Tanner D.'s Reviews

As someone who quite enjoys animated movies and doesn't mind a comic book here or there but hasn't read any Tintin material, I found this movie a bit polarizing. Let's start with the positive - and there is a lot of positive: the voice talent is incredible and well-acted, the sound engineering was top-notch while not overwhelming, and the visual coupled with CGI and set design has to be some of the most brilliant work I have seen with such an "animated" feature. However, and this where I may defer from those who have read the comics, the story itself was hollow and did not seem to be engaging or developing enough to both care for the protagonists or care for where the story may lead. I won't depict the plot as being "bare-bones" as other reviews have belittled it, but any depth that the plot seemingly had developed was irradiated by jumping too quickly from sequence to sequence and ultimately also stunted any substance in character development. Don't get me wrong; I found each character just distinguishable and unique enough to give them a shot and while I don't expect the world in such development in a feature aimed at a younger audience, I did expect to at least be mildly warmed by their presence which was subsequently lacking. Again, this may be the world of Tintin that the comics display that I am oblivious to, but outside of the absolute visual and audio splendors, this Spielberg film left a little to be desired.
Review Date: 12/20/2012

Richard J. Lewis' adaptation of the Giller Prize winning novel written by Mordecai Richler proves to be an uneven, if not polarizing film. As the audience is introduced to Barney, the title character, and begins to understand him and his story, the lack of compassion they feel match the character's ineptitude towards his own well-being and attitude to others. Eventually, the film gets picks up steam where Barney meets his "the one" in Miriam played by a very authentically fragile Rosamund Pike. Here, Barney's character played impeccably by a charismatic Paul Giamatti begins to lose his trite sense of self and momentarily trades nonchalance with glowing warmth. Through multiple chains of events, and an unexpected development, viewers are taken on a mildly enjoyable story through a man's eyes as his actions and inactions culminate into what has and has not become his life. Though some sequences are difficult to digest with anger and sadness while others are sauteed with humor and good cheer, the film conclusively cannot find an identity for itself and is greatly reliant on its terrific leads. While I felt, at times, mild remorse and happiness for Barney's character, there was too much emotional disjoint at the beginning of the film to ultimately mirror his outcome and the film seemingly attempted to mirage or even artificially cultivate those feelings through a course of brief, sorrowful soundtracks or use of arty mise en scene. Barney's version is likeable and, if nothing else, cinemaniacs should watch it for Giamatti's passion filled performance, but expecting much more may end up blurring your experience.
Review Date: 2/16/2012

A surprisingly solid film, Devil delivers tense psychological sequences aided by atmospheric story-telling created by John Erick Dowdle of Quarantine fame and producer M. Night "What a Twist" Shyamalan. Like most, I was skeptical at best when this production bore the name of the former golden boy of Sixth Sense and Unbreakable fame more recently known for his blunders "The Last Airbender" and "The Happening." Whether the overall product of this film resulted in any combination of a production restriction of M. Night, an impressive directorial showing by Dowdle, a creative collaboration between them and their staff, or, in all seriousness, a glowing light in a spiraling, dark tunnel redemption by Shyamalan, cinephiles can appreciate the polished result as a splendid supernatural tale of suspense and intrigue. What really fueled this film from the moment the individuals entered the "car" was the constant high level of urgency that helped create the thick layer of tension laid over the course of the film. While the very ending of the film may leave something to be deserved, I enjoyed the "twist" for what it was - a formulaic connect-the-dots surprise. This is a film to see, especially if you think you have derailed the M. Night Express for good.
Review Date: 6/11/2011

While the chemistry between Downey Jr. and Galifianakis was excellent, the film sorely lacked genuine laughs. There were multiple times I caught myself smiling, however; Due Date had a nice charm fore-fronted by its talented and charismatic leads. What it boils down is what you seek in a comedy film: laughter, fun atmosphere, a feel-good story, likable characters, etc. Though Todd Phillips managed to create those aforementioned characters and a wacky, yet terribly unrealistic adventure, my comedic radar seeks out laughs and fun factor above all else with replay value to a lesser extent, which culminates a below average rating for this film. It wasn't inadequate, but it was disappointing.
Review Date: 5/23/2011

