Movie Review: Beyond the Lights (PG13 – 116 minutes)

I still can’t bring myself to spend the 3 hours and 9 minutes it takes to watch Interstellar, but I was happy to go see the under two hour romance/drama Beyond the Lights.  

There are many movies that tell the tale of what it’s “really” like to be a music superstar from the musician’s point of view.   A Star is Born certainly comes to mind, as well as the movie version of the play Dreamgirls.

They all seem to let us know that the fame and glory is not all it’s cracked up to be.   

Beyond the Lights is written and directed by UCLA film grad Gina Prince-Bythewood (Secret Life of Bees, Disappearing Acts – which features Wesley Snipes and Sanaa Lathan as a couple after she had played his mother in Blade – save that in your trivia folder, and Love and Basketball).  It tells the story of Noni, a British pop tart, whose career has been carefully crafted by her mom-ager to make her a superstar.  She feels like she doesn’t exist, and is only the shell created by her mother and label.  She finally feels pushed to the breaking point one night after winning a Billboard award, and is about to jump from the balcony of her hotel room.  However, Kaz, the police officer hired as security for the night, saves her - convincing her that she is worth saving.  They begin a difficult relationship, working between his aspiring political career, and her very complicated career and half-relationship with a label-mate and rapper.  Eventually he helps her see that she does have some control over her own existence, giving her the inspiration to write and perform her own music.  Spoiler alert – there is a happy ending.

It’s a pretty standard plot, but what makes is really watchable is the exceptional directing.  Prince-Bythewood shoots the movie in a clean, straightforward way, but with enough layers that every time you have to watch Noni at “work”, you cringe.  Everything she is requested to do by her label – and by her mother – makes you so incredibly uncomfortable that you really understand why she is so unhappy.  You also begin to completely understand how Kaz also feels pressure to live up to the expectations of his own family.  The soundtrack also works really well with the simplicity of the direction.  However, the movie is truly elevated by some supremely elegant performances.

• Gugu Mbatha-Raw was recently in the movie Bell, was Tish Jones on Dr. Who, and was Samantha on the Undercovers, a show I loved that got canceled way too quickly.  She was very impressive in this movie, particularly because almost the entire first half of the movie requires her to act with only her eyes.  She manages to look sad and empty until she finally connects with Kaz.  Also – the physical transformation from the Noni that her mother has crafted to the Noni that Kaz helps to release is really beautiful.

• Nate Parker from Secret Life of Bees, Non-Stop, and Red Tails plays Kazam, who takes the shift of a buddy guarding a pop-star, and has his carefully crafted gameplan thrown all into a tizzy.  His father is very supportive of his plan (political science major, cop, then politician), in fact, he’s helping Kaz meet with various community leaders so that he will have their support when he runs for office.  Parker, like Mbatha-Raw can communicate multiple emotions with just his eyes, from confusion with her ‘performance’, to raw hurt when she inevitably hurts him, to pure love once they reach their happy ending.  Also – there’s several shirtless scenes, and he is incredibly lovely with or without a shirt, but I really appreciated the shirtlessness.

• Minnie Driver is the best in this that I have seen her in a long time.  Perhaps since her cameo as the Russian cowgirl in Goldeneye.  She’s so angular and hard as Macy, Noni’s completely controlling mother.  You do realize by the end that she does love her daughter, but she has spent so much of the movie treating her like a product that by that point, she’s almost past redemption.  The scene at the beginning where she tells a young Noni to throw away her runner up trophy because she needs to be a winner is heartbreaking.

• Danny Glover plays Kaz’s dad, Captain Nicol.  And while he never states that he’s too old for this sh*t, you can see him thinking that almost the whole time.  Especially when he realizes his son, who he has carefully groomed for a political career just punched out a rapper on stage at the BET awards.  Yes – that happens.  Glover does manage to give the Captain some subtle layers, as you begin to realize that while he’s not as controlling as Noni’s mother, his influence is just as heavy on Kaz.

