Paper Towns (2015)

PAPER THIN FILM MAKING

So I want to be straight up and say that I both read and loved the Novel this film was based on. Though I have never read anything else John Green (aka the Author of The Fault in Our stars) has done, I saw the trailer to this film... then saw the book and thought - why the hell not.

This is the only book I have ever read in one sitting from cover to cover. Now, granted part of that was the simplicity of the book... the other thing though, was really how much I enjoyed the whole dang story.

Anyway... before I go too far... your story goes: A boy, Quentin (aka the teen movie guy du-jour Nat Wolff) grows up hopelessly in love with his neighbour Margo (played by the ridiculously well known and attractive model Cara Delevingne). After years of no contact with her she pulls him into a revenge plot against her cheating boyfriend. After a night of crazy adventure, Quentin thinks he will finally have the girl of his dreams... only she disappears... and he (along with a rag tag group of friends) will follow the breadcrumbs he left to try to find out what exactly happened to Margo.

Seriously, I am so screwing up this selfie thing

Here is the thing guys. I write. Novels. Scripts. I sure as Kaka aint made no millions... but I have had to transfer a short story to a script/screenplay format on several occasions... and I understand that changes have to made when transferring between mediums. I get that. I am ok with that. However the one thing I will never get with big studio films... is why they feel they almost without fail have to drastically alter the ending.

Why? I mean 5 million people bought this book. Then 5 Million people bought a ticket to see the film... does anyone... really... REALLY think those folks were like... Man I hope they change the ending so that it surprises me! No. Incorrect. Those people rolled in saying - Man I hope these hollywood A-holes didn't mess the damn story up. 

You know for the most part this is not only a very good movie... but also a pretty faithful adaptation of the source material. The acting is spot on with both leads being well supported by the youthful (and sweet hell teens that actually are teens, or well, close enough - awesome) cast. Cara D in her first real role on the big screen is pretty good here. The director does a solid job combining the mystery of the film with the teen coming of age type thing... and the screen writers do a great job condensing the story while maintaining all the key points...

Noooo.... you smell my finger....

Though in the Novel the journey to find margo takes months and here it is a matter of a week? Two weeks? Something like that. I think they could have added a few minutes of time lapse, and the exhaustive search Quentin goes on in the book... but all good. I get it, and enough of the story makes it through to endear the audience to the characters... even those not familiar with the book.

It is simply put... a charming Teen flick, with perhaps a little more heart than most. You know where in chasing the girl he wants, are would be hero learns more about himself and the world in which he inhabits... that kinda thing.

However, I have to say this. They altered the ending. And in fact brutally crush the hope with which the book ended.

Has anyone read Dickens? Ha. Sigh. It's prob just me. Well my fav book by the classic Author is Great Expectations. The ending to that book is book painful and yet has this slimmer... this shining crack of beautiful and possible hope. Paper Towns the Novel ended much the same. Sad. And with heart pains, but with the teasing shimmer of hope.

In a movie like this... a whimsical tale of self discovery and first love... ending the film as they did here, absent satisfying conclusion was the wrong call. I have understood the pangs of teen love... especially first love... the ending simply cannot work here. The book's ending... had many of the same pieces... yet as I said... That shimmer of hope... that no matter how twisted and foolish love might be... no matter how blinding... in the end sometimes the heart... might just win.

Sadly without that narrative for the end... perhaps thinking the audience would not get it... ignoring the fact 50-75% of their audience would more than likely be people that read the Novel or wiki'd it before the movie ... haha... that happens... they have essentially made this only a teen buddy flick... and with the movie and story built around the search for Margo... their simply is not enough there to hang the end of this movie on.

Still, to anyone unfamiliar with the book. There is certainly worse ways to spend an hour and 46 minutes of your life... watching Rosewood for example (seriously was that not the worst pilot that has ever made it to a season premier - dang). And the fun is inherent in the movie you will smile a few times, and enjoy curling next to your loved one.

