Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Tom Cruise starred in his first Mission Impossible movie sixteen years ago. Aged 50, he has just made his best one in the fourth installment - ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.’ Don’t get me wrong, this is not a brilliant movie, but it is a pretty good one. It is action-packed, exciting and while not exactly intelligent, MI 4 is tongue-in-cheek enough to make it self-aware.

Cruise’s IMF department is shut down when they are implicated in blowing up the Kremlin and a wider terrorist plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated meaning Cruise and his team of technology-addicted spies must go undercover to clear their name. This sees them visit one exotic locale after another as they seek to prevent a nordic-ish baddy from blowing up the planet with nuclear bombs because he believes, rather iffily it must be said, that such annihilation will bring about lasting peace.

Cruise has not headlined a movie in ages, but is back to his cool-as-a-cucumber best here. The 50-year-old body is ripped enough to look good hanging off skyscrapers while that magnetic two-million dollar smile still makes him look boyish. His multi-talented team includes the tough and sexy Jane Carter (Paula Patton), the brainy techno-freak Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and Cruise’s mysterious counterpart William Brandt (Jeremy Renner). The real star of the show, however, is director Brad Bird who breathes new life into this tiring franchise. What is especially impressive is that this is Bird's first live-action film after a string of intelligent animation successes including Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille.

There is wall-to-wall action in this spectacular, if slightly repetitive, fourth installment of the Mission Impossible series. Three (and a half) stars out of five.

Moneyball Smashes a Home Run

I may not know much about baseball but I know enough to say that ‘Moneyball’ scores a home run. This is ostensibly a sports movie but is more ‘Social Network’ at heart than ‘Any Given Sunday’. Like most sports movies it does feature the little guys taking on the big guys, but here most of the drama takes place off the field rather than on it. It is called ‘Moneyball’ but the bottom line here is not cash, or even a lack of it, but rather how decisions inspired by money can be soulless.

Based on a true story, ‘Moneyball’ depicts Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the general manager of the Oakland A’s. Forced to reinvent his team on a minimal budget, Beane is influenced by the thinking of an Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who challenges traditional methods of recruiting players. Brand has invented new ways of analysing players that threatens the very fabric of the old order. Beane and Brand manage to turn the team around but at the same time are caught in the crosshairs of those who believe their methods will destroy the game. There is a surprising paradox in ‘Moneyball’ because it tells the story of a team who analysed players based on complex equations and cold numbers rather than intuition, but at the same time it is all about depth, heart and soul. The statistics showed that some players were undervalued and underrated because they failed certain traditional sporting testing criteria based on outward factors.

Central to this depth is the interplay between three of the main characters. Brad Pitt is best when playing a version of himself, and he is certainly compelling here as Billy Beane. Hot on the heels of his interesting performance as a failing tough-love father in ‘Tree of Life,’ Pitt is particularly striking in the scenes he plays with his daughter, Casey (Kerris Dorsey), who is still struggling through the effects of her parents divorce. Jonah Hill is more often seen in raunchy movies like ‘Knocked Up,‘but here he displays significant talent in the quieter role of a decidedly unathletic-looking economist making his way in the Alpha sporting world. Pitt and Hill develop an amusing, yet touching, chemistry. Finally, Philip Seymour Hoffman was also affecting as the team manager, Art Howe, who is baffled, even frightened by this new way of approaching the sport he loves so much. Hoffman delivers a classic performance simply through insubordinate expressions, and gruff, heavy movements that leave viewers in no doubt of his own struggles. Throughout the movie, director Bennett Miller skillfully explores the emotional tensions and vulnerabilities of these characters and in the world in which they live.

‘Moneyball’ is a smart movie that will entertain you while making you think. Four stars out of five. PG13 for strong language.

