Making A Dent In The Universe

Jobs:
            A Genius, a Revolutionary, a Nerd, an Innovator, a Business Man, a Go-Getter, and then Steve Jobs. All of these first, himself second, and yet his world was made up of nothing more. Everyone knows his story for the most part. He founded one of the biggest technological companies in the world starting out of his parents' garage and gained a reputation to be one of the shrewdest, cruelest businessmen the world had ever seen. Steve Jobs became more than anyone ever expected and taught himself how to talk up what he was walking up. Ashton Kutcher delivers the best performance of his career thus far and really turns heads as he portrays the titan that was Steve Jobs. The only drawback was the film that he found himself acting in, but we'll get to that in a little bit.

            Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote) headed up the project of directing Jobs but credit has to be given to his casting team. The sole aspect that made this film entirely watchable was Ashton Kutcher putting on the act of lashing out at subordinates and screaming on the phone at a rival billionaire all while wearing the blue jeans, lame tennis shoes, and trimmed beard that made up the man that made his mark in the universe. Without giving anything away, the opening scene itself made me question if we were watching an old video of Jobs or if it was just Mr. Kutcher. Well okay, enough about the Punk'd host for now and maybe a little about what this film was all about.

            Apple Computers started very small with only 5 employees that could not even be paid in cash but they had one thing the other competitors did not, Steve Jobs. This film revolves around how and why Jobs left college to pursue bigger things, like calligraphy and acid, and then pulled some business skills out of his back pocket and became an icon. Josh Gad (Love and Other Drugs) plays the other half of Jobs' success, Steve "Woz" Wozniak. Whenever Jobs was in a bind with what he was selling, Woz was there to helping him sort out the bugs. I'd like to go on the record saying Josh Gad should be on watch by the members of The Academy for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Not necessarily saying he'll get it but that he should not be overshadowed by the weak plot of this film. Along side Kutcher, Gad is spot on as Apple's second father and is near flawless in his portrayal. J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man), Dermot Mulroney (Zodiac), and Matthew Modine (The Dark Knight Rises) are all fellow business men that are out for Jobs' throat and make up a decent supporting cast as well.

            Now I guess is as good a time as any to address the physical being of the film; it's plot. There's not much to say besides how good the acting is by the two stars and, oh yeah, the years jump around like rabbits and details are left hanging. One can imagine how disappointing this could be especially in a movie about someone who became so prominent in our lifetimes even if he was rather cold-blooded. An analogy for the non-viewer reading this prior to buying a ticket would be that Jobs is The Social Network with a more realistic star, just as good character-wise, but with a weaker, less thought-provoking plot. Hats off to Ashton Kutcher and his memorable performance but it is a shame it had to be set apart from the film itself due to nothing more than lack of detail. Hashtag RIPSteveJobs. Grade: 6.6/10

Keeping Up With The Millers

We're The Millers:

             Have you heard of that actress Jennifer Aniston? She's in her forties now but she has a great future in movies if she keeps it up. It's easy to say that Mrs. Aniston steals the show in her latest flick with her charisma that never seems to age plus her timeless physical features that landed her this past year at the #1 spot on the list of the hottest women of all time. This is just one feature that makes We're The Millers a solidly funny movie with a cast that meshed well for the most part. From Rawson Marshall Thurber, director and writer of Dodgeball, who knew smuggling marijuana could really bring the family together.

            Okay, we talked about how hot Jennifer Aniston is--check that off the list. Next on the agenda is a man who has hosted award shows, made his way on Saturday Night Live, and now has developed a trademark sense of humor with his deep booming voice; all this is Jason Sudeikis. You may know him best from his work in Hall Pass (2011) or Horrible Bosses (2011) both of which deliver the crude laughs and lewd jokes that this movie does and, to be honest, if you loved him in those movies then We're The Millers is the next ticket you should purchase. I think it's easy to wrap his style in a nutshell (or for me at least but who cares, right?) and it is not a hard concept to get one's head around. Simply taking something in current news or something that is familiar in the past decade and using it as a reference to describe the way someone sounds or why the woman crossing the street is dressed the way she is a style Mr. Sudeikis has raised to an art form. He's lucky because it works for him and his delivery of these lines give him an advantage that kind of completes his character in whatever movie he seems to be in. But is there such thing as too much of a good thing? Even if it's a funny joke?---Especially if it's a funny joke, actually.