Its a quick fun trip, with a lacklustre pay off... but fun. More than a match for any of the would be teen cry yourself to sleep in a pillow type flicks we have been getting lately haha. No seriously. What the hell.

Movie scale 2.5 out of 5 stars
Teen drama scale 3 out of 5 stars.

ONE LINE REVIEW: CUTE CAST, CUTE FLICK, THAT IS ALL. 

Till Next Booniacs.

#Papertowns

-Boonsweet.

Straight outta Compton (2015)

F*** tha Police

I heard this film being described as my generations film. I scoffed at that at first. Then, I thought about it. It might actually be. I don't remember the first time I heard Metallica... I don't remember the first time I heard the Foo Fighters... I don't remember the first time I heard the Beatles, or Nine Inch Nails... But I remember the first time I heard NWA.

I was sitting in amongst a basement full of teenagers partying and partaking in the still newly amazing misadventures of alcohol, and my buddy came jogging down the stairs holding a tape in his hand (I do not have time to explain what a tape is to anyone, besides all you young cats probably think its retro cool again haha). On the tape written in black marker were 3 letters N.W.A.

The first track that screamed over my crap stereo was F*** the Police. I remember actually tilting my head towards the stereo and just absorbing what was coming out. I loved it. Before the end of the night I was reciting lyrics, yelling out the main points, and well, feeling like a bad ass. To anyone that thinks a film like this is only for a certain portion of the generation or population, reconsider, this music was powerful enough that it reached many more people than you might think.

You think he's thinking Arbys? 

So this is a bio pic. We chart the gathering of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy E (with a few other side players) as they form a movement and a group that changed modern music. Along the way - the man will try to hold them down (those pesky police always trying to arrest them) and a manager will mislead them, but despite all of that they might just survive to enjoy their success.

My one problem with this film is as follows : STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON is a greatest hits package. In film form. Dr. Dre goes through the film basically chilling, and knocking people out when they bother him. Ice Cube, loves his Moma, and smashes up a record exec office, but only after they try to screw him. And Eazy E... well, actually his character is 3 dimensional. Even getting into his passing.

Now understanding that Dr. Dre and Ice Cube were involved with the film it's possible that they cleaned out their "True Story" position of the tale... or maybe tried to make Eazy E look bad... but I think he comes out the more realistic. More than likely though, it was decided in hollywood, that showing gangsta's being gangsta is cool... as long as you don't get too deep into it (Note the absence of the woman abuse subject). But you can chase a guy down the hall in a hotel with a machine gun after you've slept with his girl...

That said. STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON is a really fun movie. By sidetracking the lengthy back story and moving instead towards all the big moments that fans have heard about for years, it gives the film a kinetic energy that is infectious. The acting is bang on (Ice Cubes own son plays him in the film and nails it). Paul Giamatti as their manager is a blast. The music is well, as expected. I seriously had a hard time not standing up in the theatre. I seen heads bobbin everywhere.

The whole crew. Man they look almost bang on. 

And seeing all the moments - Dr and Eazy in the booth for Boys in the Hood, Snoop, 2Pac, just to name a few are all great, and add a sense of history to a film that occasionally plays out a little too friendly. One of the funnest bio pics every to hit a screen, and a film that I think people who might dismiss it, will find themselves drawn to check out.

True story. A Mother of a Girl I work with, and an avid country fan, walked up to me and out of nowhere asked if I had seen STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON. When I said yes she went off on how amazing the movie was and that she had cried at the end. I would not have had her anywhere near a list of fans of this film... goes to show you... some stories transcend age, race, and gender. NWA. Who knew.

Movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars
Biographical Movie scale 4 out of 5 stars

One line review: Woke up quick at about noon, just thought that I had to be in Compton soon...

#Straightouttacompton
#NWA

Boonsweet is out this Bitch!

Gone Girl (2014)

Well, okay, I strangely find my like of Affleck growing.

