themoviecouch Reviews

Delhi Belly (2011)

India's version of a gross-out action farce.

[6/10 · 13 January 2013]

The thing about this movie is that, as dumb as it is, it represents Indian Cinema becoming more westernized. Just the fact that the characters don't break into song every five minutes is a departure (There are only a couple of musical numbers in the film.) The film also pushes conservative, Indian, entertainment mores with some fairly explicit sexual content, although I don't recall any actual nudity. Beyond that, "Delhi Belly" is a pretty silly, predictable, action, gross-out comedy - basically an Indian "The Hangover."

Tashi, Arup, and Nitin are underemployed, immature, twenty- something guys living like complete slobs in a shared apartment. Tashi is engaged to Sonia, a sexy, Indian flight attendant who isn't very bright. When she helps out a friend by picking up a package from a nervous Russian at the airport, everybody's lives start to get interesting.

Watching a movie like "Delhi Belly" is like watching a rabbit run from a hound. Despite all the twists and turns, you know it is headed for that briar patch. In "Delhi Belly," all the major plot points are broadcast in advance, because we have seen them in American movies before. Still, you have to give the directors credit for making a pretty capable movie within a genre that is not standard Indian fare, that genre being foul-mouthed, risqué, action farces. There are any number of silly, American comedies that are better done than this, but if you are in the mood for something bizarrely exotic, I would say give "Delhi Belly" a chance.

The Violin (2005)

Tense and grim.

[5/10 · 13 January 2013]

In an unnamed Latin-American country, a loosely organized peasant rebellion struggles against an oppressive government army. The Mexican film "El Violin" doesn't really get more specific than that in terms of where or when the story takes place. When government forces invade a rebel village, they force the villagers to leave behind a secret ammo stash. While soldiers camp out in the captured village, Genaro (Gerardo Taracena) and his desperate rebels try to figure out a way to get to their munitions. Genaro's elderly father, a one-handed violinist and farmer, takes it upon himself to solve the problem.

If I thought the violin might be a fun, lighthearted story, I was completely wrong. The movie opens with a brutal scene of torture, and while the mood occasionally lightens a bit, it generally remains grim. The film never makes it clear what the rebels are fighting against; I guess "oppression" in general. It doesn't really matter. The theme is how the spirit of freedom and rebellion lives on, passed from generation to generation. There is also an exploration of how people might be different given different circumstances. The army captain is a brutal man of war, but he discovers a belated interest in music under the tutelage of the old violinist.

I watched "El Violin" largely as part of my Spanish-language study. On its merits as a film, I would say it is a bit too naturalistic for me. It is a well-told story, however, with excellent performances and some beautiful footage of the Mexican countryside. For a viewer who won't mind the pervasive grimness of the tale, it is worth checking out.

Only Human (2004)

Screwball comedy about the Arab-Israeli conflict.

[7/10 · 13 January 2013]

Leni (Marian Aguilera) and Rafi (Guillermo Toledo) are freshly in love, and since both live in Spain they are unconcerned with the fact that Leni is Jewish and Rafi is Palestinian. Hell still breaks loose, though, when they visit Leni's family for the first time. Things are uncomfortable enough with Leni's Israeli-army veteran grandfather, her controlling mother, her horny sister, and her newly religious brother, but when an accident occurs, things really get out of control.

A Spanish, screwball comedy about the Arab-Israeli conflict sounds like a long shot, but "Only Human" makes it work. The comedic cast keeps the outrageous story crackling along. Guillermo Toledo is especially good in his straight-man role, and it is with him that we identify as we bump along from one crazy situation to the next. He reminds me of Ben Stiller in "Meet the Parents." The message of the movie, "Love conquers all," isn't exactly groundbreaking, and I don't think any light is ultimately shed on the Arab-Israeli conflict, but it's a fun time.

Killing Cabos (2004)

Goofy and violent

[5/10 · 26 October 2012]

It would be an exaggeration to call this Mexican action-comedy "good." It is disjointed, full of stupid actions on the part of the principles, and the comedic tone is often thrown off by gratuitous violence. "Matando Cabos" is, however, a certain amount of fun.

