Thursday Movie Picks: Post-Apocalyptic World

Deadfall

Happy Thanksgiving, folks!!! I couldn't let the day pass without an appropriately themed movie, so today you get Deadfall. It's not exactly going to give you the warm and fuzzies, but...well...let's just get into the review...

Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky.

2012. Rated R, 95 minutes.

Cast:

Eric Bana

Olivia Wilde

Charlie Hunnam

Kate Mara

Kris Kristofferson

Sissy Spacek

Treat Williams

Patrick Kerton

Allison Graham

We meet Liza (Wilde) and her brother Addison (Bana) as they are riding along a snowy road in the getaway car after a casino heist. Our movie watching experience tells us that when a movie starts inside a vehicle, something bad is about to happen. And so, it does. As they tend to, a deer runs out into the middle of the road, which the driver slams into. We won’t be seeing either of them again. As for Liza and Addison, they survive. Since the car did not, they have to find a way to the Canadian border to complete their escape. Addison decides they will split up. Liza is to hitchhike her way to someplace safe. He will have the money and call her later tonight to find out where she is and get there any way possible. As an unsuspecting police officer who happens upon the crash site learns, killing anyone in the way is certainly an option for Addison. Something else we learn about him is that his relationship with his sister is probably a lot different than yours with your siblings. They take the phrase “keep it in the family” way too literally. Anyhoo, Addison takes off through the woods, taking a chance he’ll freeze to death, while Liza manages to get a ride from Jay (Hunnam). Unbeknownst to her, Jay has not only just gotten out of prison, but he is also on the run. Of course, they discover they kind of like one another. Hmmm, wonder what Addison thinks of all this. We find out over a rather tense Thanksgiving day feast.

The movie alternates between Addison’s countryside adventure and Liza’s road trip with Jay. It also lets us get to know Jay’s parents: his loving mom June (Spacek) and his grouchy dad Chet (Kristofferson) who won’t speak to him. Local cop Hannah (Mara), who grew up with Jay and now works under her overbearing father Sherrif Becker (Williams), is also in the mix. With all of this going on, Deadfall manages not to feel cluttered. It ably bounces around the various subplots and keeps them well tethered to the larger narrative. The motivations of each person is revealed in no uncertain terms. Within each, a different aspect of family dynamics plays out. Unfortunately, this also renders them all rather flat. We get the idea we know what any of them are going to say before they actually speak.

Addison is the one person who manages to escape the trap of predictability. Sure, his ultimate goal is transparent, but he gives us surprises along the way. This makes whatever is going on with him the most interesting thing in the movie. Eric Bana has some issues with his southern accent, his character is from Alabama, but is otherwise great. We get that this is a guy with a warped sense of morals. It is certainly understood that his screws are rolling around unfastened to anything in his noggin.

The elders in the cast:  Spacek, Kristofferson, and Williams are all excellent. Spacek is particularly good. Where her male cast mates all huff and puff through much of the movie, she gives a very nuanced performance. Our pair of instant lovers doesn’t fare as well. Olivia Wilde is actually solid, giving off enough naivete to sell her roll. Unfortunately, she shares most of her scenes with Charlie Hunnam. He gives the type of performance that makes it difficult to believe he has a pulse.

What Deadfall has going most for it is the way it all comes together at the end. Leading up to the finale things are a bit uneven. It’s fun when Bana is on the screen and the dynamics betwee the various characters works. During our time with the lovebirds the movie doesn’t sizzle the way it wants. However, from the moment Bana shows up in Spacek’s kitchen, the tension is ramped up and carries us through the third act. The actual ending is on the predictable side, but it works. It takes the movie from being one we could go either way on to the one that’s not too bad.

MY SCORE: 6.5/10

Joyful Noise

Directed by Todd Graff.

2012. Rated PG-13, 118 minutes.
Cast:
Queen Latifah
Dolly Parton
Keke Palmer
Jeremy Jordan
Dexter Darden
Courtney B. Vance
Jesse L. Martin
Angela Grovey
Dequina Moore
Kris Kristofferson
Kirk Franklin

When Bernie (Kristofferson) passes away Pastor Dale (Vance) decides Vi Rose (Latifah) will take his place as choir director, much to the chagrin of Bernie’s widow G. G. (Parton), who wants the position for herself. The two already have issues with one another so this just makes things worse. Vi Rose is also trying to raise two teenagers by herself since her husband is away in the service. Her daughter Olivia (Palmer) is a member of the choir and a fairly typical 16 year old. Walter (Darden) is a little younger and has a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome. We’re told he can’t pick up on things like humor and sarcasm, doesn’t like to be touched and is totally fixated on one-hit wonders. Then there’s Randy (Jordan). He’s a trouble-maker who’s been kicked out of his parent’s house. He’s also in love with Olivia. Melodrama, puppy love and singing ensues. Lots of singing.

As in her best work, Queen Latifah is a force of nature as Vi Rose. Her presence is undeniable. She has a way of dominating a scene whether she’s the focus, or not. This pays the most dividends when she argues with or consoles other characters. She overwhelms them with an unstoppable wave of passion we can’t help but be glued to. Fortunately, we’re given several of these scenes throughout the movie.

The rest of the acting is spotty and seems to break down along gender lines. Most of the ladies are very good. Most of the guys, not so much. Jeremy Jordan as Randy is the biggest offender. He’s just not at all believable as a bad boy and seems to be channeling Zac Effron during the High School Musical days whenever he bursts into song. He’s a cute kid, hardly a menace to society. As far as the other guys go, it’s largely due to the script giving them nothing to do until they have to suddenly drop some supposedly heartfelt pearl of wisdom. This particular strategy fails to aid their performances. Some get nothing to do at all. The usually excellent Kris Kristofferson dies within two minutes of the start, only getting a superfluous flashback scene later in which he only gets to dance cute with Dolly. The talented Courtney B. Vance is on the screen often, but relegated to bump on a log status.

Speaking of the script, it tries to do too much and winds up doing nothing whatsoever. At least, it doesn’t do anything unique. It’s mildly amusing, on occasion, and the various plotlines play out pretty much as expected. One of those is a sob story about how hard the town they live in has been hit by the recession. There is no doubt lots to be explored down that avenue, but none of it is. It just feels tacked on and even more manipulative than the other already gushy storylines.

The same goes for race. Joyful Noise goes out of its way to show us interracial relationships. The choir is more diverse than any I’ve ever seen in real life. I’ve no problem with either other than it feels as if some grand point will be made, but we never get around to it. Then again, maybe that is the point.

What we end up with is a movie that barrels towards a plethora of happy endings and fails to make any decipherable commentary on the topics it seems to want to: the economy and race. On the other hand, it springs to life whenever leading lady Latifah is called upon to give us a show-stopping moment or when the music gets going and we’re treated to another lively tune. The question for you is: do you want a cute, light-hearted and homey musical with a religious slant?