K. In fairness I was never a big Affleck hater. I mean Good Will Hunting, Sum of All fears, Phantoms, Argo, I mean I get the man has kind the range of work but, overall I think I have been more entertained than not. And for the record I do not fear him as Batman. Seriously, stop breaking the internet over shit you haven't even watched yet punks!

Moving on. I have not read the book. But here's what I know, the book is a national bestseller, has all kinds of praise, and well, from most reports the movie follows the book very closely, so I feel I can at least critique the book, or original source material after having watched the finished work especially since the Author of the aforementioned Novel actually penned the screenplay.

Man is this a movie with no payoff. Twisted and strange - yes. Payoff - No.

Ok your story. Semi boring guy has a hot semi boring wife who goes missing and the whole town and then country thinks he killed her. Only there is something much more sinister at play... (Insert Dun-Dun-DUnnnnnnnn!).

Really, you sure, the waters warrrrrrrmmmmmmmm....

So this is a film by David Fincher who helmed Seven, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (american). Two films I loved and I will give him credit for playing down his usual flare to let this film be simply about his actors. Affleck Shines as the husband who didn't really love his wife anymore but is not a murderer... and His wife as the weird sexy girl with... something well, off... Rosamund Pike who I haven't really seen in that much is terrific here. The supporting cast, all of it.

But as a movie, as a whole movie... Gone Girl just well, isn't that entertaining. Yes, it's different. The ending is different, how the plot plays out is cool... but in being so different, traditional parts of a story such as rising action, climax, resolutions... all of that is basically thrown to the wayside. And YES I KNOW some critics are gunna be all - Omg different is so cool, this bold, unique, uncompromising filmmaking... blah blah. The fact remains, aside from the acting there is very little of a movie here... the first thing I thought well the credits roll was - How the hell did they stretch this movie to 2 1/2 hours? and well we're at it... why?!

Really, you usually dress up like a grandma in your movies... and no razzies.... dang

I have heard some people say that the problem audiences may have identifying with the film is the fact the characters are all so vile. I mean, they are all messed up, unworthy people. But I think for me, especially at the start, that made the film all the more interesting. In a way it may have felt more real than most thrillers, but the plot is so nuts that any connection to the real world fades quickly. I think this is one of those films that people jump at - Much like say INCEPTION... where the film feels so different and plays so different that you have to jump up as a film lover and well love it.

But then over time... you find that it didn't really leave that much of an impression... and well, even though you bought it, it hasn't been off your shelf since you brought it back from walmart... where you found it in the 10$ bin.

Gone Girl is not a thriller.... really... it's not a crime drama.... really... it's not a critique on society... really... in fact it is nothing really. It's nothing. It's just a @#%$ up story about @#%$ up people... for 150 minutes.

I'm gunna say it. I hate myself a little... but I'm gunna... you take the A-list cast out... cut out the one scene of violence... and tag on a slightly less gloomy ending, and you have a hallmark thriller... Probably called something like Till Death Do us Part... 

Movie scale 3 out of 5 stars
Thriller Scale 2.5 out of 5 stars

Great acting, A really cool twist ( at the half way point of the film - what?), make it worth watching, but maybe lower your expectations just a bit.

Chuck B is out.

Lost River (2014)

Something twisted this way comes....

Ryan Gosling is a pretty damn fine actor. If you don't think so while then you clearly have avoided his body of work, and more than likely have only seen him in The Notebook as such I get it. However the man is talented. Though after meeting with Director Nicolas Winding Refn for the amazing Drive he then fell in love with the man's art over substance and created one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life - ONLY GOD FORGIVES. To this day probably the most hate I have ever dumped on one film.

And as you are Loyal Booniacs, you knows I try my best to find the best in the films I watch... Determined to be anything but a "Hater" haha... but sometimes... this shit gets to me. So when I heard Ryan G was going to be writing and directing his first flick. I was a little worried. I knew his association with Nicolas Refn would more than likely lead to a very artistic and color drenched film experience. Which is fine. But would it have substance?

