"Grand Budapest Hotel" R
Wes Anderson's quirky character dramas and oddball comedies are an acquired taste. For some they can be rapid fire, confusing and strange, but others consider them so different as to be good. Somewhere in between is this movie, a character piece that finds an all star cast in a fake town in Germany in around 1932 at a lavish hotel called the Grand Budapest.
At first, the narrator is in the 1960s telling his tale to a guest to his hotel, about how he roxse from being the bell boy to being the curator and master of an old hotel, then in decline.
In the 1930s, between the great wars, the suave hotel manager and his new apprentice, Zero, get into trouble right off, when they attend the wake of the manager's elderly lover. They are chased out by the angry family at the reading, because the lawyer is in on some kind of scam.Once the manager gets his prize, the painting of the boy with an apple, he and his bell boy flee the scene, somehow unknown to the angry family.
The killer though is after them, and it is soon revealed that this hired gun has killed the old lady and disposed of a second will. Through some mishaps though the manager ends up in jail and must forge an alliance to escape, using the bellboy and his girlfriend as accomplices, to clear his name and find the will.
The angry family is also searching for the lost painting.
All of this is connected in a bizarre fate filled series of coincidences. It seems kind of like Wes has done this kind of movie before but goes all out to make it fresh and different.
Hade it been released say next November though it could get an Oscar, but it likely won't be remembered 10 months from now.
Go and see it because it's good. See it in theaters. The actors in it have been in his other movies and are quite good, elevating it from being just about annoying people. The lead is likeable and interesting. Even the cameos are fun.
Review by Adam Browne
Friday, March 28, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Review: "Muppets Most Wanted" tries really hard to be muppet caper
"Muppets Most Wanted" G
This is the seventh Muppet movie, based on the reboot from nearly 2 years back. The story brings the iconic felt puppet mayhem back to the roots of some of the earlier films, most noticeably Muppets Take Manhattan and The Great Muppet Caper. In the rather oddball plot, Constantine the world's most dangerous frog escapes from a Russian gulag run by a cheery gal trying to do a Russian accent. The story swaps Kermit for Constantine and his evil number two, a human called Badguy, somehow convinces all of them to go on a tour, so he can steal the crown jewels of London. The most disturbing scene is when Piggy imagines herself married to Kermit, believing the evil frog's nuptial plot genuine, and imagines a frog-pig pair of hybrid Muppet babies (ala the Manhattan onle, dream and all, that laughed a cartoon). It seems they're borrowing a lot from Frank Oz but aren't so much making if fresh, just borrowing it. The film is good for a rental later, but not worth general admission.
Review by Adam Browne
This is the seventh Muppet movie, based on the reboot from nearly 2 years back. The story brings the iconic felt puppet mayhem back to the roots of some of the earlier films, most noticeably Muppets Take Manhattan and The Great Muppet Caper. In the rather oddball plot, Constantine the world's most dangerous frog escapes from a Russian gulag run by a cheery gal trying to do a Russian accent. The story swaps Kermit for Constantine and his evil number two, a human called Badguy, somehow convinces all of them to go on a tour, so he can steal the crown jewels of London. The most disturbing scene is when Piggy imagines herself married to Kermit, believing the evil frog's nuptial plot genuine, and imagines a frog-pig pair of hybrid Muppet babies (ala the Manhattan onle, dream and all, that laughed a cartoon). It seems they're borrowing a lot from Frank Oz but aren't so much making if fresh, just borrowing it. The film is good for a rental later, but not worth general admission.
