Film Review - Chef (2014)

On DVD and Blu Ray - "Chef" (2014) - Jon Favreau (Iron Man) writes, directs and stars in this absolutely delightful comedy about an acclaimed chef who loses his job at a high-end restaurant and subsequently reinvents his career by firing up a food truck.  Returning to his smaller-budgeted, indie roots in superb fashion, Favreau has crafted a genuinely funny and uplifting experience that feels refreshingly authentic and natural without a hint of scattershot improv.  Chef is a highly rewarding and thoroughly entertaining passion project that is extremely well-written and acted for a lighter comedy, featuring sharp, hilarious dialogue and fascinating, detailed footage of culinary preparation that will undoubtedly leave mouths watering.

Favreau's excellent as "Carl Casper", a portly and heavily tattooed professional chef who finds his creativity suffocated under the employment of his restrictive restaurateur boss, played by Dustin Hoffman (Marathon Man).  After a disastrous review from a surly food critic (Oliver Platt) results in a spectacular meltdown, our protagonist finds himself jobless yet eager to revisit what's left of his artistic integrity.  A dilapidated old taco truck presents a chance to start anew, while also providing a golden opportunity to repair the fledgling bond between him and the young son (Emjay Anthony) he's been neglecting.  Joined by his son and a former colleague (John Leguizamo), the trio embarks on an enlightening road trip across America.

I wasn't expecting the road picture element, though the film is highly effective as such- stops in Miami, New Orleans and Austin are most notable. 

The film features an impressive cast which includes the lovely Sofia Vergara (ABC's Modern Family) as Carl's sympathetic ex-wife (she looks amazing as a blonde!), Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers) as his hostess girlfriend and Bobby Cannavale (The Station Agent) as a former culinary colleague. There are a couple of worthwhile cameos I won't bother to spoil.

Maybe it caught me at precisely the right moment, but I had a smile plastered on my face from beginning to end- brimming with appealing characters, memorable lines and outstanding soundtrack selections, the film hits all the right notes and doesn't overstay its welcome.  A word of warning: I would suggest to potential viewers that they don't plan on viewing this on an empty stomach- it will prove to be 114 minutes of torture.

This is the feel-good film of 2014 and should rocket near the very top of the best food/cooking movies ever made.  It would make a great companion piece to Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci's 1996 film, Big Night.

Chef comes Highly Recommended- it's a celebration of the American appetite and a Midnight Max Essential.

9.5 out of 10

Director: John Favreau
Cast: John Favreau, Emjay Anthony, John Lequizamo, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Amy Sedaris and Robert Downey Jr.
Run-Time: 114 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language, including some suggestive references

Shortcut Reviews - Drama Special Edition Volume 02: Before Midnight (2013), The Book Thief (2013), Fruitvale Station (2013) and Philomena (2013)

 All 4 titles are available now on DVD and Blu Ray -


"Before Midnight" (2013) - This third volume in Director Richard Linklater's "Before..." films (following 1995's Before Sunrise and 2004's Before Sunset) is the best of the trilogy.  Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy return as the central characters, "Jesse" and "Celine", now married and on vacation in Greece with their two young, twin daughters.  Much like its franchise predecessors, the film consists of a series of engaging discussions between the duo and with friends.

Potential audiences can expect intelligent, worthwhile conversations concerning life, love, relationships, careers and the pursuit of happiness throughout- only a moron would miss the point or refer to it as boring.

I suppose I appreciated this particular film in the franchise most because I found the material more mature and finely tuned than in the previous two films.  It's an extremely well-written and impeccably acted affair that's a treat for those who enjoy great dialogue and natural performances.  This is an acting clinic that also works as a nice little travelogue, with a wealth of beautiful shots of the Grecian countryside.

Highly Recommended

8.5 out of 10

Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy
Run-Time: 109 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for sexual content/nudity and language

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"The Book Thief" (2013) - Based on the bestselling novel (of the same title) by Markus Zusack, this Drama concerning a young girl (Sophie Nelisse) living with her adoptive parents (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson) in WWII era Germany is well-made and aesthetically pleasing enough, though perhaps a bit too sanitized for its own good.  

