WEAPONS (2007)

 

Written & Directed By: Adam Bhala Lough Cinematography: Manuel Alberto Claro Editor: Jay Rabinowitz 

Cast: Nick Cannon, Paul Dano, Mark Webber, Riley Smith, John Campo, Regine Nahu, Brandon Mychel Smith. Arliss Howard, Aris Mendoza,  Amy Ferguson, Serena Reeder, Jade Yorker 

Weapons present a series of brutal, seemingly random youth-related killings over the course of a weekend in a typical small town in America, and tragically reveals how they are all interrelated.

SWISS ARMY MAN (2016)

Written & Directed By: The Daniels (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert) 
Cinematography By: Larkin Seiple 
Editor: Matthew Hannam 
Music By: Andy Hull & Robert McDonnell 


Cast: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Shane Carruth, Andy Hull 


A hopeless man stranded on a deserted island befriends a dead body and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.

KNIGHT AND DAY (2010)

Directed By: James Mangold
Written By: Patrick O'Neill
Cinematography by: Phedon Papamichael
Editor: Quincy Z. Gunderson & Michael McCusky

CAST: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarasgard, Paul Dano, Viola Davis, Marc Blucas, Dale Dye, Jordi Molla, Maggie Grace, Cecila Weston

FAST FOOD NATION (2007)

Starring: Catalina Sandino Moreno, Greg Kinnear, Bruce Willis, Esai Morales, Paul Dano, Patricia Arquette, Wilmer Valderrama, Ana Claudia Talancon, Luis Guzman, Bobby Canavale, Ethan Hawke, Avril Lavigne, Ashley Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, lou Taylor Pucci

Directed By: Richard Linklater
Written By: Richard Linklater & Eric Schlosser
Based On The Book By: Eric Schlosser
Director Of Photography: Lee Daniel
Edited By: Sandra Adair

The film tries to pass itself off as traffic for the fast food industry. Traffic had emotional well versed and thought out intricate storylines. Where as with fast food nation it's storytelling to me in this very minute. Just like industry they are portraying sloppy and artificial. I really felt no connection to most of the storylines or character except for one.

The only really good story is the Mexican immigrant storyline. I know it has a downbeat ending and that is more truthful to life then a tacked on happy ending. but don't know maybe it's because I like Catalina Moreno's character so much that I felt like she was really one of the few pure characters in this movies. I felt like she was being punished. Her slutty sister prospers. So does her sister's asshole user boyfriend. but her boyfriend get's injured and her she has to suffer indignity to indignity to make her character sorrowful and really drive the point Home. this seems to be a habit of her's she always seems to play the innocent victim I can't wait to see her sink her teeth into a really meaty role with shades of being a wickedly interesting person.

If they would have made that story line the only one it would have been "Maria full of grace 2" (The Traffic Of People Smuggling) only without the drug smuggling. But it would have at least made this movie a little more interesting overall. Another interesting scene is the teen storyline was an interesting aspect of both parents and daughter working dead end jobs to make ends meet. but the daughter is more responsible then the mother's roles are reversed. Then after one conversation her ideology of life has changed suddenly. it wasn't really a big persuasion either. I just feel this move missed it's mark.

Now don't get me wrong. I understand the other storylines were to help us show how this industry works. The problems but the teenage storyline seemed senseless except to show the ideals of youth and how easily they can be tainted. The Greg kinnear storyline was interesting but it would have been nice to have some closure instead of his eyes being opened and him just accepting that's how things are. The film just ends again I'm guessing to show this is just a slice of life things don't workout as planned. People die people change but time and the day and life goes on. Like a passive message movie.

I seem to have a problem with Richard linklater. Sometimes I think he makes beautiful films that I can rave about for days. but then he makes others which I can't stand to sit through a second time because I barely survived the first. He made this film while working on "a scanner darkly" and maybe it shows because the college kids storyline could have been taken from "a scanner darkly" or "waking life" but he made "tape" a great movie while making "waking life"a piece of crap. So that is no excuse maybe it's just the work he seems to be making movies at a faster pace one after another. Maybe it distillted his talent behind the camera or made him a commercial filmmaker rebel. "Let me make my films with my messages I'll promise you box office plus a bad news bears remake to boot"

There was a sex scene in this movie. i'm not complaining but it was out of place.

Also there are two scenes of extreme violence that might turn your stomach right before the ending. which if you have a weak stomach skip the last 10 minutes of this film you see the inside of a slaughter house and all details involved In making meat. This is not one I like I would say out of all of his films I only really liked three but at least he tries to be original but more often then not he misses his mark.

The only other connection to traffic is the character like in many Robert altman films literally pass-by each other. but the difference is in this film they rarely engage each other.

GRADE: C

L.I.E. (2001)

Cast: Paul Dano, Billy Kay, Brian Cox, Bruce Altman, James Acosta

Directed By: Michael Cuesta
Written By: Michael Cuesta & Stephen M. Ryder & Gerald Cuesta
Cinematography By: Romeo Tirone
Editor: Eric Carlson & Kane Platt


I was hooked on this film when I saw the trailer in theaters for the first time showing glimpses of scenes and vivid visuals while the song “Hurdy Gurdy man” Played

Going into this film I thought it would be more shocking. I mean there are not too many movies that have a pedophile as a main character who is not a villain but a realistic character. I think the strength of the role comes from Brian cox’s performance as big john who is very charming and doesn’t play him as a simpering whiny wimpy character he is a former armed forces officer.

The story is of Howie who’s best friend Gary is a hustler for pedophiles he is saving up his money to run off to Hollywood he brings Howie to the house of big john for a party and a chance for them to make some cash promising him he doesn’t have to do anything Howie comes form a bad home life him and his father don’t get along. Later his father is arrested and Gary steals the money his father had left for him he has nowhere to go and no one to help or take care of him. What will become of him?

Now this film could have gone for real shocking. I mean there is a incest subplot that is played for laughs but the film comes off lite when it comes to taboo subjects. Go watch a todd solondz film if you want to get down and dirty into taboos and shocks. This film doesn’t manage to shock in some ways but more subtle and less sensationalistic

Here the pedophile is one of the more decent characters he is attracted to the main protagonist and that is why he initially takes a interest in him but as the story goes on he more want s to protect him and take care of him but it doesn’t seem guided by sex and more just trying to look out for him they won’t live happily ever after and they shouldn’t but at least he has someone actually looking out for him.

This film is pretty good it’s the Screen debut of acting wunderkind Paul Dano and in a lead role.

There could be many reasons why Brian Cox took this role I believe partially it is a shocking yet powerful role that is a craftsman dream to pull off a likeable pedophile and he passes with flying colors. It was brave of him to take the role as he went against the advice of his agent and his colleagues in accepting the role which could have ended his career. This film isn’t for everyone but it is worth seeing

GRADE: A-