The Newsroom: “News Night 2.0” Review

Olivia Munn makes an appearance in the Newsroom

 Spoilers ahead for this weeks episode

I shall preface this week’s review by saying that I didn’t feel that I gave enough props to last week’s episode in last week’s review. The episode worked on so many great levels and was the best pilot of the year so far. That being said let’s move on to this week.

“News Night 2.0” was plain and simply a frustrating hour of television. The episode relied on barley established relationships and poorly handled political commentaries to move the episode forward. It also mangled characters that could have been way stronger.

Speaking of, let’s start with Mackenzie, who made the jump from being strong powerful woman to bumbling idiot this week. The first problem was that she was going around telling the entire newsroom that Will was the nice guy even after he threw things at her and blew two segments of the newscast on her on purpose just to spite her. Yet she feels so bad for cheating on him in their past relationship that she is delusional to the fact that he’s a total jerk. That and Sorkin made her so inapt with technology that she can’t even send a private email without sending it to absolutely everyone (which wasn’t funny by the way). 

Which leads right into the main problem of the episode; the plot is moved forward through underdeveloped relationships. Will and Mackenzie and Maggie, Jim, and Don took center stage in what was a frustrating way to move the plot forward. The Will/Mac relationship feels so recycled from so many different shows (even from Sorkin’s past) so when a whole episode moves in relation to their relationship, while not really making it deep and complex, it's just frustrating. While the banter between Jim and Maggie was great the screw up of not getting the Governor on the show felt just like a way for Sorkin to make some really obvious and bad political commentary (more on that in a second). The characters didn’t get stronger thought and despite the big screw up on the newscast felt more like a chance for Sorkin to jab right wing extremists instead of move forward the plot.

So now to the political commentary; the episode had two very clumsy ways of calling out Republican extremists, the Arizona immigration law and Sarah Palin. Instead of getting the Goviner of Arizona to comment on the issue (due to a past relationship of Maggie’s getting in the way), we got a militia member a University of Pheonix professor and a pagant second runner up. This started off as a way of showing the characters screwing up and then eventually turned into a clumsy comment on right wing extremists. Same thing with Will trying to lamely defend Sarah Palin’s ridicules screw up regarding the oil spill at the end of the show. This magnified the main problem of the pilot – setting the show in the very near past – to really frustrating levels that detracted from the enjoyment of the episode. The show has to find out how to balance its political commentary and its drama without them clashing. That sure didn’t happen this week.

Even so the Sorkin banter is still a ton of fun featuring again a number of great descriptions and conversations (including Maggie describing how she hid under the bed while her then boyfriend was cheating on her with his ex). Also we got to see Olivia Munn this week as the economist who I’m assuming will become more important throughout the season.

“News Night 2.0” was a messy and frustrating hour of television that magnified the show’s problems (politics and relationships). Hopefully a bounce back to the quality of the pilot is an order next week as it would be sad for a show with such a great look and sound to go down this road.

That’s just me though, what did everyone else think?

The Amazing Spider Man Review

Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man

 

The Amazing Spider-Man

B

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

After just ten years it’s time to reboot the money making Spider-Man franchise. This time Andrew Garfield is behind the mask and indie director Marc Webb is behind the camera. The tone is darker and the cast is new, but Spider-Man manages to play by pretty much the exact same rules and regulations as the prior films.

The Amazing Spider-Man hits all the basic points as one would expect from a Spider-Man origin film. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), a nerdy/outcast high school student who lives with his Aunt and Uncle (Sally Field and Martin Sheen), gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gains supernatural, spider like powers from the bite. At first Parker uses it for selfish reasons aka getting back at the school bully Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka) but after his Uncle Ben is murdered by a low league thug Parker decides to use his powers for good under the alias of Spider-Man. Of course not all people like this as police chief Captain Stacy (Denis Leary) wants him off the street. This makes things complicated Peter is romantically involved with Capitan Stacy’s daughter Gwen (Emma Stone) who so happens to know his secret. Oh and there is good old Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) who’s experiment, which Parker himself helped create, goes completely wrong and he turns himself into an angry lizard who wants to “cure” New York City.

           

I’m really torn about this film. On one hand the film is better cast, acted, and directed than the previous Spider-Man films. Webb, who previously directed the fantastic low key romantic comedy “500 Days of Summer”, does a great job with the smaller romance scenes between Peter and Gwen. The scenes are fantastic and Garfield and Stone (who are a real life couple) have wonderful chemistry together. Two of the other things that this film gets right are tone and action sequences. The tone of this film is a lot darker (more remnant of the Nolan Batman films than the Rami Spider-Man films) and it allows for the storyline to be more impactful than before. The action sequences can be dazzling, especially when Spider-Man is swinging through the city. These again allow for a more impactful film than the original Spider-Man films.