Events are seen from the kind-hearted bookworm's perspective as she copes with the strife around her by reading every piece of literature she can get her hands on.  Conflict arises as her parents decide to hide a Jewish refugee (Ben Schnetzer) in the basement of their home and the young girl bonds with the charismatic newcomer.

The entire cast puts in solid work, while I'm pretty sure that Nelisse will have quite a career ahead of her.

I suspected going in that I would have a problem with a PG-13 rated film concerning the horrors of war, yet I find myself short on things to pick at other than it does indeed handle the material with kid gloves and an intermittent narration from actor Roger Allam (portraying Death) seems out of place.  The Book Thief would make a nice little companion piece to Hallmark Channel-esque war films like Spielberg's War Horse or Benigni's Life Is Beautiful. 

7.5

Director: Brian Percival
Cast: Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch, Barbara Auer, Levin Liam, Kristen Block, and Roger Allam
Run-Time:  131 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some violence and intense depiction of thematic material

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 "Fruitvale Station" (2013) - This based on a true story account of the final tragic day of San Francisco Bay area resident Oscar Grant III features an outstanding lead performance from Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle).  It is an interesting and involving character study that is refreshingly void of overtly manipulative fingerprints (given the subject matter) and is an uncommonly sure-handed feature length film debut from Director Ryan Coogler.

The buzz on Jordan is warranted, with his honest, natural portrayal of the flawed, 22-year-old father and ex-convict comfortably amongst 2013's best performances.  Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Melonie Diaz (Be Kind Rewind) also put in fine work as Grant's mother and girlfriend, respectively.

The vast majority of this film has a rare authentic feel to it, a testament to Coogler's passionate script/direction and to the film's game cast, that is sure to reel in seasoned film lovers.  My only real complaint against the film comes in the form of a late event which thrusts one too many characters from the narrative in one place at the same time- it is a slight infraction of obvious creative license and convenience that I would call the film's sole melodramatic moment.  That misstep aside, Fruitvale Station is compelling and powerful stuff for all the right reasons.

Highly Recommended

8.5

Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Ahna O'Reilly and Ariana Neal
Run-Time: 85 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for some violence, language throughout and some drug use

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"Philomena" (2013) - An apathetic British journalist (Steve Coogan) reluctantly takes on the story of an Irish woman's (Judi Dench) 50-year search for her forcibly adopted son only to find a much more complex account than he bargained for.

Coogan and Dench are fine enough throughout, with the best aspects of the film being the conversations and contrasting natures between them- too bad the film never fully realizes this.  An interesting turn of events takes place in this based on a true story tale's third act, yet Director Stephen Frears mishandles the material with generic melodrama.

Perhaps what I found most interesting about the film is how something this undercooked, safe and forgettable could come from the Director of such films as The Grifters, Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity, Dirty Pretty Things, The Queen and Tamara Drewe... it's a Lifetime Channel Original in disguise that's nowhere near as moving as it believes it is.

6.5

Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Mare Winningham, Barbara Jefford, Ruth McCabe, Peter Hermann, Anna Maxwell Martin, Michelle Fairley and Sean Mahon
Run-Time: 98 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 on appeal for some strong language, thematic elements and sexual references

Film Review - The Equalizer (2014)

At the Theater- "The Equalizer" - Denzel Washington stars as Robert McCall, a former black-ops government operative who relinquishes his quiet, unassuming lifestyle to come to the aide of a teenaged prostitute (Chloe Grace Moretz) being victimized by her Russian mafia handlers.  The first two thirds of this film is an intelligent and engaging Drama/Thriller that falls close to greatness, which makes it all the more disappointing when the third act devolves into an unwieldy and over-stuffed action flick that jumps the logistical rails and never recovers. 