• Machine Gun Kelly (yes, that is his rapper name – his real name is Richard Colson Baker) is a Cleveland rapper who plays Kid Culprit – Noni’s label-mate and “boyfriend”.  It seems like their entire relationship has been crafted by the label for the sake of selling records (you can read a Rhianna-Drake bit into that if you like).  She attempts to break up with him, which seems to go fine, but then he sexually assaults her onstage at the BET awards, prompting the aforementioned punch from Kaz.  Also – the fake music video they show that is Noni and Kid, man, I was way too old to watch that!

Overall, the movie is simple, straightforward, and predictable – but I really feel like the performances gave it just enough edge to make it better than I was expecting.  It’s certainly worth seeing, if you don’t expect too much, I think you’ll be pleased.

8 out of 10  - I wasn’t expecting anything, so I was really pleasantly surprised.  Gained points for the insane costumes that Mbatha-Raw had to wear, lost points for Machine Gun Kelly – ick.  Gained points for all the Kaz shirtless scenes, and lost points for Macy encouraging Noni to get naked in photo shoots.  Gained points for their getaway at a Mexican resort where she removes her ‘mask’.

Bonus Video 1:  The Bodyguard – vaguely similar, but also really entertaining.  And that soundtrack!?!

Bonus Video 2:  The Undercovers – rent this series.  Mbatha-Raw and Boris Kodjoe

Bonus Video 3:  RedTails – a highly entertaining flick that you should see.

Bonus Video 4:  cast Interviews:

Retro Movie Review: Knights of Badassdom (R – 86 minutes)

If you read this often, this is not a surprise to you, but I love a good, low budget, silly genre flick.  It’s why I love SyFy Saturday Night Creature Features (yes, Sharknado 3 has started production).  The best thing about these types of movies is that everyone involved is well aware of the nonsense factor of the movie and is there just to have a good time.  Case in point, Knights of Badassdom – written by a couple of LARPers, and directed by a actor/director/producer of these types of flicks.  This movie at no point takes itself seriously, and has a really good time while not doing that.

Director Joe Lynch loves B-Grade horror and genre movies, he’s been in a couple, and he takes his infectious sense of fun to a completely insane story.  Our hero, Joe, has just been dumped by his lady, Beth, because he’s aimless and happy working in a garage and writing death metal songs…I’m sorry, doom metal songs.  Dejected, he heads home to his roommates, Eric and Hung, who are prepping for a  big weekend LARP (live-action role-playing …but you knew that because you saw Role Models) event.  They get him drunk and high, and dress him up as a knight to join their adventure.  The Gamemaster, Ronnie, has an old dispute with Joe, and will only let him join if they do a ‘reanimation spell’.  Eric uses a book he got on eBay to perform the spell, and because it just so happens to be a real ancient spell book – it conjures a demon succubus from hell that takes on the form of Joe’s ex – Beth – in her prom dress, because that’s the picture Joe had in his pocket. 

Hijinks ensue, mainly because the succubus runs through the various groups of LARPers, eating at will, until Joe and the gang decide to step up and take her out.  Yes – it’s exactly as silly as you think.  But what will surprise you is the cast:

• Ryan Kwanten plays Joe, and while you still don’t get to hear his original Aussie accent, at least the American one he fakes in this doesn’t have the horrible southern twang you’re used to him using on True Blood.  He is exceptionally watchable, and really likeable, and the best thing about him in this movie is that he plays it straight, and lets everyone around him act really over the top – which makes him the audience’s way in.  Also – if you haven’t seen the Venom mini-movie that he and Joe Lynch did, check it out.

• Steve Zahn plays Eric, who for some reason that is never explained, is a millionaire.  This is why Hung and Joe live with him – in a castle, or at least a house that looks like a castle.  Zahn goes completely over the top in this and it fits perfectly.  He’s insanely funny.

• Peter Dinklage plays Hung (originally the character was conceived as a Korean-American nerd, then Dinklage said yes, but they didn’t change the name – and it still works).  He’s stoned most of the time, but really takes the LARPing seriously, and his bit about training Joe is really funny.

