Friday Flix: What we’ve been watching

It’s been a while. I kept feeling like I should post something about the whole Bundy takeover of the Malheur Refuge but every time I went to write something, writer’s block struck. Then I wrote something that will probably forever stay locked in the documents folder of my computer. The whole thing is still a bit raw. In truth, I’m still processing it. So instead here’s an entertainment roundup of what we’ve been watching in the last couple of months. Considering the serious nature of the recent wildlife refuge occupation, our viewing habits have been decidedly light for the most part (with the exception of “True Detective”).

JurassicWorldJurassic World: Fun, frothy entertainment about a dinosaur theme park one generation removed from “Jurassic Park.” The operators of the new park have the whole thing down to a science, which thrills patrons by allowing them to interact with real dinosaurs. Think a cross between Sea World and a zoo, but with prehistoric behemoths. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Claire, the career-driven woman who runs the park from the lofty vantage of her sterile high rise office. So we know she is ripe for a come-uppance. Chris Pratt (who will forever be Andy from “Parks and Rec”) plays the seasoned velociraptor trainer, Owen, who is forced to help Claire deal with the chaos created by scientists playing God with dino DNA. Claire’s nephews add a little levity to the situation when the dinosaurs are inevitably let loose. But of course, they also provide plenty of CHILDREN IN DANGER moments to create forced pathos from the audience. I thoroughly enjoyed the CGI dinosaurs, and while the plot was a bit derivative and the characters were stock stereotypes, it was a nice two-hour diversion.

SanAndreasSan Andreas: A movie about a giant earthquake swallowing up San Francisco could hardly be considered light. But hey, it stars Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, so you know it’s not going to be an Oscar contender. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Rock, but he is known for more action-oriented films than period dramas. On the action front San Andreas does not disappoint. The CGI is so believable you’ll feel like the impending disaster is about to break through your living room walls and engulf your house. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen. However, a side plot involving The Rock and his ex-wife felt shoe-horned in and was completely unnecessary. There are plenty of DAMSEL IN DISTRESS moments and the Rock’s movie daughter has a few heroic moments herself. Gotta say I really enjoyed this one too. Just know that it is what is. No apologies.

VacationVacation: If you’re up for an hour and a half of potty humor and sight gags (which I totally was) then this is the movie for you. An update of the original “Vacation” (1983) starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo, this one stars Ed Helms and Christina Applegate. And the film’s whole premise banks heavily on the likeability of its stars, so thank heavens Helms and Applegate fit the bill to a T. As Rusty Griswald, Helms is a nice guy who is tired of the jerks of the world having all the fun. He decides to recreate his childhood road trip to Wally World, dragging his somewhat reluctant wife and kids along for the ride. As Debbie Griswald, Applegate has just the right blend of skepticism and spontaneity. She’d rather vacation in France, but since Rusty’s so gung-ho, she’ll make the best of it. Older son James and younger son Kevin were cast perfectly. James is at the dorky stage of adolescence, and Kevin’s potty mouth will shock those of us who grew up in households where “shut-up” was considered a bad word. It’s one horrifying misadventure after another, and I laughed out loud more than once. That’s a win in my book.

TrainwreckTrainwreck: If you’ve never seen comedian Amy Schumer’s stand-up, I’d recommend searching her out on YouTube before you watch this one. Her brand of humor is one of those that you will either love or hate. She is sexually frank and upfront about things most people would not own up to in polite conversation. And she’s hilarious. This film basically takes all her stand-up routines and puts them in a coherent rom-com format. She plays a single magazine writer who plays the field and can’t see the benefit of a long-term relationship thanks to growing up with a Dad who couldn’t stay faithful to her mother. I liked the relationship between her and her sister. That felt realistic to me. Her relationship with celebrity sports doctor Aaron played by SNL’s Bill Hader, not so much. Hader is a likeable enough guy, and funny in his own right, but I simply didn’t buy him as her love interest. But I suppose that’s OK. This is Schumer’s movie, and she shines enough to overpower the elements I didn’t like.