'Bot bashing, with a surprisingly human touch

‘Real Steel’ is a futuristic sports movie based on an age-old theme. It envisions the near future, where humans have been banned from boxing and replaced by giant robots. But as in almost every sports movie ever made, the little guy is forced to battle against great odds in a rags to riches triumph that usually ends with someone covered in blood and yelling ‘Yo Adrian, we did it.‘ Except this time the protagonist is covered in oil and doesn’t yell at all. Yes, you may have seen it all before, but ‘Real Steel’ is worth your time because it offers an above average storyline, competent acting and some great adrenaline-filled fights between these steel behemoths.

Hugh Jackman is Charlie Kenton, a down-and-out former boxer who could have been a great in the sport if his career path hadn’t been suddenly automated. He operates in the fringes of the fight game by entering his beat up old ‘bot in backyard matches. Unfortunately, he routinely loses more money than he makes. Charlie is addicted to gambling and is a terrible father as well, having abandoned his son Max (Dakota Goyo) as a baby. Through some rather complicated developments that display Charlie’s poor ethics as a father, Max enters into his care for the summer holidays. Together they start training an ancient robot named Atom for the fight game. Atom has a ‘mirror mode’ ability, allowing him to mimic the motions of his controller. Max is convinced that Atom can win as his dad’s avatar. Along the way, Charlie also approaches an ex-girlfriend by the name of Bailey (Evangeline Lilly) whose help he needs in getting Atom ready for the big leagues. Bailey has plenty of reason to resent Charlie, but she gradually softens to him as she watches his relationship with Max develop.

By now you have probably worked out that ‘Real Steel’ is not exactly Oscar material, but nor is it a total waste of time either. The young actor playing Max seems to have something special about him and his interactions with his dad are compelling. Charlie certainly grows during the movie, starting off as a selfish loser, but with the help of his son and robot he gradually rediscovers his humanity (oh, the irony). There is a spectacular final fight scene between Atom and the world champion, a brute of a ‘bot who goes by the name of Zeus. The owners of Zeus are sufficiently odious enough to add extra spice and interest to the final result.

If you are a lover of rousing sports movies, or passionate about the idea of robots smashing each other around, then ‘Real Steel’ will be the real deal for you. For the rest of us, it provides an unexpectedly interesting holiday diversion. Sufficient enough to keep you involved, but not exactly worth adding to the 'Accomplished' section of your Bucket List.

Three stars out of five for ‘Real Steel.‘ PG13 for some violence, intense action and brief language.

Moneyball Hits a Home Run

I may not know much about baseball but I know enough to say that ‘Moneyball’ scores a home run. This is ostensibly a sports movie but is more ‘Social Network’ at heart than ‘Any Given Sunday’. Like most sports movies it does feature the little guys taking on the big guys, but here most of the drama takes place off the field rather than on it. It is called ‘Moneyball’ but the bottom line here is not cash, or even a lack of it, but rather how decisions inspired by money can be soulless.

Based on a true story, ‘Moneyball’ depicts Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the general manager of the Oakland A’s. Forced to reinvent his team on a minimal budget, Beane is influenced by the thinking of an Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who challenges traditional methods of recruiting players. Brand has invented new ways of analysing players that threatens the very fabric of the old order. Beane and Brand manage to turn the team around but at the same time are caught in the crosshairs of those who believe their methods will destroy the game. There is a surprising paradox in ‘Moneyball’ because it tells the story of a team who analysed players based on complex equations and cold numbers rather than intuition, but at the same time it is all about depth, heart and soul. The statistics showed that some players were undervalued and underrated because they failed certain traditional sporting testing criteria based on outward factors.