Denzel Washington's McCall is a likeable sort, personable yet private while living a solitary, OCD riddled existence in Boston.  His days are spent working in a Home Depot-style hardware store while his nights are spent frequenting a nearby all-night diner and reading classic literature.  Washington is in fine, enjoyable form throughout, providing a performance that's ultimately far superior to the film he's in.

Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) fans may find themselves disappointed with the young actress's lack of involvement here- she's relegated to a mere several minutes of screen-time, yet puts in solid work.

Marton Csokas (The Debt) provides a memorable main villain as a Russian cleaner sent into town to square off against McCall.  I do wish the filmmakers had devised a better send-off for the despicable character...

Bill Pullman (Independence Day) and Melissa Leo (The Fighter) share a painfully brief segment as a married couple with ties to McCall's past, while David Harbour (End Of Watch) and Haley Bennett (Marley & Me) round out the notable cast, portraying a crooked cop and an ill-fated prostitute, respectively.

Director Antoine Fuqua (Olympus Has Fallen, Shooter, Brooklyn's Finest) seemingly has a problem maintaining a quality film, with a filmography littered with offerings that start off very well but ultimately crap the bed with poor last acts.  Tears Of The Sun (2003) and King Arthur (2004), for instance, were Fuqua-helmed films that I felt were moving along surprisingly well until disastrous third acts undermined all that transpired before.  The Director and his star reunite here for the first time since 2001's Training Day, and although that film is powered by Denzel's villainous performance, I'm not so sure anyone can claim it boasts a well-structured conclusion.  I guess I should have expected trouble when I was enjoying the hell out of The Equalizer's first two acts... 

A poorly rendered, super-imposed shot of Denzel walking in slow-motion towards the camera as a massive explosion rocks the landscape behind him is the worst kind of action-film infraction- it seems pulled from a current Steven Seagal DTV release and marks the very moment in the film where the narrative started to lose me.

A climactic showdown between Denzel's avenger and several well-armed bad guys, set in a massive hardware store, quickly deteriorates into a ludicrous slasher film- it's a subversive diversion with just a few too many trips to the tool-shed for my tastes; death by pole-saw, death by barbed-wire noose, death by power drill, death by nail-gun, death by microwave oven filled with hydrogen/oxygen bottles... "Jason Voorhees" and "MacGyver" would have been very proud.  The timing and pinpoint precision of a few booby-traps in this segment are so excruciatingly exact that it should leave a more intelligent viewer's eyes rolling in utter disbelief.  The material is admirably Hard-R in nature, bloody and violent as hell, though needlessly, irredeemably contrived.

There are positives here: a mid-film altercation between a handful of Russian gangsters is pretty nifty while an extended, MMA-style grappling sequence between McCall and a hulking henchman near film's conclusion is well-choreographed and intense.  The film is exceptionally shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore (Avatar) while there are several well-placed soundtrack selections- Zack Hemsey's "Vengeance" is utilized rather well during the film's climax.

For those interested, this film is based on an American television series of the same name that ran for four seasons during the mid to late 1980's ('85-'89).  English actor Edward Woodward (some also remember him from 1973's Horror/Thriller The Wicker Man) starred as Robert McCall in the show, a retired intelligence officer who lent his special skills out to those good souls being persecuted by the wicked.  I must confess that I cannot recall watching more than a few seconds of that particular show (I was too enthralled with Miami Vice and Magnum P.I. during that stretch), so there's nothing that I can add by way of comparison or contrast.

The Equalizer's early box-office success (coupled with a relatively modest production budget) indicates that audiences will be getting a sequel sometime in 2016- although I'm still a huge fan of Denzel Washington (always will be), I won't be too interested in a sequel to this film if Antoine Fuqua isn't replaced as Director.  If only Washington had found his first career franchise with the criminally underrated, 1940's era Mystery/Thriller, Devil In A Blue Dress...