TrueDetectiveDVDCoverTrue Detective, season 1: This one is dark folks. But I’ll admit that I couldn’t wait for the successive DVDs to arrive after we’d watched the first 3 episodes (yes, we are stuck in the dark ages out here with no streaming, it just eats up too much data). Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star as a pair of odd couple type detectives partnered to work a ritualistic murder of a young woman in rural Louisiana. The show works because the pairing of McConaughey and Harrelson is pure genius. It’s a who-dun-it told in flashback with McConaughey and Harrelson playing older versions of themselves looking back on the case, so the show’s continuity is all over the place and yet, oddly compelling. McConaughey’s Rust Cohle is a hot mess with a tragic backstory and a deeply wary view of the world. He’s such an intriguing character that I think the writers must have felt like they hit the jackpot in writing his dialogue. Harrelson’s Marty Hart is a troubled family man with a wandering eye. His easy-going persona bumps up against Rust’s cynicism, and I loved the interaction between the two characters. The mystery of the case is interesting and macabre in its own right, but it is the interplay between these two detectives that will have you coming back for more.

In addition, we’ve been watching PBS “Frontline” episodes on fantasy football, childhood poverty and terrorism. Our guilty pleasure has been FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson.” So now I want to know, what are you watching?

Friday Flix: Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max Fury RoadI really didn’t think I would like this movie. I think I was a little prejudiced from what I knew (or what I thought I knew) about Max Max movies from ’70s and ’80s. So imagine my surprise when I not only liked this film, I loved it.

For a movie that is basically one huge car chase, “Mad Max: Fury Road” also packs an emotional punch with the amazing Charlize Theron acting as the soul of a movie that could easily have been a mindless action thriller. There are some truly ridonkulous moments, but if you can suspend your disbelief long enough to accept the crazy world that is Mad Max, you will accept the ridiculous and perhaps even embrace it by the end of this epic road rage trip.

We meet Max as he is being chased by an insane roving band called the War Boys. They capture him, but not before he puts up quite a fight. They bring him back to their city, which is … bizarre. They live in a system of caves called the Citadel ruled by a tyrant called Immortan Joe. In this post-nuclear holocaust world the desert landscape stretches far and wide and water and greenery are highly prized. Immortan Joe hordes both of these things, which maintains his power but creates much animosity between himself and the rest of the people who reside at the Citadel. Another thing in short supply is gasoline. So Joe sends one of his lieutenants, Imperator Furiosa, on a mission to lead a caravan to collect more fuel. Theron plays Furiosa with such steely focus that at first you’re not sure which side she is on. But it soon becomes apparent that she’s got her own agenda when she veers off course on the gas run. She’s done the unthinkable and taken Joe’s most prized possessions, his five wives. Upon discovering this, Joe is enraged and assembles a war party to chase down Furiosa.

The imprisoned Max, played by Tom Hardy, gets caught up in the mix as he has been designated a universal blood donor and is being used to give transfusions to a sick War Boy. Max is literally attached to the War Boy by a tube and so inevitably has to go on the war path when Joe amasses forces to go after Furiosa. The action from here on out is relentless. The urgency of Furiosa’s mission is palpable and the tension between herself, Max and the wives is ever present. There is very little trust between anyone in this post-apocalyptic world where resources are so few. You look out for yourself or you are dead. That is why Furiosa’s self-imposed mission to free Joe’s wives is so interesting. Along the way, Max develops a begrudging respect for Furiosa, and she in turn appreciates his help but also his ability to stay out of her way.

This movie could have been all about Max saving the wives from returning to Joe’s clutches, but it truly was about Furiosa and her female agency. This was her movie, and I appreciate director George Miller’s trust in his characters and the viewers to let it be Furiosa’s tale. It ended up being a far more intriguing story that way. Hardy’s Max was actually an excellent foil to Theron’s Furiosa. After seeing her in action, he does the smart thing and lets her lead. He recognizes her capability and knack for survival and wisely steps back so she can enact her plan.

