Archive for the ‘Chloe Grace Moretz’ Category

Dark Shadows Movie Review

Posted: May 28, 2012 in Chloe Grace Moretz, Dark Shadows, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Haley, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Warner Brothers
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Release Date: May 11, 2012 (2D theaters and IMAX) 
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures 
Director: Tim Burton 
Screenwriter: Seth Grahame-Smith 
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Eva Green, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote, Gully McGrath 
Genre: Gothic Comedy 
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking) 
Official Website: DarkShadowsthemovie.com

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Danny Elfman seem to be the main ingredients for Burton’s kooky cinematic cauldrons for the last few years.  In turn, we can assume that the Burtony trade marks, such as pumpkin heads, pale faces, an overabundance of gothic backdrops that seem to come straight out of a scary bedtime story, and a clever usage of color, makes us wonder if Burton’s style is too much for a modern, 2012 audience, or if he’s just what the doctor ordered.

I have a secret to tell…I’m named after a Dark Shadow’s character.  Although my mother’s love of the 1960′s TV show compelled her desire to name me Barnabus, it didn’t go over well with my father, (I guess he’d be afraid I’d be nicknamed “Barney” or “Barn”) and he very quickly shut that idea down. However my middle name, Quentin, (named after the werewolf from the show) stuck and has become a defining feature of my personality – something I take great pride in.

Needless to say, I was VERY excited when I heard in early 2011 that Burton was putting together a Dark Shadows film starring Cap’n Sparrow himself!  My expectations were high, hopeful for a film that would produced the gothic angst, drama, cheese, and suspense the Soap Opera was known for.  The only legitimate poor choice Burton has ever made was in choosing Michael Keaton to play Batman, so I didn’t have many reservations or fears about how the film would turn out…that is until I finally saw the trailer…

As the trailer hit the viral airwaves, skepticism and fan-boy pissiness ran rampant.  Dark Shadows, not being very well known in the 60′s and 70′s, has grown to be a cult classic and gained its popularity after the show was cancelled.  Would I be lying if I said I wasn’t included in this worried/hate filled group after seeing the trailer?  Indeed I would.  However, there was still enough intrigue left in in me to see the film, the number one reason being the Burton acting duo of Depp and Bonham Carter.

The two carry the film quite well despite Carter’s lack of screen time – her role as the twisted Dr. Hoffman is as perverse and dark as any character she’s played in the past, with exception to the Oscar Award winning film, the King’s Speech.  And Depp performs to his usual high standards, giving us a Barnabas Collins that is worthy of his name’s sake.

Likewise, the rest of the supporting cast, like Chloë Grace Moretz, Jackie Earle Haley, and Michelle Pfeiffer, all of which are very familiar to to cinematic world of sci-fi/horror/comic book genres, bring life to the screen just as well as their protagonist counterparts.  The big surprise for me, however, was Eva Green playing the role of the evil Angelique Bouchard.  Images of the old TV show ran through my head as the film rolled on, and I can’t remember Laura Parker (the Angelique of the 1960′s show) being creepier than Ms. Green’s rendition of the witch.

Enough about the actors and actresses however, we already know of Burton’s excellent cast selecting abilities, let’s dive into the meat of the film.  It’s a classic tale of time traveling…minus the Tardis.  Barnabas Collins is locked away by Angelique in a jealous rage, pitting the town against him, in a coffin deep beneath surface. It isn’t until years later when TV and pop music have become the modern form of entertainment, that a construction crew accidentally opens the coffin…and dies shortly there after.  Barnabas finds himself in a world of unfamiliarity, and his family’s name tainted by the unrelenting Angelique whose witchcraft has allowed her to live for so long. Barnabas is now compelled to protect his descendants and rejuvenate the name of Collins in a more positive light amongst the towns folk.

As stated above, the trailer had my fears at an all time high, causing me to wonder if the old Soap Opera would be given a film worthy of its gothic tastes and design.  Without given too much away, the trailer presents a tale that is exactly like the film – its gothic prelude helps the film to start off well, peaking early and wonderfully, then falling into a pit of comedic relief and random one liners that are so cheesy and out of place, they’re funny.  Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) has a blast in channeling his experience with classic literature, weaving it into the eloquently high diction script for Johnny Depp in awkwardly humorous moments of discovering hipsters, TV, automobiles, technology, and tiny songstresses.

The movie does go a bit overboard with the number of climactic scenes that seem out of place, only being there for the sake of shock and alarm.  I won’t give anything away, but if you were wondering why Carolyn was such a defiant and awkward teenager, the result will bewilder you.  And the off-the-wall sex scene (literally) will make you dip down into your seat in embarrassment and humility…unless you’re like me, you’ll laugh until your sides hurt.  But the ending is where the film’s biggest flaws lay, as many of the questions and mysteries were revealed but left me wondering if I missed something or not.  But, of course, Burton has set up for a sequel, so who knows what answers and explanations could be revealed in the future.

Dark Shadows, however, is a great representation of what film can, and should be – an extension of one person’s imagination.  No doubt, Tim Burton’s style is an acquired taste, but he is also one of the more unique film directors in history.  Having grown up watching the Soap, and with his experience in creating wonderfully gothic tales, he was the perfect man to bring Dark Shadows to the big screen, reminding us that one generations interpretation of a story isn’t the universal end-all, but rather an interpretation of something that is ever changing and amalgamated…depending on whose imagination takes hold of it.

