the many identical developments to the first film a sneering villain is on Ben’s tale, following his every step to the treasure. This time it’s Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) who, like Ben but unlike the baddie in the previous installment, is very personally tied to finding it.

There were so many points during this film where I was laughing aloud uncontrollably. The clues Ben and company follow, part Amazing Race and part Trivial Pursuit, are so complicated it’s comical. But they’re also a lot of fun. At points you can’t even understand anything they’re talking about other than the fact that it involves U.S. history. In just the opening scene we’re treated to an unintentionally hilarious re-enactment of the Lincoln Assassination that somehow manages, amidst supreme silliness, to get the small details of that night right.

If the big, memorable moment in the first film was Ben stealing The Declaration of Independence it’s counterpart in the sequel is his attempt to kidnap the President of the United States, who here has the worst security detail of any elected official in world history. But I was just relieved to see the movie not insult us by attempting to have an actor impersonate George W. Bush. Instead, the Commander-in-Chief is played very well and believably by Bruce Greenwood, who has experience doing this before as John F. Kennedy in Thirteen Days. He’s especially valuable here, lending credibility to the most ridiculous situation imaginable. He’s so good should be tapped to play the President in every movie.

Cage slides back into his role with ease while Diane Kruger is just as bland as she was in the first film, though it hardly matters considering the depth (or lack thereof) of her role. Basically, she does fine for what she’s asked to do. The real success story to report though is that Mirren and Voight are not only utilized well but really add something of value to the film. They have great chemistry together and I can honestly say that I cared about their characters’ relationship and where it would go next. If the two of them ever co-starred in a spin-off film I would watch it in a heartbeat. Mirren, especially, really delivered the goods in her role. They could have easily just phoned it in for a paycheck but it’s obvious they were really enjoying themselves.

Unfortunately, Harvey Keitel is completely wasted as an F.B.I. agent. I have no idea why his character is even in the movie and he probably doesn’t either. It’s fun watching Ed Harris as a villain in a Disney family film and even funnier watch his supposed villain get a little too comfortable hanging out with the adventurers whose lives he’s supposed to be threatening. The character does have more depth than you’d expect and the script has him makes some interesting decisions in a thrilling water-soaked climax that reminded me a little of The Poseidon Adventure.

At over 2 hours you could make an argument that the film is too long but director Jon Turteltaub deserves credit for pacing it so briskly that it never drags. He also deserves credit for managing to craft a rip-roaring action/adventure yarn within the confines of a wimpy PG rating. The script from The Wibberleys (which sounds more like an auction house than a screenwriting team) is somewhat clever in the way it incorporates all of this American history into the framework of the story. Even though I was laughing at the preposterousness of it all I had to appreciate the hard work and research that must have gone in to crafting something this crazy. Trevor Rabin’s score is also very good. It has an old time Colonial feel to it that really suits the material well.

On the surface it may appear it doesn't take any talent to make the same film twice, but I’d argue it does. Ask Paul Thomas Anderson to direct There Will Be Blood again the same exact way and have it be as good. He couldn’t, nor would he likely care to since it would be pointless. Of course, why anyone would want to make the same film twice is a question that’s probably best left unexplored, but Turteltaub gets the job done. It’s probably a tough sell getting anyone to want to rent this when another considerably more exciting adventurer is tearing up the big screen, but it delivers a decent time. This isn’t high art and the bar is set low, but the film clears it with relative ease. National Treasure 2 works only on the most basic level, but it’s refreshing to see a movie that can still succeed in its modest ambition to just simply entertain.