Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

 After completely redefining what a horror film could be with Let the Right One In,Tomas Alfredson has crafted the definitive spy film with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; setting a new standard for the spy genre and political thrillers in general.
 Gary Oldman plays George Smiley, a retired British intelligence agent who is called back into duty to root out a mole in MI-6. Oldman is mesmerizing. There is a meticulous nature to Oldman's performance that makes you think every movement, down to his breathing, is intentional and plotted. In a way very few actors can pull off lately, you completely forget you are watching an actor and lose yourself in the character. The human drama that Smiley has going on under the surface is expertly left to simmer in Oldman's cold stares.
 The plot is so simple that the description above is really all that need to be said about it. The film is a classic mole hunt, with surprising twists that you'd never contemplate but a beautiful ending that wraps up in such a way that you feel vindicated when you get to say, "I knew it!" The movie does not leave a lot of room for explanation, so if you've found yourself scratching your head at a thriller in the past, this movie is not for you.
 Highlights: The superb British cast. John Hurt, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch. All of them outstanding in the film and in their roles. Benedict Cumberbatch shows why he will be the next big leading man out of Britain. Beautifully shot and stylized for cold war era England. Fully engrossing dialogue; MI-6 is always referred to by it's codename, "the Circus." Tiny details like that go so far in making the film feel authentic. The realistic depiction of intelligence work being mostly paper chasing.
 Disappointments: The spontaneous transitions to other characters arcs and other the main characters past reflections can be a bit jarring. You're left wondering if you just saw someone's bak story or something that is "currently" happening. Only happens a few times, but it does require a bit of "catchup" from the audience.
 From moment one, the movie creates a palpable tension that you need for a spy thriller like this to work. The movie is a puzzle that the director is letting you help solve and only puts the pieces in place when you've figured them out for yourself. I cannot recommend this film enough.

Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

With Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (from here on out referred to as SHGOS) Ritchie makes a solid film out of the story of a madman's search for power through the initiation of war in turn of the century Europe.
 SHGOS picks up a few months, possibly a year after Robert Downey Jr.'s first outing as Holmes. He and Rachel McAdams are continuing their flirt filled romance while also being on opposite sides of a battle of wills between Holmes and McAdam's employer, Professor Moriarty. Without revealing the full details of what happens in the first ten minutes of the movie, let's just say Holmes is given a very personal reason to see to it Moriarty is separated from his machinations.
Dr. John Watson, as affably portrayed by Jude Law as he was previously, arrives to venture forth with Sherlock for a stag night before his planned nuptials. He is unsurprised to find that the bachelor party is a cover for Holmes to get information on the intended recipient of the previously mentioned letter. It is then we are introduced to Noomi Rapace's gypsy character Sim (Sym, Simm?). She escapes as Holmes and Watson leave for Watson's wedding.
From there, the cat and mouse game promised between Holmes and Moriarty kicks into full gear, with Moriarty pledging to end Watson's life due to a lack of respect from Holmes. The movie barely let's you catch a breath as the characters trapse about Europe tracking down Moriarty's motives. Highlights: The film is filled with perpetual chase/fight hybrid scenes that keep the pace of the film very frenetic, almost fitting in with the retooled Bond series more than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classics. Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes is splendid as are most of the performances in the film. Jared Harris is perfect as Moriarty and balances Downey's Holmes brilliantly.
Disappointments: The reveal of Moriarty comes far too early and far too easily for the viewer. The joy of the Sherlock Holmes series was always trying to put two and two together before the book handed you the answer. No such luck in this version. (The BBC's Sherlock still manages to keep this aspect of the franchise Doyle built.)
For those fans of the book series, the film has some nice nods to the Final Problem. Anyone familiar with that book will get shivers of anticipation when you see Reichenbach Falls in the final act. SHGOS pays just enough fan service to Holmes enthusiasts to keep them interested if not maintaining the spirit of the book series. It's a fun adventure with very little wrong in its execution. More than anything it makes for an excellent audition reel for Guy Ritchie to eventually direct a Bond film.