• Jimmi Simpson takes a break from playing creepy guys to play the hilarious Ronnie Kwok as the completely full of himself gamemaster.  The running gag about the map being terrible cracked me up at least three times.  Also – his headband is funny on its own.

• Margartia Levieva plays the ex-girlfriend and then the demon succubus, Beth.  She gets a very brief scene in the beginning, then spends the rest of the movie walking around eating people.  The funny part is that it takes people a bit to catch on that she’s a demon, because they just assume she’s part of the LARP event.

• Summer Glau plays Gwen, who is into the LARPing, but only somewhat – she’s mainly there to keep an eye on her cousin, Gunther (played by Brett Gipson), who never seems to break character.   She gets a little sweet on Joe, despite having to fend off advances from many other LARPers.

• Danny Pudi plays Lando, and he’s barely in the movie, but he’s really funny for the time he’s there. 

• There are some other almost cameos as well – Joshua Malina plays an actor hired to play a monster for the LARP event, Brian Posehn plays Joe’s garage co-worker and doom-metal enthusiast.  Michael Gladis from Mad Men plays the King of one of the two armies, and gets to give a hilarious go-get-‘em speech.

Overall – the movie is terrible, but that’s pretty much the point.  It’s really funny in parts, but be warned – the cheesy gore level is also high.  Rent it, it’s super short and it’s good for a laugh or two!

7 out of 10 – gained points for Jimmi Simpson, who is swiftly becoming a favorite of mine.  Lost points for the Beth demon eating people, gross.  Gained points for Steve Zahn being hilarious – Lost points for Hung being high all the time.  Gained points for the dragon.

Bonus Video 1 – the Venom video.  I am hoping that eventually there will be a Venom movie worthy of Venom.  Sorry Topher Grace – I like you, but you were a terrible Venom.

Bonus Video 2 – Role Models – an equally hilarious movie with LARPing in it.

Bonus Video 3 – SDCC 2011 panel

Movie Review: John Wick (R – 101 minutes)

Thank you to the marketing team of this movie for making sure every trailer has it very loud and clear that the dog gets killed.  I am definitely an animal lover, and any movie with animals getting hurt or injured is not for me (can’t watch the new Planet of the Apes movies, and those are CG apes!).  I don’t care what you say about Boondock Saints – I hate that movie because the cat gets killed.  I knew the dog wasn’t going to make it in this one before going in, so I was prepared enough to close my eyes for that scene.   It is the action that “sets off” John Wick. 

Keanu Reeves is actually better than you think and has been for a long time.  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is easily one of the best movies ever (yes, I said it, and I stand by it).  And his performance in Parenthood is actually very impressive.  I think he’s best in action movies, and I enjoyed 47 Ronin last year, and yes, the Matrix was great (the sequels were not), but Speed is probably his best action movie, "Pop Quiz, Hot Shot!.

I love a pure, straightforward action movie that is more visuals that plot.  John Wick is a retired hit man who used to work for the Russian Mob.  He met a woman, fell in love, and requested out.  They let him go after demanding he do an impossible job, which no one else could have pulled off – but he did.  He had a lovely life with his wife, but then she got sick, and slowly started to pass away.  On the day of her funeral, she arranged to have a little beagle puppy delivered to John – with a note letting him know he would have to learn to love again – and he could start with the puppy.   He takes his car out for a spin, and has a minor run in with some punk Russian twenty-somethings at a gas station.  They break into his house that night, beat him up, and kill the dog.  He immediately comes out of retirement to hunt every single one of them down to make them pay.  As it turns out, the kid who killed the dog is the son of the mobster he used to work for.  While the mobster understands that his kid was an idiot, he still can’t let John kill his kid – so he puts a hit out on John.  John then has to battle other hitmen and more Russian Mobsters to get to the kid.  But don’t worry – he does.  Sorry, spoiler alert, but really – you knew he was going to get that kid.

