Review: "Wrecked"

Wrecked (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you remember the end of the movie "Snake Eyes", and the condition of Nicolas Cage's character? He was limping, bruised, bleeding and a bit hysterical (of course). Wasn't that cool? Now, imagine that a near unknown independent feature comes along, with little to no dialogue, just one main setting, and an actor that has to START the movie from where Cage ended the one listed above. Oh, and the actor is Adrien Brody. How much would that rock?

Luckily, someone already imagined it. In "Wrecked", Adrien Brody plays a man with no name, who wakes up in a crashed car in a forest. A few dead bodies surround the area, making him the only known survivor. His leg is broken and trapped, his face is cut up and heavily bruised and he is scared shitless. Remember, this is the beginning of the film.

Throughout the next 90 minutes, we witness Brody (who I explained in an earlier post is a sex symbol) cry, piss on himself, hallucinate, crawl through the woods and make friends with a dog. Slowly, through flashbacks and some evidence on the ground, we get the idea that he was somehow involved in a bank robbery - but he has more pressing matters to deal with; finding help and staying sane.

As an oscar winner, Brody ought to be choosing cushy roles - the kind that guarantee large paydays and maybe critical acclaim. Instead, he fucks a genetic hybrid ("Splice"), kills alien hunters ("Predators"), portrays Salvador Dali ("Midnight in Paris") and stars as Psycho Ed ("High School"). When he picks a role, it must be because it sounds fun.

And, you know what, watching Brody grunt for an entire movie IS fun.

Holding this movie back are the flashbacks and the ending. It would've been much better to have seen Adrien not remember ANYTHING, and just watch his character struggle with a broken/infected leg, trying to survive another day. Instead, we find out exactly how he ended up in the accident, what the hallucinations meant and that it was all some weird PSA for seat belts.

What was the point of all of this? *Spoilers* Brody was a hostage who caused the accident to get away from the robbers, and the hallucination was his wife, who we thought was a representation of guilt or something (which he shoots at one point). Was this just about survival? A guy loots the car at one point, and is later found dead in a cave - what happened and what did that mean?

I think this was all just an excuse to watch Adrien Brody do a mix of "127 Hours" and "Cast Away", minus the dialogue and hope. A new genre called Brody-sploitation has been created, and for that, I thank the filmmakers. Oh, and Adrien Brody, of course.

3/5 *'s

Help Kickstart Movies To Geaux

Image via Wikipedia

I'm old enough to remember what going to a drive in movie was like. It was similar to watching a Fourth of July fireworks display; lots of people, lots of cars, lawn chairs, and snacks under a starry night.

You would think that watching a movie in a quiet setting and more enclosed environment would be preferable, but outdoor cinema provides an excellent communal / party like atmosphere, perfect for socializing.

Unfortunately, the State of Louisiana no longer has any operating drive in theaters. Can outdoor cinema make a comeback and thrive in the Pelican State? The New Orleans Film Society certainly hopes so:

"For the first time, in 2011, NOFS decided to offer movies al fresco and hosted the largest outdoor film events the city had ever seen (nearly 1,000 people gathered for our first event at NOMA's Besthoff Sculpture Garden!). In 2012, we're expanding in this arena and are eager to purchase equipment so we can essentially be "on the geaux" with our very own mobile cinema system. We want to bring together audiences for exciting free and low-cost film events in neighborhoods around the city. We see the potential to show a wide range of films as part of Movies To Geaux: classics, cult films, Louisiana favorites and more."

This is excellent news. Maybe it's not a "classic" drive in, but it is able to bring movies to any/every park, rooftop, neighborhood and side of building in the area, providing moviegoers with an extremely one of a kind event. Imagine a horror double feature in the abandoned Six Flags site, or watching a classic like "All The Kings Men" in Duncan Plaza (across from City Hall). Maybe "Steamboat Bill, Jr." by the lake? These are the type of events that NOFS can bring to life.