On the other hand this film basically tells the story that the original Spider Man film told ten years ago. There are plot points that pretty much play out shot for shot like the original film. This makes the film feel lazy and uninspired and that is disappointing. The worst offender of this is the very uninspired villain Reptile. His origin is so similar to Goblin’s from the original Spider-Man that it feels like the screenwriters are just trying to take the quick way out on the front of making a villain and so they decided to make a familiar one. The filmmakers try to do something interesting with Spidy’s origin but it falls flat leaving all the familiar, lazy bits front and center.

As mentioned earlier the acting here is quite good. The main problem with earlier Spidy films was that Toby Maguire always felt miscast as the web slinger. This is not the case in the reboot as Garfield is perfect as both Parker and his alter ego as he can be very awkward as Parker as well as being smart and witty behind the mask. The other main Player Emma Stone fits Gwen Stacy very well and, as mention earlier, her and Garfield have fantastic chemistry. The other fantastic player here is the great Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben. Sheen provides basically all the momentum for the first hour of the film and fits the character of Uncle Ben perfectly. The only miscast in the film is Sally Field as Aunt May. Never, especially after Rosemary Harris’s performance was so perfect in the originals, could I wrap my head around her playing May.

With the progression of special effects technology The Amazing Spider-Man is a much prettier film than the originals. The final fight aside, the action scenes in this film are stunning; especially when Spidy is swinging through the sky. The 3D is well implemented I these scenes as each action scenes have a depth in the screen that helps give a great look to the scenes. When the film zooms into first person the CGI really dazzles as these scenes are breathtaking and fantastic. The score is normal superhero affair and overall never left me impressed or disappointed, it’s just for the most part there. Overall though the cinematography and action scenes help elevate the film.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a mixed bag. On the one hand it is a very well produced film; while on the other it’s revisiting old concepts in the almost the exact same way. Despite its problems The Amazing Spider-Man ends up being a solid piece of summer entertainment that is fun and definitely worth the price of admission.

After it airs: The Newsroom “We Just Decided To” Review

Jeff Daniels contemplates the news in the pilot of The Newsroom

Spoilers for the entire episode

After writing two academy award recognized scripts Aaron Sorkin returns, along with his snappy dialogue, to television. This time he again takes on the realm of media and political criticism in the latest HBO series The Newsroom. “We Just Decided To” shows promise and some concerns in which should be a good show down the road.

The first thing about the pilot that popped for me is the great build and introduction to the characters. The very “mad as hell” esque speech that opens the pilot is a great introduction to the news anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels). Until that rant McAvoy is considered the Jay Leno of the news and stays neutral so that the public will like him. Soon after his return his executive producer Don (Thomas Sadoski) and half his staff leaves. The rant, the destruction of Will’s news crew, and the return of his former lover and executive producer Mackenzie (Emily Mortimer) sparks a change in his newscast. By the end of the episode Will is a hard edge opinion driven journalist during his fresh breaking coverage of the BP oil spill.

Sorkin dialogue is always a pleasure to listen to and this show is no exception; the banter between characters is always entertaining and intelligent. There are some great lines especially throughout the first half of the episode including a line from newsroom executive Charlie who tells Don “I will beat the **** out of you I don’t care how many protein bars you eat”. Simply put Sorkin has always been great with words and here he shines again.

Another note here is the cinematic direction by Greg Mottola who delivers an absolutely enthroning visual experiences. During the beginning of the episodes shots and conversations are long and building. In the end the cuts are short and create the intensity of the Newscast (which in itself the newscast within the show is fantastic). The intensity of the final third of the episode is absolutely earned throughout the episode through interesting character building and amazing direction.

The problem with the show that may be a problem for me throughout the series is the fact that the show takes place in the near past and covers stories that were relevant only a few years ago. This gives Sorkin the power to basically give these characters the ability to have spot on news reporting and almost perfect hindsight into what is happening. The BP story that ended the show took the characters about a couple hours to research (probably not even) what might have most journalists days upon days to complete. The greatest example of this is when Mackenzie’s assistant Jim (John Gallagher Jr.) has a great streak of luck when he finds family members and roommates who work for the parties involved with the spill. It all feals like some excuse for Sorkin to make lots of political commentary and hopefully the show doesn’t go down the road of being preachy.

For the most part I really liked “We Just Decided To” and I thought it was an interesting start to a series that has great potential. I hope some of the problems don’t grow and take over the show because some of the characters and their relationships (despite them being pulled from prior Sorkin repertoire) have great potential. Ultimately the Newsroom got off to a great start and has the potential to be another good addition to the stellar HBO lineup.

So come back for more next week. For now what did the you think?

Brave Review

Merida Shooting an arrow in Brave

Brave

  

C+

A review by Frederick Cholowski

I begin this review by asking one simple question, what’s going on over at Pixar? After the mess that was Cars 2 one would expect them to bounce back and return to form in their newest original film. Unfortunately Brave is anything but a bounce back for the studio as it’s a generic, formulaic mess of an animated film that is a crushing disappointment.

