Movie Review: Now You See Me by Louis Leterrier

Title: Now You See Me
Director(s): Louis Leterrier
Genre(s): Crime, Mystery
Release Date (USA): May 31, 2013
Rating: PG-13

"Let me warn you. I want you to follow, because no matter what you think you might know, we will always be one step, three steps- seven steps ahead of you, and just when you think you're catching up, that's when we'll be right behind you. And at no time will you be anywhere other than exactly where I want you to be. So come close, get all over me because the closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see.“ -J. Daniel Atlas

Now You See Me pits an elite group of world renown magicians, The Four Horsemen, against a disgruntled FBI agent in an intense game of cat and mouse. With a serious vendetta against the illusionists, Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) teams up with Interpol agent, Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent) to catch The Horsemen off their guard. The illusionists have been given an impossible mission---to pull off a series of daring heists, stealing from a bevy of corrupt business leaders. And they do, in front of an audience during their show. And like modern-day Robin Hoods, they generously shower the stolen profits upon the unsuspecting crowd, all while staying one step ahead of the law.

I love movies that use real-life magic as a premise, movies like The Illusionist and The Prestige, so when I first saw the trailer for Now You See Me, I was really excited. Now You See Me had quickly become one of my most anticipated movies of the year. And much to my disappointment, it has also become one of the biggest letdowns of the year.

Fuck you, disappointment!

This movie has an all-star cast (Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Michael Cain & Dave Franco), intriguing premise and SO much potential. So where did it go wrong? Poor character development, a shoddy script and too much time focusing on befuddling the viewer, for starters. It very much reminded me of The Gangster Squad with it's lack of intellectual integrity and try-too-hard attitude. 

They turn Agent Rhodes (Ruffalo) into a total buffoon which makes the whole cat and mouse thing a bust. If you're going to use that angle, the opposing forces need to be equally matched, drawing out the suspense. Such was not the case here. And then you expect to see this group of talented actors shine, instead, it's like attempting to pull too many rabbits out of the hat. It's just a bunch of terrific actors who are totally restricted and undervalued. The draw of the film, The Horsemen, are given less screen time than expected and they're really the ones you want to see. Give me more Woody Harrelson!

Now You See Me promises many things to the viewer but it never delivers upon those promises. It's not cerebrally challenging the way a magic movie should be. The twists and reversals weren't surprising and were completely unbelievable. You didn't see them coming, not because of skillful misdirection as was often implied, but rather because the explanations were crooked and expedient. Especially, near the end as we backtrack through the movie's big events, the reveals are less-than-convincing than if you were to simply believe in real magic. I'll take fantasy over the contrived solutions in this movie.

Now You See Me, like most magic, is all smoke and mirrors with no real substance hiding behind the curtain. Basically, it's just one big pile of bullshit.

Summary Prognosis

Now You See Me is a mix of Robin Hood meets The Prestige---only not quite so good. Sure, it's got all the misdirection that a magic movie should have, but much like bad magic, there's no integrity. Flashy, full of bells and whistles and big personalities, this movie has so much potential. Unfortunately, it completely fails in the execution, rendering it one of my biggest disappointments this year. If you want magic then you should watch The Prestige instead.

Rating: ★★


Watch It: Amazon | Target
Discuss It: IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes
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Book Review: Red Carpet Burns by Georgia Cassimatis

Title: Red Carpet Burns
Author(s): Georgia Cassimatis
Genre(s): Chick-Lit, Memoir, Travel
Publisher/Date: Harlequin Enterprises Australia / February 1, 2013
Series: Stand Alone

Disclosure: I received a review copy via the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 
Case Study

What if "The One"...Isn't?

After meeting the gorgeous and charismatic Simon, Georgia Cassimatis swaps her fabulous life in Sydney for Los Angeles, risking it all for a chance at love. Georgia soon finds out, however, that Simon is not the man he seemed to be, and she has left her entire world behind for a loveless marriage with a man who is intent on making her miserable.

 

LA is a tough town — especially for a girl with no friends, no money and no job — but Georgia finds her way through the liars, fakes and cheats to become a successful celebrity journalist and soon realises she’s fallen in love again — this time with her new home town…LA. 