The Lost River story goes: A Son and His Mother struggle to survive extremely poor in a decaying if not destroyed neighbourhood. Along the way the son might find trouble with rival street gangs over left behind copper in destroyed/abandoned buildings. He might also find love with a equally disillusioned girl. All the while his Mother struggles to make ends meat in a modern Grand Gignol stage show. Ya. Thats your plot.

I can't feel my face... Guys.. I can't feel my face!

Ok. A word of warning, lost river an art house film. No doubt about it. Slow burning houses with creepy poetic rhythms playing. Voice overs out of no where. Camera cuts to random objects and scenery. That said. Really when done right, there is nothing wrong with arthouse. Sure its not for everyone, but hey, neither is blood soaked 80s cinema.

There is a beauty here. Real and earnest. The cast is nothing short of amazing. From Christina Hendricks (from MAD MEN) as the mom, to an unrecognizable Matt Smith (and no if you don't know where he's form I'm not telling!)... and every part inbetween is littered with talent. The script is a strange and human thing. As well, as it should be with such a flick. In fact considering this came from the mind of Ryan Gosling I must say I was impressed with both the depth of his depravity and his understanding of the humanity of such things. Me thinks the man has quite the dark side.

There is some thing here... Director wise. Hell perhaps even writing wise... that suggests the possibility of something great within the creator. Now is this the film? I don't know. Honestly its close. I was thoroughly transfixed by most of this film. A man who has seen art films from every corner of the world try to convince me how original and unique they are... was occasionally fully in the sway of this film. And unlike Ryan G's director buddy... he does not forget the most important aspect of art... your audience is your medium... not the other way around.

Um. Guys. So about that 711. 

Ok I went a little deep there. But I wanted to get a little artsy too.... dammit! Its a fancy way of saying making art for yourself is a nice way of saying you no longer care... or know how to connect with an audience. No one... no one will ever convince me that art should be made absent an audience, because is art... is essence meant to be appreciated? And maybe by someone other than the creator... and his/her six buddies that think its great...

Yes. I ranted there. That is just because I am a little stunned to fond how much I liked this film. It is not one for all tastes. If you liked Drive, and have sought out films such as Beyond the Black Rainbow then this is right up your alley. A brilliant soundtrack. Some very good to great acting... and a new voice behind the camera.

Movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars
Weird WTF movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars

ONE LINE REVIEW: Crazy Ryan G is my kinda G.

#LostRiver

A party without drinking games is NOT a party!!

DRINKING GAMES (2012)

Warning: douchebags are closer than they appear.

Hello my beloved Buckleheads.  Today I'm taking a foray into independent waters with Drinking Games, directed by Ryan Gielen.  It's based on an off-Broadway play called Dorm, which was written by Blake Merriman (who also plays Richard in Drinking Games).  I want to make numerous references throughout this review to the cartoon Undergrads, but I'm not sure how many of you will know what I'm talking about.  So instead, let's not waste any time, and get right into it.

it's the last night of the fall semester at the college, which means two things: most of the campus is empty due to students going home for vacation, and that on this night marks the traditional last-night campus party Snowmageddon.  Campus resident Richard, however, doesn't want to be bothered.  He just wants to finish a paper he's writing before his deadline passes.  His friend and roommate Shawn want none of that though.  Shawn is looking to party and hopefully lose his virginity, and he wants his buddy Richard to be in on the fun.  Not the virginity losing though, that would just be weird.

In the middle of their conversation (literally) is Shawn's friend Noopi, who is lying unconscious on their floor after a previous session of heavy partying took it's toll on him.  Noopi has a strange knack for appearing and disappearing at will, and somehow he managed to find his way into Richard and Shawn's room.  Upon his awakening, Noopi immediately forces his will in the room, eventually getting a small party going despite Richards protests.  Among the group is Melanie, who has a complicated relationship with Richard.  During the course of the movie the two have a couple of back-and-forths, but nothing really comes of it.  The end result I'll leave to you to watch and find out for yourselves.