The movie is directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, both of whom are seasoned stunt performers.  In fact, Stahelski was the stunt double for Keanu in the Matrix movies.  When he and Leitch started putting this movie together, Keanu agreed to be in it because of their past relationships.  This is actually a really good thing because Stahelski knows Keanu’s abilities in and out and is able to choreograph amazing fight sequences that are almost entirely Keanu.  And, really, the fights in this movie are absolutely amazing.  

The cast is also pretty fantastic:

• I’ve pretty much always been a Keanu Reeves fan, I even saw My Own Private Idaho (I do NOT recommend that), but this movie seems to be something he really enjoyed doing.  The relationship he already had with the director really pays off in the incredible action scenes.  He’s also really surprisingly good in the quiet scenes. 

• Michael Nyqvist from the original Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movies plays the head Russian mobster, Viggo Tarasov.  He’s very good – you absolutely believe that he values John Wick for his abilities, and the friendship they once shared, and almost regrets having to turn against him to save his wretched son. 

• Speaking of which, the wretched son is played by Alfie Allen.  He’s already somebody you hate since he plays Theon Greyjoy on Game of Thrones…or you know, Reek.  In either case, he’s spectacularly terrible in this, and you really cannot wait for John to finish him off. 

• Willem Dafoe plays rival/friendly hitman Marcus.  You can’t really tell which side he’s on for a bit, and he’s not doing anything you haven’t seen him do before, but he’s really really good at this type of character, so he’s perfect here.

• Adrianne Palicki plays Ms. Perkins.  She’s been exceptional as Mockingbird on MAOS lately, and she’s pretty good in this too.  She’s another rival hitman, and she goes just a bit too far, and ends up breaking the Hitman Rules.  Which is not stood for.

• Ian McShane plays the head of the hitman hotel, the Continental.  And when Ms. Perkins breaks the rules, he makes sure she understands that is no good.

• Lance Reddick plays the concierge of the Continental – and he seems to be able to get you anything you need at any time.  If you’re a hitman staying at the Continental, and you have the gold coins.
• John Leguizamo has a very brief role as the chop shop owner that the Russian kids take John’s car to once they steal it.  As soon as he recognizes the car, he bitch-slaps the kid and demands they remove it from his shop.  He then explains to Viggo why he slapped his kid, and Viggo fully understands.

• Martial Artist/Actor Daniel Bernhardt is in this as one of the mob henchmen. Basically he’s there to have an amazing fight (or two) with Reeves. 
• Dean Winters (everyone's favorite Mayhem) pays Avi, who seems to be Viggo's assistant? accountant? sidekick?  Whatever he is, he's got no combat skill - but he has a couple of entertaining lines.

• Bridget Moynahan plays Helen, John’s dearly departed wife.  She’s barely in the movie, just enough to be lovely, then sick, then posthumously puppy-sending.
• Also – keep your eyes peeled for both Kevin Nash and Keith Jardine as bit players.

Overall – the action is amazing, the movie is slick and fast-paced.  If you can get past the puppy-murder (I closed my eyes), then you should enjoy the rest of the movie, and welcome back Action-Keanu.

8 out of 10;  Lost points for losing that puppy, and really, as soon as the puppy showed up, I groaned, because it’s the cutest puppy ever, and you know what’s going to happen to it.  Gained points for John Leguizamo being awesome.  Lost points for Alfie Allen, sheesh, that kid makes me want to greet him with a punch to the throat -  I suppose that means he’s talented?

Bonus Video 1:  Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever.  This was a very quiet action movie with Lucy Lui and Antonio Banderas – very little dialogue and almost all visuals.  I always loved it, and I feel like John Wick is in that vein.

Bonus Video 2:  47 Ronin – If you missed this last year, you should check it out. Keanu was good in this too.

Bonus Video 3:  Cast interviews:

Movie Review: The Book of Life (PG – 95 minutes)

I have this ongoing debate about the legitimacy of “kids” movies.  If you look at the top box office totals for any given year, inevitably there is an animated feature or two in the top ten.  This can be confusing, because I will be the first one to tell you that the box office totals (as opposed to critics’ lists or Award totals) are the best way to find out the ‘best’ movies of the year – or at the very least, the most popular.   This is true for everything except kids’ movies.  The reason is that kids’ movies will always have huge box office totals – not necessarily because people loved them, but because people will take their kids, their neighbor’s kids, their friends kids, and random kids to the theater to see the movie.  Suddenly you have 12 tickets purchased for the movie because people want to get the kids out of the house for two hours, not necessarily because the movie is good.  

