2006, DreamWorks SKG/Warner Brothers, Dir. Clint Eastwood - Starring Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, Barry Pepper, John Benjamin Hickey, John Slattery, Jamie Bell, Paul Walker, Robert Patrick, Neal McDonough, Melanie Lynskey, Thomas McCarthy

War movies today tend to lose their edge realistically, especially due to their lack of individual conflict and visceral images from the battlefields. Many today are broad depictions of attacks, mostly to strike a patriotic (or non-patriotic) nerve for its intended audience. It’s a different case with Clint Eastwood’s Flags of our Fathers, the first part of his Iwo Jima retrospective. Joe Rosenthal’s famous photo of the siege’s flag-raising has had mental images burned into the minds of Americans since its first release, but little has been known about the true stories. Based on the factual novel by James Bradley (the son of the film’s narrative), Flags unleashes a vivid story onto the viewer, but only dives halfway into its potential. Some weak acting and messy editing alters the film, leaving many - including myself - confused on its central message. The concept of heroes is purely personal, but it feels at time that Eastwood is trying to strain a neutral stance out of his viewers. Still, Clint’s keen eye for cinematography and the brash, dark visuals lend a hand to what could have been a very dangerous project - yet it still shoots some blanks.

Despite its implied connection with victory over Iwo Jima, the flag raising was done after a mere five days of battle. The film follows a brigade of soldiers who destroy as much opposition as possible located on or around Mount Suribachi, a volcanic feature on the island of Iwo Jima. After believing they’ve killed all enemies in their section, the soldiers - compiled of Navy corpsman John Bradley (Phillippe), runner Rene Gagnon (Bradford), Native American soldier Ira Hayes (Beach), sergeant Michael Strank (Pepper), Franklin Sousley (Joseph Cross), and Harlon Block (Benjamin Walker) - raise the replacement flag after a commanding general asked to keep the first flag for himself. Rosenthal (Ned Eisenberg) then takes the photo, which is plastered across newspapers worldwide. A sensation rages across the land, and the three surviving soldiers - Bradley, Gagnon, and Hayes - are shipped back to the States to start a heavy PR tour urging citizens to buy bonds immediately. Still living with the loss of their dead friends and feeling pressured by the government to use their fame for a marketing ploy, Flags unfolds the events of the three soldiers.

Ryan Phillippe gives an unusually subtle performance as John Bradley, who tends to be the most reserved of the three soldiers. He’s your average Joe in the war, fighting for his country and doing his best to preserve freedom. Bradley is no furious patriot nor is he forced into the war, but he’s merely looking out for the future of the USA. Phillippe is strictly plain vanilla, and in this case, it works. Jesse Bradford plays Rene Gagnon, the over-enthusiastic runner (non-battling) soldier whose moment of fame came with raising one flag. Bradford jumps onto the screen in flying colors, but even his own guilt for not doing more begins to effect his character. Gagnon is not really the most sympathetic of the three, and finds himself lost after his fame wears away. Somehow, the character - along with its respective acting job - feels unimportant and never factors in thematically. Adam Beach, who plays Native American Ira Hayes, feels misplaced. Despite having the “look” of the character, his emotional facets never feel in touch with the real Hayes. Rather, Beach is the “lost” soldier, but the character never strikes a nerve with the audience. Barry Pepper’s performance as sergeant Mike Strank is the more affecting supporting characters, uniting the group together for the flag raising.

Visually, Flags looks fantastic. The battle scenes are almost entirely saturated, to stir emotion into the island of Iwo Jima, and effectively separating the soldier’s war memories with their trips across the US. Colors of dark grey and blue fill the landscape, with only fire and gunplay to strike contrast on the battlefields. But as for the story itself, Eastwood becomes so caught up in explaining the veterans’ stories fact-by-fact, that it loses its dramatic human touch. Once the first title card passes, an aged John Bradley (played by actor George Grizzard) quotes, “Every jackass thinks they know about war.” I was waiting for a wise response to this, and I waited. And waited. And before I knew it, two hours had flown past me, and I was none the wiser. I feel Eastwood’s intentions for Flags of our Fathers were faithful to those who died in the battle, but sadly, the upcoming viscera and death toll shadows the audience from a broad perspective of war. True, the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima became a press opportunity that blocks three good soldiers from doing more from their country, but their willingness to take on their fame made them heroic in another fashion. But beyond all the confusing flashbacks and the concentration of Ira’s personal struggle with alcohol, there was a great movie.