The titular Sr. Cabos is a psychopathic businessman known for fits of rage and brutality. In the process of attacking one of his employees, he trips and knocks himself unconscious. This puts the employee, who happens to be engaged to Sr. Cabos's daughter, in an awkward situation, especially when he goes for help, returns with his co-worker, and finds his still-unconscious boss inexplicably stripped to his underwear. There follows a wacky night of capers involving kidnappers, mistaken identities, two unconscious men, and professional wrestlers. If "Weekend at Bernie's" had been in Spanish, had two bodies instead of one, and periodically degenerated into graphic violence, it would have been "Matando Cabos."

Tony Dalton and Kristoff, who play the two leads, play their characters as a couple of goofballs, and are nothing special. Nor do Ana Claudia Talancon and Rocio Verdejo, the two main actresses, do anything to distinguish themselves other than look good. It is Joaquin Cosio and Silverio Palacios, who play the wrestlers Mascarita and Tony the Cannibal, who make the movie. These guys carry themselves with a cool and confidence that makes them the center of every scene. It actually makes no sense that these two would be willing to spend a night risking their lives for a guy they haven't talked to in years, but that's part of what I liked about the characters. They are the kind of guys that if a friend calls, they will show up, ready for anything.

Bullitt (1968)

Epic action-noir

[9/10 · 3 September 2012]

If you want to know why Steve McQueen is STEVE MCQUEEN, this cop thriller is a good place to start. As Detective Frank Bullitt, McQueen is as cool as they come. Men want to be him; women want to have him; and no one wants to get on his bad side.

Bullitt is a San Francisco cop who is tasked with protecting a Mob witness so the guy can testify. Despite the protection, Mob hit-men manage to get to the guy. With egg on his face, Bullitt sets out to catch the hit-men. The search culminates in an iconic movie car chase through the hilly streets of San Francisco, with Bullitt in his Ford Mustang pursuing the hit-men in their Dodge Charger. The famous scene is long, heart-pounding, and thrilling, with the cars reportedly topping 100 mph at times. It has become a piece of muscle-car history.

The only weak point in the film is Jacqueline Bisset, as Bullitt's wife. If she just walked around wearing nothing but a button- down shirt, it would have been fine, but the problems start when she opens her mouth. Her beauty doesn't compensate for her poor acting, and the film tends to grind to a halt during her scenes. Fortunately, the rest of the film is captivating, an engrossing piece of action-noir. Besides that car chase, there is a great foot chase through the airport tarmac. "Bullitt" also works well as a police procedural, as Bullitt methodically retraces his murdered witness's tracks to solve the case.

"Bullitt" tries, in a clumsy way, to get philosophical. The film's noir edge comes from the fact that Bullitt is completely surrounded by evil in various forms. From the Mob hit-men to the low- life witness to a sleazy politician, there is no one to root for but Frank Bullitt. In one scene, Bullitt's wife berates him for becoming as cold and callous as the world in which he works, but the scene is clunky due to Jacqueline Bisset's acting. The theme is better handled obliquely in the rest of the movie, as at the end, when Bullitt washes his face and looks in the mirror, probably wondering if he can ever feel clean again.

Wanderlust (2012)

My face hurts!

[9/10 · 19 August 2012]

What a laugh riot! I can't believe this movie slipped by me in theaters, but I'm glad we put it on our Netflix queue. "Wanderlust" brings together some of my favorite people in comedy. Written and directed by alums of the MTV comedy show "The State" (David Wain and Ken Marino), the movie features several of the old "The State" actors as well as Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston. On top of all that, Judd Apatow produces. With a pedigree like that, you may expect something hilarious, and you would be right!

