The Foot Fist Way (2006, J. Hill)

From AllMovieGuide:

Plot Synopsis by Mark Deming

A new hero of martial arts rises from a North Carolina strip mall in this independent comedy. Fred Simmons is one of the world's most gifted practitioners of the Korean fighting style known as Taekwondo -- or at least that's what he likes to tell people. Despite his supposed skills, Fred teaches students out of a shabby dojo, where for the most part, he browbeats kids into learning the aggressive points of the martial arts without having much understanding of the philosophy or reasoning behind it. Not that most folks care -- in the small town where he teaches, Fred is considered to be the real deal, and his talent as a fighter earns him plenty of respect. But Fred's reputation (and ego) takes a serious blow when he learns his wife, Suzie (Mary Jane Bostic), has been fooling around with another man, and Fred challenges him to a fight that doesn't go well. Falling into an emotional tailspin, Fred goes on a pilgrimage to meet his hero and role model, martial arts celebrity Chuck "The Truck" Wallace (Ben Best). The Foot Fist Way was the first feature film from writer and director Jody Hill.

Color me surprised and impressed. The Foot Fist Way is an incredibly independent (ie. cheaply made) and crudely funny film starring up-and-comer Danny McBride. The missus and I saw McBride earlier this year in Pineapple Express and in a bit part in Tropic Thunder and made mental notes to watch out for this guy.

Then, we learn about The Foot Fist Way. How this film was picked up at Sundance a few years ago by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay to shop around. MTV Films managed to pick it up and put it out in theaters in a very limited run. I missed it when it played Seattle, and honestly, reviews of the film kept me wary. A co-worker of mine (who happens to take Tae Kwon Do) rented the film and loved it. Now I knew I had to make my own mind up about it.

The film was made by McBride and some buddies he went to school with from North Carolina School of Arts. They made the film independently the old fashioned way: charging up credit cards. Sure, the film looks cheap. But the comedy and performances are very funny.

McBride and the other actors really commit to ridiculousness that they say and do. McBride plays a Karate instructor that is very full of himself. His approach is not unlike the "overachieving doofuses" that Will Ferrell usually plays, only darker. McBride's character is even more unhinged, cruel, and filthy. And it's hilarious.

This is not a film for everyone. Like I said, they go to some dark places with the comedy. But that dark tone is what I think sets it apart from the glut of Apatow productions flooding the comedy market. McBride makes that character his own, and fills him with pomposity and brazen one-liners that my girlfriend hopes I won't start quoting.

This is the perfect movie to stumble onto, in the middle of the night, when you're buzzed on something, and you're just in one of those moods...

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008, N. Stoller)

All Movie Guide:

Plot Synopsis by Jason Buchanan
In desperate need of a vacation after being unceremoniously dumped by his TV-star girlfriend, a man travels to a lavish Hawaiian resort to nurse his wounds and forget his heartache, only to discover that his ex and her handsome new boyfriend are currently staying at the exact same island hot spot. Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) may be just another struggling musician, but for the past six years he's been dating Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), one of the hottest stars on television. Sarah is everything in the world to Peter, so when she kindly but firmly tells him that they should each go their separate ways, he is absolutely devastated. Later, after attempting to salvage his ego by awkwardly attempting to become a womanizer and nearly losing his job because of a nervous breakdown, an emotionally fragile Peter attempts to put the past behind him by escaping to the sun-soaked beaches of Oahu. While at first it seems as if Peter has discovered the perfect prescription for a bad case of lost love, his plan soon turns to dust when Sarah and her new rock-star boyfriend, Aldous (Russell Brand), turn up at the exact same resort. Though accepting Sarah's lavish new lifestyle won't be easy for the crestfallen Peter, the laid-back companionship of flirtatious resort employee Rachel (Mila Kunis) -- not to mention a continuous regimen of fruity cocktails -- goes a long way in mending the wounds of a broken heart. Forgetting Sarah Marshall was penned by Segel and produced by Judd Apatow. Fun with Dick and Jane screenwriter Nicholas Stoller makes his directorial debut. The cast also includes Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Jack McBrayer, and Jonah Hill.

The thing about predictable stories is how they hit their marks and what new inventive things they can do with the structure. Did they do that here? Not really. But as was the case with my recently viewed "Baby Mama", it is the cast that saves the film from it's standard Rom-Com archetypes. Especially the supporting cast.

