"12 Strong" Review
12 Strong is the same song and dance that we’ve seen before with a war film. Directed by first-time director Nicolai Fuglsig, this is also the first war film that producer Jerry Bruckheimer has been involved with since 2001’s Black Hawk Down. Riding the wave as such films like 2013’s Lone Survivor and 2016’s 13 Hours (Iraqi war films that came out in January or expanded wide), 12 Strong is cliché to the capital C and plays it relatively safe. In short, it’s a formulaic film that hits on the same points previous war films go through.
Based on the true story, the film is about Task Force Dagger, a group of twelve American soldiers led by Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) who are sent into Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. Once they get into the area, they form an uneasy alliance with General Rashid Dostum (Navid Negahban) of the Northern Alliance, and together, they take on the Taliban forces and do their best to defeat them, and as one of the soldiers states, they would be the first twelve Americans to fight back.
On the plus side, the actors do all they can with the material on hand, with the standouts being Michael Shannon and Michael Pena. They are all likeable enough, and there’s more humor in this than what I expected when I saw the trailers. It’s nice to see Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Patsky act together, even though they’re playing a married couple. Some of the scenes work as well, particularly those that involved Hemsworth and Negahban. The pacing of the film, for the most part, was fine. Finally, there were a handful of cool images that Fuglsig and his DP Rasmus Videbæk come up with, whether it’s a horse running alone through a battlefield, or the landscapes of New Mexico doubling for Afghanistan.
As for why this falters, the screenplay that’s credited to Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) and Peter Craig (The Town) does it no favors. For a war film, they hit on the same beats that we see time and time again with these films. With war films, you’re supposed to feel sympathy or relate too the characters that we see on screen. In this film, I didn’t feel for any of the characters as the runtime progressed, and the film is bland enough that I didn’t even know what the characters name were, thus resorting to the actors that were up on the screen. Also, there’s no character development at all in this film, and some characters are underdeveloped. We hear it, but we don’t see it. And Tally and Craig write some cliché dialogue through the course of the film. The cinematography was nothing special, opting to go for the same grittiness that we’ve seen before with war films. As for the action scenes themselves, while they were decently edited for the most part, too many times there were quick cuts to know what’s transpiring on screen, thus making it hard to make sense of the geography of the land. The villain of the film was one-dimensional and they could have trimmed some scenes out and the film would still played the same way.
Overall, while 12 Strong is technically competent, but it’s ultimately a forgettable film. With the subject matter of the story, this could have been an interesting film. Sadly, it just plays it safe. When I came out of the screening, all I had was a shrug. It’s not a bad film per se, but it’s an unmemorable one. You don’t need to rush out and see this opening weekend. This is a film that you could have playing on the background when it makes its eventual debut on TNT. By year’s end, you will probably forget that this film came out this year, if not sooner.
Rating: C
"The Night Before" Review
Deck the halls with weed and mushrooms, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la cocaine.
That’s pretty much the mindset that this film occupies. Combine a Christmas movie with a stoner movie and you’ll get The Night Before, the latest comedy starring Seth Rogen. Those who have seen Rogen’s past efforts (This is the End, Neighbors, The Interview) are well aware of what to expect by this point: vulgar humor, pop culture references, and a laid-back, improvisational approach to storytelling. The Night Before is no exception, and whether that’s a good or bad thing is entirely dependent upon the viewer’s tolerance for that sort of thing.
Me? I laughed when I saw it, in spite of myself. The Night Before is equal parts naughty and nice, relishing its raunchiness while pausing for sobering, heartfelt moments as well. This is a film about friendship, forgiveness, growing up, and the spirit of Christmas… that also features a scene in which Rogen, wearing a sweater bearing the Star of David, vomits in the middle of a church during Christmas Eve service.
The film concerns three childhood friends—Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Chris (Anthony Mackie), and Isaac (Rogen)—who are on the cusp of some big changes in their lives. Before adulthood claims their freedom to party forever, they gather on Christmas Eve for one last night of bacchanalian shenanigans. On a quest to find the Christmas party to end all Christmas parties, they traverse from one outrageous set piece to the next. This is not so much a story as it is a collection of things that happen.