THE SLEEPER HAS AWAKENED!!!!

The night goes on, and Noopi continues to fuel the party scene in the room.  He introduces drugs to said scene, and even goes out of the way to get the dorms RA out of the picture so the party can continue without interruption.  As the drugs and alcohol flow, the atmosphere of the movie darkens some.  And the more fucked up Noopi's brain gets, the more his true, nasty colors show.  He has already ruined Richard's night, how much worse can he do to everyone else?  Well, that's for me to know and for you to find out. 

I must admit, I was a little thrown off with the synopsis I read for Drinking Games.  I read two different descriptions, and both indicated possible murder, whether direct or indirect.  And to be honest I never saw any real indication that anything like that was happening.  There was one part late in the movie where something COULD have happened to someone, but it was never actually shown or confirmed so I'm not convinced anything death related happened.  Drinking Games is labelled as a drama/thriller, but to me is was pretty much drama the whole way.

Note to self: Viagra supplies are low.

 However, that's not to say it wasn't enjoyable.  For the most part this movie was very well acted.  And many of the line deliveries were just fantastic.  One that immediately stands out in my mind as awesome is the story Shawn (played by Nick Vergara) told around the 9 minute mark.  The way he told it was funny as shit.  A few of the characters remind me of people I know/knew, so I found it easy to follow in their lives on that snowy night.  Rob Bradford was very good as Noopi.  Bradford played a very convincing drug and alcohol fueled scumbag/borderline rapist who, despite the description given, was also pretty funny here and there before his darker side took over later on.

If you're expecting anything exciting or significant to happen in this, you're out of luck.  This movie is very character driven, with not a lot going on around them.  Of course, it all takes place in a mostly abandoned dorm, so naturally you wouldn't expect much to happen anyway.  So if you are into that sort of thing, and you spent time in a dorm or even just partied in a dorm before, you should definitely give Drinking Games  a shot.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a sudden urge to sharpen my beer pong skills.

Movie Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Thriller Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 for Drama)

-I'm Ken Bucklesworth, and you're not.

@KenBucklesworth, @BoonsBuckles

Down on the upside

UPSIDE DOWN (2013)

... I wanted to like this movie. Three minutes in, with the painfully cheesy, but strangely amusing narration, I still wanted to like this movie. I didn't want to like it for the cast, or the director, or any critical hype... it just sounded so damn cool.

Two worlds have somehow co-developed in a shared atmosphere and hence both have there own gravity, one world barely a tall tree, or mountain, from the other. Life sucks for the people on the bottom who are poor, and controlled by the folks above who have all the money and tech. Now there is a little rule that says objects from the other world can only exist in the inverted gravity for a matter of hours before they burn. So naturally people shy away from attempting to jump planets. But wouldn't you know it our would be hero, Adam (Jim Sturgess - the guy from Across the Universe), goes and develops a crush/love on a girl from above that he meets while climbing high trees and playing in the inverted rain. So years pass and he and this girl, Eden (Kirsten Dunst), meet, pull each other to the others cliff and engage in strongly forbidden inter planetary relations. Then they are discovered, she is injured, and his whole life falls apart... well more apart.

Years later he develops a cream through the use of a "Pink Bee" pollen that allows him to gain access to the other world and attempt to reconnect with his love.

Ok, so sounds pretty freaking messed up right. Almost too weird, and yet... intriguing. The visuals in the film are stunning. Some very neat camera tricks, and lots of very cool upside down/right side up shots. My favourite in the film was a scene where he launches himself form one ocean/lake type thing into the other worlds ocean/lake type thing, passing through both skies. Is that scientifically possible? No. Should he be dead from such an event... yes. But folks, this is a fantasy, of the highest romantic order, believe in unicorns, and move on.

