Smith's Verdict

Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

“My Cousin Vinny” is a comedy that relies not just on the comedic talents of the actors, but on its script. This is one of those comedies where the screenplay—material and dialogue—is funny, whether the film itself stinks or not. Luckily, while “My Cousin Vinny” has its problems, it also plenty of laughs and great acting that make it a treat to watch.

The movie opens as two young men on their way to college stop at a gas station in a small town in Alabama. Shortly after they leave, they’re arrested. At first, they think it’s because of the can of tuna that they didn’t realize they’d lifted from the store. But they soon realize—though, a little later—that they’re suspected of murdering the store’s clerk. (I love this exchange: “You think we’re being booked for shoplifting?” “No, you’re being booked for shoplifting. I’m being booked for accessory to shoplifting.”) So the boys—played by Ralph Macchio (“The Karate Kid”) and Mitchell Whitfield—need a lawyer to defend their case. Luckily, Macchio has a cousin named Vinny (Joe Pesci)…who has graduated law school, but passed the bar only after the eighth time. This is his first trial. He lies to the judge (Fred Gwynne) about handling plenty of cases and is held in contempt for sporting his leather jacket in the courtroom. But who knows? He could have what it takes to win this case in the end.

Accompanying Vinny from New York to Alabama is his fiancée named Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei). She has a loud mouth, a hard Brooklyn accent, and a tendency to stick out in this small town like a sore thumb (with her sexy attire and camera in hand), but she’s supportive and lends Vinny a helping hand, even though Vinny is reluctant to give it. But who knows? She might know a thing or two that could be important to the case.

The running joke is that Vinny is a terrible lawyer, since this is his first case and the boys’ lives rest in his hands to prove their innocence. Surprisingly, this works. Any smaller case, like robbery or drugs, and this probably would’ve proven to be too believable to be funny—I could be wrong. But in this murder case, the more unbelievable it is, the more agitated and nervous Vinny is, and the funnier it is as a result.

Pesci’s funny, but even funnier is Marisa Tomei as Vinny’s fiancée Lisa, who is just lovable. The character’s street-smart personality and her ways of interpreting things or dealing with things make for more-than-effective comic timing. There is not a false note in Tomei’s performance—beauty, brains, and wisecracks are what the character requires. Tomei delivers more than that. She’s perfect in this movie, and she displays great chemistry with Pesci.

There are many laughs in this script. Highlights include: Whitfield’s misunderstanding when he first meets Vinny (while in jail); Vinny’s “explanation” after being asked how his clients plead; Lisa’s reaction when Vinny goes hunting with the prosecutor (Lane Smith); Gwynne’s misreading of the word “yoot” (“youth”); the public defender (Austin Pendleton) not letting out a complete sentence half the time. Plenty of good, funny stuff in this movie, and I haven’t listed them all. It wouldn’t be fair. But I can say that the final scenes of this movie, in which the getaway car is in question, are brilliantly written and very funny as well.

“My Cousin VInny” does have a few hit-and-miss jokes and the movie loses focus of the two boys, so it’s a little hard to worry about them. But with Pesci and Tomei’s performances and a script with plenty of goods, “My Cousin Vinny” is a terrific comedy about trial and error.

Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

Woody Allen in a voiceover role—it had to happen sooner or later. His fast-paced comic timing is what made him famous in the first place, and you just had to imagine him in a recording studio, performing for an animated character. “Antz” is the film that finally used this method.

“Antz” is the second computer-animated film after Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story” three years before. And speaking of which, I’d say that Dreamworks (the studio behind “Antz”) was in a hurry to give Disney a run for its money, seeing as how Disney/Pixar made a similar “insect epic” (as I think you’d call it) called “A Bug’s Life,” released the same year as “Antz.” Both movies feature ants on incredible adventures. But I’m not comparing the two, because they are both very good movies. I’ll just talk about “Antz,” a delightful movie with a sharp script and a visual brilliance.

The story involves an ant named Z (Woody Allen), who’s as neurotic and cynical as Allen’s other characters. There are two types of ants in his world—workers and soldiers (and of course, there’s also the royal family). Z belongs in the former category, helping to continue building the anthill. He wants to be more than the group—he doesn’t want to continue being insignificant. Then one night, at a party, he dances with Princess Bala, is completely lovestruck, and dares to find a way to meet her again.

His plan is to impersonate his soldier friend Weaver, because soldier ants get to serve for the royal family and thus Z will be able to see the princess again. But he couldn’t have picked a worse time, as it turns out the ants are at war with a colony of termites. In a battle, Z hides as the other soldiers fight. But when he’s the lone survivor of the battle, he’s mistaken for a war hero and sent to honor the royals. But when his identity as a worker is revealed, Z runs away and takes Bala with him. Together, they embark on a quest to find “Insectopia,” which is said to have mountains of food, while enduring many obstacles along the way.