I have praise for Jason Segel, whom I have enjoyed since watching "Freak and Geeks" for the first time . My interest solidified after his portrayal as the overly-emotive possessive boyfriend Eric on "Undeclared". I suffer through the strained "Friends"-wannabe How I Met Your Mother every week because of Segel's winning personality and my desire to see him succeed as an actor (though co-star Neil Patrick Harris has all the funny lines). I am glad that he had some success with this film as a actor and as a writer (he is slated to pen a new Muppets film). But, when I finally caught up with this film on home video, I was disappointed. I guess I was expecting something a little more...something.

It is hard to pinpoint what that something is. The film is funny. The cast is solid. The supporting even more so. Bill Hader and Paul Rudd both steal their respective scenes. Jonah Hill, who should be grating/wearing out his welcome by now, is solidly funny. Jack McBrayer needs to be in more things period.

Perhaps it's the A story which is the problem, and this is no disrespect to Segel as a writer (because the film is very funny). It works as a disservice to the film to make Kristin Bell so unlikeable because she is very gifted comedienne. This does not get exhibited in this film, partly because she is saddled with the bitch ex-girlfriend role and because there are no jokes written for her. It's great to see her with a big role in a major motion picture, but I feel her talents are wasted here.

I feel similarly strained about Mila Kunis. It's great to see her as the main love interest in a big movie. Funny as the aggressive Jackie on "That 70's Show", she gets to exhibit a softer personality in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and it works in her favor. But the film does her a disservice, by having some out-of-character moments concerning an ex-boyfriend. Maybe the film is trying to say something about "not knowing everything about someone". It just feels like a character inconsistency that isn't explored enough to make that point.

It's these kind of out-of-character and ridiculous moments of the film; like Russel Brand's character and music, Segel falling off a cliff, playing the Dracula musical to a receptive crowd in a bar, -- that do a disservice to the genuine moments of the film. I was especially turned off by the "joke" which was Segel allowing Bell to blow him near the end of the film. The motive and intentions behind these actions are mystifying and not really in keeping with the rest of the film. While the film may be aiming at having a scene that proves Segel has finally "lost feelings" for Bell, it's executed as if only to provide a complication to Segel and Kunis' budding relationship.

These "misunderstandings" that serve as the final conflict in most romantic comedies seem to be the hardest to pull off realistically, lately. Modern crowds are becoming more aware of them, most often because they do not reflect real life and/or if they are ridiculous are not effectively sold. By and large, romantic comedies traffic in the ridiculous. The writers of these films (and television shows) need to become more adept at being able to effectively sell their conflicts. Because this deficiency is continuing the be the death knell for the genre.

I don't want this to sound as if I'm dissing Segel's talents as a writer, because I'm not. I'm a champion for his kind of off-color humor, especially when it's dressing up what feels like a golden-age era screwball comedy. I wish him luck with the Muppets film. I'm just trying to help push for a smarter romantic comedy era to emerge. Love is complicated in the modern age and there are many funny things that can be explored.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008, W. Allen)

AllMovieGuide Synopsis:

by Perry Seibert
Woody Allen's romantic drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona stars Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson as best friends Vicky and Cristina. As the movie opens, the pair of twentysomethings travel to Barcelona so that Vicky can work on her post-graduate degree. The two meet the charming artist Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who offers to take them on a vacation and make love to them. Vicky, being a happily engaged young woman, refuses, but Cristina is eager for this life experience. A love triangle begins to coalesce, and things grow more complicated when Juan Antonio's passionate, unstable ex, Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz), arrives to stay after a suicide attempt.

As the latest "Woody Is Back!" film, I expect Vicky Cristina Barcelona to make much more money than his last five films. Possibly combined! Why do I think this? Not only do I agree with the critical consensus out there, that this film is top-notch, but I saw the film in a theater with a packed audience that was completely in touch with every word, whim, and witticism. This film played, and to a young audience! Perhaps the prospect of a girl-on-girl kiss is what drew the youngin's in, but it was the humor and nicely told story that got them to stay and become involved.

Now, I've never thought that Woody had lost it. Cassandra's Dream, which opened earlier this year to far less enthusiasm, is just as good if not completely different. It has been a while since Woody has made a romantic/sex farce type film, and I don't think anyone would have guessed that he would be so successful at it this late in the game. But the film is very funny, without being typically "Woody Allen"-punchline funny. Especially winning is Penelope Cruz, who I have not seen this good in anything.