The Game's Afoot

I have to say, Red Carpet Burns was somewhat deceptive. Going in, I was expecting this deliciously gossipy piece of fiction set to the background of the latest and greatest Hollywood drama; however, it is none of those things. Red Carpet Burns is more of a cautionary tale for persons looking to risk it all and make it big in Los Angeles. Georgia Cassimatis is not a fictional gal---she is both the author and main focus of this book. She tells the tale, her tale, of how she risked everything in the name of love, making the move from her native Sydney to the land of the movie star.

Both jobless and friendless when she gets there, Georgia is forced to rely on beau-turned-hubby, Simon. But we quickly learn that things seemingly too good to be true (namely, people), are just that. Simon is a nasty, selfish excuse for a man whose verbal and emotional abuse makes both Georgia and the reader cringe. How could Georgia could be so complacent and naive about him? Everyone saw right through him and they all warned her. I totally get that it can be hard to see a loved one's faults but, c'mon. I sometimes had to wonder whether her lack of sense was due to denial or if it was the work of embellishment. And believe me, I know that sounds harsh but I just don't get why women put up with that shit. Abuse is never cool in my book.

All the nastiness aside, we see Georgia try to climb the Hollywood ladder one rung and friend at a time. And this is where things start to get better for her (and the reader). Georgia speaks to you through the book as if you're her best friend, each chapter acting as a perfunctory snippet into her work woes, dating life and close friends. I guess the problem here is that she has a tendency to ramble, often getting off track from the chapters initial subject. It makes the book feel more like a free-writing journal than a coherent story. She delivers too many unnecessary explanations and makes too many unwarranted assumptions about what we know or should know and it could get annoying. I get the feeling that this is one of those books that's written more for the people who are a close part of her life than for those of us who aren't. Now don't get me wrong, there are certainly entertaining moments but I just thought they were too far and few between for my overall enjoyment.

I guess my biggest problem with Red Carpet Burns was that there wasn't an overarching theme tying all of her stories together. I mean, isn't that kind of the point? I feel like each individual snippet should leave you with some sort of overarching insight. The only thing I really got out of it was, that by the end, she both simultaneously loved and hated LA. I want something deeper from a memoir than that. The chapters didn't flow effortlessly into one another and the stories often felt forced. Plus, there is no discernible gossip to be found! By the end, Cassimatis teases us with barely-there insider info, but it's not enough to save the book from feeling the Hollywood burn.

Summary Prognosis

Red Carpet Burns is somewhat misleading in its name. While the book does take place in Hollywood and has it's fair share of drama, it's missing all of the juicy gossip expected to back up its name. Overall, I found it a pointless read, lacking in depth and that deeper insight that draws me in to memoirs as a genre. Yes, there are entertaining tidbits throughout, but there wasn't enough to keep me completely satisfied or sympathetic to the author and her story.


Rating: ★★


Read It: Booktopia
Discuss It: Goodreads | Author's Website | Harlequin Books

Movie Review: The Watch by Akiva Schaffer

Title: The Watch
Director(s): Akiva Schaffer
Genre(s): Comedy, Science Fiction
Rating: R
Release Date (USA): July 27, 2012

"Here's the best case scenario: he's a lonely old man, he wants to waltz, he wants to listen to some of the old songs from his childhood. Worst case scenario: you're getting f****d in the ass." –Bob

Have any of you ever been to Gleview, Ohio? No? Let me tell you something... you're gonna want to go there. It's sunny, the people are friendly and don't even get me started on all of the activities. SO MANY ACTIVITIES! And guess what else? There's a Costco. Yep, a geniune Costco! I love Costco and coincidentally so does the Store Manager, Evan. Glenview is damn near perfect, well, it is until Costco's trusty night watchman ends up brutally murdered. Evan doesn't take kindly to murderers killing off his staff and defiling his store, so he does what any rational human being would do in this situation--he forms a neighborhood watch. The watch consisting of Evan, Bob, Franklin and Jamarcus make it their mission solve Antonio's murder. But soon several more of Glenview's trusty residents go missing and all evidence points to aliens as the culprit. With these four eclectic suburbanites as Glenview's only remaining hope, is everyone doomed to succumb to the pending invasion?

