No Shit, Sherlock

Fidelity to character. Whenever a major property is adapted to the big screen the internet seems to go up in arms or embrace whole-heartedly depending on how close to the source material the movie hews. When it was announced that stylist Guy Ritchie was going to be directing an action-packed remake of Sherlock Holmes with (gasp) American Robert Downey Jr as Holmes tongues clicked and message boards flamed. "Where's his deerstalker cap? His pipe? Holmes is no fighter!" people cried.

People are idiots.

If Downey's Holmes displays little resemblance to, say, Basil Rathbone's Holmes (and I really must protest, how many of my fellow bloggers have actually sat down and watched all the other iterations of Holmes?) he more than makes up for it to fidelity in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original print creation. The original Holmes is a scrapper, a master of disguise, frequently anti-social and more than willing to indulge in cocaine (reading the text it's his snuff packet that Holmes delves into more than his pipe). Above and beyond all this though is Holmes esire to match his boundless wit and logic against the most puzzling challenges the world of crime has to offer him. Downey's bold, manic energy works PERFECTLY for the character as originally conceived. He bristles at the mundane and domestic and in this film Holmes, the master of reason is placed against a seemingly supernatural foe.
If this film is comparable to any recent release I'd say that Ritchie, Downey and the team of screenwriters has captured the lightning in a bottle that endured audiences to Pirates of the Carribean. Both films attack what could be rather calcified genre pieces with energetic pacing and a modern sensibility. Ritchie finds a good groove as a studio director and makes good use of his speed-up/slow-down to turn Holmes action as an extension of character. Holmes approaches combat as yet another puzzle to solve. In voice-over Downey runs through exactly how to strike and block his opponent to ensure their defeat. It looks cool but doesn't sacrifice Holmes acting and behaving like Holmes. This modern sensibility carries through not only in action but in interaction.
There couldn't really be Holmes without Watson and Jude Law's control and slow-burn serve as an excellent counter-point to Downey's manic bluster. The two actors are fearless enough to play out the Holmes/Watson partnership very much as a bromance. They're not afraid to express their admiration and affection for one another, even when they're driving each other crazy. They're not constantly bickering, but they're definitely not always on the same page. The pot is stirred even further by the fact that Watson is trying to break up the partnership by getting married (a device that leads to a number of amusing scenes as Holmes tries to employ all his cunning to stop the engagement).
Holmes is not without romantic entanglement, though his interest is as much intellectual as sexual. The screenwriters bring in another Doyle character, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) as the one woman who Holmes could ever be interested in because she is as cunning as she is. The character works but she's not as fleshed or fun as Downey and Law. Mark Strong makes an impression as baddie Lord Blackwell (though for once he's outclassed in a film rather than stealing it whole). It doesn't ultimately matter as the film hints at a much better known Holmes nemesis waiting in the wings for a sequel.

But perhaps Holmes biggest villains this time out are his detractors. One of the most common complaints I've seen leveled at this film is that Holmes doesn't do any mystery solving. I can't fathom what movie the people who are making this complaint were watching. While the true villain is never in question, the film more than tickles fancy as a how-did-they-do-it as opposed to a whodunit. Ritchie plays fair, having his camera pan on relevant clues throughout. He leaves a trail for those as observant as Holmes to follow and the solutions are quite fun. The film only really falters at the very end when it tries to give the thing a Michael Bay-ish set-piece with Holmes climbing a massive piece of construction after he and his cohorts race to disarm a bomb. It's a bit much and the climax is ultimately more interested in having Holmes reveal the nature of his deduction anyway.

The bottom line is Sherlock Holmes flat out works as entertainment that is smarter and more fun then it has any right to be. Why? Because explosions don't matter, it's character that counts.

So yeah, this is happening

I won't be the first one and I won't be the last to note that the blocking is similar to Gyllenhaal and Ledger in the Brokeback poster. Though I bet if you did some digging you'd find that its pretty standard poster composition.
You can see it in hi-res on yahoo.

What do YOU mean "You People"?

