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Review: RV (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 28, 2006.

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'R.V.' a fairly fun ride

On a family vacation, no one can hear you scream.

So runs the tagline for RV, the latest film directed by Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld. And unlike family road trip films of the recent past (remember Johnson Family Vacation), though it's far from an instant classic, it manages not to inspire screaming in the theater, let alone on the road.

R.V. follows Bob Munro (Robin Williams) as he rents an RV and drags his wife (Cheryl Hines), daughter (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque) and son (Josh Hutcherson) on a trip to Boulder, Colorado. He tells them it's meant to be a last attempt at family bonding before they split up over the summer, but in reality, he's trying to get to Boulder so he can pitch a presentation and save his job. The plot is flimsy and only meant as an excuse to get them out on the road, where they face the various obstacles presented by driving an R.V., of all things.

Feature: The 9th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 10, 2006.

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Full Frame examines reality through the art of film

How much reality can you handle?

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival explored this question last weekend from April 6-9 at the Carolina Theater in Durham. More than 100 documentary films were shown, with 73 competing for various awards. However, that's only a fraction of the more than 1100 submissions that were received from documentary filmmakers around the world.

The festival officially kicked off with a screening of The Sketches of Frank Gehry, which delved deeply into the creative process of prestigious architect Frank Gehry and his work. The film was directed by famed actor and director Sydney Pollack, who had never directed a documentary before.

"I didn't know what I was doing," said Pollack. "The only research I could do was to go over to [Frank's] office and wander around and say, 'This is kind of interesting.'"

Despite it being his first attempt at making a documentary, Pollack said he learned a lot from the experience.

"What I came away with was that I found a kind of freedom in that approach that I've never had in narrative filmmaking. There's something peaking in the looseness," he said.

Feature: NCSU's Third Annual Pinwheel Film Festival

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 3, 2006.

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Filmmakers and students enjoy Pinwheel Film Festival

Students and independent filmmakers flocked to the Witherspoon Student Center this past Saturday to take part in the Third Annual Pinwheel Film Festival. Started in 2004, the festival is known for its promotion of local and independent short films.

A total of 26 films were presented this year, many of which were made by students from N.C. State. Visitors were free to come and go as they pleased during the four-and-a-half-hour event, but on average there were always around 100 viewers in the theater.

The goal of Pinwheel is to offer independent filmmakers a venue to present their films to a wide audience, a point that wasn't overlooked by graduate student Staci Thornton.

"I have friends who have done movies before, and I had seen them on the small screen, but it was really cool seeing them on the big screen," Thornton said.

The festival was organized by Sonora Bostion, the chair of the Films Committee of the Union Activities Board.

"I think it went really well," Bostian said. "People seemed to really enjoy the films. They laughed and gasped when they were supposed to. It was nice to see all the students come to support their friends and family."

The festival included a variety of styles, including fictional narratives, music videos and documentaries.

Review: ATL (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on March 30, 2006.

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'ATL' intriguing yet vacant

Just when you thought the world had run out of rap stars to put in movies, here comes ATL, starring Southern black rapper T.I. Yet unlike recent films starring musicians, which have only really served as propaganda for their stars' music, ATL takes a more profound look at the issues affecting black urban teens.

Set in South Atlanta, the film follows Rashad (T.I.), an African-American teen struggling to keep up with his responsibilities. He looks after his brother, Ant (Evan Ross), has a job as a janitor and spends most of his free time hanging out with friends at the local roller skating rink. But when love enters his life in the form of New-New (Lauren London), he falls into a web of lies and distrust in which everyone around him has something to hide.

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonMarch 30, 2006ATL, Lauren London, Mykelti Williamson, T.I., Tip HarrisComment

Review: American Dreamz (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on March 17, 2006.

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'American Dreamz' more dream than reality

Just when you thought Hollywood had run out of originality, behold: a film involving a Broadway-obsessed terrorist who randomly bursts into song. Now there's something you don't see every day. But it's a key element of Universal's American Dreamz, which takes a satirical look at American politics and culture and isn't your typical comedy.

The plot is indeed as dream-like as they come -- the recently re-elected President (Dennis Quaid) wakes up one morning and decides to read the newspaper, only to discover that he's completely out of touch with what's happening in the world. So he holes up for a few weeks reading every newspaper and book he can get his hands on and then becomes a guest host on the reality show American Dreamz to boost his approval ratings. Hosted by Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant), the show has a variety of individuals, each competing to be the country's hottest new star. Among the favored to win are Sally (Mandy Moore), a crafty blonde bombshell who will do anything to win, and Omer, an Arab straight out of terrorist school assigned to assassinate the president during the show's finale. Need I say more?

