Transcendence: Falls Flat—Movie

In many ways “Transcendence” is a movie about man vs. machine…a very smart machine in the form of artificial intelligence. Directed by Wally Pfister and written by Jack Paglen, “Transcendence” is set in the not too distant future.

When the film begins, the U.S. and probably the world, is Internet fee. A catastrophe of some kind has wiped out the ability to use the Internet, wifi, and all the devices dependent upon such technology. The movie goes back five years so we can find out what happened and why. There, in the Berkeley area, we meet two married scientists, Will and Evelyn Caster (Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall). They are both proponents of pushing the AI envelope…seeing how far science can take us in replicating thoughts, ideas, tissues and cells. Think a combination of “Her” and “The Six Million Dollar Man,” but on a much grander scale.

The film raises some interesting issues—certainly there are benefits to all this technology, but what happens when man’s bad impulses begin to outweigh man’s goodness. That’s the concern of a group led by Bree (Kate Mara). Early on in the film, a member of her group does something drastic which sets the wheels in motion for the rest of “Transcendence”–a showdown of man vs. machine.

With all the talent assembled for “Transcendence,” one would think this movie would be better. It just goes to prove that if it’s not on the page, no amount of good acting can breathe life into a film. Johnny Depp gets top billing, but in reality this movie belongs to Rebecca Hall. She’s a good actress and does what she can, but doesn’t have enough with which to work. Depp is absent from too many scenes and, for the most part, when he appears it’s via screen within a screen. Paul Bettany (who’s in the film more than Depp) and Morgan Freeman lend a sense of gravitas to the plot, portraying colleagues and friends of the Casters and act as the voices of reason. Finally, Cillian Murphy is on board as an FBI agent brought in to investigate an incident relating to Will (one can’t help but notice that Irishman Murphy sounds more American than Depp and that seems rather strange).

Maybe we’ve been exposed to too many television programs and movies about AI, but “Transcendence” just doesn’t seem to have any mojo. It falls to earth with a thud.

2 nuggets out of 4

 

The Town: Move over Woody and Clint and make way for Ben—Movie

The Town proves two things– Ben Affleck can act and most importantly, this man can really direct.

Based on Chuck Hogan’s novel, Prince of Thieves, with script by Affleck, Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard, and directed by Affleck, The Town is a tightly woven crime drama taking place in the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown. Boston is in Affleck’s blood and it shows in every shot—from the streets to the people to the accents. There is never a false note.

Ben Affleck is Doug McRae, the brains behind a small band of bank robbers. When the gang takes the bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), hostage for a brief period of time in the aftermath of a bank heist, the FBI heat on the robbers intensifies. The gang discovers that Claire lives in their Charlestown neighborhood, so Affleck purposely meets “cute” with her to see if she’ll be able to identify them. She doesn’t and the two of them hit it off, and after a brief time they  fall in love with consequences for all.

Affleck has assembled a terrific cast, some from television and others from the movies. All of them are great. Jeremy Renner as Jem Coughlin, whose character is like a brother to Doug, gives another phenomenal performance. He’s utterly convincing as the group’s hothead. Chris Cooper, as Doug’s proud, but defeated father, is once again fabulous in a small, but important role. Mad Men’s Jon Hamm is very good as the low-key FBI agent on the case and boy,his looks hold up well in the big screen. Pete Postlethwaite, as Fergie the florist, gives a chilling, unforgettable performance. Rebecca Hall’s Claire is spot-on, particularly in the robbery scene, with just the right touch of vulnerability and strength. And finally, Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively turns in such a fantastic performance as Jem’s sister and Doug’s one-time girlfriend, that she could have people talking coming awards’ time.

The terrific directing is not limited to the actors. The car chases are fantastic and authentic…up and down and around the narrow streets of Boston. The scenes in and around Fenway Park feel real and the robberies are staged like a pro did them.

Affleck’s directing card should be getting very crowded. Any producer with a brain in his or her head should be begging him to direct their movies. He absolutely directs the beejeezus out of everyone in The Town.  The Town also demonstrates that perhaps Affleck should have been directing himself years ago. Ben Affleck, the actor, hasn’t been this good since Chasing Amy.

Woody and Clint—look out! There’s a new hyphenate in town and he’s gunning for you.

4 nuggets out of 4

Please Give—Movie

In a movie season full of 3-D, bullets, arrows, and gross-out humor, a good script and fantastic acting still has the power to stop you dead in your tracks. Say “hello” to Please Give, written and directed by Nicole Holofcener.

Full of witty dialogue, Please Give tackles serious topics…guilt, death, adultery…in a darkly funny, mean-spirited, snarky and deliciously entertaining manner.

Please Give revolves around Manhattan middle-class couple Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) , daughter Abby (Sarah Steele), the crusty old grandmother, Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert) who lives next door and her two granddaughters, Rebecca (Rebecca Hall) and Mary (Amanda Peet).  Kate and Alex own a high-end vintage home furnishings store, purchasing most of their stock from the estates of the recently deceased. They own the grandmother’s apartment and are basically waiting for her to die so they can knock through the wall and expand their apartment.  Abby is a typical teen, concerned about her weight, skin, and the search for the perfect pair of jeans…no matter how much they cost. Andra’s granddaughter Rebecca lives a shy, quiet life as a radiologist and looks after her grandmother in her spare time, while her attractive, extraverted sister Mary works in a spa.

Each actor is great in his and her role, but Catherine Keener and Amanda Peet have to be singled out. Keener, long Holofcener’s muse, has never been better or looked worse. She’s racked by guilt over making money from dead people and it shows in every fiber of her being. Amanda Peet proves that she’s much more than just a pretty face. She has some of the sharpest dialogue and really delivers.

Give your ears a time-out from the sounds of bullets and crashes and your nose a break from those 3-D glasses. A movie as good as Please Give doesn’t come around often enough to be missed.

4 nuggets out of 4