Tropic Thunder presents a problem as thorny and twisty as the Vietnamese jungles it finds it's characters lost in. The problem being, whether one should settle on the film as an exceptional spoof and sublime mainstream comedy, or should one expect and demand more and wish that the filmmakers had pushed to make an out-and-out satire? Should we as viewers expect that a very good film push itself to be great? That a great film should be timeless? Perhaps one should, if the potential is there. If nothing else Tropic Thunder is bursting with potential and it gets about 85% of the way there. The film makes good use of its R rating to bombard the viewer with strings of creative obscenity and gloriously over the top gore all in the service of getting laughs. Its most certainly the best comedy on film that Ben Stiller has ever been responsible for. The plotting too is very solid, scripters include the aforementioned Stiller working with another writer/actor Justin Therouex (State, David Lynch and Charlie's Angels fans [any takers for all three?] will likely all recognize the name) along with Etan Cohen (not to be confused with either Ethan Coen or my friends Etan Greenbaum or Amir Cohen). They do a respectable job in defining and juggling a good dozen or so characters and give them all compelling arcs. The same can be said about the cleverly informed tone as set by the choices in soundtrack (Buffalo Springfield, Edwinn Starr etc) and the lush cinematography of Thin Red Line DP John Toll. I just wish the film had a little more on its mind then simply that the Hollywood mainstream is a money hungry machine and that most actors' processes and motivations are pretty ridiculous. I struggle here because these two ideas are in and of themselves ripe for being mined for comedy gold. Stiller and co succeed at this but given the resources at hand Stiller could have crafted something really sinister and biting as opposed to the cheery crowd-pleaser that the film turns into by act three.
The story resolves around a film shoot that goes very wrong. Fading action star Tugg Speedman (think early 90's Bruce Willis or Stallone or whoever) needs a hit and is hoping that the Vietnam drama "Tropic Thunder" is his ticket back to the big leagues. He's also threatened by the presence of superior method actor and nine time academy award winner, Australian bad-boy Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr running through the winners circle with a giant smile on his face). Lazarus is clearly inspired by the likes of Russel Crowe and Colin Farrel (with maybe a dash of Daniel Day-Lewis thrown in for good measure). The very white Lazarus courts controversy and the enmity of some of his co-stars by playing the squad's African American sergeant after receiving a radical skin darkening procedure. Any other actor coupled with any other script would torpedo the film wih this concept but given the way the material is presented coupled with the masterful deprecating performance of Downey (who absolutely steals the picture, as if there was any doubt) it works perfectly.
Keeping Lazarus in line and easing the tension for the audience in this scenario is rapper turned actor Alpa Chino (get it?), played by Brandon Jackson. Chino is part of a duo of younger characters in the squad who are there as the voice of reason, except when he's trying to hawk his various merchandise (though Chino has his own predictable albeit funny secret he's dealing with). The other young rational squad member is Kevin Sandusky as played by Apatow regular Jay Baruchel. Baruchel plays the straight man with aplomb and keeps things level before they spin out of control. He's the heart of the film and is really the glue of the unit and gets the actors on point. Lastly there is the franchise comic actor Jeff Portnoy, a drug-addled spoiled brat who having attained fame through a series of fart comedies where he played all the characters in heavy prosthetics (sound familiar?), is now desperate for legitimacy (and jonesing for heroin). Portnoy is played by Jack Black who's role in the film is much smaller than the advertising would have you believe. He certainly gets his moments but the film is much more about the other four men.
Responsible for wrangling this bunch is inexperienced Brit director Damian Cockburn (Steve Coogan) who, after a scene goes terribly, expensively wrong (in part due to increasingly likable Danny McBride) and under studio pressure (I won't spoil the surprise if you don't already know who plays the Weinstein-esque boss, Les Grossman) follows up on the suggestion of the film's technical adviser (Nick Nolte, who has finally realized that it's hilarious that he's Nick Nolte) to end the actors out into the real jungle and shoot the film guerilla style. The actors will bond, learn to toughen up and not depend on their agents and hangers-ons and their various vices and the movie will get the gritty, realistic feel it needs. It sounds too good to be true, which is why things go wrong fast when after getting dropped off in the jungle the actors are discovered by a gang of blood-thirsty drug manufacturers who think they're D.E.A. agents. With that, we're off to the races.
It's a testament to the screenwriters at how quickly all this information and character gets across as well as how fast we get to the meat of the story, the actors in the midst of actual danger in the real jungle. Once in the jungle the laughs flow endlessly as the clueless bunch slowly but surely becomes aware that they are in very real danger. The conflict that emerges between Speedman and Lazarus is great. Stiller's character, desperate for respect and legitimacy after a disastrous foray into award-bait films playing a retarded farm hand does a good job with his own material, though the midn wonders if Stiller took a crack at himself or let someone (like, say, Matthew McConaughey an already failed action lead) play the part. It's an ultimately fruitless exercise to wonder what could have been, it's just that Stiller does such a fine job conveying the tone and desires of modern Hollywood that it's a shame he doesn't go further. At the end of the day though Tropic Thunder succeeds, gloriously so, as a very, very funny movie.

You don't have to be an A student to be an A-List Star Part 1: The Men

Ah nothing like basking in the afterglow of a reference like three people will get in the title.