And outdoor cinema easily trumps 3D, in my opinion. Sure, in Southeast Louisiana, you'd be trading in air condition for humidity and maybe mosquitoes, but any film fan can live with that; watching Hal 9000 plot murder under a crystal clear night while discussing the movie with friends easily beats watching Nicolas Cage throwing an axe at the screen of a corporate multiplex while remaining absolutely quiet.   

To fund this project, NOFS need to raise $4,500 in 28 days (as of this posting). A modest investment would go a great way to providing a more social movie going experience for the NOLA community. Why not chip in?

MovieBoozer Redux: "In Time"

Sometimes, after completing a writing assignment, my thoughts on the subject continue. I recently posted a review for "In Time" on MovieBoozer , and while I'm happy with it, I feel like commenting a little more. Below is the original review, with some additions/changes:

Several weeks in, Occupy Wall Street is only getting stronger. The populist movement has taken hold of a country that has seen too much corruption, and not enough justice. Hollywood, always there to capitalize, has provided some escapist relief for the disenchanted. But does it matter if the relief provided has the subtlety of a hammer over the head?

“In Time” is set in either an alternate universe or a distant future, where science has found a way to shut off the aging gene once a person reaches 25. After that, a permanent clock on your arm is set, giving you one year left to live. If you want to live longer you must add more time - now the global currency - to your clock. Of course, with a free market in a world like that, not everyone can be immortal.

Our story follows Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), who, after an encounter with a suicidal man, is given over a century of time. This, coupled with the death of his mother, the hooking up with an attractive heiress (Amanda Seyfried), and a pursuit by a relentless TimeKeeper (a cop, Cillian Murphy), starts Will off on a mission to upset a corrupt system that favors the few and exploits the many.

A Toast

The creative allegory of a society where time is literally money, where the rich are immortal and the poor live literally day to day, is not only strong, but fairly easy to grasp. Any American living paycheck to paycheck can immediately relate to this, and will definitely root for the Will Salas' forced wealth redistribution. And any help in getting the message out about income inequality and a corrupt financial system is only a good thing. 

Beer Two

I was ecstatic when I read that Andrew Niccol was going to write and direct this. His previous films Gattaca (Special Edition) and Lord of War both dealt with major issues without being too on the nose about it. For example, in the beginning of "Lord of War", we see Nicolas Cage, in a suit, standing amongst millions of bullets, wondering how He can sell more guns. On the nose, yes. But the rest of the movie deals more with his character than with the issue of international gun running.

With “In Time”, however, Andrew Niccol seems to have lost his touch. In almost every scene, characters talk about how it sucks that too many are left without while too few have all the power. No internal character study/conflict in the midst of the corruption, just Bonnie & Clyde/robin Hood style action against said corruption. And puns. There are LOTS of time puns.

Beer Three

Will and his girlfriend are on the run from a TimeKeeper, whose mission is to arrest them and restore order to this unfair system. In a few scenes, He makes reference to knowing Will's father. An interesting development could come from this; is there a secret about Will's father that might give more insight into his own character/struggle? Something that might give the movie more substance? Nope. Will's father is only briefly mentioned, and never brought up again.

Beer Four

At one point, Will breaks into a time bank by crashing a truck into it. Afterwards, during an investigation of the event, a TimeKeeper quips “They must’ve thought it was a drive thru”. Hardy har har.

Verdict

The accuracy of the films message doesn’t make up for the poor way it's expressed. This is unfortunate, especially coming from Andrew Niccol. Maybe the studio wanted a dumbed down action flick and were hoping the public wouldn't care? In the end, we at least get to see a regular Joe take down fat cats with force. Maybe that's all the public needs right now? That and major political reform, of course.  

Bonus Drinking Game

Take a Drink: For every pun about time (recommended).

Take a Drink: Whenever you wish for more subtlety.  

Take a Swig: If you were as disappointed as I was.