I hate to say this, dear readers, but I feel as though it's my duty to be completely up front with you no matter how painful it might be. So here I go: With regard to The Watch, you're far better off reading my excellent summary than purchasing it. At least I managed to make it sound somewhat entertaining, right? Okay, perhaps I'm embellishing the terriblness of the flick just a little, but it really is bad. Lucky for me, my expectations radar was set to tickle rather than stun, so I didn't have to worry about disappointment or anything. So, yeah, that's a plus. This is yet another one of those not-funny-movies that has marginally funny people in it. You have Vince Vaughn being a total douche (basically himself), Jonah Hill doing a pitiful portrayal of a bad ass and Ben Stiller doing the"I'm a nice guy who inadvertently gets caught up in crazy hijinks" thing. SNOOZE. The real people to watch are Will Forte and the rest of the supporting cast. And I can't forget Richard Ayoade. He's hilarious. In fact, watch Flight of the Concords, it's so much better. Okay, back to the movie. Unsurprisingly, it's a total raunchfest, and honestly, I've seen one too many of those lately. Let's just take a spoilerific moment (I'll keep it italicized) so that I can make my point:

The aliens obviously have to have a weakness, right? So what do you think said weakness is? The answer is quite obvious here, folks. It's their dicks. I mean, seriously? How does an alien race survive if they're all male? Where did they even come from? How do you even procreate without all the necessary female genitalia!?

I just... I don't even know what's going on right now.

If you're saying "Whhaaaaaat???" right now--- exactly. And the utter ridiculousness isn't the only thing that had me smacking my head on the table. They dangle this tantalizing science fictiony "we are already among you, living as you" carrot in front of you and THEY TOOK IT NOWHERE! Yeah. Basically all of the potentially decent sci-fi stuff was a total red herring. GAH! Here's an idea. Let ME remake the movie. I'm being serious! And look movie producer guys, I'll make this easy for you. We don't have to recast any of it. That's right, we'll keep all the same actors. Just let me put those super exposive ray gun thingys to better use and bring the tone down to the likes of The Faculty or Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Now we've got ourselves a real movie! What do you say? You better act soon! My services are running at a discount (which I attribute solely to the holiday spirit). Have we got a deal?

Summary Prognosis

The Watch, as a sci-fi film, is just what you'd expect: unremarkable. As a comedy it's sparse and spotty, relying more on the street cred of the comedic actors in it than on the actual comedy itself. There are, however far and few between, funny moments thanks mostly in part to Richard Ayoade and Will Forte. I have to say, The Watch is a rental at most and best viewed while otherwise distracted by delicious sugar plumbs (are those things even real?) or preferably inhebriated off your perpetually drunk uncle's fabulously strong eggnog.


Rating: ★★


Watch It: Amazon | Target
Discuss It: IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes
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Movie Review: Wanderlust by David Wain

Title: Wanderlust
Director(s): David Wain
Genre(s): Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date (USA): February 24, 2012

“This is historic. The revolution has begun - all because this courageous woman saw an unjust world and waved her boobies at it.” –Calvin

Linda (Jennifer Aniston) and George (Paul Rudd) have it all—great jobs, a wonderful marriage and a shiny new microloft in the heart of New York City in which to toast their success. Well, that is until George loses his job and Linda’s documentary is passed up on by HBO. So now what’s a hip, happening couple to do? Taken in by George’s douchey brother, they struggle to find their place in the world. After a refreshing overnight stay at Elysium, the couple decides to make their home more permanently at the rural commune, only to find the free-spirited life isn’t quite what it seems. 

You know those movies where the trailer looks absolutely hilarious but then when you watch it you realize that all the funny parts were already in the trailer and you’ve essentially wasted your time? Yeeeeah. This is one of those movies. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying Wanderlust wasn’t funny, because it certainly did have its moments, but those parts are very far and very few between. Overall, for the type of movie it was, it was conventional and generic. Again, this is one of those times where high expectations led to severe disappointment. Wain and Rudd’s previous collaborations (Wet Hot American Summer and Role Models) were total winners. I mean, the concept—taking a modern, hip couple and throwing them into a hippie-style commune—is comedy gold. So then where did it all go wrong? 