The issue is once you get past the cool concept, and really awesome visuals, you really... don't have too much. The performances are decent, but not outstanding... Kirsten D, who I thought had turned a major acting corner with MELANCHOLIA takes a major one backwards here. But, in fairness, it's really not their fault, the script in just plain weighed down, once for each gravity, with such A typical plot. Big faceless organization stomping on the poor below them. Heck they even bring up their high oil prices... Thanks for letting me know what they were meant to represent, I um... got it. The romance is pretty typical, aside from all the floating and stuff... and I woulda been alright with that except... except... why did you have to give her amnesia?

So, you... um... come here often?

It serves no purpose. If you are going to build up an evil organization, they have to feel evil, you can't just show us a guy being a dick twice, and then a brief kidnapping and be all - see how evil they are! The same goes for a romance. If you are going to build around this reunion, and then deny the audience the moment... why?

"Because its tragic and builds further conflict for our hero, Boonsweet"

Yes I understand story structure, but all it actually did was suck the life, and joy out of the scene. And then when they do get their moment its over so quickly you hardly get to appreciate it. This would have worked much better if they simply played it as by the book as they were unintentionally being. Have the organization be evil. Testing the chemical Adam invented on unwilling below people. Have Adam and Eden rise up against them... etc.

But thats the story of the movie, a bright spark, a flicker of flame, and... Nothing. The fire dies.

Okay, and a quick note... when did they have sex? Seriously, if you are gunna try to drop a "surprise" ending on us... when did that happen? Was that when they were twirling around in the air? Because I think they still had their clothes on. And, wait, do people on these world leave their clothes on? Dammit...

The friend that Adam makes in the above world was awkward for me. I have a feeling their were some last minute cuts made that changed the course of the film. The friend seems to be playing it deviously at first, being a little too buddy, buddy, but then its like they decided it worked better as a real friend... same with the ending... like how many freaking threads can you tie up in 30 seconds, a bit of narration, and an explainy fade out...? hahaha.

Movie scale: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Fantasy/Romance scale 2.5 out of 5 stars (I um only chose that category because that is what it is listed as - drama/fantasy/romance... I really had no idea what to put it in)

Check my brain @tallwhitefox
and my occasional dual rants @BoonsBuckles all 140 character chat welcome :)

- Chuck Boonsweet saying, keep your feet on the ground... unless she's hot enough to jump planets for!

Holy what in the hell!

HOLY MOTORS (2012)

I enjoy a wee bit of strange, yup, Boony likes his film steak with a side oh mashed strange. However, the weird, the strange, has to make sense. Has to at least give you hope that upon the 3rd of 4th or 27th viewing you might just you know... Get it...

Holy Motors missed that boat folks. It could have been so very freaking awesome, and it comes... I mean... It's right there... and then, BAM! Fall on face non-sensical.

The plot as I can somewhat gather is that a man  Mr. Oscar, played Denis Lavant, spends a night (as he does every night) traveling and playing many different roles, literally. He has driver from appointment to appointment by way of a white limo. Inside between stops he radically changes his appearance, and character, to match that of the person he will be playing. These include, a dying uncle, a strange one eyed freak, a thug, a father, um... a man married to a monkey...
Ya.
I need to say Denis Lavant deserves an Oscar nod. The film may be nonsense, but his efforts as an actor in this film are nothing short of extraordinary. I really enjoyed the first half of this film. I may not have really had any idea of what the heck was happening but it was fun, and cool. One scene has him playing the role of a motion capture guy, it is rather spell binding. Then, there is a particular scene "Interval" that features a full band accordion solo... I know right... how often does anyone get to type that. Great stuff, and the kind of moments that just made you root for the movie to get to a point.

Greatest Musical interlude ever - Polka Bitches!