Review: Running Scared (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on February 24, 2006.

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'Running' at an explosive pace

Paul Walker seems intent on making a name for himself. Last week he gave us Eight Below, and this week he stars in the action flick Running Scared. But if the latter is any indication, movie-goers can look forward to finally getting out of the cinema "dry season" -- January and February -- which typically delivers little worth watching. This film is surprisingly good, believe it or not.

Walker stars as mobster Joey Gazelle who, instead of dispensing guns after a mob hits, hides them in his basement. When his son's best friend uses one of these guns to shoot his abusive stepfather, it's a race against time to find the weapon before the cops and the kingpins. Walker delivers his best performance yet, shedding his Keanu-esque woodenness for some genuine emotion.

The film's greatest flaw is it settles for hit-and-miss in regards to its story. Many characters are flat and caricatured, while others become, at best, two-dimensional. The plot has a variety of twists, some of which feel tacked on and contrived, but others add a surprising amount of emotion to an otherwise purely testosterone-driven film. For example, the movie's shining moment involves an emotional and thematic punch that left the audience literally cheering for more.

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonFebruary 24, 2006Paul Walker, Running Scared, Vera Farmiga, Wayne Kramer Comment

Review: Eight Below (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on February 17, 2006.

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Eight cool dogs, one mediocre film

The first rule of studio filmmaking: If it made money once, it's worth doing again and again. It hasn't even been a month since Disney released Glory Road, but that doesn't faze the production company, which seems intent on capitalizing on every "inspirational true life event."

Disney's Eight Below claims to be "the most amazing story of [insert feel-good word here] ever told." Strange, I thought the last half dozen movies were supposed to be that too.

Poor marketing aside, Eight Below has the strongest plot concept of this type of film in years. Rather than focusing on people overcoming incredible obstacles, it revolves around a team of eight sled dogs that are left to fend for themselves in Antarctica during the winter. Their owner, Gerry Shepherd (Paul Walker), does everything in his power to get back to Antarctica to save them, but will he make it in time?

What do you think?

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonFebruary 17, 2006Eight Below, Jason Biggs, Paul Walker, sled dogsComment

Review: Nanny McPhee (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on January 26, 2006.

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Kids will like this 'Nanny'

Nanny McPhee is not a movie for the average college student; however, in terms of kids' flicks, it's a fairly good film that most adults should at least find tolerable, if not entertaining.

It has been 10 years since Emma Thompson's last venture into feature film writing (Sense and Sensibility), but if this adaptation of the Nurse Matilda book series is any indication, she still has a knack for it. Thompson stars as a snaggletoothed nanny who uses magic to teach a family of seven children how to behave. It's Mary Poppins for the Harry Potter generation, but luckily this film manages to distance itself enough from its predecessor to emerge as a unique movie that kids are sure to enjoy.

This film has "fairy tale" written all over it. From a house with neon walls, to a dancing donkey, magic spells and Raleigh-esque weather, there are a variety of fantasy elements that serve to transport the viewer into a world that looks as if it came directly from the mind of a child. Thompson doesn't bother to explain the details of why certain things are how they are, and this will probably annoy the more mature viewers. But these vague intricacies won't be noticed by the film's intended audience -- children between the ages of five and ten.

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonJanuary 26, 2006Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Kelly Macdonald, Kirk Jones, Nanny McPheeComment

Review: Glory Road (2006)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on January 13, 2006.

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'Glory Road' - well traveled

Struggling underdog team? Check. New coach? Check. Intense sports showdowns? Check. Racial discrimination? Check. Budding romance? Check.

Are you feeling inspired yet?

In its latest flick, Glory Road, Disney uses all those cliches and more in its quest to make yet another true-story sports movie about a team triumphing over obstacles that will make you feel warm and fuzzy enough to spend your money on it.

The film follows Texas Western coach Don Haskins in 1966 as he takes the first all-black starting lineup to the NCAA championship. Think Remember the Titans, but with college basketball, and not as good.

Indeed, the film seems content to steal situations and characters from every other sports movie in recent memory, as if combining them together will somehow make the story even more dramatic. There are unresolved subplots lifted from everything from Coach Carter to Finding Forrester. As a result, the characters are flat and the plot feels old and tired. And you know what? It is. When was the last time you saw a sports movie that wasn't about a team that "changed everything" in one way or another?

ReviewsAndrew JohnsonJanuary 13, 2006Disney, Don Haskins, Glory Road, Josh Lucas, basketballComment

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