Adjustment Bureau & Rango Podcast

I just completed my second podcast for Picktainment.com.  We covered three films that are opening this weekend. Push play to listen to reviews on The Adjustment Bureau, Rango and Take Me Home Tonight.

Listen to internet radio with Picktainment on Blog Talk Radio

The Adjustment Bureau -- Review

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you had made a different choice from one you made that put you where you are today?  Maybe selected a different college then the one you attended... or turned down a job that  relocated you to where you are now... or stuck with something a little longer than you originally had to see what could happen... or even taken that right turn rather then the left you made on the way home.  Where would you be if you had made that other decision?  The Adjustment Bureau is a psychological suspense film that addresses questions like these throughout the film as it plays with the idea of fate and free will and whether or not we as humans are in control of either.

The Adjustment Bureau is an amazing film that is exceptionally written and directed.  From the moment you are first introduced to David Norris, played by Matt Damon (Bourne films and True Grit), you instantly like him -- even though he is a politician.  He is someone you can relate with and feel compassion for, and that is just the beginning.  When Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt - Wolfman, Young Victoria and Sunshine Cleaning) interrupts a rather personal moment for David the audience instantly feels the connection between the two characters.  It's a chemistry on film that I have not seen in a long time and it was refreshing to watch these two extraordinary actors compliment each other.  Even though we know that whatever is causing their instant attraction and connection will be their ultimate challenge and that is when the Adjustment Bureau steps in.

The employees of the Adjustment Bureau are great characters full of depth and life regardless of the lack of visible emotion throughout the film, with the exception of one "adjuster". Anthony Mackie (Hurt Locker) plays Harry Mitchell, who has been assigned to David since he was a young kid to try and keep him on the path that had been laid out for him but Harry makes a few mistakes and opens the door for fate to throw a few curve balls.   John Slattery (Mad Men) plays Richardson who is a straight faced "adjuster" assigned to clean up Harry's mistakes.  But it is Terence Stamp (Valkyrie and Wanted) who plays the ultimate "adjuster" Thompson who is only called in when there is no other choice. With the talent behind the Adjustment Bureau there is no question as to whether you would ever want to face a group of men like this is real life -- the answer would be no!  Although they are very well dressed and at first glance would not be accused of anything other than being businessmen they are very far from that and definitely not anyone you'd want to mess with.

The Adjustment Bureau is George Nolfi's first directed film, but his background as a screenplay writer (The Adjustment Bureau, Bourne Ultimatum, Timeline) has definitely helped him create the perfect blend of suspense, drama, and action.  You will feel every fall and hit as though it were happening to you, and because of this George Nolfi has created a perfect piece of cinema.  The images are beautiful and the acting is some of the best we have in Hollywood, and if you did not already think Emily Blunt was gorgeous I guarantee you will after you see her dance.  She is just as elegant in her speaking role as she is when she's dancing.  So if you are looking for a suspense film to catch this weekend I highly recommend The Adjustment Bureau.

I give The Adjustment Bureau a 4 out of 5.

Green Zone -- Review

Walking out of a screening of Green Zone I cannot help but feel at a loss.  The film is breathe taking and really makes you sit back and think.  True this is a film, true it has roots that may hit home on many different levels, and yet on top of being something that is clearly making a statement, one must remember that the film is made for entertainment.  We have already had a good number of films made about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars from various points of view.  Stop-Loss is about the men and women who are serving longer tours than they originally signed up for by an involuntary extension.  Home of the Brave revolved around a group of men and women who have returned and their struggle to readjust to being back home.  Hurt Locker is about the unbelievable soldiers who are part of the army bomb squad called the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit.  Taking Chance is about a soldier's experience across the country as he escorts the remains of Pfc. Chance Philips back to his home town.  And there are others that give us a quick look into certain aspects of how the past 9 years have  affected so many of the brave men and women who serve our country.  On so many levels this is the hardest review to write and yet I must remind myself, like I did as I was watching the film, that Green Zone is just a movie.

Green Zone is one of those films that I knew would be unbelievable, but due to the content I did not expect it to be made quite yet.  The events covered in the film occur in 2003 and can very easily be googled if you do not already know the facts about the US military's mad hunt for supposed weapons of mass destruction.  I will be honest with you, I am not very educated regarding what really happened--  and why!  And I did not follow the news like many people may have, but I remember bits and pieces of information from 2003 and yet I did not realize or expect the extreme measures that this film insinuates.  It is hard to believe to what extent some people will take things, and there are some extremes that should never be taken.  Director Paul Greengrass takes us on a thrill that easily rivals the action packed Bourne films.  The cinematography was gritty which adds to the suspense level as we go on the journey with Chief Warrant Officer Miller (Matt Damon).  The acting is amazing and never leaves you questioning the believability of the situation.  And as much as I dislike Greg Kinnear in many of his roles, my dislike for him as Clark Poundstone Pentagon Special Intelligence is no less.  

I know we have been in search for the truth, but if this is anywhere near the truth,  I cannot believe anyone would dare go to such extreme measures.  Green Zone is a film inspired by Rajiv Chandrasekaran's book ‘Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone’ which hit book shelves in 2006 and won the 2007 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction.   No matter what side you stand on this film is a film that will not only entertain, but also make you think.  Take the events purly as a given, and follow along as a soldier turned rogue to find out the truth.  I highly recommend this film and feel that everyone should see.  I give Green Zone a 4.5 out of 5. 

Featurette