Alan Rapp

Zero Dark Thirty

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Zero Dark Thirty
  • IMDB: link

zero-dark-thirty-poster
The Best Movie of 2012
Three years ago director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Marc Boal collaborated on The Hurt Locker which won them both individual Academy Awards as well as taking home the coveted Oscar for Best Picture. With Zero Dark Thirty the pair reunite to examine the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden.

The project was not with pitfalls or controversy. Bigelow and Boal were about to start filming an entirely different script when news hit that American forces had found and killed the man responsible for the attacks on 9/11. Scrapping their initial project, Bigelow and Boal refocused to examine the work that went in to finding America’s most wanted.

The film’s detractors (almost none of whom have seen the film) attack it for what some believe is a pro-torture stance, the filmmakers access to classified information surrounding the search for bin Laden, and some have even argued against what they (wrongfully) believe is a pro-Obama propaganda piece. None of these allegations are true. What is true, however, is Zero Dark Thirty is the best movie of 2012.

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Gangster Squad

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Gangster Squad
  • IMDB: link

gangster-squad-posterGangster Squad is an average straight-to-DVD action flick that happens to be set in the 1950’s and boast a cast of actors all of whom are slumming here. Adapted from Paul Lieberman’s book, the film centers around real events in Los Angeles when a select group of cops worked to take down gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) by any means necessary. And by “adapted” I mean any relation to the events covered in Lieberman’s book (such as who survives and how Cohen was eventually taken down) to screenwriter Will Beall‘s script are likely accidental.

I can only guess director Ruben Fleischer lured the likes of Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, and Robert Patrick to the project with the proposal of making something akin to The Untouchables (which this film desperately wants to be compared to). With poorly cast actors, dreadful dialogue, costumes and sets that feel more like costumes and sets than period locations and attire, Gangster Squad couldn’t be further from Brian De Palma‘s terrific film. It’s actually closer to something as completely forgettable as Takers.

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Nashville – Be Careful of the Stones that You Throw

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Nashville – Be Careful of the Stones that You Throw
  • tv.com: link

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As Juliette (Hayden Panettiere), who returns from her impromptu elopement with Sean (Tilky Jones),  and Rayna (Connie Britton) make final preparations for the tour, Lamar (Powers Boothe) and Tandy (Judith Hoag) threaten to expose Maddie’s (Lennon Stella) true parentage to stop Rayna from taking her girls on the road. Meanwhile, Juliette agrees to a second church wedding to appease Sean’s parents (Boo Arnold, J.J. Rodgers) before setting out on the road and discovers Sean isn’t the only one with a mother disappointed by news of their nuptials.

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47 Ronin #2

/ / Comics

47-ronin-2-coverThe second issue of writer Mike Richardson and artist Stan Sakai’s retelling of the classic Japanese legend (based in historical fact) continues by showcasing the consequences of Lord Asano’s attack on Kira Yoshinaka. The punishment for Asano’s crime (which was caused by Kira’s greed and goading) is swift and severe and the lord is forced to commit seppuku and his lands seized.

Although issue #2 deals mainly with palace politics (not exactly the sexiest theme in comics), the story flows well and showcases the injustice against Asano without feeling forced or heavyhanded. Nor does it strive to oversimplify Asano into a martyr, as the disgraced lord accepts the ruling of those far less honorable than himself and does as honor demands.

With their master now dead, and the man responsible unpunished, the story can begin in earnest as the 47 ronin will begin their own search for justice for the death of their fallen lord. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.99]

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Oscar Nominees

/ / Film News & Trailers

The list of the nominees for the 85th Academy Awards was released this morning. Lincoln leads all films with 12 nominations (including Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Adapted Screenplay). Beasts of the Southern Wild got more love than I was expecting with four nominations (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Quvenzhané Wallis). The biggest snubs include Kathryn Bigelow failing to earn a nomination for Best Director, Anna Karenina falling to earn any nomination outside of the production and technical categories, and The Master not earning a single nomination outside the acting categories. You can find the full list of nominees inside.

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