Josh Radnor, of How I Met Your Mother fame, tri-heads this dramedy as writer, director, and lead actor detailing the events that take place after one initially fateful decision. As the story begins and soon progresses from the moment Sam (Radnor) decides to temporarily house a stranded boy found on the subway, played by a straight-forward Michael Algieri, our hearts begin to swell just a bit in light of the almost-genuine gesture amid other troubles he has come across. Thereafter, our protagonist remains quite likeable and Radnor proves he can flex his charm and exercise wit on the silver-screen. The same cannot be said for some of the supporting actors/actresses. A relationship between Mary-Catherine and Charlie (Zoe Kazan and Pablo Schreiber) is spliced interject-ably throughout the film. Through the motive of love and redemption is prominent in their lives and is temporally relevant to the main story, the relationship feels a bit emotionally disjointed at times from the audience as Sam has minimal interactions with either character, and thoughts of "Why should we care?" flash amid their tribulations. Sam's best friend Annie (Malin Akerman) is a slightly different story. First met with a sense of forced pity and slight annoyance during and after her alopecia bit, Annie battles her emotions everyday with mixed results until she is forced to close her eyes and yield to a kindred spirit. Akerman's performance can be piercing at times and though you may not wish to do so early on, you can't help but to root for her success as the film near its climax. The camera work is splendid and the script is sharp but maintains a familiar sense of humor we find in Radnor's small-screen work. While not all of the characters in Radnor's directorial and writing debut are appealing, his "all hands-on-deck" approach is a solid foundation of what may come in his promising big-screen career and "happythankyoumoreplease" is a well made slice-of-life standalone film. While I enjoyed this film, I cannot wait for bigger and better projects from him in the near future.
Review Date: 2/24/2012

As a disclaimer, I know next to nothing about politics, its processes, and campaign regulations; thus, I couldn't say anything as to the validity of what was projected in this film. What I can attest to is the striking and seemingly effortless fluidity put on display in co-star and director George Clooney's film. The Ides of March features a blockbuster cast headed by a very smart and focused Ryan Gosling whose cool demeanor is, at times, pulsating. I can't recall another recent film that had such an accomplished cast that delivered so effectively in that each key actor and actress carried a small bit of the film and each helped propel it forward. The editing was air tight and the cinematography helped create moments of tension, jubilation, and suspense. The story itself was incredibly interesting and the screenplay team managed to keep it lucid. This is Clooney's fourth directorial showing on the silver screen and he appears to be mastering his craft as this thrilling film of integrity, honesty, and deceit paves a new road for future political films.
Review Date: 4/5/2012

Not without fault, the Duplass brothers have crafted a funny and poignant film about human inter-relationships, fate, and the oft-powerful results. The powerful on-screen mingling between the characters of Jason Segel and Ed Helms blended well with the slightly dark humor of Jay and Mark Duplass. The hand of co-producer Jason Reitman could absolutely be seen in what can oxymoronicly described as short-lived melancholy throughout the film only to be superimposed by bursts of heart-rendering bliss and vice versa. Even Susan Sarandon's character, who is supposed to be the character's family foundation, falls to subdued emotion and frustration as the events of this production unfold. Along with the superb production and script, the camera work was technically very good and each actor/actress delivered a knockout performance. Predictability not withstanding, Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a wonderful, heartfelt tale by what is sure to be the longstanding and successful careers of Jay and Mark Duplass.
Review Date: 12/20/2012

How well you receive this movie may depend on the notion of realism: does the viewer easily get swept away with tales of splendor, dabbling with the extraordinary while accepting its accompanying superficial counterpart at the same time, or does the viewer have a stronghold with the tangibles, accepting what is possible while letting everything else that isn't fall by the waist-side? This dichotomy may alienate the movie's favorite from unfavorable fan base. Limitless' strong suits are quite good: sharp editing, moderate cinematography, mise en scene, and favorable lead performances head Neil Burger's production. The negatives come from the foundation of believability. If the viewer doesn't buy into the premise, what is there to enjoy? It would look like a mere fictional production of a drug addict with a brain. The plot steamrolls through most of the film but becomes a bit stagnant in the end, and even treading into contrived waters. Despite these, the sum of its parts make this final product well-refined and a joy to watch - even if you don't buy into absolutely everything this production conveys.