Central to this depth is the interplay between three of the main characters. Brad Pitt is best when playing a version of himself, and he is certainly compelling here as Billy Beane. Hot on the heels of his interesting performance as a failing tough-love father in ‘Tree of Life,’ Pitt is particularly striking in the scenes he plays with his daughter, Casey (Kerris Dorsey), who is still struggling through the effects of her parents divorce. Jonah Hill is more often seen in raunchy movies like ‘Knocked Up,‘but here he displays significant talent in the quieter role of a decidedly unathletic-looking economist making his way in the Alpha sporting world. Pitt and Hill develop an amusing, yet touching, chemistry. Finally, Philip Seymour Hoffman was also affecting as the team manager, Art Howe, who is baffled, even frightened by this new way of approaching the sport he loves so much. Hoffman delivers a classic performance simply through insubordinate expressions, and gruff, heavy movements that leave viewers in no doubt of his own struggles. Throughout the movie, director Bennett Miller skillfully explores the emotional tensions and vulnerabilities of these characters and in the world in which they live.

‘Moneyball’ is a smart movie that will entertain you while making you think. Four stars out of five. PG13 for strong language.

Review: Contagion

‘Contagion’ is a genuine mix between being a thriller and a docu-disaster movie that is gorgeously shot and skillfully directed by Steven Soderbergh. It enjoys an all-star cast but the main star is the virus that hits our globalised world with a vengeance and makes short work of millions in no time at all. Yes, ‘Contagion’ speaks to one of humanity’s greatest fears - an out of control viral infection - and just like ‘Jaws’ left thousands fearing to go into the water again, ‘Contagion’ will leave you viewing those who cough and splutter at the airport with more than the usual suspicion.

High-flying businesswomen (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns from Hong Kong via an illicit liaison in Chicago. She quickly succumbs to a killer bug she picked up in the East leaving a trail of infectious devastation behind her. Husband (Matt Damon) is left grieving while a team of high-IQ scientists (Laurence Fishburne, Elliott Gould, Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard) desperately try to find a cure in time to save the world. There is also a conspiracy theory thrown in for good measure with blogger Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) gaining an audience of millions with his belief that the government’s ties with drug companies is preventing a safe, cheap and natural cure being used.

‘Contagion’ is by no means the first big-budget film about a rampant infectious outbreak, but it is definitely one of the most realistic. Yes, it follows the traditional protocols of techno-thrillers, with subtitles keeping count: Day 2, Hong Kong etc, but seems more compelling because it is such a controlled look at an out-of-control event. Since the virus is the main actor in a cast of stars, this means the characters seem a little undeveloped. which could be the reason some have found ‘Contagion’ a little flat.

Three and a half stars out of five. It is fascinating to see how in our deeply interconnected and globalised world, just how quickly it would be possible for a freak virus to cause global havoc.

Rated PG-13 (for disturbing content and some language).

'Help' Yourself to a Great Evening Out

Roger Ebert described "The Help" perfectly when he called it “a safe film about a volatile subject,” before adding that it was a “story that deals with pain but doesn't care to be that painful.” Set in the American South during the 60s, the film (based on the best-selling book), tells the story of African-American maids and their complex relationships with their white employers. It is a movie that points to the pain of racism, poverty and inequality and how that effects people’s lives, but does so in a feel-good sort of way. That is not to say it makes light of these serious subjects, but rather that it not only confronts white guilt, but also looks to mitigate it.

Still, the ‘The Help’ remains an engrossing movie of substance, even though it suffers from glaring imperfections. Most of the characters are caricatures, even some of the main ones. The two domestic helpers at the centre of the story are Aibileen (Viola Davis), who is big, warm and grandmotherly and Minny (Octavia Spencer), who is sassy with a tongue so sharp she could cut through steel. Tell me you haven’t seen them somewhere before. The other main character is Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone), a recent college graduate who returns home and finds she doesn’t fit in anymore. Skeeter convinces the two maids to help her tell their story through a book, which will expose the subtle (and not so subtle) racism that exists behind the walls of the neat, suburban homes. While not a caricature, Skeeter’s character in reality has very little to do. She actually feels little more than a device used to move the story along in a certain direction.