Flags of our Fathers hits the heartstrings here and there, but it failed to thoroughly provoke me. It will be different for every audience member, perhaps depending on a political stance you take, or considering our involvement with the Iraqi war. But Eastwood’s attempt at the vulnerable war epic barely passes safe territory.

2006, MGM/Weinstein Company, Dir. Geoffrey Sax - Starring Alex Pettyfer, Bill Nighy, Stephen Fry, Sarah Bolger, Alicia Silverstone, Sophie Okonedo, Mickey Rourke, Missi Pyle, Andy Serkis, Damian Lewis, Robbie Coltrane, Ashley Walters, Alex Barrett, Richard Huw

The prospect of a good Agent Cody Banks sounds irresistible. Take away the childish gadgets, the stupid sidekicks, and the parents factor and you might just be able to deduce a seemingly realistic kid-spy flick. That’s what the UK-produced Stormbreaker tried devilishly to succeed, but ends up pandering to its little audiences in the end. Thirty minutes I could swore, way in the distance, a good speck of potential. With an A-list cast and a $40 million budget, how can they go wrong? Stormbreaker is a child’s fantasy, a fantasy so aggravatingly impossible that parents and older audience members are going to grumble themselves to sleep. But the writer, director, and everyone else thinks they are still trying to keep some veneer throughout the show. And when your 14-year old hero looks 21 and speaks Japanese, your weapon of choice is zit cream, and your villain is a suede-wearing mastermind that’s targeting schoolchildren over the government, you know you’re in the wrong theater.

Alex Rider (Pettyfer) finishes off the day reading his paper about his “family”, which doesn’t exist except for his uncle Ian (Ewan McGregor in a cheeky cameo), who is being killed as Alex explains his scenario to the class. He comes home to his eccentric token American housekeeper Jack (Silverstone), who eventually breaks the news to him. But there’s more behind this. When Ian’s stuff is stolen, Alex recovers the items only to see it be destroyed by some suspicious looking fellows. Well, well now. Ian was an MI6 agent, and has been secretly training Alex to succeed him - as if all those years of plane diving were just a gimmick. So the young Rider goes into basic training to make some future friends, and then embarks on his first mission assigned by head Alan Blunt (Nighy) and Mrs. Jones (Okenedo). He’s even given gadgets by a smart-aleck, easily-annoyed genius Smithers (Fry). The mission: discover the real mystery behind the new educational tool ‘Stormbreaker’, a 4-dimensional pod that can transfer the student to any time period to learn about. The invention is the work of Darrius Sayle (Rourke), whose plans for the machine are more sinister than it seems.

Alex Pettyfer is more suave and smooth than any of the Spy Kids or Cody Banks could’ve been. He’s a likeable actor, but he just doesn’t jive with the cartoony script. It’s not his problem, really, it’s just that he seems suited doing more serious bits in thrillers than this. However, his age is questionable - Alex Rider (in the novel) is meant to be a 14-year old whiz kid, unlike the aged Pettyfer. Mickey Rourke is a blast to watch as a gaudy supervillian, but again the script hampers his execution. He’s out of place - which plays into the story - but he belongs elsewhere. Bill Nighy and Stephen Fry, two great British actors, give humorous side performances. Missi Pyle’s evil henchwoman act is as tired as a narcoleptic, leaving much to be desired. Even the wonderful Andy Serkis’ talent is wasted on stupid gunplay that leaves no real trace of action. Sophie Okenedo and Alicia Silverstone are lost in Stormbreaker, but it made me wonder how Silverstone can still find a job these days.

Visually, director Sax has everything looking more professional than it really is. The sets are gorgeously designed, making you wonder if they intended to make another James Bond. The chase scenes, as few as there are, are exciting and make the most out of every opportunity. And since he’s only 14 and having a motorcycle chase on an airfield, anything’s possible, right? Here’s where the movie begins to cross the line. First off, “ruling the school” is, without a doubt in any logical human’s mind, the lamest excuse for a villain. There are governments, leaders, and entire countries with so much potential, so it’s hard to really create serious enough beef with the British PTA. The script, penned by the original ‘Alex Rider’ novelist Anthony Horowitz, is dreadful. Scenes are constantly cut by some sort of action, ridding the story of any true dialogue. The gadgets are product placements, and many of the stunts are just excuses for hard-bitten violence. Stormbreaker is a pool of kiddie clichés tossed onto a potentially fun spy film.