This past week's Entertainment Weekly (#997 June 13, 2008) featured a cover-story about their picks for the next Hollywood A-listers. As my friend Etan pointed out at the Academy Awards several years ago we're well into the beginning of a transitional period where the big stars of yesterday; the DeNiros, Pacino, Nicholsons and Fords (or what have you) are giving way to the Seymour Hoffmans, the Crowes, the Phoenixs and so on. So now ET is making some predictions about the names you'll be seeing above the title in coming the years and here are my thoughts about them.
Dwayne Johnson-Having officially (and seamlessly) retired his "Rock" moniker Johnson seems primed to really tackle the worlds of action, comedy and hopefully drama. Even back in his wrestling days the Rock was one of the most charismatic and articulate of brawlers (I've been a fan for a long time). I've maintained that ever since he got into movies that had the Rock been around in the 80's he would've been the most successful of all his action peers and subsequently become one of the biggest stars in the world. He's ten times more charismatic and amusing than Schwarzenegger, Segal, Van Damme or any of those guys. Also the guy is sexy. Yeah that's right, I said it. Johnson has not been in the best movies but he never gives less than 100% in them and I still maintain that the Rundown is one of the better pure action films of the twenty first century. Johnson has had his first major success in The Game Plan (which I skipped because I saw the movie for free in a three minute nugglet known as a trailer) so now he's going to be in family films for a bit (hence the forthcoming Escape from Witch Mountain, I guess he plays the mountain). Johnson's appearance in Southland Tales wasn't enough to save the film but it showed me that he doesn't always have to be the tough guy and that he's willing to do unconventional material. I have high hopes for his work in Get Smart (a movie I'll be writing about with great enthusiasm shortly). If he can get a little more selective in his scripts and stretch once in a while he could be like no performer we've seen before.
Is he A-List?: Not quite yet, but if Get Smart does well (and no reason it shouldn't) then he's well on his way.
Shia LaBeouf-LaBEOUF! In two disappointing hours LaBeouf went from beinga decent young actor to my favorite thing about the new Indiana Jones movie. Breathing more life into Harrison Ford then any other actor on screen, the new Spielberg wunder-kid has real presence and two huge potential franchises under his belt. I like this kid, but I'd like to see him in some indie (not to be confused with Indy) films. I don't mean Hitchcock retreads but a Fox Searchlight sort of thing.
Is he A-List? material: Very close, but he needs to do a quality film where he is the main attraction, not an energy cube.
Seth Rogen-At the moment he can do no wrong. His projects always feel fun, cutting edge and tend to be hilarious. I've heard that he doesn't have much of a presence in Kung-Fu Panda but then again the movie is hardly his to own. Pineapple Express looks sensational and both Rogen and Gordon Green are benefiting from each-others company. Zak & Miri looks cute and Monsters versus Aliens sounds incredible. Then there's the Green Hornet that he and friend and co-writer Evan Goldberg wrote. Rogen is constantly making cool, exciting creative choices, I just hope he doesn't neuter himself like Will Ferrell was doing for a while there.
Is he A-List material?: Yes and has been since 40 Year Old Virgin as far as I'm concerned.
Robert Downey Jr.-He's the elder statesman of this list but he definitely belongs on it. He's straightened out his life AND he looks poised to make 2008 the summer of Downey. Let's see, a colosally successful on all accounts franchise (Iron Man)? Check. Fun, edgy looking comedy he looks poised to steal from more accomplished comedy co-stars (Tropic Thunder)? Check. Schlocky sounding awards bait ready for the fall (The Soloist)? Check. Just stay clean and keep being awesome.
Is he A-List material?: If you look up A-List in the dictionary do you know what you see? A picture of Robert Downey Jr? No, the definition of the word a-list, idiot.
James McAvoy-I love him in press conferences and award shows where he seems fun and impish and playful. His movies are a bit of a mixed bag though. I like him in Atonement but he mostly just walks around looking dour. Last King of Scotland was good to him but in the eyes of the public that's Forest Whitakers movie. I'll see Wanted but I'm going to be pretty pissy through it because it looks NOTHING like the comic. As of right now the movie that best shows off what he can do is Starter for 10, but like three people saw it. Maybe he should try to hook up with the Apatow guys or another comedy clique.
Is he A-List material?: Not for another three or four successful movies at least.
Michael Cera: I talked a lot about what makes Cera great a few posts ago. I think that right now if you're an even remotely media savvy person between the ages of 15-28 you love this guy. His upcoming film slate looks pitch-perfect.
Is he A-List material?: Unquestionably. I hope he has a very sexy time.

Well that's it for the men. Tomorrow (or Thursday) I'll write up my thoughts on the women (and hopefully have a review up of Kung-Fu Panda). Stay awesome.

Iron Helps Us Play

You know what? Screw waiting I feel like I'm the last person on the internet to be talking about it. Iron Man is the best pure blockbuster film of the last, let's call it five years. What's most gratifying about the movie's success is that the film dazzles and delights in it's smaller moments as much as it does during the big set-pieces. The reason behind it's success? Simple: Robert Downey Jr, quite simply the best special effect in a summer movie to come along in a long time.