Rebecca Hall is a find as well. Is she really British? She plays a good American and the uncertainty of her character is the most interesting/layered of the whole film.

Hot Fuzz (2007, E. Wright)

AllMovieGuide Synopsis:

by Jason Buchanan
A top London cop who is so good at his job that he makes his fellow officers look like slackers by comparison is "promoted" to serve in the sleepy village of Sandford in this contemporary action comedy from the creators of Shaun of the Dead. Police constable Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) always gets his man, but these days his impeccable record seems to be more indicative of his fellow officers' shortcomings than his own formidable skills as a keeper of the peace. Loathe to stand idly by as their once respectable track record is steadily soiled by the hyper-competent actions of one lone overachiever, Sergeant Angel's superiors at the Met soon determine to remedy their problem by relocating the decorated constable to the West Country village of Sanford -- where tranquil garden parties and neighborhood watch meetings stand in stark contrast to the violent crime and heated gunplay of the city. As Sergeant Angel does his best to adjust to the relative calm of his new environment, his oafish new partner Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) strives to gain the respect of his fellow constables while sustaining himself on fantasies of his favorite action films and police shows. Later, just as it begins to appear as if Sergeant Angel has been relegated to an uneventful existence in the relative calm of the countryside, a series of horrific "accidents" lead him to suspect that the tranquil hamlet of Sanford has fallen prey to a sinister plot which reeks of foul play. Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Steve Coogan, and Martin Freeman co-star in the Edgar Wright film.

In order to get ready for the US home video release of Spaced: The Complete Series, I rewatched Hot Fuzz and enjoyed it even more than I did last year.

Wright uses the hyper-montage stylings of Tony Scott not only as parody of that style, but uses it effectively to also further the story. The opening two minutes of the film is a quick-cut montage that successfully introduces Angell as a character. The killing of the theater director is also done in this quick manner. It is never too busy to not notice what is going on in the scene. It's as if Wright only has enough time to tell his story, so he effectively trims down to the neccessities the little pieces of the story that don't need a longer scene to get its point across. This is a parody of the Bruckheimer/Bay style of editing but Wright uses it to tell story instead of show off style. He shows us everything that we need to know and moves on.

I liked the bit when Angell pulls over the theater director for speeding. He writes down in his little book all of the director's "excuses", making the guy increasingly upset the more he writes. They end up having to go to the "homage of Romeo and Juliet" and it actually looks like a homage to Luhrman!

A nice mirror in the story is when Butterman is showing Angell "Bad Boys 2" and "Point Break". Will Smith says "Shit just got real!" as the film also shows the real murders (with explosions!) happening at the same time.

I also like that this film addresses that fact that there would be a "considerable amount of paperwork" for everything that transpires in your typical action film. I would love for once to see a film in which the cops have to second guess everything they do because they'll be a slave to their typewriter and a courtroom for the next five months. It would be nice to see a movie focusing on the aftermath of a huge cops/robbers city blowout, with the cops mired in paperwork and courtroom drama while the city has to clean up the mess.

Lars And The Real Girl (2007, C. Gillespie)

All Movie Guide:

Plot Synopsis by Derek Armstrong
Lars (Ryan Gosling) and Gus (Paul Schneider) are the grown children of a father who died recently and a mother who died giving birth to Lars. But as brothers, they couldn't be more different. While Gus lives in the family home and has a loving wife (Emily Mortimer) and a child on the way, Lars leads a more reclusive existence in the family's garage, hiding in plain sight of his small, wintry hometown. Painfully shy and eccentric, Lars fails to recognize that his co-worker Margo (Kelli Garner) has a major crush on him, and he picks up on a casual reference made by his cubicle mate, who mentions a website where you can order life-sized, anatomically correct sex dolls. But instead of seeing a sex object, Lars sees in this doll a potential life partner and the only kind of social "peer" he can relate to. So Lars orders a doll, whom he names Bianca, and begins treating her with utmost gentlemanly respect -- and as though she's his real-life, flesh-and-blood girlfriend. As he begins bringing Bianca with him everywhere he goes, the townspeople have to find just the right balance between supporting Lars' unusual romance and trying to introduce him to a more conventional partner. Lars and the Real Girl was written by Six Feet Under scribe Nancy Oliver and directed by Mr. Woodcock's Craig Gillespie.