            One of the final things that needs to be analyzed in a movie like this one is the supporting cast. Usually I do not go super deep into the actors that lie beyond those that are top-billed but it's too difficult to avoid here. In this family there is a gorgeous mom, a funny-guy dad, an obediently confused son, and a rebellious quick witted daughter. Will Poulter (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of Dawn Treader) and Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew) are the two whippersnappers that, I have to admit, have some of the funniest parts in the movie and step into the scene with a bang that beckons for more. These two play polar opposite characters and pull off awkwardness and coming of age impressively, which came as a shock to this writer. Finally on this list, Ed Helms (The Hangover), Kathryn Hahn (Step Brothers), and Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) head up a supporting cast that does a great job of supporting the main characters (shocking, I know). The point I'm trying to make is that these lesser actors brought a lot of memorable parts themselves to a movie that wouldn't normally rely on their support. It was refreshing (good word) to be able to laugh at someone else besides the faces on the movie poster for once.

           No, We're The Millers does not get my vote for motion picture of the year candidate or best comedy but it had some surprising factors that set it a bit higher than what could have been expected. Good laughs but a simple plot which brought a different take on a "family comedy". Grade: 6.8/10

How To Out-Do A Classic

The Conjuring:
            If you happen to see a door at the end of a long hallway open by itself would you be the one that everyone in the theater yells at to stop walking toward it? That's pretty much how it goes down in James Wan's latest film and is the same reason it is as frightening as walking down that hallway in real life. The Conjuring, a more realistic Exorcist, takes what Linda Blair put on the table 40 years ago and ups the ante to another level of horror that sets it a part from other movies we've seen in the same genre.

           A family moves into an old house out in the country. Subtle, weird things begin to happen at night. A professional is called in to make the monster leave the closet... Sound familiar? Sound like every horror movie you've seen, right? Oh, but this is a story based on actual events. Now the tables have turned. That one little detail always seems to amplify the terror in any movie for some reason and that tagline alone is why movies like this do so well in the box office. Another reason could be that James Wan is beginning to build a name for himself with the other white-knucklers such as Insidious, Saw, and Saw 3 that he all directed as well. His use of suspense with tactics such as having the camera follow the character around a dark corner or the lack of the super loud noises every time there's a ghost is how he is taking a different path in this industry of fear and standing out from other current directors.

            Ed and Lorraine Warren are the leading paranormal researchers and demonology experts that have a new fish to fry in the form of a presence that can't get enough of terrorizing the Perron family. Meanwhile, Carolyn and Roger Perron just want the best for their 5 daughters (sounds like a nightmare already, huh?) but there's something getting in the way of their success and it's taken up residence in whatever room has an empty bed. Throughout the process of the Warrens helping the Perrons, you will find yourself wanting to look away as each door slowly creaks open or as the melody stops playing in a certain small antique music box but the riveting silences are really what divert your eyes at the last moment before the scare happens. Also, I think anyone who sees this may become a little sensitive the next time you hear two solo claps. Just an observation, though.

             Patrick Wilson (Insidious) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed) are quite an effective devil-studying couple on screen with their own past playing well with the unorthodox methods they perform on a daily basis at the office. Lili Taylor (Born on the Fourth of July) gives one of the most terrifying performances and Linda Blair a run for her money along with her husband Ron Livingston (Office Space) who's just trying to figure this ordeal out. It should be obvious now that Wan delivers in this highly-anticipated flick with the history behind it doesn't let up either. Grade: 7.7/10