Traitor

If there was ever a trailer that deserved an Oscar, it is the trailer for Traitor.



Whoever put it together took a two hour movie and gave away every twist, turn and secret in just over two minutes. Best Editing in my book, because Traitor is a good movie. It's an interesting movie. It's just not good enough or interesting enough to hold me for two hours.

The acting is actually pretty good. Don Cheadle plays double agent Samir Horn as a conflicted man of faith. He's a Muslim, and recognizes that the West is more often than not a hostile place for his faith, but at the same time he sees fanatical Muslims as the true enemies of Islam. If you haven't seen the trailer, you might be asking yourself as far as an hour into the movie just who's side this guy is on.

Guy Pearce (who seems too good for what amounts to a b-level episode of 24) does his best Brad Pitt impersonation. That doesn't seem like it should be a compliment, but look at him.


Look familiar?


And just wait till you hear Pearce's Agent Clayton speak! He sounds like Rusty Ryan from the Ocean's series if he grew up in Arkansas.

Saying a guy does a good Brad Pitt impersonation doesn't seem like it should be a compliment if he isn't a SNL cast member, but that's clearly what writer/director Jeffery Nachmanoff wanted. It seems like this role was written for Pitt and either Nachmanoff didn't get the necessary financing or Pitt decided the role was too small.

Another strength is the movie's explosions. I assume they're very realistic. They feel very real, but I can't say for sure. I've never had the pleasure of being involved in an explosion of anything larger than a light bulb. (A side note here: if for whatever reason you put part of a potato chip bag on your lamp and it starts to smoke, your nine-year-old brain might think it's a good idea to remove the smoldering bits with a damp wash cloth...not as smart as it seems in your head!) Traitor's explosions are loud, violent and gory, but unedited news footage gory with bodies being jarred and smashed around like rag dolls. You know when each explosion is coming, but you're never really ready for any of them.

Now let's get to the flaws, because there aren't enough to drag the film down, but there are some small ones that annoyed me. First of all, I saw two Middle Eastern actors that I recognized as henchman from past seasons of 24 in the film's first ten minutes. Maybe Hollywood needs to search a little deeper in the Arabic actor pool. Okay, that's not a flaw...more of an odd bit of info you might not need.

Jeff Daniels isn't in the film long enough for you to even learn his name. The trailer made me think that he was going to have more screen time than Guy Pearce. If you add up all of Harry from Dumb & Dumber's scenes he might be on screen for about ten minutes.

Jeff Nachmanoff is no stranger to controversial fare. His script, The Day After Tomorrow somehow started a global warming controversy for conservatives. This script is no different. Traitor deals with both sides of the war on terror and shows that each side sees the struggle in black and white. The problem is, if I am supposed to walk away from this with a little bit of sympathy for the terrorists Nachmanoff failed. He writes them in only the slightest shade of gray - not gray enough to change any minds.

If it's not for the trailer, this movie would get an A in my book. The people in the theatre I saw the movie at gave the ending a loud ovation, and I thought it was clever enough to warrant such a response, but I already knew what was going to happen because I saw the trailer.

If you plan on seeing Traitor avoid any advertising for it!

The Greek gives it a B.

Independent's Day 4: American Teen

I have found the perfect metaphor for the 2008 summer movie season in American Teen. There is tons of hype around it. People are raving about it. And I don't see what the big deal is. American Teen is in line to be this year's Juno or Garden State - an angst-ridden coming of age story with tons of indy cred. Too bad that even though of those three this is the only one that is a documentary, it's also the one that feels the most fake.

Let me tell you a little bit about my thought process in going to see American Teen. I like indy flicks. I tend to be drawn to them like a moth to a flame. I have no real problem with documentaries. In fact, the best thing I've seen all year is Chris Bell's Bigger, Stronger Faster. I was in the right frame of mind for this movie and it just didn't deliver.

Like most movies I've seen since I started keeping this blog, it wasn't awful. It just left a lot to be desired. As far as mediocre movies go, it's a good mediocre movie...is that possible?

The producers picked four teens from Warsaw, Indiana to follow during their senior year at high school.

Colin (the jock),


Jake (the geek),


Megan (the popular girl/bitch)


and Hannah (the artsy girl/outcast/tortured soul).


The film's press materials claim it also follows Mitch (the hunk),

but the filmmakers are only interested in him because of his relationship with Hannah.

I know, from the outset this seems unbearable for anyone over 18. I really should have known what I was getting into. I HATE The Breakfast Club.