Listen, I know Leos Carax (the director) is kind of a critical darling genius type. But, in fairness the majority of his films have had a cohesive structure. This film just seems like a gathering of awesome set pieces and acting on a grand scale, with no purpose. I mean really... You could argue the god angle. You could argue the points made for the roles we play, players on the grandest stage - blah blah, but really; what is this movies purpose?

It is a shame to waste the ideas, and the acting, of this caliber on chaos. I mean give me a little at least. Don't tempt me with a revelation only to cut to a garage of limos debating their need in the new world. Yup you read that right... a stretch limo chat... without any involvement from Pixar, and about as needed as a diamond stud through my left nip.

I get it. The man is an artist. The film is a tribute to art... but that's just not enough. If you wanna sip wine, and debate this film over cheese lol... go ahead. You want a well acted, insane piece of filmaking that you can put together and figure out on or before the 27th viewing - Mulholland Dr by David Lynch 2001. That is a messed up head trip that is worth the mental liquefying.

Movie scale 2.5 out of 5 stars - Only, and I repeat - ONLY for the performance of Denis Lavant.
Weird movie scale 2.5 out of 5 stars - if you want to explore the limits of your hallucinatory mind... this may be for you... :P

Serious how did this guy not get an Oscar nod? One of the best, and most demanding performances of the year... though I guess the plot being utter insanity didn't help...

- Boonsweet.

No country for old actor type guys

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007)

This is a critic's wet dream, let me tell you. The Coen Brothers (The man who wasn't there, O brother where art thou, to name some of my favs) behind the helm, a whole sea of amazing actors, some you'll know, some you won't. And with the Coen brothers not only behind the lens, but also the writing, well, you can of course expect crisp conversation. This movie is amazing. The acting is beyond awesome, and the fact that some insane scenes play out without one note of music behind, tricks you into becoming extremely involved.

This movie is paced slow, and with purpose, when the action hits, it's done with such a realism that you can't help but feel your knuckles whiten.

The story takes place in, I believe, the Texas countryside. A middle aged man comes across a drug deal gone wrong in the middle of nowhere, while hunting. There he discovers a hefty amount of coin. One of the best features of this film is the fact that all the characters are smart. You won't find yourself shaking your head, even the cops, surprise, surprise, know stuff, and can figure stuff out, it's so refreshing. The man who finds the money becomes the hunted, by the Mexicans who want their money back, and a strange, extremely evil, powerful assassin. You really want this guy to get away with his money. He's smart, and seems able to match the Assassin at every turn. More characters get involved, a man hired to hunt down the cash, and the assassin, Tommy Lee Jones as the small town sheriff.  As the movie moves along, the assassin closes in, you can feel the showdown coming... and here, avid readers, here things take a turn to shitsville.

Yes. I think you could have hair like me... just a lil' to the side...

You see i started this review, saying, this film is a critics wet dream, and it is. It's one of those hyper realistic, strange character filled, give me an Oscar by the numbers, even comes complete with an annoyingly unfinished ending, and unresolved conflicts. There is no climax. That is why so many people are gonna love it, you'll hear folks using words like, 'unexpected', and 'original'. But damn it, I was pissed, because they made my knuckles go white... then they brought all these characters in... and then it's just.... Blah, end. 

I get the whole, my god it's so realistic, the good guys don't always win. And sometimes heroes retire... blah, blah, blah. Well newsflash, you have a movie about a crazed coin flipping assassin, with a air tank gun, chasing a former Vietnam vet, who now works as a welder, who stole two million off of a bunch of dead Mexican drug dealers... It doesn't matter how real the acting is, or the feel of the movie, or any of that freakin ka-ka, we are obviously in fairy tale, make believe land. So if you build up an awesome dark vs. light confrontation, you can't just tip your Oscar luvin hat to us regular joe hero lovers, and say, screw you.

So expect awards, expect praise... but expect to step up from the couch going, well that will win something... and then find your way to the chips, because, really, you couldn't care less about this film, because every one you liked... got dead, or worse... nothing.