There are indeed similarities between this film and the most excellent Man On Fire, yet I would consider them topical at best.  Man On Fire was both soulful and powerful, a kick-ass crowd-pleaser of the first order that ranks right up there with the very best Guy Movies ever made.  Overall, The Equalizer is a pale imitation- one in desperate need of a 15 minute trim.  I wanted to love this film but ended up faced with a barely passable guilty pleasure that becomes increasingly guilty each time I think about it...

7.0 out of 10

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz, David Harbor, Haley Bennett, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, David Meunier and Johnny Skourtis
Run-Time: 131 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, including some sexual references

Film Review - A Walk Among The Tombstones (2014)

At the Theater - "A Walk Among The Tombstones" - (2014) - Liam Neeson stars as Matthew Scudder, a former cop turned Private Detective who is hired by a wealthy drug trafficker to track down those responsible for the kidnapping and subsequent murder of his young wife.  I had been looking forward to this film for quite some time and was hoping for a smart, gritty, adult-oriented Crime/Thriller of the first order, yet found a frustratingly muddled and uninspired entry- it does start off promisingly enough, though slowly, but surely, devolves into just another mediocre thriller vehicle for its star.  Neeson is a fine actor and puts in solid work here, yet he can only carry matters so far.

The narrative is predictable and slack, hampered by an uneven script, inconsistent tone and fumble-some direction from Scott Frank.  Every hint of intelligent, seasoned film-making, every notion of subtlety and nuance is countered with amateurish blemishes.  Frank has churned out an impressive resume as a screenwriter (Get Shorty, Minority Report, Out of Sight) and helmed the criminally under-seen "The Lookout", yet strangely appears bewildered with the heart of the material.

Upon reflection, I was perplexed with a number of unnecessary segments and insignificant stock characters- there's very little mystery element to speak of, so setting up potential suspects and red herrings is clearly not the intent.  This particular tale (set in 1999) is laced with Y2K paranoia references and contradictory anti-gun messages, eating up the precious soul (and run-time) of a narrative that should have spent more time fleshing out characters, particularly Neeson's alcoholic, ex-cop turned gumshoe.

Nearly every principal player outside of Neeson's lead is woefully miscast, including a tandem of the most generic serial killers (David Harbor and Adam David Thompson) to have ever been featured upon the silver screen in a serious-minded thriller.  For what it's worth, the film is void of any notable female characters with more than one line of dialogue.

Potential viewers can expect quite a bit of footage of our hero pounding the pavement doing old-school detective work, with one memorable rooftop encounter with a hulking graveyard groundskeeper.  There is one late film gun battle riddled with an extremely odd and distracting juxtaposition of AA's 12 step program, while a climactic showdown between good and evil, set in a dark basement, never really should have reached that point.

For those interested, Matt Scudder is the central character featured in 17 novels (including one collection of short stories) from author Lawrence Block.  Scudder has graced the big screen once before, as played by Jeff Bridges in 1986's 8 Million Ways To Die - it's a scattershot affair, but worth a watch. A Walk Amongst The Tombstones was intended to kick-start a franchise of Scudder films, though I'm pretty sure a weak box-office turnout should put an end to that... for a while anyways.

A Walk... features a forgettable original score from Carlos Rafael Rivera, though Nouela's cover of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun, which plays with the onset of the post-film credits, is mighty interesting.  Mihai Malaimare Jr. supplies the cinematography- it's fine during night-time sequences though barely serviceable during daytime scenes... figure that.

The film isn't awful, though it is nowhere near the neighborhood of very good.  All things considered, I would chalk it up as one of the more substantial personal cinematic disappointments of 2014.  Perhaps HBO's outstanding season 1 of True Detective has set the bar too high for future theatrically released Crime/Drama/Thrillers for myself...

Skip it in theaters and wait for rental.