Like with all Rogen comedies, the sheer level of talent assembled is impressive. In addition to the believable chemistry and snappy banter of the three leads, there are also hysterical supporting turns from actresses Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) and Mindy Kaling (The Office), who often overshadow their male costars with their radiant comedic timing. But the most brilliant—and surprising—comic performance of the film comes from Michael Shannon (yes, General Zod from Man of Steel) as the mysterious marijuana dealer Mr. Green. He runs away with the film.
But too often the humor relies on lazy pop culture references and random celebrity cameos that will date the movie instantly. Miley Cyrus appears in one scene. What’s the joke? I guess it’s meant to be funny because she’s there. Or is there irony in the way the characters lay the praise on thick by saying things like “Miley Cyrus is so amazing! Isn’t her song ‘Wrecking Ball’ timeless?”
It’s unnecessary detours like these that take precious screen time away from our heroes and grind the film’s momentum to a halt. Had the script stayed focused a bit more on its central characters, I would have found myself caring if Ethan gets the girl or if Isaac learns to be a responsible father or if Chris becomes less of an egotistical jerk.
But perhaps I’m being a bit of a Scrooge. People don’t go to a film like The Night Before looking for well-developed characters or a polished script. They go to laugh. And when Christmas brings us such lumps of coal as Jingle All the Way, Deck the Halls, and Christmas with the Kranks, we can be thankful that The Night Before is as funny and warmhearted as it is. After all, isn’t being thankful what the holidays are all about?
Grade: B-
"99 Homes" Review
If you’re like me, there is nothing more thrilling than a glass of red wine and an episode of House Hunters. The show simply follows someone as they pick out their next home and while the formula is predictable, it does not make the show any less addicting. There is something about getting a peek into someone else’s living situation — it satisfies a natural curiosity. “99 Homes”, a film written and directed by Ramin Bahrani, is the exact opposite of a comforting episode of House Hunters. It is an exploration of the much darker sides of home ownership and the realities of the real estate business.
The film’s tone is immediately set as we meet Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield) and his son as they fight their forthcoming eviction in a local courtroom. Dennis is unwilling to accept that the house he grew up in- the house his son is now growing up in- can be taken from them. He pleads with the judge, but to know avail. He has 30 days to appeal the court’s foreclosure of the property, but it’s done — they have lost their home. The music for this scene is heart-pounding, a deep bass that signals this is just the beginning of the troubles Dennis and his family are about to face.
Dennis and his family (which includes his son and mother, played by Laura Dern) are evicted from their home the next day, by Rick Carver (Michael Shannon) — a cold-hearted real estate broker whose only bit of sympathy for those he is evicting comes in the form of the two minutes he grants the families to gather any possession that they don’t want thrown out on the curb. Rick is evil personified. He has gotten rich off the backs of those far less fortunate and by working the housing crisis caused by the recession to his advantage. He is savvy in all the wrong ways and Shannon turns the Miami-vice clad monster into a multi-dimensional villain that you’ll hate, but secretly understand.
The movie truly takes off when Rick recognizes in Dennis an entrepreneurial spirit that can be used to his advantage. Rick takes Dennis on as his assistant, teaching him the how to run a real estate business through shady deals and bank foreclosures. Dennis, who walks a fine line between hopeless and hopeful, makes the perfect errand boy for Rick — Dennis needs the money and Rick needs someone who is just desperate enough not to ask questions. As their predator-prey relationship plays out, Dennis becomes someone he and his family thought he would never become. His decision to take a walk on the dark sideeventually comes to head leaving Dennis, Rick and the audience to wonder — was it worth it?
The brilliance of “99 Homes” comes from the context of the film. It’s not an original story, but the context of the housing crisis feels like uncharted territory. There is something so sacred about the home: it is a comforting space (unless of course you’re in a horror movie). “99 Homes” removes all the feel-good amenities of domestic life and exposes several sides of the white picket fence that haven’t really been given this level of dramatic treatment. It’s fresh and thrilling, despite the somber subject matter. Well worth the watch!
Grade: B