Review: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

From The Social Network to Alien 3, David Fincher's previous work has been meticulous and thorough. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo continues that tradition. The book and Fincher seemed tailor made for each other, allowing him to be as intricate as he likes to be with visual detail while weaving a captivating story.
 Based on a the Swedish book, The Men Who Hate Women, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has previously been adapted into film in its native country. As I only saw the original today, my mind naturally went to a place of comparing and contrasting the two. The Swedish version is a much more fluid film, integrating every aspect of the story in a more cohesive manner. That seems to be the only place I can firmly say the first adaptation was superior.
Fincher was very smart in knowing that the type of people who would want to see this are the same people who made the Swedish version a hit. He took a number of liberties and changed just enough about the film to keep it fresh, even for the most die hard fan of the source material.
Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig as a disgraced reporter who is enlisted by a wealthy businessman to track down his niece's killer. A young woman named Lisbeth (played by Rooney Mara) is chronicled as well and at first you don't know that there will be much of a correlation between the two. As Craig's Mikael is searching through the dirty laundry of the Vagner family, Lisbeth is dealing with a lecherous case worker since she has been committed as a ward of the state. Mikael and Lisbeth eventually come together to partner on finding the killer of Harriet Vagner, but not before stumbling upon a serial killer's trail. The film picks up it's pace at this point and leads into a very fulfilling climax.
 Highlights: Daniel Craig is commanding on screen and handles the weight his character is going through with an  intensity and grace few other actors can. For those waiting for the next Bond film, Tattoo is a nice respite. The main story of the conspiracy is strong and well plotted. The film doesn't get into problems with pacing until it veers to far away from the investigation.
 Disappointments: The seven tacked on epilogues made the final act of the film play closer to Return of the King than to Seven. An out of character moment when Lisbeth asks for permission to do something in the final act takes you out of the moment. The titular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo takes a back seat to Daniel Craig as the movie is clearly his and Lisbeth relegated to his sidekick. I couldn't stomach the scenes between Lisbeth and her case worker. I had to look away. Overall, I do recommend the film. I would recommend Fincher's stylized version over the Swedish, but I also think you should pick one or the other. Watching both just makes your brain pit them against each other instead of looking into the movies themselves.

Review: We Bought A Zoo

Cameron Crowe is by far one of my favorite filmmakers. His movies have always managed to bring out the human comedy that comes during times of turmoil in our lives, whether that turmoil be from falling in love for the first time, being a teenager, realizing you don't like who you've become and in the case of We Bought A Zoo, learning to deal with loss. I've always said that the reason Vanilla Sky didn't work for me was because Crowe wasn't allowed to let the humor out. Thankfully, he does in Zoo.

Matt Damon (MAAAT DAAAMOOON) plays a single father struggling to get by dealing with the emotional and physical needs of his kids six months after his wife has died. Single moms are circling like vultures hoping to get a shot at the handsome dad, his son is lashing out to get his father's attention and his daughter seems to be the only one holding it together. Damon's Benjamin can't escape the memories of his wife and even goes so far as to avoid eating lunch in places that hold her memory. The family needs a change.

While looking for a new home, they come upon a run down house that could use a coat of paint but is otherwise beautiful. While the enjoyable realtor tries to explain that the house comes with significant baggage, Benjamin and his daughter fall in love with it. Then comes the lion. It's revealed that the house is part of a wildlife park and whoever buys the home also buys the zoo. As the title would suggest, they buy the zoo.

The rest of the film is Benjamin and a motley crew of zoo workers trying to bring up the park to USDA standards for operations. Scarlett Johansson, Elle Fanning and Patrick Fugit make up part of the team of loyal zoo employees. 

The highlights: Benjamin's daughter is about the cutest thing I've seen on a movie screen since I found out the human head weighed 8 pounds. Coincidence? I think not. Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson have insane chemistry, it's a little disappointing that they chose to costar in a movie that required their characters to exercise restraint. I would love to see them together again in a light rom-com or even something along the lines of the Notebook.

The disappointments: Patrick Fugit seems wasted. While I'm glad to see him in anything, he didn't really have a lot to do here. Benjamin's son is kind of a piece of crap. I found myself actively rooting against him and he's just a kid. 

The movie is a fun and light family affair with some melodrama along for the ride. It's the kind of sappy fun film you don't mind losing yourself in for a few hours so you can come out hopeful that the world isn't as shitty of a place as you left it. No one will walk away with an award, but I don't feel like I wasted my time or dollar.