Now – I will admit that is a huge generalization – and there are quality kids movies out there.  The LEGO movie earlier this year turned out huge numbers – at first because it was an animated kids’ movie, but then as word of mouth spread that the movie was entertaining for kids and adults, it continued to build steam.  

The opposite is also true.  Certain animated movies will have huge opening weekends, but then as word of mouth travels that the movie is not good, the sales quickly drop off for the following weekends. Occasionally, I will encounter a kids’ movie that is so good, I am blown away.  The first How To Train Your Dragon did that, LEGO Movie did that earlier this year, and The Book Of Life has done it again.  

I went to see it because it is produced by Guillermo Del Toro, who is one of my favorite directors.  The Book Of Life is epically beautiful and elegant.  The story begins with an elderly tour guide outside a museum, bemoaning that he has one more tour to give that day.  A bus pulls up with about 6 difficult children on it, the “detention kids”, who begin by shooting spitballs at the old man.  He is saved by a young woman tour guide, who volunteers to take the kids. She leads them through a secret door in the side of the museum, where she introduces them to the beauty of Mexico and its history.  She shows them an illustration of three spirits or gods – La Muerte (who rules the Land of the Remembered), Xibalba (who rules the Land of the Forgotten), and the Candle Maker – who seems to function as the balance between.  The tour guide shows the children a box of wooden figures, who each represent a character in the story she is about to tell them that took place long ago in Mexico.  

The animation then shifts, and each of the characters are portrayed as these wooden dolls. 

Manolo, Maria, and Joaquin are three friends who are playing together as children.  Joaquin is struggling to live up to the expectations of his family, and his fallen father who was a great solider.  Manolo is struggling to live up to the expectations of his family – which are all bullfighters.  Maria is struggling to live up to the expectations of her father, which seem to be for her to be good and behave.  On the Day Of The Dead (November 2^nd, the day that families get together to remember those they have lost) La Muerte and Xibalba form a wager (Xibalba is tired of ruling the Land of the Forgotten, and wants to rule over the Land of the Remembered – which is much nicer).  La Muerte backs Manolo, Xibalba backs Joaquin – whichever boy ends up being chosen by Maria to be her husband, that backer will get to rule the Land of the Remembered.  After some shenanigans, Maria is sent off to Spain to be raised as a lady by nuns, Joaquin joins the militia, and Manolo learns to be a bullfighter, but really wants to be a singer – forcing him to try to choose between following his heart and following the expectations of his father.  

Years pass, and Maria returns.  Joaquin is now the greatest hero in the land (mainly because of an enchanted medal that Xibalba gave to him as a child that prevents him from getting harmed), Manolo is about to have his first major bullfight (which he keeps disappointing his father at, because he insists on not killing the bull).  Manolo once again does not kill the bull – but puts on quite a display of skill.  Joaquin attempts to woo Maria by being physically strong – and her father insists she consider his marriage proposal because he will then stay and protect the village from the coming bandit king, Chakal.  

Maria is not thrilled that her father is making plans for her, and besides, Manolo comes to her window to sing to her.  He asks her to meet him under a tree, where he also proposes to her.  

However, as she is about to say yes – Xibalba has a snake sneak up to attack Manolo – Maria pushes him aside to save him, but gets bitten.  Manolo carries her back to town, where of course her father and Joaquin blame him for the snakebite and he returns to the tree, completely disheartened at the loss of Maria.  Xibalba takes advantage of this opportunity, and offers to have the snake bite Manolo twice – causing him to die and wake up in the Land of the Remembered.  