There was actually a lot left unsaid about Furiosa. For starters, she is missing a hand. How did she lose it? We never find out. Nobody ever mentions it, probably because she is just as capable with one hand as most people are with two. It’s just not an issue. How did she get to be a lieutenant in Joe’s army? We never find that out. She is an enigma. But her emotional intensity is what makes us like her. She is nearly invincible yet somehow vulnerable. She is almost a mythic figure in the physical feats she accomplishes and yet, she is down-to-earth and practical in her approach to saving the wives. She is a character worth building a franchise around, though I suspect they will continue on featuring Max in future installments seeing as how the films are named after him.

If you’re up for an unyielding road chase through an amazingly detailed desolate desert landscape with characters that are captivating and defy stereotypes, then “Mad Max: Fury Road” should be right up your alley. It kind of blew my mind, in a good way. Have you seen this movie? What did you think?

Friday Flix: Longmire

longmire-season-3-dvd-cover-01We were a little late to the party on “Longmire,” a TV series set in a small Wyoming town about a sheriff and his small posse of deputies who solve crimes. There’s an inordinate number of murders that occur in sparsely populated Absaroka County, Wyoming. When we first discovered this series last year, I was instantly drawn to the strong, silent Sheriff Walt Longmire, played by Robert Taylor. He lives in a rural log cabin, drives a beat up old bronco, drinks Ranier beer and eschews most forms of technology, especially cell phones. Since his wife died, under somewhat murky circumstances, he seems to have isolated himself to the point where his daughter and staff are very concerned. Walt’s solution is to throw himself back into work.

The supporting cast includes Victoria “Vic” Moretti (Katee Sackoff), a forthright young woman who is the deputy most often at Walt’s side when investigating crimes. She is devoted to Sheriff Longmire both professionally and personally, in ways that might not be completely appropriate for someone who is married. She is brash, acts first and asks questions later, which can get her into trouble. But I can’t help but like prickly Vic. Sackoff has created a multi-faceted character, and while I might not agree with her decisions, she always feels true to character. She’s tough but vulnerable, which can be hard to pull off for an actor.

Deputy Branch Connally (Bailey Chase) fills the role of the up-and-comer with his eyes on Walt’s job. He’s also got the sexy, brooding cowboy thing going on, but although he’s a bit more accessible than Walt, he lacks experience and knowledge of the community. Branch also comes from a wealthy family and is used to having things handed to him, something that is in direct opposition to Walt’s hardworking background.

Deputy Ferguson “The Ferg,” played by Adam Bartley, adds the comic relief as he is a bit of a bumbling clown, though he does things by the book and gets frustrated with Walt’s unconventional problem solving methods. I’m hoping they give Ferg’s character more to do in upcoming seasons because I feel like there is a good backstory there. Both Vic and Branch have had their stories fleshed out, but Ferg remains a one-dimensional character at this point.

Walt’s best friend is Henry Standing Bear, a Native American played by Lou Diamond Phillips. While Walt and Henry have a long-standing friendship, there is still quite a bit of animosity between Walt and the leaders of the nearby reservation. The tribal police don’t trust Walt or his department and go to great lengths to keep them off the reservation. I like that even though Walt is clearly the hero of the story, the Native Americans don’t see him as a savior who is going to solve all their problems. One moral, well-meaning white man is not going to erase decades of mistreatment. It’s a complicated relationship between the people of the reservation and the community of people Walt serves as sheriff. The grey areas between races are layered and steeped in this country’s history, and I hope the writers continue to treat it with care and compassion.

Based on the “Longmire” novels by Craig Johnson, the series ran for four seasons on A&E before it was cancelled. However, Netflix has picked it up for a fourth season! If you haven’t seen Longmire yet, it’s worth a look. While the episodes are constructed like a typical crime drama with the sheriff and his deputies solving a crime each episode, the greater character arcs do offer some originality. I can relate to the small town, rural atmosphere. The actors, particularly Taylor, Sackoff and Phillips portray their characters in a way that feels true to life. There’s nothing easy about the decisions they make, and that keeps me coming back for more.

We must not be the only ones. On a recent trip to Bend we were following a motorhome with plates from back east that had a bumper sticker that read “Honesty & Integrity, Walt Longmire, Sheriff Absaroka County.”

