Coming Soon!

  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 2

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Extras Is Solid Gold Comedy

I realize that I am late to the scene (once again), but I recently took in the entire run of Ricky Gervais' critically-acclaimed comedy series Extras. By now I'm sure that anyone who comes upon this blog knows that Gervais is the creative mind behind the immensely successful series The Office and have probably heard about, if not seen, his “controversial” hosting of the 2011 Golden Globes. Controversial or not, it was hilarious and so is Extras!

To put is succinctly, Extras is both a pleasure to watch and, quite frequently, very difficult to watch. I say difficult because some of the situations that the characters find themselves in are so uncomfortable and awkward it is almost unbearable... and therein lies the delightfully twisted beauty of it. What co-creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have come up with in nothing short of comedy gold!

Extras follows the professional lives of three primary characters: struggling film/TV extras Andy Millman (Gervais) and Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen) and Millman's utterly incompetent agent Darren Lamb (Merchant). Millman is the every man – easily overlooked, but with huge ambitions for himself. As he and best friend Maggie bounce from job to job Andy continually tries to rub shoulders with the celebrities that they happen to cross paths with (the series' guest stars) but he finds himself not getting anywhere.

His failure to advance professionally is due in large part to his worthless agent Darren, who in addition to not really trying to help Andy, doesn't actually think very much of him as an actor, which in a twisted way serves as a reality check for Andy.

However, despite all of the problems Andy faces, he writes a pilot for an semi-autobiographical sitcom which manages to get picked up by the BBC. Suddenly Andy's life changes but he quickly learns the high price (and dark side) of success. He quickly discovers he is going places that he doesn't want to be and yet they seem to be the only way he can taste the fame and fortune he so desperately wants for himself. He becomes famous but despises the keys to his own success. In essence, Andy has to sell out and he hates every bloody minute of it. His reality, it seems, is not compatible with his dreams. It may not sound funny, but believe me, it is.

As I've said, the journey we are taken on in Extras is simultaneously hilarious and painful; it contains some of the funniest and most awkward scenes I have ever seen! Equally entertaining is the high profile list of celebrity guest stars that join the fray, a list that includes Sir Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Kate Winslet, Ben Stiller, Daniel Radcliffe, Clive Owen, Orlando Bloom and David Bowie to name a few. (just do a YouTube search for Extras + any of the aforementioned celebs for a taste if you haven't seen the show)

Unlike the original British version of The Office (Gervais and Merchant's earlier collaboration), Extras is not done in the “mockumentary” style, but it definitely pokes fun at the world of show business. It's often dry and deadpan, but it scores with every episode! Gervais and Merchant put their comedy genius on full display and keep you laughing and cringing the whole way through. If you haven't already checked it out, definitely add it your queue!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sucker Punch Is an Identity Crisis on Screen

I'll keep this as brief as I can – Sucker Punch is a terrible film! Zach Snyder's latest is an action-packed identity crisis, marketing itself with the eye candy and CGI battle sequences (to draw the guys to the theater) and then, not so subtly, trying to pass it off a something more substantial - a movie with a message. Well, it didn't work. At all. (PS - I went with a group of guys.... the target demographic, and we didn't expect fine art)

It's hard to know where to start. My first reaction is that Snyder has moved on from scantily clad men (300) to scantily clad women with Sucker Punch. I'm not going to lie – eye candy is eye candy and being a guy I appreciated that for what it is. But then to try and sell these insane action sequences as being a metaphor these young womens' struggle to liberate themselves from sex slavery? I'm not buying it. And neither did anyone who was in the theater with me.

The characters in Sucker Punch are paper thin as far as development. They come across as little more than the vehicles to drive the action, and yet, they are supposed to be driving the bigger, important message. Didn't work. The story of these girls banding together to escape their situation is cliché and really does little more than serve as a pause to catch your breath from the action.

And what of the action? I'm confused. I thought this movie was supposed to be about ass-kicking and violence at the hands of hot chicks? So why then, did this movie even try for the PG-13 rating it received? And the way they did it is even more dumbfounding. So here our heroines are, in the midst of an epic World War I-esque battlefield, and in order to make the killing “ok” for the rating, we establish that the German soldiers are already dead and are nothing more than clockwork, steam-punk zombies. What?! It's ok though, we have a “mech” for the asian girl to pilot. Oh man.... what has happened here?

Then for the next epic encounter they take our girls to Isengard! (for your enjoyment) Yes, flying around in a hybrid B-17, the girls somehow end up in Middle Earth where they fight orcs and dragons with samurai swords, assualt rifles and a .50 cal. Oh yeah, and for the sake of that rating thing - “You're one ugly mother....” blam blam blam blam Again, just take the “R” rating and save some shred of dignity.

However, what made this movie truly awful in my opinion is the end, wherein Snyder's story gets sappy and preachy – the message. Seeing as this adventure has already lifted from 95% of animes, The Matrix' wardrobe, Lord of the Rings' locales, Kill Bill's Pei Me sequence and Sky Captain's aesthetic, why not try to shove a message in there too? “You have the tools. Use them.” Cue the eye roll.

If this was supposed to be a movie about female empowerment, which I've read thing that hint that it partially is, it failed. Why? Because this film probably only served to make every teenaged boy (target demographic) in the audience drool. Believe me, they didn't appreciate the “social message” nearly as much as the hot chicks in skimpy outfits kicking ass. If this was supposed to be just a action-packed romp through pop culture, it failed. Drop the pretense! Lose the message, take the “R” rating and just embrace what it is – mindless entertainment, good or bad.

One final thought. This rating thing bothers me on another level too. It managed to snag a PG-13 rating. Why, because it didn't kill “people” en mass or use the word “fuck” in the action sequences? Um.... a fair amount of time is spent in a 40-50s era brothel where the women are abused (verbally and physically) on screen, manipulated, SHOT IN COLD BLOOD and totally objectified (like in the movie itself) and that isn't viewed as violence worthy of “R”? There is nothing wrong with “R” if you understand what it signifies. Gee... I think this movie missed its own contrived message. Sadly, so did the ratings board. Congratulations - you now own the lowest rating ever* for The Film Lounge! 2/10

*Actually tied for the lowest rating ever with a couple other "winners" (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Shrek the Third). The Brothers Solomon, while given a 0/10, was not an official review, just a public service announcement, as stated.