Manolo is reunited with all of his lost family members, who escort him to see La Muerte to find Maria. However, he finds that Xibalba is now sitting on the throne of the Land of Remembered, because Maria recovered from her one snakebite – and will now marry Jaoquin for the good of the town, causing Xibalba to win the bet.  Manolo, his mother, and his grandfather then have to find a way to the Land of the Forgotten to tell La Muerte of Xibalba’s treachery, and get back to the Land of the Living – to save Maria from marriage, and the town from Chakal.  Spoiler alert – it has a happy ending.

Directed by former animation director Jorge R. Gutierrez, the story is wonderful, and the movie is absolutely beautiful.  The animation is mind-blowing and the celebration of the Day of the Dead is truly touching.  The cast is pure perfection.

• Diego Luna plays Manolo with exceptional earnestness.  He is such a great hero, because everyone has been in a place of wanting to follow their heart, but also wanting to do what is expected.  He gives Manolo great relatability, and a wonderful sense of romance and determination.

• Zoe Saldana plays Maria – giving her just the right amount of spunk as she at first fights against her father’s demands, but then realizes that she should marry Joaquin to keep him there to protect the town.  Also - her pet pig is awesome.

• I was a little perplexed by the choice of Channing Tatum to play Joaquin, but the reality is that he’s perfect in the part.  He’s supremely confident, but is also well aware that his success is because of the enchanted medal.  His absolute cocky assurance is hilarious.

• Ron Perlman (because he is Del Toro’s muse) plays Xibalba, and is the perfect blend of menace and mischief for the character.  He does seem to genuinely love La Muerte (a little bit of Thanos there), but is also determined to beat her so that the can get out of the truly depressing Land of the Forgotton.

• Kate del Castillo is a huge star in Mexico, and she is the perfect choice for La Muerte – she makes her warm and kind, and patient with Xibalba – until she realizes that she has been duped.

• Christina Applegate plays Mary Beth – the tour guide who handles the tough kids and basically serves as the narrator of the story.  She’s very important in walking the kids through the events, and reassuring them at some of the more difficult points.

• There is once casting choice I did not understand – and that is Ice Cube as the Candle Maker.  It’s not that he is bad, he’s just fine –but he very much is Ice Cube, and I’m not sure he fit in the story – he was more distracting than anything.

• Hector Elizondo is perfect as Carlos Sanchez, Manolo’s father, who is bound and determined to get his son to live up to the Sanchez name as a legendary bullfighter – and will not stand to hear any mention of the song-playing.
• Danny Trejo is in this (of course he is), and he plays Manolo’s grandfather, Skeleton Luis (everyone in the Land of the Remembered are skeletons).  He’s hilarious, and really puts the skills he picked up in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids movies to use here.  There’s not a trace of Machete…in a good way.

• Carlos Alazraqui of Reno 911 fame plays General Posada – Maria’s father.  He’s determined to get Joaquin to stay and protect the town, even at the expense of his daughter’s happiness.
• Ana de la Reguera plays Carmen – Manolo’s mother, who is thrilled to see him, but then is shocked to see him that soon in the Land of the Remembered, so she helps him on his journey to return to the land of the living.

• The members of Manolo’s mariachi band, which are over-the-top comic relief, are played by Gabriel Iglesias, Cheech Marin, and Ricardo el Mandril Sanchez. 
• Dan Navarro plays Chakal – the bandit king, 

• It’s also worth mentioning that Placido Domingo (yes, that Placido Domingo) plays one of Manolo’s other skeleton relatives, Jorge.

Honestly, see this movie.  It is so incredibly beautiful – both in the story, and the visuals.  And, man, the visuals!  The “real world” is lovely, ancient Mexico is beautiful, then when they get to the Land of the Remembered – it is breathtaking.  Each of the people living in the Land of the Remembered is a skeleton, decorated like Mexican Day of the Dead typical skull artwork with amazing colors and designs.  And because the characters in the story are wood dolls, that is carried through the movie as well.  I was the only person in the theater when I went, which I found really distressing.  People will take their kids to see the terrible Ninja Turtles reboot over and over, but not this piece of art?  Perhaps the marketing was lacking – I don’t really remember seeing any commercials for it.  Well – I will have to start my own word of mouth campaign.  Go see this – take your kids, take everybody – it’s wonderful, and see it in 3D.

