Date Night

 

• Released Internationally on 08/04/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 21/04/10

 

In a nutshell

Two of the biggest names in comedy, Steve Carell (star of The Office and The 40 Year Old Virgin)  and Tina Fey (star, writer and director of 30 Rock) team up as a married couple whose relationship has settled into a rather mundane routine, but who try to keep it interesting with regular date nights. On one such occasion, they give a different surname to get a table at a crowded restaurant, and the mistaken identity lands them in a spot of bother. Not being used to high-speed chases, rapid gunfire and underground crime-rings, the couple end up having an interesting evening.

Making it work

In the hands of anyone else, this could easily have turned out to be a mediocre and instantly forgettable comedy. The script is rather ridiculous at times, skimming lightly and quickly over major plot points just to get to where the laughs and action are. But the suspension of belief is worth our while once we get to enjoy the bigger picture. Who cares why the couple needed to leave a house in a stolen car rather than on foot, if the resulting car chase is one of the most enjoyable chase sequences in recent years? Why bother about how the couple end up at the Central Park boathouse, of all places, if it leads to one of the funniest single shots in the whole film?

Perfect fit

Ultimately, the reason it all works is due to the starring couple. Carell and Fey bring their characters Phil and Claire Foster wonderfully to life. By the end of the film, you'll be wondering why these two haven't worked together on the big screen before. Now both established as the king and queen of comedy on TV, they both possess enough star power to carry the film, without having lost their intrinsic dorky image which is needed here. On the contrary, the two fully embrace this uncool image in their respective TV series, and casting them as a rather boring married couple was a stroke of genius.

High-profile support

Although the two spouses steal the show, the often hilarious interactions with the supporting cast are a joy to watch. Mark Wahlberg (Three Kings, The Departed) lounges about, determined to remain shirtless, and helps out the couple with his high-tech gadgetry, whilst Phil squirms and Claire ogles. James Franco (Pineapple Express, Milk) and Mila Kunis (That 70s Show, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) briefly share the limelight as a degenerate couple whose path crosses that of the Fosters, and their over-the-top relationship contrasts cleverly with the Fosters’ solid but mundane love for each other. Ray Liotta uses his Goodfellas credentials to lurk in the shadows as the mafia-style kingpin without needing much effort, and Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac, Shutter Island) has a tiny but significant early role as the close friend who sets the Fosters on their relationship renaissance. The film is directed by Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) from an original script by Josh Klausner (Shrek Forever After).

Not just funny

The laughs are plentiful and frequent, and will probably be out loud. But the connection between the two main protagonists also allows them to develop the Fosters as an endearing, imperfect, realistic couple, with waning libidos and time-consuming jobs and children that have rendered their relationship unrecognizable. When the car chases slow down, and the gunfire ceases, they naturally realise that different doesn't necessarily mean worse, and the ending manages to be satisfying without getting too syrupy. I hope this on-screen duo have more outings planned.

 

Trailer:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/datenight/

Shutter Island

 

• Released Internationally on 18/02/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 17/03/10

 

Preview (Published 01/03/10 in Vida Magazine)

In a nutshell

The scene is a psychiatric hospital on an island, in 1954 Boston. A patient has escaped, and is assumed to be somewhere on the island. Since she has a dangerous history of multiple murders, two police officers are sent in to investigate. As tends to happen in these situations, a spot of bad weather cuts them off from the mainland, and they start to uncover much more than they bargained for.

Why we’re hyped

Based on the above synopsis, one could easily predict a cheap thriller. Three factors, however, elevate the expectations slightly. Martin Scorcese, Dennis Lehane, and the cast. Scorcese, easily one of the greatest directors alive, has more great films to his name than your average DVD library. He could probably announce that he’s making ‘The Accountant’ and we’d still expect a modern classic. In this case, though, he has a great story to work with. Dennis Lehane’s gritty Boston-set police thrillers have been made into the excellent Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, and this is one of his more acclaimed novels. The cast is quite impressive too.

Who’s in it?

Leonardo DiCaprio has now starred in three of Scorcese’s recent films, giving some of his best performances in The Departed, The Aviator and Gangs of New York. He plays a US Marshall, and is paired with Mark Ruffalo (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Zodiac). Rounding off an impressive cast that only a big name like Scorcese could have attracted are Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow and Patricia Clarkson.

 

Review (16/03/10)

Like putty in his hands

Some trips are so thrilling or so much fun that the destination is secondary. Like a Monty Python sketch that is so funny throughout it doesn’t need a punch-line, this film should provide a classy thrill ride, irrespective of whether you feel fully satisfied or not by the ending. From the very first frames it is obvious that we are in the hands of a seasoned, skilful director. Scorcese wields his directorial power confidently and with flair, using numerous devices to unsettle us in our seats. Extended dream sequences, prominent use of darkness and light, odd-looking characters that act even odder – they are all part of Scorcese’s palette, and he uses them without overdoing it. He then paints over all that he has created with stark colour and visual effects, and grandiose, atonal music. The acting is faultless, adding greatly to the sense of unease and uncertainty as we watch it grow on the faces of the protagonists. The result is a joy to watch, and a complex thriller that deserves repeat viewings. There is maybe too much spoon-feeding in the exposition phase of the film, but we are at least left with a final question mark rather than a shut case.

Not perfect, not even Scorcese's best, but easily the best film of 2010 so far.

 

 

Trailer:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/shutterisland/