Dark Shadows will upset fans, but will also make them laugh in the process.  As it turns out, high expectations CAN ruin a film for so many people.  It’s a joy to watch despite its confusing plot devices and awkward character developing techniques.  This wont go down in history as a great representation of what the Dark Shadows Soap was like, nor will it be a film people remember years down the road, but it is written well and entertaining none-the-less.  My recommendation?  Go into this movie with your pre-conceived notions and ideas left back at home and enjoy Dark Shadows for what it is, and nothing more.

Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins from the original Dark Shadows soap opera.

Hugo Movie Review

Posted: January 6, 2012 in Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee, Hugo, John Logan, Jude Law, Martin Scorsese, Movie Review, Paramount Pictures, Sacha Baron Cohen
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Release Date: November 23, 2011 (3D/2D theaters)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriter: John Logan
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg
Genre: Family, Fantasy, Mystery
MPAA Rating: PG (for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking)
Official Website: Hugomovie.com

“Films have the power to capture dreams!” ~ Georges Méliès

This is most definitely true within Martin Scorsese’s first 3D film release, Hugo.  Based on Brian Selznick’s  imaginative New York Times bestseller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” Scorsese takes it upon himself to showcase the magic of movies and the profound impact film maker Georges Méliès had on the world of cinema.

It’s always fun for me to learn something new in any film I watch.  How often do films actually provide anything new these days right?  Having grown up with a mother whose knowledge of film history has extended into her teaching repertoire, Georges Méliès was a name I remember hearing but knew very little about.  Now I was able to see the films by the the director whose name I vaguely remember.  I’m certain you’ve all experienced this sensation, right?  Little tidbits of things you remember as a child suddenly reveal themselves as giant influences within American culture in unique, and profound ways.  As soon as the image of the rocket ship in the eye of the moon appeared, the light bulb above my head clicked on, and I remembered.

As stated above, the film isn’t solely based on Georges Méliès’ life, but rather on a book about a small boy whose dreams carried him into great discoveries.  How much of the book is actually true, I don’t really know, but the film does a fantastic job at delivering the same type of magic that Brian Selznick intended us to experience.

Hugo is a mini phantom of the Opera, hiding within the walls of a Paris train station, keeping the clocks clean and working thanks to the education he received from his drunk, dead beat uncle.  having recently lost his father in a house fire, Hugo tries to hold onto some physical memory of him by fixing a mysterious little automaton that his father found in a museum long ago.  The search for gears led him into the bitter path of a grump toy man who seemed determined to stop Hugo in his desires.  However, the old man’s god child, Isabelle, has a little adventurer lurking inside of her, dying to get out.  With her love of secrets, (and words beyond her grade level) she helps Hugo in solving the mystery of the automaton, his father, and how it’s all connected to the toy man.

One thing Scorsese had to take liberties on with the film were some of the character involvements and comedic effects.  For those of you who get a little irked when films based off of novels deviate from the original plot, please note that a film based off of a book that has more pictures than text is going to need something a little more substantial within the plot to help fill two full hours.  Thankfully, Scorsese’s experience as one of America’s best directors puts him in perfect position to create a wonderful film to do just that.

There are many more slap-stick moments in comparison to the book, especially towards the beginning of the film involving the limp station inspector, played expertly by Sacha Baron Cohen (Bruno).  Cohen delivered a performance unlike I’ve ever seen.  As much as I hate his acting endeavors and film projects, this role may have cleared him a best supporting actor nomination.

Not being too familiar with book, I can’t truly say how faithful the film is to the source material.  But I can say, with absolute certainty, that nothing in the film feels out of place, contrived, plotty, or unnecessary.  The story’s foundation is in the fixing of a mechanical man, which turns into a moralistic tale of mending the human spirit.  Who better to show how that is done than Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) as the famous film director?  Just like with Cohen, Kingsley also delivered a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.  I’ve never been dissapointed with anything Kingsley has done, and this film marks one of his best performances I’ve ever seen.

The two child actors, Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) as the adventurous Isabelle, and Asa Butterfield (Nanny McPhee) as the story’s protagonist seemed tailor made for these two parts.  I almost bursted out laughing at Moretz’s delivery and almost disgusted look in retort of Hugo’s seemingly uninterested demeanor of the library. She semi-scolded Hugo by way of saying, “Don’t you like books?”  I relate to you Isabelle, it’s beyond my comprehension too!  But Butterfield stole the show with his believable and innocent performance of a young boy who has more sense within him than most of the adults hectically running around in the station.

The best part of this whole cinematic experience for me was reminder of the beginnings of cinema.  As old and tattered as they were, Georges Méliès’ old films are still a sight to see.  To put myself in the shoes of those who first experienced these moving wonders helped me to remember that film today just isn’t quite the same as it was.  The simple telling of a story has been lost within the inclusion of explosions, sexuality, and other cacophonous jargon that is there simply for the sake of being there.  I love a good action flick, don’t get me wrong, but it’s always nice to remember where the things we love got started.  I hope others who go to see this film can sit back and enjoy the magical story of a film maker who started it all.

I didn’t get to see this movie until after the new year, so in my film rankings, I’ll be bulking it with the 2012 list.  However, without a doubt, I dub this film the best motion picture of the 2011!

10 out of 10 stars