Review Date: 12/19/2011

Director Paul Thomas Anderson has a striking history at molding films that creep into the human psyche and resonate, for better or for worse. Anderson's The Master dives into Freddie Quell's (Phoenix) PTSD-riddled life back home. Amid his misadventures, he crosses paths with The Master, Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) and his covenant of loyal believers. What ensues is a mental struggle between both male leads both among each other as well as within themselves. The performances by Hoffman and Phoenix are nothing short of captivating. Hoffman puts on a clinic (literally and figuratively) with his commanding prose while Phoenix delivers a very convincing role. Unfortunately for the leads, this is by and far the best aspect about this film. The character arc is very lacking and seems to resemble a troubled transmission; it sometimes shifts, sometimes regresses, and other times cannot make it out of first gear at all. The overall absence of any real development stunts what could have been a very dynamic film. Some may argue there is/isn't a real plot. I lie in the middle and maintain that while the writers' gave the film an interesting and workable story-line, the execution did not effectively deliver. There were a couple other positives, however, with the splendid camera work, use of cinematography, and apt use of mise en scene. In the end, the two working cogs that were the bravado performances of the two spectacular male leads could not support a machine whose other major systems were either malfunctioning or stuck in technical sludge.
Review Date: 2/9/2014

Despite a meandering subplot and an improbable romance, director/writer/head of photography Gareth Edwards created a surprisingly vivid and splendidly handsome "what-if" portrayal of extra-terrestrial infestation. Throughout the film, viewers are treated to an array of wonderful cinematography aided by sharp editing and sprinkled with effective, but not detracting, CGI and special effects. While a lot of viewers complain about the absence of the actual aliens, I do not believe a heavy increase of on-screen time for the creatures would have aided the film in any way. Rather, it may merely present more artificial eye-candy for a film that already had plenty, both artificially and naturally, by means of the aforementioned. Perhaps certain marketing, trailers, or even critics have unfairly deemed this film as a "horror" or "disaster film," which may lead viewers to expect something that isn't there; thus, leading to ultimate disappointment and even regret. However, if one goes into this film with a clean slate and appreciation for good, not great, film-making, it will be hard not to take something positive away from this little gem.
Review Date: 6/8/2011

Nowadays, a fair assortment of films are unfairly but understandably billed as something other than what they portray in advertisements, often times due to limited temporal restraints, companies or advertisers purposefully front-loading the product, and/or a questionable choice of editing cuts and mixes for a movie trailer. From the trailer(s) I previewed, Our Idiot Brother was slated to be, above all else, a laugh riot of a comedy. This is not the case. What this film does portray is an optimistic swelling of the heart goodness driven by a very talented cast led by a particularly charming Paul Rudd. The film does a sensational job focusing on the character-driven plot and the resulting situations that Ned (Rudd) and his three sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer) find themselves in after he is thrust back into their lives. The only major drawback to this production is a minor one; the film momentarily loses its believability a couple sequences before the ending and would otherwise risk its cohesion if it weren't for the bighearted, if not overly sudden and slightly unjustified, fondness radiating the characters in those scenes. Ultimately, the positives far outweigh the negatives in this movie, even if the actual comedy was set to mild. The cliche of cliches "feel-good movie of the year" comes to mind when describing this film and I wish I could say otherwise artistically - if only it wasn't due to my grinning like an idiot from beginning to end and coming away with a fresh sense of infectious optimism.
Review Date: 1/9/2012

Some indie and not-so-indie DVD film releases alike try to lure the audience in by plastering misleading festival banners that they have been shown in, awards they may have been given, and verbatim, often out of context, quotes from the press. The lattermost would be the only option that would apply to Please Give's cover art and subsequent back art and synopsis. But make no mistake: None of the above need apply.