Rudd and Aniston play George and Linda, an attractive pair of New Yorkers who have just purchased a tiny, expensive West Village apartment when their economic world collapses. Unemployed and facing homelessness, they head to Georgia so George can work for his hilariously boorish brother (Ken Marino). Along the way they accidentally spend the night at a hippie commune and find the experience surprisingly liberating. Working and living with George's brother turns out to be so unbearable that the pair flee back to the commune to give "intentional community" a try.

Someone needs to come up with some kind of facial yoga I can do before watching a movie like this, because "Wanderlust" made me smile and laugh until my face hurt. From the very first scene, Rudd and Aniston knock the ball right out of the park, and every new character who walks across the screen lights it up. Everyone is so good that I really can't mention all the great comedic performances, although Justin Theroux does deserve mention for his over-the-top portrayal of hippie alpha-male Seth. They also brought in Alan Alda to play the senile commune founder and add a touch of class. I suppose if I had any criticism it would be that most of the hippie jokes are pretty well- worn. The movie is fairly predictable, but big deal, they are all predictable once you've seen enough of them. When the story is this funny and told this joyously, it doesn't matter.

Just. Watch. It!

Sidewalls (2011)

Charming and cinematically beautiful

[8/10 · 28 July 2012]

In an effort to learn Spanish, I've been watching a lot of Spanish- language movies, and not worrying too much about the quality. It was nice, finally, to watch one that is quite well done. This little Argentinean, romantic comedy is philosophical, charming, and visually beautiful.

Martin (Javier Drolas), an agoraphobic website designer and Mariana (Pilar Lopez de Ayala), an underemployed architect, live on the same street in Buenos Aires. Both are depressed and lonely. As both go through a series of futile dates, we come to see that they would be perfect for each other, but of course, the odds of the two of them meeting in such a huge city are not good. The city has ways of putting up barriers between people, and the theme of the film is that successfully making a life in such a place requires physically and mentally breaking through those barriers.

Meanwhile, the camera lingers on the skyline and the individual buildings of Buenos Aires, gray and inhuman. The variety of buildings is endless, and many have blank, windowless sidewalls, called medianeras. These blank spaces are used for billboards, an ugly alternative to what could have been light-bringing windows, and many apartment- dwellers rebel by chipping through the concrete to place unauthorized windows.

Despite the urban philosophizing and beautiful cinematography, "Medianeras" does not demand to be taken too seriously. It's a fun, optimistic, romantic comedy which declares that, as one of the songs in the film puts it, "true love will find you in the end." Amen to that.

The Descendants (2011)

Just aiight.

[4/10 · 23 June 2012]

"Friends on the mainland think that living in Hawaii must be like living in Paradise….Well Paradise can go f--k itself." These are the words of a guy who is having a really bad time in a really beautiful place. Matt King (George Clooney) is a well-to-do lawyer whose wife is in a terminal coma after a boating accident. Their daughters Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller) are both acting out, and then Matt receives the bombshell that prior to the accident his wife had been having an affair and had planned to ask for a divorce. Meanwhile, Matt is the hereditary, legal trustee of a large, extremely valuable hunk of Hawaiian beachfront. He and his cousins are all heirs, but he has legal control of the property, and changes to the law have made it necessary for them to sell the place.

Watching Matt sort through all this should be more interesting than it is. The setup of a failing marriage being interrupted by a coma provides rich emotional grist, and Clooney does an okay job portraying the complex emotions, but the script makes a mockery of the situation. Matt winds up stalking the real-estate agent with whom his wife was cheating, even following the guy to a different island. I'm not saying that no one would ever do that, but I don't think that an intelligent, contained lawyer like Matt King would do something so stupid and useless. Then the way they have Matt handle the land sale feels very perfunctory and arbitrary. Finally, the goodbye scene between Matt and his comatose wife is pure dreck, mostly ruining the rest of the movie for me.

There are a couple of bright spots. Shailene Woodley has gotten a lot of hype, and deservedly so. She is a beautiful and talented actress and holds her own quite well against George Clooney. Robert Forster is quite convincing as Matt's asshole father-in-law. His character is not really likable, but the way he handles his grief is convincing.