The main characters are not the worst caricatures, with some of the story’s ‘villains’ looking nothing more than cardboard cutouts of people we all knew back in the 60s (or if you live in South Africa, back in the 80s). However, Davis and Spencer are simply superb in their roles, rescuing the movie from silliness while delivering the undoubted emotional affect their story deserves. One of the employers is Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain), who is also excellent in her role as a dizzy, unaffected housewife harbouring profound inner turmoil.

It sounds like I did not enjoy ‘The Help’, but I really did. I just could not help but feel that in the hands of a different director, this movie could have been so much more. A more courageous screenplay and directing would have made a world of difference. The point of the book (and by virtue the movie) was to give a voice to those thousands upon thousands of women who worked hard cooking, cleaning, and raising the children of their white employers but were never recognised and appreciated. The same could be said of South Africa, multiplied by a million or so.

Truthfully, we are drawn into the lives of Aibileen and Minny - their pain and hurt becomes ours - and it is in this respect ‘The Help’ is successful. The sombre subplot involving the mysterious disappearance of Skeeter's beloved nanny, who worked for the family for 29 years, is used as a redemptive device that affirms it is never too late to open our hearts and lives to those we once mistakenly considered inferior.

Three and a half stars out of five. ‘The Help’ could have been so much more, but nonetheless, is an infinitely better evening out at the movies than standard Hollywood fare.

50/50: The odds are good you will like this one

50/50 is a smart, engaging movie that simultaneously balances both drama and comedy. You would not think that a film earning laughs out of cancer would work, but somehow 50/50 pulls it off, probably because the story is quirky yet believable, while the lead characters have plenty of charm.

In 50/50, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a straight-laced 27-year-old who works as an editor at Seattle Public Radio. His best friend is Kyle (Seth Rogen), who is typically crude, yet lovable, while he also has a beautiful artist girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard). Adam’s entire life is turned upside down when he learns he has cancer with the film’s title referring to his chances of survival.

Essentially this film is about Adam’s network of relationships, and how those closest to him react to this devastating news. The lovable rogue Kyle is deeply supportive, but also determined to help Adam do stuff like use his cancer to pick up girls. Adam’s girlfriend promises to be there for him, but her shallow concerns are soon exposed. Adam’s mother Diane (a wonderful Anjelica Huston) totally smothers him with her concern, even as she struggles with his father who has advanced Alzheimer’s. Finally, Adam’s therapist, played by Anna Kendrick, is an inept psychology student who struggles her way through several agonising therapy sessions.

There has been some complaint that the characters are caricatures. Could, for example, Adam’s girlfriend really be that shallow and cruel? But the reality is that situations of pain can sometimes reduce us to caricatures of ourselves. If we don’t truly love someone, then holding their hand through the rigours of cancer is a huge ask. Seth Rogen brings his usual crass sense of humour along on Adam's journey, but how many male friends are just like him? Totally loyal, yet at the same time struggling to emote without joking around. What mother would not want to envelop a child with cancer into her arms, to rescue them from this terrible predicament? How many inexperienced therapists struggle with their first ‘life or death’ therapy situation and to maintain proper emotional boundaries, while not falling into the temptation of safe platitudes and overused Psych 101 statements as safety valves for those uncertain moments of raw pain?

The relationships that this movie is built upon lend it a poignant sweetness. The characters are stripped down by the load of grief they bear together, and what they find out about each other and themselves in the process is not always pleasant to acknowledge but ultimately life-giving. Almost all the characters become more complete for the experience of journeying together. Even the humour is not unfounded. Grief and fear really can teach us to laugh long and loud as we appreciate more deeply the opportunities to do so with those we love.

Seth Rogen was pleasantly surprising as he displayed an unforeseen ability to bring endearing depth and vulnerability to his role. Rogen is connected to this situation in real life as this movie was based on the true story of Will Reiser, the screenwriter and a close friend of his. 50/50 may be a little predictable at times, but still provides an engaging mix of heart, humour and substance.

Three (and a half) stars out of five. Rated R (for language throughout, sexual content and some drug use).