This wonderful slice-of-life gem from writer/director Nicole Holofcener highlights the less glamorous and molds it into something serene. A solid cast led by Catherine Keener takes a good script and turns into something unique while allowing the viewers to feel passion for even the more cynical characters. While not overly funny, the humor can be razor-sharp, most notably by Dick Van Dyke and The Nanny fame TV actress Ann Morgan Guilbert. My only gripe about the film is that the plot felt slightly misguided for an iota amount of time before finding its steam and powering forward with emotion and depth. While the replay value may not be high, this is a slow burning film everyone should see that dances with the macabre but eventually makes you feel good.
Review Date: 11/9/2011

Ridley Scott's newest sci-fi Prometheus, a faux prequel to Alien, is the king's cup of alienating a fanbase while generating an incredible amount of conversation amid pundits and enthusiasts alike. Scott's premise in the film is that a team of scientists/explorers set forth to a distant "planet" that may hold the secret of human life. What transpires is a culmination of awe, bewilderment, admiration, and frustration, but not necessarily in that order. The awe comes from the wonderful splendor that is the film's graphics, CGI, and cinematography. In every scene, even every frame, visual satisfaction is easily abundant. The feature's actors, particularly a calm but captivating Michael Fassbender, further aid its likability. I'd be shocked and disappointed if Fassbender isn't a multiple Oscar and Golden Globe winner within the next decade. This movie also sports solid sound engineering, great video editing, and a good sense of mise en scene. Now we come to the driving point of all films and the focal point regarding most of the post-release talk of this film: the plot. Obviously, regarding the aforementioned premise and the synopsis of the film, the topic at hand was always going to be a big issue. For the greater part of the movie, mystique woven into action crafted a distinctly enjoyable plot experience that was sprinkled with suspense. Without giving anything away, Prometheus ended with a lot of questions left unanswered after finishing on an open conclusion. This isn't necessarily a negative point as this can generate intelligent discussion, but it does mar what could have been a more profound statement regarding relating issues and leaving important sub-plots unattended and underdeveloped. I found the plot intelligently designed but not without several flaws that the viewer will have to decipher on his or her own. Consequently, those discoveries turned a great and unique plot into merely a good story. Ultimately, Prometheus is a solid sci-fi romp that will work the mind and please the senses but not without avoidable fault.
Review Date: 12/22/2012

Corny and predictability not withstanding, Real Steel is a highly enjoyable film that executes visually as well as emotionally. Shawn Levy's film bolsters an enigmatic Hugh Jackson and a solid performance from child actor Dakota Goyo. While a couple cinematic sequences were almost painful to watch, most of the movie benefits from good cinematography, great use of mise en scene, and, of course, apt use of that slick technology we know and love as CGI. The main course of the movie serves us with two highly predictable plots. This does not mean, however, that the dish disagrees with the moviegoer's palate. How the climax of the film will be received depends on the individual's sense of believability and the ever constant dichotomy of reality versus fantasy. Slightly ridiculous? Perhaps, but the surprisingly emotional and delightfully entertaining ride is one that should be ridden at least once.
Review Date: 8/15/2012

It's difficult to articulately and accurately depict a film whose work reflects perhaps the greatest writer who ever took to ink if, in fact, the author of the review has barely engulfed himself to the writer's talents. Trying is the next best investment. Julie Taymor's The Tempest fills the silver screen with visual cinematic splendor while her thespians vest themselves in the depth of the Shakespeare's final masterpiece. The film's gorgeous use of color, texture, and CGI trick and treat our eyes to a pleasant experience. The talents of the actors/actresses, particularly Ben Whishaw and Djimon Hounsou, add to the experience's depth. The issue with the film is that there was no emotional connection to the story and its characters. While I could appreciate what was being displayed, my personal experience as the viewer was disjointed. Their collective fates had no bearing on me and, consequently, no meaning. I also understand the power of dialogue in this classic telling. However, I felt some of the sequences played out for what seemed like ages due to lack of intrigue while others eclipsed in no time at all. Thus, the long ongoing "dramatic" buildup faltered into a crumbling mess of a finish. This is a film that will draw you in with its visual delights and ultimately disappoint due to its uneven keel of emotional shallowness, missing intrigue, and temporal instability.
Review Date: 4/15/2014

While agreed that this movie's setting and cinematography was good, the story itself was rushed the whole way through and did not make for an overall good viewing. As soon as a sequence of events begin, another sequence rushes in before the previous one is seen out to adequate completion. It does contain a few nice segments, however.
Review Date: 6/2/2009

1 to 16 of 16