Downey Jr's portrayal of the "cool exec with the heart of steel", Tony Stark, is invigorating, exciting and most importantly fun. I've no doubt watching The Dark Knight and it's impressive roster of talent will take my breathe away later this summer but I sincerely doubt I'll be having nearly as much fun in the theater. Downey plays the comedy to the hilt, he's got "fuck you" money and at the movie's start he's more than happy to revel in his hedonism with gambling, women and booze (the man has the coolest looking liquor cabinet in movie history-and it's PORTABLE). He's just so damn fun. But what's more remarkable is that Downey handles Stark's dramatic (his post-kidnapping press conference-getting the press to sit down on the ground-it's so bizarre it comes off as authentic), romantic (his encounter with Pepper Potts at the gala) and impassioned moments (watching the news report of the Ten Rings attack) with just as much aplomb. It's a rare superhero picture that makes you long to see the man out of the costume as much as you want to see him in it. Downey is electrifying in more than one sense of the word, he invigorates his co-stars who would otherwise be sleep-walking through a big action comic book movie any way (I remember you in Sky Captain Gwenyth, I don't forget).
Devin Faraci over at CHUD really nailed it right on the head in his review stating that the film scores it's highest marks in character and tone. Downey brings the character and Favreau and his writers (Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby of Children of Men) bring the tone. It'd be very simple to have Tony be incredibly mournful about the death and destruction around him that has by-in-large been caused by him, plenty of opportunities for big sloppy, soppy melodrama (and we all know how well THAT worked out for Toby crying every three minutes Maguire). However, Iron Man remains breezy fun even in it's non-superhero moments. It's brisk, energetic and the script keeps the proceedings a delight from start to finish (a finish which really underlines that overriding sense of fun that permeates the film). Sure the film follows the standard first superhero movie formula, but it finds original ways to overcome and twist that formula. The film breezes through it's exposition opening en media res with Tony Stark getting attacked and captured in the Middle East and then flashing back in an exposition dispensing award sequence where the "before" Tony gets revealed to the audience. You'd think that that a billionaire, screw-around, playboy, weapons designer would be the last role-model for audiences to lash onto, but Downey charms with the material, not in spite of it. We latch onto him because he has a can-do attitude, his conflicts (like being near fatally wounded) are just problems that can be over come with ingenuity and spirit.
If we're going to get nit-picky, I will say that none of the actors (as talented as they are) can even touch Downey. Sure they raise their game when he's around, but make no mistake who's the star of this movie. The moment he leaves a scene the other performers feel just a touch limp. They're fine, bu not GREAT. Paltrow's Pepper Potts has the verve and spunk one would expect from the character (and is given way more to do then I would've ever imagined). Howard and Downey have a nice, easy chemistry that makes the two a fun pair but I don't think Howard will find his "oomph" in the role until he becomes War Machine. Jeff Bridges gives an oddball verve to Stark's antagonistic business partner Obadiah Stane but when he turns villainous it's as though Bridges is out of ideas and plays it rather obviously. Additionally the score is flat, uninspiring and unmemorable, I certainly wish Marvel got iconic music that was worthy of their iconic characters.

Once the Iron Man armor comes to the fore it's Favreau's time to shine. His reliance on equal parts practical effects as well as cgi makes the suit believable and a really powerful and visually dynamic piece of work. When Tony in his mark II armor makes goes into action it's a real "hell yeah!" moment for the audience. Iron Man is a big, dangerous, incredibly cool piece of technology. It really feels as though the armors in this movie are functional and exist in the real world. Which makes it all the better when two suits of armor duke it out at the end it doesn't feel like two cgi characters bashing each other, two avatars. No, it's two characters and there are stakes here, life and death, ideologies.
Now I need to reveal my nerd bias a bit. The movie is littered with nerd references and allusions that only comic fans will get (but they never overwhlem the film and make it impossible to enjoy). You get references to War Machine, the Roxxon Corporation, SHIELD, the Mandarin, Jarvis, Happy Hogan and a lot more (especially at the end) and I got squeal-ish at all of the film. Especially the SHIELD agents. I mean, if those are SHIELD agents then there is SO much more happening on the periphery in the world of the film. It's...very exciting.

Guys, Iron Man, Seriously

The tickets are bought, the armor inspired outfit is set-aside and the nerdgasm noises are being practiced (EEEEEE!) we are less than 24 hours away from the summer movie season people. I'll be seeing Iron Man Saturday night (Baby Mama will serve as a Friday night appertif so expect reviews for both this weekend). The advance word is extremely positive see, see! Get excited people. I can't even think about anything else right now, it's Tony Stark's world and we're just living in it. Kind of like the actual Marvel Universe, watch out for Skrulls.