The story is nothing special—a loner is suddenly in the middle of a grand adventure and must be the one to thwart a villain (in this case, it’s the evil General Mandible, who won’t stand for workers’ newly-formed individuality). But the scope of the film is just marvelous. Because the ants are so small and we see from their point of view, the world around them must be grand. An anthill is like a palace, a thermos is a big round tower, a magnifying glass’ sun glare becomes fatal, a apple’s worm turns into a roller-coaster ride, and in the film’s most exciting sequence, a pair of sneakered feet become an imminent threat. Visually, “Antz” is impressive and I could forgive the shortcomings of its story and just enjoy this great new world—ours, seen by little eyes.

This is not necessarily a “kids’ movie.” At its best, it’s a comedy. Like I said, Woody Allen’s vocal performance the neurotic worker ant Z is wonderful. There are great visual jokes, such as when Z and others are being chased by a magnifying glass and the reveal of Insectopia (a garbage can). Although, some of which are somewhat brutally funny, such as a death scene with Z and the disembodied head of a friendly soldier. The dialogue is consistently funny, such as when Z asks about how the soldier ants can’t just compromise with the termites and “try influencing their political process with campaign contributions.”

And Z knows that the story is nothing new—he refers to it as a “basic boy-meets-girl, boy-likes-girl, boy-changes-underlying-social-structure” tale.

The vocal cast is very game. In addition to Allen, we also have Sharon Stone as Princess Kala, Sylvester Stallone doing solid work as Z’s dim-but-trusty friend Weaver, Gene Hackman as the villain, Christopher Walken hamming it up more than Hackman as the general’s second-in-command, Jennifer Lopez as Weaver’s love interest, Danny Glover as a friendly soldier that Z meets before the battle, and Anne Bancroft as the ant queen. I think I should also the clever move of having the characters share similar faces to the actors showcasing their voices.

Even though most people easily compare this to “A Bug’s Life”, I think they should just enjoy “Antz” for what it is—a nice, visually-impressive comedy that will entertain adults, who will laugh at certain mature bits of humor, as well as children, who will dig the story and the cool visuals.

NOTE: This movie is rated PG, but only for casual swearing (very unusual for an animated film).

Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

Is “Drive” a blockbuster? I’m not sure. But it is an action film…or is it? Maybe it’s an action film made for those who usually like blockbusters or action films. There are car chases and a deal of tension, but more importantly, it also has a sense of calmness in its pacing about it and it has characters worth watching.

It’s important for a film like this (or sort of like this) to have an intriguing hero, and “Drive” definitely has one. As played by Ryan Gosling, the lead in “Drive” is a guy simply called the “Driver.” He’s a mysterious auto mechanic who mostly drives—he does car stunts for action movies and drives getaway cars for bank robberies. He says very little and is given little background. This guy is a puzzle. We never know his name and we’re never fully aware of his intentions. We just know that he drives and he has no fear of dying. Ryan Gosling may not be a likely choice for an action hero, but this isn’t a likely choice for an action film. (Excuse me; I’m going back and forth as to whether or not “Drive” is really an action film.)

“Drive” opens spectacularly with a prologue involving a getaway. The Driver provides transportation for some criminals and evades a police chase by timing, swiftness, and possible further-planning, This opening sequence lasts about eight minutes and it’s one of the best paced, thrilling scenes I’ve seen in a long time. That alone could make its own short film, but the rest of the movie is still pretty good.

The plot involves the Driver as his boss Shannon (Bryan Cranston) gets him a job that will allow him to drive a souped-up car in races. But to pay for the car, he has to turn to a couple of mob thugs, Bernie (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman). Meanwhile, he befriends his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son. In about a week, they grow warm, but then Irene’s husband (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison. In a nice twist, the husband isn’t a hostile, enraged, or even jealous man. He thanks the Driver for looking after his wife and kid, but he also asks him for a favor since he sees him as a professional driver. He plans a heist and asks the Driver to provide the getaway vehicle, and this is where the movie goes underway.

The heist doesn’t end well and the dilemma with Bernie and Nino is further developed, putting lives at risk, which include Irene and her son as well as the Driver.

So with the Driver as an intriguing hero, there must also be menacing villains. Bernie and Nino are absolutely (and memorably) ruthless, while Shannon is more benevolent as the man who the Driver needs on his side. They’re all well played by Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, and Bryan Cranston, but if I had to pick the standout, it would have to be Brooks. Because we’re used to seeing Brooks play the sympathetic funny guy, it’s surprising to see just how believable and how effective he is as the refined Bernie, constantly going off on the more loutish Nino and secretly planning his next moves.