Damn bitches..., I was really looking forward to this one to.

Movie scale 3 out of 5 stars

Action/drama scale 3 out of 5 stars...

ONE LINE REVIEW - A whole lot of cool, and then a whole lotta nothin'.

The acting is amazing. Expect to be drawn in, expect to get really invested, and then expect to be bummed... royally, unsatisfied. If you watch film based solely for the actors, or the direction, or the art of film... hey join the critics, you'll love this. But if you like an ending, a climax, the villain and hero to finish their business... (shoulder shrug)

Charles Boonsweet out bitches

What's that strange smell?...oh wait its that quiet killer guy

PERFUME: STORY OF A MURDERER (2006)

Gather Round Kiddies, turn off that knobby noise box thang, its time for you to view... tha review...

Okay, I do try to bring you some of the "off the beaten path" type entertainment shizzie that you, the throngs (I love that word, dangerously close to 'thongs', and that, is alright with Boonsweet), demand aside form the everyday, available in 80 copy three shelf filling blockbusters, at your local video rental provider. Today I give you a rather strange little big film.

So "Perfume" first got my attention through six degrees of Tom Tykwer, the director. And the six degrees meaning I like this guy, so what he makes might warrant my attention. Now I have only seen two of his other works the break neck paced "Run, Lola, Run" and the complicated little love story "The princess and the Warrior". I really liked both films, and they were quite different pieces of screen fill, so I saw this, with quite the eye catching cover I might add, his name on it, decided sure.

This is a weird movie. Original, violent, disgusting, beautiful, poetic... list goes on, I mean there is just so much shit thrown in, Boonsweet could've used a time out on the play rug to recoup.

Your plot is this - set a long time ago,  a child is born to a whore mother (who gives birth to him in a pile of fish heads, by herself, and cutting him free, leaves him to die in a scene that will severely mess up Boonsweet's ability to reproduce), finds himself in an orphanage, where he becomes aware of a gift... A super Human sense of smell. Growing up poor, unloved, etc., he falls into this world of smells. For the record there are no scenes with our hero, Jean-Baptiste, saving someone from death with his super power, no smelling the gun power in the keg under the governors chair... quite the opposite actually. He grows up from a strange boy, to a strange man. Eventually getting work as an assistant perfumer, and up the rungs, well a few rungs anyway. And finds interesting ways to get his smells.

Wait, what do you mean I can just grab a bottle of CKone?

The entire story is narrated by a voice with similarities to something you might hear in a Tim Burton flick, and this helps to create a real atmosphere to the film, not to mention help explain, when your head is starting to hurt. As our nose of power moves on, he discovers this one woman who has a smell unlike any he's ever smelt before... cue ominous tone, so he decides to find a way to preserve her smell... through death... Dun Dun DUNNNNN!

Well, it is 'the story of a murderer' now... so from there, the story moves rather quickly, with Jean-Baptiste on his quest for ultimate smells, killing, scent saving... and such.

I do not know fully, how I feel about this films ending, it is without a doubt one of the strangest I have seen, and the damned voice over only makes it more weird... but the more I think about it the more I think I might like it... might take another viewing for sure, but the ending does not, in this case, damage the rest of the film. It is beautiful to look at, I am sure the budget for this film was not great, but they stretch every penny, the directing is smooth, and never feels choppy, just follows behind the scene almost... Something Tommy has been perfecting for a bit. The music is what you would expect from a period piece, and the lead actor "Ben Whishaw", who i must confess i was not familiar with, was great, expect big things from Benny here. Though he might do with a change from his long resume of art house pics.

Overall, just one of the most original, spell binding films I have seen in  a while. It is worth a watch if for nothing more than watching someone react to the fish market birth ... ha... 

Movie Scale 3.5 out of 5 stars

Weird/Drama 3.5 out of 5 stars

ONE LINE REVIEW - This movie smells awesome, because it is awesome. 

-Chuck B. Boonsweet