6.5 out of 10

Director: Scott Frank
Cast: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, Robert Boyd Holbrook, Adam David Thompson, Brian "Astro" Bradley, Sebastian Roche, Olafur Darri Olafsson and Mark Consuelos
Run-Time: 113 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief nudity

Film Review - Locke (2014)

On DVD and Blu-Ray - "Locke" (2014) - An excellent performance from Tom Hardy drives (quite literally) this Drama/Character Study concerning a construction supervisor and dedicated family man who, on the eve of an enormous career challenge, makes a decision that will irrevocably change his life.   The narrative concerns the defining moment of an imperfect, but well-intentioned soul confronting a moral dilemma of epic proportions as he seeks to take responsibility for a past indiscretion. 

It's important to convey that about 99.5% of this film takes place inside an automobile traveling down a lengthy stretch of highway, with Hardy the lone onscreen actor- his character converses with several other characters (sight unseen) via hands-free phone for the entirety of the film.  If you're O.K. with this particular setup, then continue on.

***SPOILERS***

The night before he's set to coordinate the mother of all concrete pours, our protagonist receives a call from a former one night stand revealing that she is about to give birth to his child- in an attempt to distance himself from the wretched, irresponsible Father that he barely knew, Locke decides to take the two hour trip down a busy highway to attend the delivery.  The decision throws the pour into doubt, which subsequently sets off an irate superior and panics an ill-equipped work colleague.  Locke's wife and teenaged sons are understandably confused while the woman about to have his baby isn't the brightest bulb in the shed.  A series of work-related setbacks ensue while the incessant calls from concerned family members and colleagues finds Locke straining under the mounting pressure.  Throw in a severe head cold and you've got one helluva conflict-riddled night drive.

***END OF SPOILERS***

Hardy (Warrior) is first-rate here- this is dialogue-heavy material and most will get a kick out of his interesting accent.  This is a pure acting clinic for those seeking natural ability and nuance in their film performances- scenes where Locke is railing in the rear-view mirror towards an empty backseat hint at a talent that may very well be near its peak, professionally.  I was on the fence concerning Hardy playing "Mad Max Rockatansky" in 2015's Fury Road, though I find myself much more comfortable with that now. 

I did have issues with the timeline and couldn't believe that one man would be so very important to such a large build.  It would be rather short-sighted and implausible, although not impossible, to have one man's absence destroy a massive construction endeavor.

The film features a worthwhile musical score and the various shots of nighttime traffic lights as they splay upon the vehicle's windshield makes for beautifully simplistic cinematography.  Director Steven Knight (Redemption) keeps the camera angles and editing fresh and active- although the stage/setting does not change, I don't believe I ever zoned out.

Although there's very little replay value to speak of, Locke comes recommended for those looking for an excellent, singular, showcase performance framed in a minimalist setting.


8.0 out of 10


Director: Steven Knight
Cast: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Ben Daniels, Tom Holland, Bill Milner and Danny Webb
Run-Time: 85 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language throughout.

Film Review - The Rover (2014)

Currently on VOD, releasing on DVD and Blu Ray on September 23rd, 2014-

"The Rover" - Set a decade after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner (Guy Pearce) pursues the men who stole his last remaining possession across a desolate expanse of the sweltering Australian outback. Crossing paths with the young, wounded simpleton (Robert Pattinson) that the gang left behind, the two form an uneasy alliance along the way.

Director David Michod's (Animal Kingdom) bleak, violent, contemporary Western is short of being profound, though admirable in its simplicity- I appreciated it as a triumph of the less-is-more approach to film-making.  The Rover is a smaller-budgeted affair, though it is well-filmed and features an interesting musical score- a few small details nagged at me, though the performances, direction and overall atmosphere won me over and maintained my interest throughout.

Guy Pearce's (Memento) performance as the mangy, world-weary drifter drives the film- he's a dangerous, hollowed-out soul hell-bent on reclaiming what's left of his past.  While dialogue is sporadic, there's a fierceness in the immensely talented Aussie actor's eyes that speaks volumes.  It bothers me to no end that Pearce doesn't land more higher-profiled, leading roles.