The whole movie is presented in a real sense of style. The writing is very smart in making the Driver a sympathetic mystery, the villains consistently ruthless, and the abilities to know when to relax and develop character while also setting up the action. The car scenes are outstanding—there seems to be very little CGI and it looks like real stunt driving happening on the screen. It feels so real as it’s happening, and that further builds up the tension. The final act of the movie isn’t as strong as what followed before. This is more standard action film stuff—it’s when the action kicks up an extra notch, the violence becomes more intense (including a gruesome scene in an elevator), and Gosling and Brooks finally meet for a conclusion for either one of them or both of them. But that doesn’t mean we’re not interested in the final outcome.

There’s a real 1980s-vintage feel to the film, from the pink-colored opening titles to the pumping soundtrack (which features a beautiful-sounding song called “A Real Hero,” by the band College). There’s also symbolism to be found, such as when the color of blood is contrasted the beauty of the palm tree outside a nearby window. The director Nicholas Winding Refn crafts this film with complete seriousness—he takes the characters as seriously as the action scenes. That’s what makes it different from most action films (OK, I’ll call it an action film) and why the final act is interesting, despite my little quibbles with it. “Drive” sets up its characters so we can get to know them so that when the action does kick up an extra notch, it’s effective.

Ryan Gosling, with only mannerisms and facial expressions to work with, is just phenomenal. He makes the Driver a compelling individual to watch—we want to know more about him. He creates a hero that is so shrouded in mystery that it’s very compelling. This isn’t the type of role that Gosling isn’t accustomed to—he winds up owning the screen. His relationship with Carey Mulligan’s Irene and her son is sweet. They say very little, as the Driver hardly engages in small talk, but the mood is there. Mulligan is lovely and innocent in the role and deserves to be secure.

“Drive” is a tense, stylish, wonderfully acted, brilliantly crafted thriller (hey—there’s a better way to describe “Drive!”) that opens masterfully, continues smoothly and icily, and ends chaotically, for better or worse. All in all, this is a very good movie with an intriguing hero, menacing villains, an icy tone, and some real badass driving.

Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

Steve Martin continued to show his skill as a highly acceptable comic actor in 1984’s “All of Me.” “All of Me” has a risky idea—having Lily Tomlin possess the right side of Steve Martin’s body while he controls his left side. The reason that is risky is because Lily Tomlin is a great comedienne and Steve Martin hadn’t been fully appreciated at the time this was made. And since Lily Tomlin is mainly inside Steve Martin, we see more of Martin than we want to, right? In this case, wrong. Lily Tomlin (whose voice is heard a lot) does show up when Steve Martin looks in the mirror and they have their own conversations. But in the meantime, Steve Martin is such a great presence that we love watching him control his own body.

Steve Martin learned to relax a little bit this time, since his over-the-top goofiness in “The Jerk” (directed from the same man who directed “All of Me”—Carl Reiner). Here, he plays Roger Cobb, a hotshot attorney who is unhappy because he is reaching middle-age. Roger will do anything to get a promotion (although bringing his dog to work shouldn’t help, it almost does in the case of his boss). But then he meets Edwina Cutwater (Tomlin), a dying rich woman who wants to live forever (or rather, have a new better life). Roger is to get her affairs in order but he thinks that she’s crazy. She, on the other hand, is confident enough to shun lesser people down.

Edwina hires a guru of transmigration (Richard Libertini) to put her soul into the body of a young, attractive British woman Terry Hoskins (Victoria Tennant). But during the process, something goes wrong and Edwina accidentally winds up in Roger’s body. But she doesn’t control his whole body. Roger is still alive and he controls his left side while Edwina controls the right. This brings a series of misunderstandings, confusion, goofiness, and big laughs. In the scene where it has happened, Roger and Edwina fight for control over Roger’s body as if playing a game of tug-of-war. That’s a very funny scene.

As Roger and Edwina figure a way out of this mess, there are many other great scenes. Some of them may be obligatory but they’re still funny—for example, when Roger has to go to the bathroom, he needs Edwina to help him. Many other scenes showcase Steve Martin’s wonderful physical comic talent. We believe he really is fighting for control over his body—watch that scene I mentioned in the above paragraph and you’ll see what I mean. Steve Martin is great in this movie. He doesn’t go for the obvious physical jokes either (and neither does the script, which is funny and sweet at the same time)—he has learned to control himself a little more, so to speak.

Lily Tomlin is still with us—we just don’t see her as much. We hear her voice most of the time and we see her whenever Roger looks into a mirror and sees her instead of his own reflection. It’s fun to watch them mimic each other’s moves. Also, when Martin is alone, we never feel that Tomlin has left us.

The writing is very good. By the end of the movie, we have laughed and now we feel something for the characters. There are big laughs and genuine sweetness by the time the movie is over. What I also liked were the members of the supporting cast of characters—especially the guru who is learning how to get by in America. His scenes are hilarious and get even better with he’s with Martin, who is desperately trying to communicate with him while the guru is trying to comprehend. I also liked the character of Ty (Jason Bernard), who is a black, blind musician and Martin’s friend and partner.

“All of Me” is a very good comedy—funny, charming, sweet, and fantastic.