Brave follows the story of a young Celtic princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) who is at odds with her mother (Emma Thompson). This is because despite her best mother’s wishes Merida does not want to become a princess nor does she want to marry one of the tenants of the many sometimes at odds tribes ruled over by Merida’s father (Billy Connolly). Merida wants to defy tradition and become a more independent warrior type woman and sets out on a small adventure that ends up finding her in deep trouble.

The main problems with this film are its narrative flow and characters. First off the film is lacking something story wise; it’s choppy, rushed and feels only like a skeleton to a potentially better story that if it had more depth could have worked. The story is incredibly predictable and the usual Pixar heart, like in Cars 2, feels unnatural and forced. This could be partially due to the fact that the main character is really bratty and annoying. Merida never comes off as strong or independent but instead feels like a character that just doesn’t do what she’s suppose to because she is spoiled by her father. This makes it very difficult to latch on to the character that the whole entire film revolves around, which is a large problem.

It’s also sad because the voice acting crew is great with what they’re given. Kelly Macdonald, despite the over the top accent, is a fantastic fit for the role she is given and does a great job with what characterization she is given. Same can be said for the supporting cast of Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly and Julie Walters amongst many, many others.  It’s sad that most of the characterization is so thin, making most of the supporting characters very close to caricatures with no depth.

If there is anything that Pixar nails in this film is the beauty of the animation. The film looks absolutely dazzling with its darker color palate and vibrant landscape. The film really does visually transport one into this world with many of the film’s best moments coming in the visual department. The score’s great with for the most part bigger bombastic tunes that help shape the landscape even more. Overall even when the writing is faltering Pixar still keeps up its immaculate visuals and audio.

Before wrapping up the review I would like to mention if there is one reason to pay and see the film is to view the amazing short before the film called La Luna. The short film still gives me hope that Pixar can bounce back from its slump of late. It’s everything that older Pixar films had heart, joy, emotions, and magic. This is the Pixar that needs to come out in their next film instead of the one that is present in the actual main feature itself.

 As I said when I reviewed Cars 2 a year ago Brave is not a terrible film it’s simply average and disappointing. It’s a mess of a narrative with little flow and a character with little likability that ends up feeling like a second rate Disney Princesses film instead of the magic and ground pushing films of Pixar’s past. Anyways all I can do is sit, wait, and hope for another year that Pixar’s next film Monster’s University will be the one that breaks them out of their now two year long slump.

Top 5 films that have some relation to birthdays

Top 5 Birthday related films

A celebratory list by Frederick Cholowski

So having just recently celebrated another birthday I decided I needed to have a little fun. So after the extensive research of about an hour and a half I have put together the top 5 films that have something to do with a birthday. Here are the rules of this list:

1           1.The movie has to be good (duh)

2           2.I have to have seen the movie (duh #2)

3           3.The movie must dedicate at least a scene to the birthday (not a brief passing comment, but if the birthday is mentioned in an extensive conversation but it is never seen it also counts)

4           4.Only one Christmas movie aloud (it’s already kind of cheating to have one so anymore and it would be extreme overload)

 5.One movie per franchise (series can be grouped together if I so choose)

Keeping those rules in mind here are the top five birthday related films. You may be slightly surprised at some of the ones I’ve managed to dig up…

            #5. Pretty much all of the Harry Potter movies

                        This one was practically a given. Some of the Harry Potter movies mention it more than others, but every June it’s good old Harry’s birthday. While the Potter films do have their ups and downs they are as a series definitely good enough to make this short list.

            #4. Toy Story

                        The other given on this list the original Toy Story’s opening revolves around the young Andy’s birthday and the new toy he receives. The opening scene is truly a great scene and it leads up to the fated meeting and eventual partnership of the two main characters of the series Woody and Buzz. The movie itself one of the legendary Pixar films so yeah it qualifies.

            #3. Die Hard

                        Yep here’s the Christmas movie that I actually like. Sure it doesn’t really matter that it’s Christmas when John McClain is attempting to stop terrorists but it is so furthermore it’s on the list. Oh and the film itself a classic action movie for the ages.

            #2. Monty Python’s Life of Brian

                        Here’s where we get shorter and stranger, but Monty Python opens on the birthday of both Jesus and Brian. Best part is that it’s not a Christmas movie so despite it being Jesus’ birthday it can still be on this list. Plus the scene it takes place in is absolutely hilarious. Oh and the movie is one of the best of the best so were good there

            #1. 2001 a Space Odyssey

                        Believe it or not 2001 a Space Odyssey has a scene where a birthday is mentioned for an extensive period of time. For those who aren’t familiar or don’t remember Dr Heyworth Floyd talks to his daughter over the phone about her birthday and her birthday party, even asking her what she would want for her birthday. Sure it’s a small detail in a very expansive film and the scene has really no bearing on the rest of the film, but it’s there so the film is on the list. It’s one of the greatest films ever made as well which lands it an easy number one slot.

So that’s it! I guess I will look into it more and eventually update the list and make it more comprehensive. One thing to take away though is that if you haven’t seen these films, go watch them (especially the top three) NOW! Oh and leave a comment on what you think is the greatest film that has birthday related themes is.