MOVIE REVIEWS [In Brief] . Idiocracy, The Proposition, Smokin’ Aces

by Chris   ⋅   January 29, 2007   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

I’m back with some brief takes on recent flicks. This time we have one worth seeing, and one worth skipping at all costs. Enjoy!

Idiocracy
I love the message of Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, but it is quite the tiring watch. Luke Wilson (the handsome Wilson) plays an army librarian chosen to participate in a military cryogenics experiement. It’s only supposed to last a month, but the experiment goes wrong and he wakes up in the 31st century, where years of babysitter lawmaking, rampant commercialism, and anti-intellectual pop culture have reduced the American populace to a bunch of blithering idiots. Wilson, in turn, is an absolute genius in comparison. His journey will take him from prisoner to White House cabinet member, brusing shoulders with some of the dumbest characters ever committed to screen along the way. Judge should be commended for addressing a very prevalent problem in our society today, but with Idiocracy he runs dangerously close to creating exactly that kind of entertainment which is part of his criticism (see the extensive “Ow, my balls” segment). There are some absoultely priceless moments in the film (the intro redneck babyfarm vs intellectual holdouts is so awesomely funny, and so sadly true), but they are overshadowed by some muddy pacing and rather weak plot threads (admittedly these are in no small part due to Fox’s meddling with Judge’s film). Idiocracy will certainly be misunderstood, but it is worth a look…for anyone with half a brain, at least.

The Proposition
I wanted to check out Nick Cave’s eastern (Australia is west of the international dateline, people) when it made the theatrical circuit around here, but it came and went rather quickly. Never mind the critical laudings it received. Now, months after the DVD release, I’ve finally checked it out. For those of you who don’t know, it is the tale of three criminal brothers, the two youngest of which are captured by the law at the start of the film. Enter the titular proposition: Both brothers can go free, completely pardoned, if the middle brother (played by Guy Pearce) will commit to killing the eldest, and most animalistic brother. Pearce sets off, and thus the story begins. Many people seem surprised that Nick Cave, a creator of quirky cult music could possibly come up with such a film, but they forget that Nick Cave, the singer, is also an accomplished novelist. With that in mind, the wonderful dialog and pacing of The Proposition isn’t as surprising, though it certainly doesn’t rob it of any of the joy and awe it musters. The Proposition is an incredibly beautiful, wonderfully strange, and relentlessly dark film. It is a film of opposites and extremes, civilized men fighing an uncivilized land, criminals fighting for redemption and against law and family. Its scenes of shocking violence are juxtaposed with those of beautiful outback scenery. Admittedly, the film may be too grim for some; the film shares quite a bit in common with Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects, what with its main characters being rapist/murderers, but unlike Zombie’s turd of a film, The Prestige gives you reasons to watch. Is it as good as the critics had been saying? Well, not quite. But, is it worth watching? Definitely.

Smokin’ Aces
I’ve seen a lot of bad birthday movies in recent years. Payback, The Eye of the Beholder, Hannibal, Elektra, Assault on Precinct 13, but Smokin’ Aces‘ tale of hitmen, FBI, and a wannabe mafia kingpin/vegas showman takes the cake as the absolute worst. If films could be evaluated in Calculus terminology Smokin’ Aces ushers in the era of cinematic second-derivatives. It is a film comprised primarily of references to films that are themselves entirely referential (see: True Romance, Pulp Fiction, even Cabin Fever). The majority of the remainder (a much much smaller fraction) is spent paying “homage” to Asian Cult foundationals such as Woo’s A Better Tomorrow II and Ichi the Killer. Only a smidgen of the film shows any real evidence of originality, but even those fleeting moments seem contrived and lame. Even shot compositions and edits are cribbed from other, better films, robbed of meaning, and slapped on paper thin cutouts that, for Joe Carnahan, constitute characters. I’ll admit, I may be a little too old for this film. The fat pasty unwashed comic book geeks walking out of the theater were giggling uncontrollably, their collective mind a titter. One even eloquently verbalized his love for the film thusly, “Heh heh…Chainsaw….the powering…heh heh.” If that sounds like your type of fun, by all means see it. But, if you’re over the age of fourteen, by all means skip Smokin’ Aces.

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.