8 out of 10 – Gained points for the look of the movie, gained points for the mariachi versions of current pop songs – that was really different, but fit perfectly.  Gained points for the nuns who sang everything.  Gained points for the story within a story format.  Gained points for the Land of the Remembered – what a lovely way to think of the afterlife.  Lost points for Ice Cube.  Again – not bad, but really distracting.

Bonus Video 1:  Pan’s Labyrinth – del Toro’s hard R adult fairy tale that is absolutely hauntingly beautiful.  Do not let your kids watch this one.

Bonus Video 2:  Desperado – yes, the sequel was called Once Upon A Time in Mexico – but it was not nearly as good (remember the debate about Banderas (who is Spanish) playing a Mexican hero?).

Bonus Video 3:  Cast Interviews:

Movie Review: Gone Girl (R – 149 minutes)

This will be a spoiler-free review, because I think you should really see this movie.

Let’s begin this one with a brief David Fincher discussion.  I have always said, and I will continue to say, movies are a director’s medium (theater and the stage are an actor’s medium).  If you are wondering what to watch – figure out who the director of a movie you loved was, then look up other stuff by them.  Chances are you will like their other items.  Likewise, if you hated a movie – remember that director, chances are you will want to avoid their other work too (Terry Gilliam and Darren Arronofsky are on that list for me).  It always blew my mind that people were so shocked at the level of violence in the Passion of the Christ – why?  It was by the same insane director who hired real amputees for Braveheart so that the maimings would look more realistic. 

David Fincher is a director who started in music videos – but weird ones – in the late 80s and early 90s.  He then moved on to creepy weird movies with Alien 3 (yes, the really weird prison one), The movie Se7en (while I will agree that was well done – I hated it and never want to see it again), The Game (which I really liked, but was super creepy and weird),  Fight Club (which I personally hated, but again – was well put together), Panic Room (Jodie Foster stuck in a room for two hours while Jared Leto, his cornrows, and Forrest Whittaker try to get her), Zodiac, Benjamin Button, The Social Network, and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (American version).  You can start to see the pattern.  The movies are well-directed, well-crafted, with some amazing performances; however, on the whole, they are all creepy and weird, and not necessarily enjoyable – just watchable.  Did you like those movies?  You’ll love this one.

Gone Girl started as a book by Gillian Flynn which was released in 2012, and was swiftly added to the Best Seller List.  From what I have been told (I didn’t read it), the movie follows the book pretty closely.  

The movie is exceptionally well-crafted, but is very creepy – the score is by Trent Reznor (yes, the one from Nine Inch Nails) again – just like Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – and is also very, very creepy.

The movie starts innocently enough – we are introduced to Nick Dunne as he goes out to the trash on a cold morning, the morning of his 5^th anniversary to his wife, Amy.  He gets in the car and heads out a bar, named The Bar, which he co-owns with his twin sister, Margo.  He shares a drink with Margo, gets a call from his nosy neighbor that the cat is out and heads home.  He takes the cat in, and finds the coffee table in the living room destroyed and his wife nowhere to be found.  Concerned, he calls the police.  Detective Rhonda Boney and Officer Jim Gilpin come by to do a preliminary walk through of the house.  Detective Boney puts post-its around the house when she notices interesting things – a potential blood spatter, and the envelope in the bedroom underwear drawer that clearly states “Clue 1”.  Nick explains that Amy creates an anniversary treasure hunt for him each year on his anniversary.   

As they dig a little deeper, things look worse and worse for Nick – it comes out that he has a young mistress (an incredibly young mistress), that there was a large pool of blood in the kitchen that has since been cleaned up, and that there is a lot of suspicious activity on his credit cards. 

All of that much is in the trailers – but I am not going to say anything else.  Honestly – you need to see this movie.  This is one of those that you absolutely can believe the hype.  It is creepy – it is weird, but it is really well done and it is mind blowing.  I cannot remember the last time I was sitting in a movie theater and repeatedly had my mouth fall open in astonishment.