Review by Adam Browne
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Review: "Mr. Peabody and Sherman" is a fair attempt to remake Bullwinkle characters
"Mr. Peabody and Sherman" PG
The old cartoons about Bullwinkle and Rocky and friends from th 1970s have been made into several films, even some live action ones, so it was inevitable some studio would do a movie version of Mr. Peabody, the Einstein like white dog, and his boy, Sherman, traveling through time in their Wayback (WABAK in this one) machine. Set in the present day, the story appears to turn the adoption angle into a movie, with an angry young edgy child out to get Sherman, name of Penny, and a giant angry lady, and twists and turns lead to the boy eventually liking the girl, and their going on a love hate adventure in time, to show each other up. Sherman is supposed to be 7. Unless he has the intelligence and social graces of a genius, which supposedly he might, this could not happen. Becasuse it's a cartoon the plot may not necessarily need anything beyond kid logic to explain it. The premise is a blend of corny puns and stuff the adults get mixed in with stuff the kids might get, ans the time machine is used to accidentally lose Penny in time, and so the dog and his boy must go back into time and rescue her, and learn to like each other. The goofy imagines of historical figures add puff, including jokes about ancient Egypt, Rome in the Renaissance, the French revolution and the founding of the US, in an attempt to come to terms with the history in the original. but those first stories were part of 'fractured fairy tales', so none of it was to be taken seriously. Dreamworks does a fair job of combining the modern age with the original material but modernizing it loses something. It's worth a video rental later on. None of the previous Bullwinkle movies are worth getting, unless you count the original cartoons.
The old cartoons about Bullwinkle and Rocky and friends from th 1970s have been made into several films, even some live action ones, so it was inevitable some studio would do a movie version of Mr. Peabody, the Einstein like white dog, and his boy, Sherman, traveling through time in their Wayback (WABAK in this one) machine. Set in the present day, the story appears to turn the adoption angle into a movie, with an angry young edgy child out to get Sherman, name of Penny, and a giant angry lady, and twists and turns lead to the boy eventually liking the girl, and their going on a love hate adventure in time, to show each other up. Sherman is supposed to be 7. Unless he has the intelligence and social graces of a genius, which supposedly he might, this could not happen. Becasuse it's a cartoon the plot may not necessarily need anything beyond kid logic to explain it. The premise is a blend of corny puns and stuff the adults get mixed in with stuff the kids might get, ans the time machine is used to accidentally lose Penny in time, and so the dog and his boy must go back into time and rescue her, and learn to like each other. The goofy imagines of historical figures add puff, including jokes about ancient Egypt, Rome in the Renaissance, the French revolution and the founding of the US, in an attempt to come to terms with the history in the original. but those first stories were part of 'fractured fairy tales', so none of it was to be taken seriously. Dreamworks does a fair job of combining the modern age with the original material but modernizing it loses something. It's worth a video rental later on. None of the previous Bullwinkle movies are worth getting, unless you count the original cartoons.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
KATS guesses for the 86th Academy Awards tonight and results
The 86th academy awards will be no different than in years past. They will not take many risks, will go for most popular or trendy, and delve out Oscars to the movies they think the public liked the most.
Usually if a movie like '12 Years a Slave' is a contender, Oscar likes to pick it foereerything, so if it starts out that way, it will win best picture.
An action picture like Gravity may get the popular vote and if they liked Bullock she may get actress, but she also may not.
Oscar doesn't usually like action pictures.
American Hustle is going to muscle in on the Oscars this year because Dallas Buyers Club and Wolf of Wall Street just weren't as cool.
Best supporting actress could go to Lupita Nyogo of 12 Years, and if she does get it, the movie may get best picture.
If no, our choice will be Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle. But Hustle will not win picture. It is trendy but not likely due to it not being controversial or scary.
12 years a slave is a dark drama, not reviwed, and will likely take most of the night, if supporting categories go to it. Oscar loves dark drama.
Blue Jasmine and Osange County aren't popular enough to win anything, although it's possible that Kate Blanchett could win best actress. Gravity was a fine action movie but cinema darling Sandra Bullock winning would spin the Oscar a bit too much to the left.
If Bullock wins then Best Picture will be Gravity. That would be unusual.
Blanchett will win. Blue Jasmine is another dreary drama, not reviwed.
Matthew McConaughey of Dallas Buyers Club could win, but that movie is not popular, and not reviewed, so we're going to go with Christian Bale for the upset. American Hustle will walk away with actor, even if it doesn't win picture.
Best director may be Alphsono Cauron for Gravity but if it is Steve McQueen for 12 years a Salve, it will decide best picture.
Cuaron has a good chance of winning director. Slave has a bit too much baggage.
