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Rush – Review

Posted: September 13, 2013 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies
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Rush


(Rated R)
In Theaters: 9/27/2013

Genre:
Drama

Starring:
Chris Hemsworth
Daniel Bruhl

Directed By:
Ron Howard

Written By:
Peter  Morgan

Setting:
1970s Europe

Plot:
Rush tells the story of the 1976 Formula 1 Driver’s Championship, the golden age of Formula 1 racing. The story focuses on the intense professional and personal rivalry between drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Each driver was willing to do whatever it took to be the better driver, including risking his own life.

My Take:
Chris Hemsworth takes a break from his recent  role as Thor, in the Avengers series of movies, to  take on the role of British playboy Formula 1 driver James Hunt.  Hemsworth’s portrayal of Hunt takes the viewer on the rollercoaster that he experienced as he rose from the doldrums of Formula 3 racing, earned and lost his first ride in Formula 1, and his all-consuming desire to beat Niki Lauda. The drinking, drugs and women that made up the off-track life of James Hunt are perfectly included in Hemsworth’s take on the figure.

The role of the genius Austrian driver Niki Lauda was perfectly portrayed by virtually unknown German actor Daniel Bruhl. Bruhl was introduced to US audiences in the 2009 Tarrantino film,”Inglourious Basterds” but has not been prominently featured in US film since that time.  Lauda is portrayed as a cold, methodical, statistics based driver that refuses to take any risk that doesn’t promise to yield rewards.  As the story of Niki Lauda’s quest to repeat as the Driver’s Champion in 1976 unfolds, Bruhl gives audiences an undeniable view of the pain that Luada experienced and the sacrifices he made to contend for the title.

The Academy Award winning director Ron Howard took the helm of Rush and delivered a movie with great acting and even better visual appeal. Howard expertly developed Lauda and Hunt into the exact opposites that they were back in 1976. He leads you to almost look at Lauda as villain; he gets you so close to that decision, and then dramatically convinces you that is closer to hero. For James Hunt, Howard pours it on with scene after scene of Hunt being completely reckless in every phase of his life, and emphasizing the consequences he faces as a result of that recklessness.

Howard relied heavily on racing action to supply the needed energy to counteract the cold dry demeanor of Lauda and validate the bravado of Hunt. The viewer is given multiple perspectives in following the race action: inside the engine views, driver point-of-view shots, and standard racing angles were all expertly used. Also, the racing scenes that were used were actually filmed at various tracks around Europe using vintage and replica cars from the era to give the scenes an even more authentic feel.

All things considered, Rush delivers with great acting, great visuals and a good pace. The film is a guaranteed Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Find this movie in a theatre near you and be sure to catch it on the big screen.

Don Jon – Review

Posted: September 11, 2013 by MichaelSmithNC in All, Movie Review, Movies
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Don Jon

(Rated R)
In Theaters: 9/27/2013
Genre:
Comedy / Drama
Starring:
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Scarlett Johansson
Julianne Moore
Tony Danza
Directed By:
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Written By:
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Setting:
Present Day New Jersey

Plot:
“Don” Jon Martello has a short list of things he truly cares about in life:

His Body,
His Pad,
His Ride,
His Family,
His Church,
His Boys,
His Girls,
and finally…His Porn.

This simple list of cares is put to the test when his quest to “smash” a true “dime” forces him to do things he would never do on his own.

My Take:
The movie opens to a montage of some of the sexiest images of pop culture with a voiceover from a 20 something Jon Martello explaining how porn is superior to real sex. The rationale that he uses is completely chauvinist and self-centered, but also hilarious and thought provoking. The first 5 minutes of semi-awkward facial expressions, pseudo-porn clips and well-written comedic dialogue set the tone for the remainder of the 90 minute runtime.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Jon Martello, a “Jersey Boy” bartender that has made porn and a quest for the perfect night of sex his mission in life. He and his two best friends, Bobby (Rob Brown) and Danny (Jeremy Luc), work the New Jersey nightclub scene on a nightly basis trying to score with the hottest women in the club. In the three guy’s quest, everything always seems to go Jon’s way. He is so good at finding and seducing the women that catch his eye; his friends begin to refer to him “Don Jon” Martello.

While on the hunt for his next conquest, Jon sets his sights on what he considers “The Perfect Dime” played by Scarlett Johansson.  From that point on Jon is constant conflict with his desire to win over this perfect girl while continuing to feed his insatiable hunger for porn.

“Don Jon” is the writing and directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who recently had successful supporting-actor roles in “Lincoln” and “The Dark Knight Rises”. I skipped “Looper” and “Premium Rush”, so I have no opinion on those two.

JGL is accompanied in “Don Jon” by Scarlett Johansson who plays the super-hot target of Jon’s affection, albeit with a sometimes awkward accent. Johansson steams up the screen on several occasions in the movie as her character teases and tortures Jon into doing whatever she wants.

The starring cast is rounded out by Julianne Moore who plays Esther, a classmate of Jon’s in night-school and Tony Danza, who plays Jon’s stereotypical New Jersey / Italian father.

Another noteworthy performance belongs to Brie Larson, who supplied some funny scenes all without saying more than 1 sentence.

The story develops consistently with no slow parts or overly rushed pieces. The casting seemed perfect, as no one seemed to be “out-of-place” in their role. And finally, the dialogue seemed natural for the characters as they were portrayed.

Don Jon is a sexy, funny and socially edgy movie to enjoy in the theaters. Had I actually paid something to see it, I would have gotten what I paid for. This is one definitely worth catching in the theater.

(Leave me a comment on this review and I will select one lucky person from the comments to receive a free movie pass.)

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