Let’s start with the casting. Aniston isn’t someone you’d expect to see in a raunchy comedy and I suppose since her stint in Horrible Bosses, she’s trying hard to break away from her rom-com typecasting. But I have to say, she just looked like a fish out of water. It just wasn’t a role that suited her. Rudd, on the other hand, was right at home with his composed-man-meets-crazy-antics act. He practically invented and perfected the dry wit and sarcastic humour bit and he’s about the movie’s only saving grace because of it. I feel like everything else was just too forced or over the top to be funny. Wanderlust was a let-down and in no way lives up to Wain’s previous credits. Yes, some of the characters are quirky but they grow to be too awkward and unbelievable for my liking. The plot was a mash-up of dull hippy clichés and it got old very quickly. I honestly had a better time watching the trailer than I did the feature-length film, which is saying something. 

Summary Prognosis

Wanderlust is one of those movies that is doomed to lay in the “failed-to-meet-expectations graveyard.” It’s a conventional film that’s raunchy for the sake of being raunchy and far from memorable, though it does generate a few laughs. I’d say, if you want to see it, it’s worth a rental at best. 


Rating: ★★


Watch It: Amazon | Best Buy
Discuss It: IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes
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Book Review: The Strain by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

Title: The Strain

Author(s): Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

Genre(s): Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction

Publisher/Date: William Morrow / June 2, 2009

Series: The Strain Trilogy (Book #1)

"They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come. In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months—the world." –Amazon.com

Case Study

The Strain starts on a high note with an airplane landing at JFK—only something goes horribly wrong. Mid-landing the plane ceases all movement. No lights, no noise, no nothing. After several failed attempts at raising the flight crew, the CDC is called to the scene under the leadership of Ephraim Goodweather. On boarding the doomed flight, he finds that all of the passengers, save four, have died under mysterious circumstances. Eph and his team investigate the cause of these deaths, fearing a viral outbreak could be to blame. The supernatural answers he finds cause him to question science, God and life as he knows it. Eph eventually teams up with a rag-tag band of misfits, including an old man who has previously encountered this strain, desperate to stop the ancient evil that's plaguing their city.

The Game's Afoot

Sounds promising, right? I thought so. I picked up this book with high hopes, expecting nothing but the best from my man, Guillermo del Toro. I mean, with a repertoire that consists of Pan’s Labyrinth, Hell Boy and Mimic, how could you possibly fuck up? So then why was it so hard for me to finish reading it? Why was I left feeling so completely malcontented? Let me break it down for you. When you’re a die-hard fan of someone’s work, there is a certain caliber of quality that you come to expect from them. I picked this book up for the simple fact that I wanted to be thoroughly creeped out. Del Toro is a master at the creep-factor. Don’t believe me? 

Tell me that’s not the definition of creepy. And don’t get me wrong; there were parts in this book that did just that. But that’s also the problem—the scary parts were too far and few between. The pacing was all wrong and in those down moments, I was completely bored. The beginning is so strong and then, all too quickly, it falls flat and it’s this way throughout the duration of the novel. What little action we’re left with is interspersed with really random tangents and it does nothing but detract from the actual story. I think the other big issue was the schizophrenic jumps in POV making it a challenge to follow. We’re given the story from a multitude of perspectives yet I found it hard to really connect or care about any one of them. It’s difficult to discern who’s a main character and who’s playing a supporting role because one is particularly memorable.

Bad as it was, I must, however, give Hogan and del Toro their due credit. When they get it right, they really nail it. There were parts where I was gripping the armrests of my seat (yes, I unknowingly read it on a plane), anxiously waiting to find out what happens next. There were also parts where the suspense builds just enough tension to keep you hooked and wanting for more. The opening and closing chapters do this particularly well. I also really enjoyed their updated take on the vampire myth. These aren’t your usual sensationalized, overly-sexed vamps. They are ruthless, ugly and monstrous; not something we see very much of in today's entertainment. And what I really appreciated was the sci-fi spin woven through the book, making vampirism a plague of sorts. The lines between science and the supernatural are blurred in a way that feels very much like something out of a Michael Crichton or James Rollins novel, and that pleases the super geek in me.

Summary Prognosis

I know it sounds like I hated this novel, but really, I think I was just really let down. That’s what happens when your expectations are too high. Hogan and del Toro have some pretty fresh ideas, only they fail in their execution. That right there, folks, is the most disappointing thing about this book. There’s potential here, but not enough to bring me back for parts two and three. I do think this would make one hell of a horror movie though and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that del Toro will redeem himself and make it happen!

 

Rating: ★★

Read It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Discuss It: Goodreads

You can read an excerpt from The Strain from DreadCentral online HERE and watch the book trailer below.