Cast-wise, the movie is perfect.

• Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne – and I will just keep hanging out on the Ben Affleck bandwagon as I always have.  He is really good in this – quietly subtle, frustrated, and angry.  You really go back and forth during the course of the movie – did he kill his wife?  Did he not? 

• Rosamund Pike – who has quietly been really good for a really long time (I love Doom – but she was first noticeable in Die Another Day), does not let her American accent slip at all during this movie and is just fantastic as Amy.  I almost can’t say anything else, but she probably needs a nomination for this movie.  The set up of Amy’s character with the effect her parents had on her is incredible.

• Neil Patrick Harris plays Desi Collings – an old flame of Amy’s, who she once filed a stalker complaint against.  He is perfect as the completely devoted old friend.

• Tyler Perry’s Tyler Perry plays nationally famous defense attorney Tanner Bolt who comes in to take on Nick’s case.  He is very intrigued, and does what he can with the case.  Tyler Perry is really good in this, and I look forward to seeing him in more movies both his and others.

• Carrie Coon is really fantastic as the beleaguered Margo Dunne.  She does what she can to stand by Nick, and support him – but the evidence is really against him.  For a few minutes I thought maybe she was Justine Bateman, but she’s not.

• Kim Dickens really steals almost every scene that she is in as Detective Boney.  She goes where the evidence leads her, and tries her best to not be swayed by the public opinion.

• Patrick Fugit plays her assistant, Officer Jim Gilpin.  He believes Nick is guilty, almost from the get-go, and the two of them bounce ideas off one another as the case progresses.

• David Clennon and Lisa Banes play Rand and Marybeth Elliot – Amy’s parents, who fly in to help Nick with the search effort.  The movie does a great job of clearly explaining them, their business, their personalities, and their effect on Amy.

•  Missi Pyle (who normally excels at comedies – go rent DodgeBall again), plays TV pundit Ellen Abbot, who very quickly convicts Nick in the court of public opinion.   It is a thinly veiled Nancy Grace impression.

• Emily Ratajkowski plays the young mistress – apparently she was one of the naked models in the Blurred Lines video.  You know that is going to go bad for Nick, and you’re right.

• Casey Wilson (the genius from Happy Endings) plays neighbor Noelle Hawthorne who steps up as Amy’s best friend once she goes missing.

• Sela Ward plays Sharon Schieber – another woman with a TV show that Nick goes on to try to convince the public that he is innocent. 

• Scoot McNairy plays a man from Amy’s past – he’s great, but I can’t say anything else about that.

Really, that’s the theme here, I can’t say anything else about it – go see it, and see it quickly before someone ruins some part of it for you.  It’s creepy, some parts are really off-putting, I wouldn’t say it was entertaining or enjoyable, but it was a really good film and it has been a long time since I have been that surprised by a movie.  Be warned – the R rating is no joke, there is a lot of blood and a surprising amount of oral sex in this movie.  But don’t worry – nothing happens to the cat.  Based on some other Fincher movies (did I mention how much I hated the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?) I was worried about the cat.

8 out of 10 – really good, and really – go see it.  Lost points for the blood.  Gained points for Scoot McNairy, lost points for NPH – just too weird.  Gained points for Pike, give her the Oscar now, and Gained points for Affleck, and him being the only part of Batman v. Superman that I am looking forward to.

Bonus Video 1:  Did you forget Fatal Attraction?  You should probably watch it again – don’t get attached to the bunny…also – best ending ever.

Bonus Video 2:  Jersey Girl – honestly, one of my favorite Kevin Smith movies, and one in which Affleck is really, really good.  If you haven’t seen it – rent it.  Also - the best Will Smith cameo of all time.

Bonus Video 3:  The Fugitive – There’s no one-armed man in Gone Girl, that would have made things a little easier for Nick, but Sela Ward is in it! 

Bonus Video 4:  Cast interviews.