"The Descendants" also has an important social message in its discussion of advanced medical directives. These are legal papers that someone prepares detailing what their wishes would be should they ever be severely ill or in a coma, including the conditions under which they would want to be removed from life support. The decision to withdraw care from Matt's wife is made much easier for the family because she had an advanced directive. This is a good message for people to hear. I wish it could be presented in a better movie.

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011)

Fun, if you keep your expectations low

[5/10 · 23 June 2012]

Everyone knows that folks in the '60's and '70's did some serious swinging, and from what you hear about young people today, you get the impression that they only stop slurping each other's privates when they take a break to send each other naked pictures on their cell phones. So what happened to people like me, who came of age in the '80's and '90's? AIDS, that's what. We grew up hearing that sex was a scary, dangerous thing that could kill you. It didn't completely stop us from having sex, but it probably did cut down on the debauchery. "A Good, Old-Fashioned Orgy" is the story of a group of 30-somethings who set out to remedy that.

Eric (Jason Sudeikis) and his group of high-school friends, which consists of several cute chicks and an assortment of dorky guys, have grown up partying at Eric's dad's beach house. When his dad puts the house up for sale, the friends see the end of not only their epic parties, but of the free, irresponsible chapter of their lives. (Which, given that they are about 30, they have stretched out pretty far, anyway.) Eric convinces the group to see the beach house off with one, last epic soire, a good, old-fashioned orgy between friends.

You see the title of this film, and you figure it will be a fun sex-romp, and eventually it is, but they do take their time getting there. This is a story about 30-year-olds belatedly coming of age, so first they have to set up the many characters and their first-world issues. This is less a story about an orgy, and more a story about people realizing that they can only stretch their adolescence out so far, and I wish the film had either done a better job exploring that theme or just focused on the sex. In any event, it's a moderate amount of fun. Sudeikis plays a funny, charming ladies' man, and Tyler Labine is pretty good as his fat, crude sidekick. There's one really funny scene that makes the whole film, where the guys do some research in an underground sex club. Basically, much of the movie is a less good- looking, less funny version of "The Hangover." Also, in keeping with the modern trend, there are more naked, male buttocks on screen than naked, female breasts, and my wife points out that the male buttocks aren't all that great. "A Good, Old-Fashioned Orgy" is fairly fun and funny, but if you are looking for soft-porn you will do better with "A Game of Thrones."

2.5 stars out of 5

Red Lips (2011)

Formulaic, but good for Spanish training

[3/10 · 28 May 2012]

I haven't seen any of the Tyler Perry movies, but there are a couple of them called "Why Did I Get Married?" and "I Think I Love My Wife," and from the trailers I have seen, these seem to be formulaic little morality plays about a guy who maybe used to be a real ladies' man, now trying to navigate the world of monogamy and family. Some new hottie shows up to tempt the guy, and he goes through a light existential crisis before deciding to be faithful to his wife. With these movies, Perry keeps the humor broad, and the acting is no better than it needs to be to present jokes that you can see coming a mile away. I think that "Labios Rojos" is the Mexican version of one of these movies.

Jorge Salinas plays Ricardo, a handsome guy turning 40 who is starting to feel the weight of the years and his hectic life. A new job offers new opportunities but an unexpected level of stress. With the increased work hours and worry he finds one night that he can't get it up for his wife, and instead of just talking to her about how he is feeling really stressed out as well as feeling old, he lets things fester so that their relationship starts falling apart. Meanwhile, a ridiculously sexy new co-worker provides a distraction , and blah blah blah. Like I said, you know how the story goes, and the jokes are broadcast so far in advance that they cease to be funny by the time the punch line hits.

"Labios Rojos" has two things going for it. One is gorgeous actresses who display some brief nudity. The other is surprisingly good enunciation of the lines, which was key for me, because my motivation for making this seemingly random movie selection was to help me with my Spanish. I understood the language in this one better than just about any film I've seen, so for that reason I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to learn Spanish.