Turns out two of the teens' stories are really interesting. The other two are really what bring down the movie. Colin is the star of his high school basketball team. His dad was the star of the team when he was in high school. Now he's an Elvis impersonator. The pressure Colin and his father put on him to get a scholarship is really something that could leave you scratching your head. It turns him into a selfish player on the court and kind of a jerk off it. I was routing for Colin. His story really seemed the most authentic.

Hannah is the character I think most people are going to relate to. She doesn't like school, her parents, or her hometown. We see her get her heartbroken not once, but twice. It is almost like director Nanette Burstein went out of her way to make sure we like Hannah, and she succeeds. I saw a little bit of myself in her and I was honestly hoping to find out she got as far from Warsaw, Indiana as possible.

Jake is a geek that can't get a girl AND THAT'S ALL HE EVER TALKS ABOUT and that's boring. Megan is a bitch - plain and simple. She spends her time toilet papering people's yards because they didn't vote for the prom theme she wanted, running off any girls that are interested in her friend Geoff, and treating people like garbage that by the time you find out she had a sister that committed suicide you just don't care.

The movie felt scripted. I know Burstein has been dealing with these accusations ever since the movie was released, and believe me, I don't want to pile on. Too much just seems to happen at the most convenient times - Colin hits a game winning shot, Jake screws up a date with a girl that really likes him, the outcast and the hunk get together. It's shouldn't be hard to take the movie at face value, but it is easy to wonder if what you're seeing is legit.

One thing I loved about the movie was the use of animation. It was a creative way to introduce back stories and feelings that you couldn't put on film otherwise. And the filmmakers were so creative with the animation itself. Colin's animations look like notebook doodles. Jake's look like they came straight out of a video game. Hannah's look like a Tim Burton film. It helps hammer home feelings and background info that someone looking into a camera and crying could not.

There is a lot to like about American Teen. It's just that there is also a lot that will leave you wondering why you're waisting your time. What I walked away with is that kids in high school (for the most part) are douche bags in one way or another...and I didn't need a 95 minute movie to figure that out.

The Greek gives it a B.

Pineapple Express

Have you ever wondered how two people can watch the same thing and each see something completely different? That was certainly the case when my wife and I went to see Pineapple Express. I didn't think it was awful. The movie certainly had it's moments (including a very funny discussion of Buddhism and Reincarnation). My wife on the other hand was ready to go less than an hour in.

I will admit, that I had very high (no pun intended) for Judd Apatow's stoner comedy. The red band trailer made the movie look like something I couldn't afford to miss.



It looks like something completely new for the Apatow crew, right? A lot of action. Seth Rogan as "the responsible one." A buddy comedy that doesn't have a larger moral lesson. Turns out that not only is Pineapple Express really nothing new for producer Judd Apatow and writers Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg. It's actually nothing new for this summer of crappy movies. That doesn't mean that Pineapple Express is awful. It's just another mediocre entry in what has been a very forgettable summer at the box office.

This movie isn't even really an action comedy. It's kind of like an Oreo cookie.



The two chocolate cookies in this case are comedy. The creamy filling is action. They taste great together, but they don't necessarily blend into one another. In fact, the film's climactic rescue scene feels a little out of place.

There really isn't a bad actor in the group, although I'm not sure how or why Rosie Perez landed a role in Pineapple Express. Seth Rogan's character Dale is what I imagine his Knocked Up character Ben Stone was like during that coming of age that was kind of skipped over. He's responsible enough to have a full time job, but not so buttoned up that he doesn't still spend most of his time stoned out of his gourd. James Franco did a bang up job as Sal. Since he really broke out in Spider-Man he hasn't really played a part like this and he did a great job.

It was nice to see Danny McBride pop up as middle-man Red. Even though I didn't really care for The Foot Fist Way, I still think he is very funny and has a bright future. Gary Cole delivers another great performance as kingpin Ted Jones.

Pineapple Express might be a break out for Craig Robinson. You probably recognize him as warehouse manager Darryl on The Office. If not, you may know him from just about every other Judd Apatow movie.



Could he be the next character actor Apatow turns into a leading man? I certainly hope not. I think one thing that Pineapple Express shows about Robinson is that he has a gift for creating quirky, supporting characters - like the doorman in Knocked Up.

I'm a fan of Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg and Judd Apatow. I really expected this movie to blow me away and it just didn't. Superbad, Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall are all terrific comedies, but they are cut from the same mold - goofy, bawdy comedies with a ton of heart. I was ready to see something different. Pineapple Express proves the rule "if it ain't broke don't fix it." The movie isn't bad. Just forgettable.

The Greek gives it a B-.