I haven't considered the 28-year-old Robert Pattinson (The Twilight films) all that impressive up until now, with the English actor's turn as a fidgety, naive sort surprising the heck out of me.  Perhaps it's a testament to the film's Director, or Pattinson has genuinely matured at his craft- I guess we'll know for sure after a few more years/films.

Though the duo's journey is sparsely populated, there are a handful of engaging encounters with the unsavory dregs and diamonds in the dusty rough that one would expect in a narrative of this nature.  There are a wealth of dynamic, lingering shots punctuated by short bursts of tense, bloody gunplay.  This is unmistakably adult material, aimed at an apparently dwindling demographic- it's CGI-free and packing a visceral punch that should stick to the ribs.  The final scene will more than likely find most reconsidering the film's title...

Recommended for the guys, it should prove to be a worthwhile companion piece to Director John Hillcoat's 2005 Western, "The Proposition" (also set in Australia and starring Guy Pearce).

8.0 out of 10

Director: David Michod
Cast: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field, Tawanda Manyimo, Gillian Jones, Susan Prior and Anthony Hayes
Run-Time: 103 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language and some bloody violence

Film Review - The November Man (2014)

At the Theater - "The November Man" (2014) -Pierce Brosnan stars as "Devereaux", an ex-CIA agent who is lured back into the espionage game when a former lover runs afoul of a crooked Russian politician.  Luke Bracey (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) portrays our super-agent's former protege who is charged with tracking him down, while Olga Kurylenko (Quantum Of Solace) is the social worker harboring the whereabouts of a key witness that could turn the tide of an election.

The film (based upon Bill Granger's Novel, There Are No Spies) is essentially a cat-and-mouse Spy Thriller/Action film in the vein of the Bourne films, though this particular offering in the genre is rarely intelligent while mixing familiar, derivative material in a tired and clunky fashion.  The logic is a bit off-kilter and the narrative flow is intermittently disjointed, as if two films from two different filmmakers had been spliced together out of last-minute desperation.  Strangely enough, the problems I had with this film often reminded me of issues I had with two recent and underwhelming Jason Statham actioners; 2011's The Mechanic and 2013's Parker.  Director Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, White Sands, The Getaway and The Bank Job) has helmed a handful of fine action/thrillers in the past, yet seems to be either uncomfortable with the material or disinterested...

Pierce Brosnan is edgier than the last several films in which he's been featured, though a particular scene about halfway through the film's run-time will leave most on the fence regarding how they feel concerning his character- it's a strangely unnecessary and pointlessly brutal sequence that I was sure would turn out to be a dream (it's just that bad), but was sorely mistaken.  Myself, I just couldn't get back on Devereaux's bandwagon after the occurrence.

The 25-year-old Bracey, although in the infancy of his film career, has his work cut out for him in progressing as an actor.  At this point, the Aussie will continue to get work simply because he's handsome.

Olga Kurylenko continues to make strides as an actress, though she's utilized as little more than the obligatory damsel in distress here. The Ukrainian actress is a bit too thin for my tastes, yet she does have amazing legs... I digress.

This film's hard R rating is welcomed- this is a decidedly violent and bloody venture, with devastating gunshot wounds and a bit of jugular wine flowing about, while a sequence set in a Russian nightclub features a bevy of bare-breasted strippers- never saw any of that in a Bond film.

All things considered, though, The November Man is a substantial disappointment- the film fails to get simple aspects of the genre right, from hare-brained plot twists, tonal schisms, lackluster main villains, characters that disappear with no explanation and a myriad of outright dumb decisions (from the filmmakers and characters alike), my call is to skip it.  There's just too damned many quality films in the Spy Thriller genre to waste time on this one...

5.0 out of 10

Director: Roger Donaldson
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko, Bill Smitrovich, Will Patton, Lazar Ristovski, Amila Terzimehic, Mediha Musliovic, Eliza Taylor, Caterina Scorsone and Patrick Kennedy
Run-Time: 108 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for strong violence including a sexual assault, language, sexuality/nudity and brief drug use