This is supposedly the first installment of the ‘Alex Rider’ series, but its minimal US release (a meager 200 screens) is not going to do it any justice. It’s a UK thing, I suppose, but even I don’t really see the culture barrier anywhere here with the exception of bad publicity. But as the tagline goes, you’re never too young to die.

2006, Warner Brothers, Dir. Martin Scorcese – Starring Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winston, Vera Farming, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Corrigan, James Badge Dale, Robert Wahlberg

Martin Scorcese is a mystery to some film buffs: why won’t the Academy ever recognize his work? I wonder myself, but as I continue to watch his latest projects, the answer becomes apparent. The Departed, much like his last film The Aviator, is a movie made for Marty. However, this time around, Departed is much heavier and concentrated on its numerous storylines and characters. Albeit being a smidge overwrought at times, the director’s newest is really a wonder to see. Adapted from the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, screenwriter William Monahan’s script covers a lot of ground. Beyond its already thrilling concept, Scorcese uses the film as a platform for character studies and a regional touch - in this case, Bostonian culture. Scorcese’s movies are all linked by his constant use of mental images and foreshadowing, including a haunting soundtrack to focus on key sequences. Despite its complexities, the film - one of Scorcese’s recent bests - will possess audiences regardless.

Boston, 2006: Colin Sullivan (Damon) is a high-profile investigative officer for the city, leading a case against Beantown’s biggest crime boss - Frank Costello (Nicholson). Under the leadership of FBI honcho Ellerby (Baldwin) and Police Chief Queenan (Sheen), Sullivan is one of the most trusted agents in town. Little do they realize, but Sullivan has been working alongside the evil Costello since childhood, purposely becoming a cop to serve as a mole. Meanwhile, the rebellious Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) wants to be a cop and is rejected by Queenan due to mental instability. When he has an unfortunate incident with Costello and becomes associated with him, the opportunity arrives for Costigan to serve as a mole for the police. Soon, Costigan and Sullivan are crossing paths - once the FBI receives word that there is a spy in Costello’s gang, both officers search for each other in a wild goosechase.

Let me just cut to the chase: the reason Departed truly succeeds is because of Jack Nicholson. The shark-toothed actor really bares his pearly whites through Frank Costello, a degenerate goon whose refined language and criminal expertise can fool a scholar. There’s no denying Frank’s street smarts, as both DiCaprio and Damon’s characters are tricked into wading through his dirty business. Nicholson shines, incessantly giving the audience the personification of evil. DiCaprio’s Billy Costigan is an honest but impatient character, someone whose rash behavior can leave the audience questioning his heroism. The young cop wannabe never seems fit for the job, but strives for the quiet life with no pressure from his remaining family. Damon’s Colin Sullivan is a slimy prototype of Costello, a work-in-progress for the gangster. His dialogue is stuffed, his persona casual yet enervated. He’s a good guy working on the wrong side of the tracks, and his act persuades audiences to hope for a reversal. Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen give strong supporting performances, rubbing their respective marks on the characters. Alec Baldwin steals the scene as an overly-conservative FBI agent with a no-nonsense policy.

This is as close as we get to New Hollywood in the 21st century. The Departed has the intricate workings of 1970-era mysteries, with detached character analysis. Scorcese trims the story to its finest edge, especially with its low-key lighting schemes that run the line of film noir. The Departed is the most epic crime film in the past five years, and revitalizes the age-old genre back into action. The movie works as a cultural piece, capturing the aura of Boston through its musty soundtrack and location filming through certain regions of the city. This fuels much of the movie, especially since much of the characters’ camaraderies are based upon their relation to the dirty waters. And thematically, the final product is rich with it. Ideas of family, betrayal, and deception are pumping through the actors’ veins - making Scorcese’s adaptation all the more at heart with the audience. This is truly hard for me to put my finger on, but Marty has his way of tapping into the viewer’s mind as to associate themselves with who they’re watching. The characters are, after all, only human.

As the final credits rolled, I walked outside only to get a continuation of the film’s last camera shot - a direct view of the Massachusetts State House. With its golden dome glittering in the moonlight, it was exactly what each of Scorcese’s characters longed for. It was that statuesque position in the big city, that glimpse of redemption, and to be remembered.