Friday Flix: Taken 3

We saw “Taken” on DVD about a year after it was released in theaters and boy howdy were we impressed. It’s not so much that it’s a masterpiece of cinema – it’s just really good at what it is: a taut action thriller that grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the credits roll for the entirety of its spare 93-minute run time.

In “Taken,” retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson) must make use of his particular set of skills when his teenage daughter is kidnapped while on vacation in Paris. He follows her trail through Europe as her kidnappers prepare to sell her to the highest bidder on the human trafficking market. Neeson plays Mills with razor focus, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake as he vows to take his revenge on the kidnappers and return his daughter to safety. DJ and I still quote the iconic scene when he’s on the phone with his daughter who is hiding out hoping to evade the kidnappers ransacking her vacation house.

The movie was a surprise sleeper hit when it was released in 2008. Made on a modest budget of $25 million, it ended up grossing more than $145 million. And you know Hollywood executives aren’t going to let a cash cow like that go unmilked. “Taken 2” and “Taken 3” were released in 2012 and 2014 respectively. We were totally on board for both sequels. That’s how much we liked the first one. Of course, they aren’t as good as the original, but the thing that makes them work is Neeson. His Bryan Mills is compelling enough to watch through all three films. He’s a dedicated dad whose demanding career got in the way of his marriage. But he doesn’t let a pesky thing like divorce come between him and his daughter, and he’s decent to his ex, which wins him points, too.

Taken 3So technically this review is supposed to be about “Taken 3.” I wasn’t super fond of the set up for this one. I felt like the filmmakers used up their creativity in the first two movies and then felt the need to go for shock value in the third. Spoiler alert: the ex-wife dies early on in the movie, which forces Mills to go on the run as the police tag him as the murderer. Forest Whitaker plays the lead agent tracking Mills as he tries to find the real murderer to prove his innocence. Now we all know Whitaker is one heck of an actor who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland.” He’s also an accomplished director and producer. With all his talent, I felt like the screenwriters could have done so much more with his character, but he turns in an understated almost clichéd performance of an agent who is always one step behind the fugitive.

“Taken 3” lacks the relentless drive of the first movie and the exotic locales of the second one. I’m not sure I can totally recommend this movie, but as a fan of the first one, I didn’t feel like it was a waste of an evening either. So here’s your takeaway: if you haven’t seen “Taken,” add it to your Netflix queue pronto. Take or leave the rest.

Friday Flix: The Grand Budapest Hotel

We’re going to start doing movie reviews each Friday. Living out in the boonies with data-capped internet access we don’t have the luxury of streaming Netflix movies and TV shows like we did when we lived in town. However, we still watch movies the old school way – on DVD. We were thinking it would be fun to document our weekly movies with reviews here on the blog. Having watched “Cars 2” approximately 78 times, I could write a lengthy dissertation on the abundance of cultural stereotypes in animated movies and their impact on young minds. But I’ll just say the first “Cars” movie is better and leave it at that.

Grand Budapest HotelSo let’s dive right into “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” shall we?

We rented this movie by director Wes Anderson because we’ve loved some of his other movies, most notably “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Bottle Rocket.” DJ especially enjoys Anderson’s humor and flawed characters. Unfortunately, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” put us to sleep. Literally.

Told in flashback, the film is set in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between World War I and World War II and follows M. Gustave, a concierge at the hotel and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his friend. Ralph Fiennes plays Gustave who is drawn into some convoluted plot involving the inheritance of a priceless Renaissance painting. There are appearances by Wes Anderson movie regulars Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Edward Norton, but honestly I simply couldn’t get behind any of the characters. The sets were so intricately drawn up, the costumes so detailed and characters’ movements so precisely choreographed that I felt the movie tripped over its own cleverness. One has to appreciate director Anderson’s attention to detail but I really felt it got in the way of the story, which I wasn’t fond of to begin with.

So we will continue to be fans of Wes Anderson. This movie simply wasn’t our bag of chips. Have you seen this film? Did you like it? I would love to hear differing opinions in the comments.

So as not to end on a sour note, anyone have any movies they would recommend we add to our Netflix queue?