Lars And The Real Girl is a film with many attributes (good cast, pacing, location) that are squandered by certain things in the film's writing that are impossible to go along with. I am surprised that this film was nominated for a Screenwriting Oscar.

First of all, we've got a crazy guy as our lead character and Gosling milks it with back-and-forth pacing, eye twitches and all. This guy has serious issues with his family, being physically touched, and whatever you call it when you fall in love with an inanimate object (Objectophilia?). I don't understand what we are supposed to see in him in order to care for his character. Creative Screenwriting Magazine's Jeff Goldsmith asked screenwriter Nancy Oliver this question during his podcast interview: "What is the character Margo supposed to see in Lars, because (...) he has some serious issues?" And Oliver actually says, "Well, he's really cute." (!?!?!)

While this statement is astonishing, coming from the screenwriter, it makes complete sense after watching the film. This is why Lars is played by someone like Gosling and not by Dan Fogler or Jonah Hill (uh... no offense, guys?). His stuttering and crazy talk is supposed to be "cute" and his social proclivities are completely okay because he hasn't exhibited violent tendencies. Okay...

From the above synopsis:

As he begins bringing Bianca with him everywhere he goes, the townspeople have to find just the right balance between supporting Lars' unusual romance and trying to introduce him to a more conventional partner.

That isn't exactly correct. The townspeople do nothing to introduce him to a more conventional partner after he starts bringing Bianca around. It is the exact opposite of this which brings about the more unbelievable aspects of this picture. The writer wants us to believe that the townspeople are coming to love Bianca (and in turn Lars) because they want her to "help out" at various places; like at the church, the hospital, a school, as a shop window model, etc. Later, we learn in a tossed off line that Bianca was elected to the School Board (!?!) The filmmakers want us to believe that this is the townspeople's way of showing Lars love, but if comes off first as the townspeople using Bianca, and then later as something that could not logically happen.

Where is the media while all this is happening? When a sex doll is elected to the School Board? This would be one of those AP Stories Of The Year. This film wants to play this off as a tossed-off joke but it undermines the credibility the film needs when actually dealing with Lars' illness, which the film doesn't wholly do. We understand he's the way he is because his parents died, he has had an estranged relationship with his brother, he lives in the garage, etc.; but this is all undermined by the silly Bianca nonsense. We don't ever really get to see the inside of that garage or Lars living in it. What does he do in there? Why is living in the garage so demeaning?

This movie would be a lot more interesting if it was about the brother and not about Lars. The brother character and his conflict with Lars and his own wife is much richer than Lars' pop-psychology brainfuck. Paul Schneider is very good in this role and reminds you that he should be in more movies.

The filmmakers did not pull off their intended balance of whimsy and pop-psychology drama but it was nice to see a movie set in a small town (though not as small as the filmmaker would like you to believe) that really doesn't get to be a setting in a mainstream movie anymore. This isn't the worst movie in the world, just highly disappointing considering the amount of people who've drunk the Kool-Aid, and the talent involved.

Step Brothers (2008, A. McKay)

Plot Synopsis (really, this and the poster is all you really need to know):

Two spoiled guys become competitive stepbrothers after their single parents get hitched.

Where's the love? It seems that there is a bit of "too cool for school" backlash out there (internet/friends/media/etc.) against ol' Will Ferrell. I don't get it. Sure, he may be a little overexposed with a movie coming out every season. But he is still an incredibly gifted comic performer and be at least interesting in anything.

I seem to be more a fan of his team-ups with his long-time co-writer/director Adam McKay. I am a huge fan of Anchorman and it's compulsive rewatchability. But I'm more of a fan of how it goes in very absurd places. Couple that with Ferrell's (has to be) improv wordchoice/delivery, and you've got very funny and singular comedy.

I have a feeling I'll be watching this a lot on cable, where it will flourish late-night.

With a "R" rating and the seemingly low-budget, I had a feeling that Step Brothers would be more Anchorman and less Semi-Pro. And I was right; for the first 45 minutes.

For that first 45 minutes, the film is just as surreal in what the characters are saying than anything in Ferrell's already weird repertoire. And it is filthy. One of the reasons the trailer failed a bit is most of the jokes contain crazy dirty language and could not be used in the trailer. You feel like the film can and will say/do anything during these first 45 minutes until the brothers have to "learn to grow up". When the film starts heading towards it's ending, it turns more conventional and loses the outrageous laughs much the same way Wedding Crashers lost its steam during its third act stretch.