2006, Lionsgate, Dir. Greg Coolidge - Starring Dane Cook, Dax Shepard, Jessica Simpson, Efren Ramirez, Harland Williams, Andy Dick, Brian George, Tim Bagley, Sean Whalen, Danny Woodburn, Shirly Brenner, Barbara Dodd, Alison Riamond, Emily Sandberg

Employee of the Month is being shipped and marketed for the younger, more appeasable audiences of today. It contains well-known faces - the much-imitated Dane Cook and the voluptuous Jessica Simpson - as well as MTV talking heads like Dax Shepard, along with a catchy soundtrack. And unlike the disappointing features that were You Me and Dupree and Break-Up, I enjoyed this piece. In three words, the movie is: short, simple, and funny. (Yes, that was four if you were counting.) But let’s be honest - the comedy is fresh, even if the template is older than dirt. The delivery is executed as quickly as a cashier lane, and you get good laughs from nearly every character. Perhaps in a few months we may be seeing T-shirts or pins with Employee quotes, but maybe I’m just assuming too much about my generation. Greg Coolidge’s hip film may have a sugar-coated marketing scheme, but it sells and rarely disappoints. This is top-shelf lowbrow comedy, but it’s a friendly experience for an autumn trip to the local movie theater. And Urban Outfitters. Just kidding.

Zack (Cook) is everybody’s lovable slacker with a tattered past. He works as a lowly boxboy at Super Club, a thinly-veiled Costco warehouse store, along with his slacker buddies (Williams, Dick, George). But to every yin there is a yang - and Zack’s bizarro is Vince (Shepard), a tip-top jerk who’s had the delight of being Employee of the Month for nearly two years straight. There’s no stopping Vince at the check-out counter, as he wins award after award with the help of trusty boxboy Jorge (Ramirez). But there’s a new transfer to the store, the gorgeous Amy (Simpson), who is known for her affinity to date Employees of the Month. Zack is on the attack, and decides to win the coveted spot for Amy’s heart. But that’ll be hard, considering Vince’s longtime streak and cunning skills. In a battle for the wits, the two duke it out for the love of Amy, contesting each other’s endurance through sets of pranks and pratfalls. But will Zack stay loyal to his buddies in spite of his attraction to Amy?

Those Dane Cook fans sporting the big foam SuperFingers on their hands, be wary: gone is the comedian’s trademark observational humor. That doesn’t change his acting, as Cook proves to be a suitable, as well as likeable, main character and hero. Zack is just a pseudonym for Dane, as they carry on the same scruffy, slacker lifestyles with a taste for dirty jokes. He’s certainly funny to watch, especially when he’s paired up against Shepard or Simpson. His chemistry with Simpson is simple but adequate, as he never seems to exaggerate their romance. Dax Shepard is hysterical as the arrogant, obnoxious Vince, who serves as our antagonist to the sloppy Cook. Shepard, whose style of humor is similar to Cook’s, exceeds his potential by constantly trying to upstage his opponent in every manner. Efren Ramirez fails to capture the same campy love that audiences had for his character Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite. Jessica Simpson also satisfies male audiences as the love interest, but contributes little to the movie - but at least does not delve into the role as a juicy nymph in a pool of testosterone. Harland Williams, Andy Dick, and Brian George can be appreciated wholly as Zack’s rowdy Super Club friends.

The comedy’s tone rarely shifts thematically, but becomes stronger and more incessant as the movie winds down. Although the romance subplot wanes throughout the film, the two jokers’ motivation is solid. It’s no longer the drive to score a cheesy gold-plated plaque in the break room, but the battle of the Alpha and Zeta males. Cook’s slacker persona and Shepard’s boyish charm are striking contrasts, despite their similar comedic backgrounds. Employee is their opportunity to exhibit their skills as comic leads, and take a run for the money. The slouches’ pranks are the usual - mustaches and devil horns on Vince’s employee picture, no biggie. But their simple shenanigans are collective for our young audiences, reckoning back high school memories that we appreciate to see in film without crossing the line. But seriously, imagine the cover girl of the year working side-by-side with you, and your archenemy is about to make a move. What would you do?

Employee of the Month is great passing entertainment, and a real treat to see Dane and Dax really show what they’ve got. It’s no Tootsie, but this is worthwhile slapstick these days, and proves to be more of a generational beat than your family video pick.