If Guaron wins, Gravity wins best picture,
The Oscar guys might throw a curveball though and give 12 Years a Slave best picture, wich would be making an unpopular movie best picture, and that hasn't happened in a while. (Slumdog Millionare anyone)?
The best picture will also likely be 7 bucks on the bargain bin next Christmas.
Does anyone even care what the winner was last year?
We will see tonight.
Update:
Jarod Leto has won best supporting actor for Dallas Buyer's Club.
Lupita Nyongo has won best supporting actress for 12 years a slave. Movie may be contender for best picture.
The Great Gatsby has taken costume.
Gravity has taken sound mixing, editing, score and special effects.
Frozen has won for animated movie and for song.
12 Years a Slave has won for adapted screenplay.
Her has won for screenplay.
Best director is Alphonso Cauron for Gravity.
Makeup, Dallas Buyers Club, really? Why? No idea.
Best Actress goes to Kate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine.
Gravity wins for Music.
Best Actor goes to Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyer's Club.
Production design goes to The Great Gatsby.
Knowing they would never give best picture to another action scifri flick, and they love dramas about slavery, they have...
Best picture of 2013....12 Years a Slave.
Note it's now 2014 but these are 2013 movies. Confusing yes.
They weren't going to go for Dallas Buyer's Club.
Usually if a movie like '12 Years a Slave' is a contender, Oscar likes to pick it foereerything, so if it starts out that way, it will win best picture.
An action picture like Gravity may get the popular vote and if they liked Bullock she may get actress, but she also may not.
Oscar doesn't usually like action pictures.
American Hustle is going to muscle in on the Oscars this year because Dallas Buyers Club and Wolf of Wall Street just weren't as cool.
Best supporting actress could go to Lupita Nyogo of 12 Years, and if she does get it, the movie may get best picture.
If no, our choice will be Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle. But Hustle will not win picture. It is trendy but not likely due to it not being controversial or scary.
12 years a slave is a dark drama, not reviwed, and will likely take most of the night, if supporting categories go to it. Oscar loves dark drama.
Blue Jasmine and Osange County aren't popular enough to win anything, although it's possible that Kate Blanchett could win best actress. Gravity was a fine action movie but cinema darling Sandra Bullock winning would spin the Oscar a bit too much to the left.
If Bullock wins then Best Picture will be Gravity. That would be unusual.
Blanchett will win. Blue Jasmine is another dreary drama, not reviwed.
Matthew McConaughey of Dallas Buyers Club could win, but that movie is not popular, and not reviewed, so we're going to go with Christian Bale for the upset. American Hustle will walk away with actor, even if it doesn't win picture.
Best director may be Alphsono Cauron for Gravity but if it is Steve McQueen for 12 years a Salve, it will decide best picture.
Cuaron has a good chance of winning director. Slave has a bit too much baggage.
If Guaron wins, Gravity wins best picture,
The Oscar guys might throw a curveball though and give 12 Years a Slave best picture, wich would be making an unpopular movie best picture, and that hasn't happened in a while. (Slumdog Millionare anyone)?
The best picture will also likely be 7 bucks on the bargain bin next Christmas.
Does anyone even care what the winner was last year?
We will see tonight.
Update:
Jarod Leto has won best supporting actor for Dallas Buyer's Club.
Lupita Nyongo has won best supporting actress for 12 years a slave. Movie may be contender for best picture.
The Great Gatsby has taken costume.
Gravity has taken sound mixing, editing, score and special effects.
Frozen has won for animated movie and for song.
12 Years a Slave has won for adapted screenplay.
Her has won for screenplay.
Best director is Alphonso Cauron for Gravity.
Makeup, Dallas Buyers Club, really? Why? No idea.
Best Actress goes to Kate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine.
Gravity wins for Music.
Best Actor goes to Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyer's Club.
Production design goes to The Great Gatsby.
Knowing they would never give best picture to another action scifri flick, and they love dramas about slavery, they have...
Best picture of 2013....12 Years a Slave.
Note it's now 2014 but these are 2013 movies. Confusing yes.
They weren't going to go for Dallas Buyer's Club.
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