What is undeniable is the chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly. One of my favorite moments is right after they've built their bunk-bed. They enthuse about the space they now have and all "the activities" they could do. They really do match each other equally with bizarre and effective word choice humor. They really should do more movies together and I hope they find a role for Reilly in the planned Ron Burgundy sequel.

Being There (d: H. Ashby, 1979)

All Movie Guide:

Plot Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Having lived his life as the gardener on a millionaire's estate, Chance (Peter Sellers) knows of the real world only what he has seen on TV. When his benefactor dies, Chance walks aimlessly into the streets of Washington D.C., where he is struck by a car owned by wealthy Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine). Identifying himself, the confused man mutters "Chance...gardener," which Eve takes to be "Chauncey Gardiner." Eve takes him to her home to convalesce, and because Chance is so well-dressed and well-groomed, and because he speaks in such a cultured tone, everyone in her orbit assumes that "Chauncey Gardiner" must be a man of profound intelligence. No matter what he says, it is interpreted as a pearl of wisdom and insight. He rises to the top of Washington society, where his simplistic responses to the most difficult questions (responses usually related to his gardening experience) are highly prized by the town's movers and shakers. In fact, there is serious consideration given to running Chance as a presidential candidate. Both a modern fable and a political satire, Being There was based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski and costars Melvyn Douglas, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Eve's aging power-broker husband.

Being There is what's considered Ashby's last great film. I haven't seen any of his subsequent films, but I can say that this is indeed a great film. For those that can get into the groove of his film (because it can be slow and non-action oriented), it opens up into a very sly satire that still seems as current as the day it was made.

Peter Sellers shows that he can put away his "silly face" and play a character straight and subtly. This is not the Sellers of the Pink Panther series. The comedy in this film does not come from what Sellers does, as much as it comes from reaction from what he does. Misinterpretation is a big theme in this film, as the film also is rich with images and stories rich for interpretation. I really need to watch this film another time in order to go into specifics.

The ending of the film is one of many interpretations. Roger Ebert comments on this in his review of the film in his Great Movies series. I invite you to watch the film, read Roger's review, and tell me what you think.

Knocked Up (d: J. Apatow, 2007), Superbad (d: G. Mottola, 2007); How To Put Maturity Off The Apatow Way

What can be said about Knocked Up and Superbad on a film blog that hasn't been hashed out already, and in more opinionated places, so really what's the bother?

I loved both of these films and enjoy the editions that I presently own on DVD. It is nice to see Tulsa homeboy Bill Hader so well represented on both discs. I am looking forward to seeing him in Hot Rod, as well as listening to him on the Knocked commentary track. The "making of" supplements on these films' discs are as wonderfuly inventive comedically as the features. I actually feel bad for Apatow and Co. (or do I feel bad for the people who buy the disc and --->) because some might buy these discs and actually think that Universal Pictures hired director Bennett Miller to "rein in" an out-of-control Apatow on the "Knocked Up" set. That Michael Cera is really some obnoxious kid. That Apatow went through five or six leading men before ending up with Seth Rogen. I may be giving more jokes away than necessary, but you should really seak out the 2-Disc Editions of these.

Judd Apatow seems to be on a Sturges like roll this year (although a favorite of mine, this year's The TV Set, which Apatow exec-produced, came and went in a few theaters earlier this year), between these two films and the upcoming Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (directed by the same director as the above-mentioned "The TV Set"), Apatow has already set himself up for backlash as long ago as July. Not so from these corners.

Both of these films are about young males trying to put off impending maturity by refusing to deal with/ignoring it like it'll go away. In "Knocked Up"; it is the pregnancy. In "Superbad"; it is graduation and the eventual division of the two boys to alternate colleges. Although "Superbad"'s ending isn't quite as poignant as those in American Graffiti or Dazed and Confused, it is still earned and balanced. It may even portray a positive message towards the high-school subject of "The Drunk Make-Out". "Knocked Up" may have some character problems, but it made up for in laugh and a likable cast, including the man I think should be in every film ever made: Mr. Paul Rudd.

Walk Hard looks like it may tread in the same "putting off adulthood" vein as these films although some may accuse the film is trafficking in the "doofus film" category. This remains to be seen, but after hearing Kasdan and John C. Reilly's Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross on NPR and hearing samples of the songwriting; I think we are in for a wild ride.