2006, Fox Searchlight, Dir. Kevin Macdonald - Starring Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney, David Oyelowo, Abby Mikiibi Nkaaga, Adam Kotz, Barbara Rafferty, David Ashton, Giles Foden, Andy Williams, Martina Amati

Kevin Macdonald’s thrilling documentary One Day in September raised eyebrows for many audiences when it premiered, and his new film Last King of Scotland feels like a unassociated continuation to his interest in world crisises. A half-fiction, half-factual story of a doctor who becomes closely affiliated with Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, the film is one the year’s most taut thrillers, and sheds more light on the murderous leader. Beyond the thrill of its narrative, Macdonald also gives the audience two fantastic character studies. The great Forest Whitaker, who hasn’t gotten his share of great roles in the past, gives an arresting, winning performance as Amin - and proves to give one of the year’s best. James McAvoy, better known for his role as the fawn Tumnus in Chronicles of Narnia, gives great contrast to Whitaker’s act and proves to be an earnest leading man. Last King’s tone is relentlessly tense, leaving room for Forest to release the dictator’s mood swings at an alarming pace. It attends to the themes of war, love, and humanity all in its runtime.

Nicholas Garrigan (McAvoy) has just completed medical school and randomly chooses to volunteer as a doctor in Uganda. The year is 1971, and former Ugandan Prime Minister Milton Obote has been overthrown from power. The new leader Idi Amin (Whitaker), a charismatic “man of the people”, has won the hearts of the Ugandans, who are unaware of the atrocities awaiting them. After a public speaking note, Amin unexpectedly sprains his hand and calls for the closest doctor. That doctor is Garrigan, who is traveling with his love interest and married woman Sarah (Anderson). Garrigan helps the leader, but in a spark of impatience, shoots a farmer’s cow that bothered him at the time. Amin oddly congratulates the young doctor for speaking his mind, and eventually offers him a job as his personal physician. Nicholas accepts and begins to live the high life until Amin’s paranoid behavior becomes apparent to him. No one appears trustworthy to the dictator, and soon - due to a growing relationship with Amin’s third wife Kay (Washington) - Garrigan finds himself pursued by his boss. It winds down to either fleeing Uganda, or be killed.

McAvoy, even when conversing with Whitaker’s lecherous Amin, is not just your innocent bystander. He is a calculated human being, working alongside a dictator he knows nothing about, just to earn a hefty dollar. Garrigan is portrayed as a caring man, but becomes engrossed in his own luxuries and sexual appetite than his volunteer work. As McAvoy and Whitaker’s characters first meet, we already recognize the impulsive behavior of both characters. This brief meeting spirals into something more dangerous - Amin’s trust in Garrigan. McAvoy fuses humanity and truth into his character, and tends to grow more sympathetic once his life comes down to the wire. But it is Whitaker who is the true prize of The Last King. As Amin, Whitaker’s harrowing act seizes control of the screen. At the mild twitch of an eye, Forest can shift moods and reveal his character’s complex schizophrenia. The performance is bound to send chills up viewer’s spines, but that is Whitaker’s intent. At that, he has succeeded, and proves he has what it takes. Idi Amin is no longer just a name out of the history book, but a loathsome beast that must still be feared.

Macdonald’s hand never feels shaky when exposing the acts of mass genocide during Amin’s reign, which should prove to be a very disturbing watch for many. It is a brutal era portrayed, only to be contrasted with a grimy, overzealous lifestyle of Uganda’s wealthiest. Garrigan’s new life in Uganda feels more like a porn star’s dream vacation, equipped with enough prostitutes and alcohol to last an entire decade. Apart from the true face of Ugandan culture, there is only a distasteful view of Amin’s world. This world of extravagant ballroom parties and flashy Beemers are not associated with typical African countryside, so the audience gets as real a look into the warped excuse for Amin’s discourse from “his people”. The film even has a slimy, guitar-driven soundtrack to assist its glamorous depiction. Thematically, Last King is solid. If not for a few mild caricatures, the final product would be flawless. Still, the impending last moments in the movie are the most striking - between Garrigan and Amin, and their broken connection. Few words are exchanged, a brutal act committed, and a regime is eventually toppled. We understand that Amin could be a very caring leader, but then we realize there is no turning back for him anymore.

The Last King of Scotland is a fascinating film, and an in-depth retrospective of the torturous ways of an exiled fool. As an audience, we must enter a small room and try to trust everyone we watch. But as Garrigan learns, there’s more than meets the eye. And for me, and for what it intended, the film succeeds triumphantly.