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| Attention smokers all around, Thank You for Smoking
has been released. While I don't smoke or condone smoking, this film is
the appropiate film for any smoker who has received stares or been
taunted for their nasty habit.
Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), the
chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, makes his living defending the rights
of smokers and cigarette conglomerates in today's neo-puritanical
society.
When confronted by health zealots
who are out to ban tobacco, and an opportunistic senator (William H.
Macy) who wants to put a poison label on cigarette packs, Nick goes on
a PR offensive
But when his son, Joey (Cameron
Bright), gets involved in his work life and sees what his dad really
does for a living, Nick's world comes spiraling down.
The leading man, Aaron Eckhart (of Suspect Zero),
kept the audience laughing. For a fairly unknown comedian to take a
role like this, he pulled it off. Eckhart was made to play this role. I
couldn't have picked a better actor if I was the director.
He's gone from playing a little boy who can cure a new race of humans to the son of the devil - Nick Naylor. Cameron Bright (of Ultraviolet) is one of Hollywood's rising teenage actors.
In this film he graduated from the frightened little boy to a fifth grade activist - like father like son.
This was an unusual and different - good different - type of character for Katie Holmes (of Batman Begins).
She normally portrays the typical Joey Potter's good girl with good
grades who doesn't break any rules. But playing Heather Holloway, the
reporter slut with no ethics, she did her character justice. It showed
her fans and the audience that she actually can play a different type
of role - other than the good.
Her character, Heather, had vivid similarities and the remembrance of her characters in and GoDisturbing Behavior. Seems Tom Cruise is doing wonders for her. He's let out the wild side of Katie.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, William H. Macy (of Sahara)
can play just about any role that's given to him. One of Hollywood's
most versatile actors, Macy added a bit of intellectual humor.
Though Adam Brody (played Jack, of TV's The O.C.) had a minimal part he still was his usual funny self. Despite his regular role on The O.C. he plays bit parts in films, like Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
If there was one thing or person that dragged the movie down it was Rob Lowe (played Jeff, of the TV mini-series Salem's Lot).
After two failed TV series he attempts to return to films. Lowe should
get the "Brat Pack" back together. What was once a group of misfit
actors can now be called the group of washed out has been actors.
J.K. Simmons (played BR, of TV's The Closer) character from this film and the Spider-man movies are vividly familiar. As the voice of the Yellow M&M he is a versatile actor, ranging from comedy to serious drama.
Sam Elliot (played The Marlboro man, of Hulk) was the perfect choice for an actor to portray the Marlboro man. He was made to play this stubborn old smoked out character.
Maria Bello (of A History of Violence) and David Koechner (of TV's The Office)
made a dynamic duo along with Eckhart. There were even brief
appearances from Nancy O'Dell and Joan Lunden portraying themselves.
The writing was laugh out loud
hysterical. There wasn't a quiet moment in the theater. I was
practically falling off my seat throughout the movie. This is like that
rare slapstick comedy that you get to see once in a lifetime. It's even
better than Mike Myers in Austin Powers and Will Ferrell in Elf.
Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley, and adapted for film by Jason Reitman, Thank Your for Smoking tells a story that Hollywood has been waiting for ages to come.
Reitman's age, 29, may be young, but that's what made him a good writer. He relates to the younger generation.
"Nick Naylor doesn't hide the truth… he filters it." The chosen tagline for the movie, fits just right.
If Thank You For Smoking interests
you, then be the first person in line to rent it when it becomes
available. Or, if you still have a desire to see the film, then gather
up a group of your friends and head on down to LA - the only place that
it's currently playing in our area. | | |
| Xanga
There's only one thing to say about Ultraviolet - Why? Why would someone want to make this into a movie? If the big wigs at Screen Gems Inc. planned on making Ultraviolet a blockbuster, the producers didn't choose the appropriate cast to draw in an audience. And that's just a start.
Sometime in the
future, a subculture of humans called Hemophages have emerged.
Hemophages have been genetically modified, giving them enhanced speed,
incredible stamina and acute intelligence. To the government's alarm,
more and more of the population are being transformed into Hemophages.
The government with their fearless leader, Vice Cardinal Daxus, set out
to rid the world of the new subculture that he deems as menaces to
society.
Violet, a rogue
warrior, is bent on protecting her race - and seeking revenge on those
who changed her life forever. With cutthroat fighting skills and
chameleon-like abilities, she is sent on a mission to retrieve a
government-designed bomb, made to eliminate all of her kind. The bomb
is stored in a case that she is not to open. But as the age old saying
goes "curiosity never killed the cat."
When Violet
opens the case, it comes as a surprise to her that the deadly device is
a nine-year-old boy, Six, who was raised in a laboratory.
Violet must protect Six and herself from the government and her own kind.
Where to begin?
Milla Jovovich (of Resident Evil: Apocalypse) has a flare for playing the tough girl act - first, her portrayal in The Fifth Element, then her character in the Resident Evil
movies, which is uncompleted. For being the star of the film she failed
to live up to that title. Her acting styles were disappointing for
someone with her talents.
Nick Chinlund (of The Legend of Zorro) should have his SAG card revoked for his terrible spectacle as the villain of Ultraviolet. He acted as if he didn't know how to put one foot in front of the other - kind of like, "uh, what do I do next."
Cameron Bright (of Godsend)
has the talent to be a rising star. He's previously starred opposite
Robert De Niro and Rebecca Romijm and is due to star opposite Patrick
Stewart and Halle Berry in this spring's upcoming X-men: The Last Stand.
Bright did not
disappoint the audience. For being a child actor working with many
actors who had no clue what they were doing, he led this cast with his
emotional interpretation of an innocent boy in a bizarre society.
William Fichtner (of Empire Falls) is a fairly well-known, talented supporting actor. Agreeing to be in Ultraviolet
did not give him any upward notches in his career. In fact, it helped
him spiral down a bit, especially with his failing ABC series Invasion.
Other than
Bright, Fichtner was the only decent actor in the film.. His
performance, though minimal, was the best of the bunch - but not his
best work.
The writing
style of this script was clearly written at a sixth-grade level of
intelligence. With such dialogue as, "You got hemo blood on me, oh it
is on." Writer/Director Kurt Wimmer (of The Recruit) has had many successful films in his career as a writer; he made the dialogue in Ultraviolet sound too much like a combination of a comic book and a video game.
With the many
futile acting performances, Wimmer has failed miserably as a director.
By the actor's portrayal, it appears that he gave little if any
direction to his cast. He should reconsider his career options.
However, Stunt Coordinator/ Choreographer Mike Smith (of The Legend of Zorro)
choreographed many noteworthy fight sequences. At best, the fight
scenes and sequences were probably the only good things about the film,
but they weren't anything that knock your socks off like the fight
scenes in The Fifth Element. Smith has worked with writer/director Wimmer previously in Equilibrium.
Cinematographers
Arthur and Jimmy Wong chose to shoot this film in a way that made the
audience seem as if they were inside a video game. Along with the
visual effects team, throughout the film there were several scenes that
looked more like a video game imaging than motion picture imaging.
If you're planning to see Ultraviolet
- think again. This is one of those movies that after the first five
minutes you're going to want to walk out of the theater and ask for
your money back. Save your money for expensive books. | | |
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