TOMORROWLAND (2023)

Directed By: Brad Bird 

Written By: Brad Bird And Damon Lindelof 

Story By: Brad Bird, Jeff Jensen and Damon Lindelof 

Cinematography: Claudio Miranda 

Editor: Walter Murch and Craig Wood

Cast: Britt Robertson, George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan Michael Key, Chris Bauer, Judy Greer, Thomas Robinson

Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.

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This is a film sure to make the audience nostalgic At least it did for me. As to family films, but also even just Disney films that had a lot of action and were usually sci-fi, but also had an innocence to them.

It’s ambitious in a rare way that is more earnest and adventure filled. Again an AMBLIN type movie only here we deal with adults a bit more,  it still involves children at heart.

Yes, it’s obviously following in the trend of movies based on rides or Disney attractions, hoping for the same success as PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Though this one seems a little more thawed out maybe it’s because it’s based on an attraction at the more educational Epcot Center. This film takes place in a kind of land that they were hoping the attraction would be in first place showing cutting edge, scientific inventions and hoping to inspire young minds. Not to mention more family oriented. 

The film feels like a live action cartoon in scope. Not as in looking like animation filled with bad and unrealistic cgi. More just the energy and size of the production.  The energy is fun and infectious for the audience at first. As the film obviously promotes imagination and science. As well as big ideas and being creative. 

It even has legendary editor Walter Murch doing part of the editing. Truly making it kind of old school. 

Wouldn’t expect anything less from Director Brad Bird. Who seems to specialize in these types of science during and action films. From the days when he was making animated films and shorts. Though it has a bit of an JJ Abrams flavor. As it has that mystery box, Mcguffin that opens you up to the rest of the film and its themes. Maybe because it was written by his go to screenwriters Damon Linelof. 

The film is held or centered around a star. Who goes the film it’s own kind of Wizard of oz. As he really is the star of the second half of the movie. As star Brit Robertson passes the baton from the first half but still stays in the running. Only pushed to the background. As she is still the audience surrogate.

The film steals seems to encourage the destiny dead Mom narratives with the encouraging dad father figure or just dad issues even though here her father seems to be a good one. He just doesn’t know what to do with her ambition and still seems oddly out of touch even though he’s in her life.

The film does get a little cutesy, but should kind of have a wide audience other than Disney adults and families. Even if it does tend to get a little plan towards the end yet positive and tries to be enticing. It’s idealistic not excellent, but good enough.

It’s like Epcot center in general, a fun ride yet tries to teach and encourage intelligence.

This film should have had a better box office and be talked about more. Hopefully it find its crowd. 

Grade: B- 

WOLFS (2024)

 

Written & Directed By: Jon Watts

Cinematography: Larkin Seiple

Editor: Andrew Weisblum

Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Richard Kind, Poorna Jagannathan, Zlatko Buric, Sergio Cota Jr. 

Two rival fixers cross paths when they're both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official's misstep. Over one explosive night, they'll have to set aside their petty grievances and their egos to finish the job.

This is George Clooney and Brad Pitt making another buddy comedy together and involving crime. This should have been a slam dunk and while the film Has its Moments. They are far and few in between. 

This is another film that seems like they are having more fun than the audience is watching it. As it tries to be formulaic and offer surprises and slights of hand. That by the end will Make the audience think the film Is smart and has an ace up It’s sleeve. Like the OCEAN’S TRILOGY the stars have been in before, but if that movie is calculus this is math 102.

It doesn’t help that the movie stays small scale

Throughout. Which would be great with lesser stars but keeping it small hinders the film and shows how thin the screenplay is. As we have to not only stay with the characters and their various arguments, but somehow find humor, charm and tension. Which the film doesn’t really Offer.

So it comes off as muddled and not a bad recipe, but like someone followed the recipe and shorted some ingredients and added too much of other ones to make up for it. 

Watching the film also makes one come to understand why these movies aren’t Memorable. You have a big name cast, a big name director Jon Watts (SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME) and yet it feels stale, Small Scale and basic, because while it has locations and action. These films obviously are Made For streaming and they have little if any visual Flair and feel compacted. Director Watts even seems to include an inside joke of a Spider-man eque stunt by a young man for those in the know. Though it also leave you

Wondering was this film an audition for an ocean’s sequel. 

The stature seems shrinked then one would expect. Like making a feature film but with the limits of a television movie. Not to mention the villains are all stereotypical with an added dance sequence. 

This is similar to what the Russo brothers 350 Million movie THE GREY MAN with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans felt like any other Netflix movie. Other then a basic script, but the directors aren’t Trying to be subtle or visually Brilliant. They are doing just enough to tell the story and do what it takes without any passion or extra Effort. Sort of like assembly room and like weathermen there are Consequences or punishments.

So it just keeps happening. As Apple+ is no better or worse then any other streaming service. Except they are newer and this feel like when the studio DREAMWORKS SKG. Everyone wants to work with them and they have stars at their disposal and seem to green light anything. As long as a big star is attached, but never seem

To bother to read the script or develop them to be better. So that they come off as basic and the only pull is the stars.

George Clooney hasn’t truly starred in a good movie in awhile. Nor has he made a hit but is still

Treated like an A-lister. When he does choose to be in a film.

Leaving the audience to only marvel at Austin Abrams. Who is the only one in the film Who feels alive and like he is trying.

It feels like the film is disrespectful to the audience by going them, but so much and not giving it their all and feeling like just enough is what the audience deserves and should be honored to get. 

As the leads seem more interested in being cool. The filmmaker seems to want to offer some kind of polished grit. That tries to make things more serious, dangerous, dark and action packed. That never comes across other than polished and dark. Nor does the screenplay come off as smart as it thinks nor as cute. 

Grade: C- 

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES & UNFINISHED BUSINESS: HALL OF FAME: FILE #0054: CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002)

Directed By: George Clooney 
Written By: Charlie Kaufman 
Based on the Novel By: Chuck Barris 
Cinematography By: Newtom Thomas Sigel 
Editor: Stephen Mirrione 


Cast: Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Rugter Hauer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Cera, Robert John Burke, Rachelle Lefevre, Jerry Weintraub, Richard Kind, James Urbaniak 


Television made him famous, but his biggest hits happened off screen. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is the story of a legendary showman's double life - television producer by day, CIA assassin by night. At the height of his TV career, Chuck Barris was recruited by the CIA and trained to become a covert operative. Or so Barris said.

SUBURBICON (2017)

Directed By: George Clooney 
Written By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, George Clooney & Grant Heslov 
Cinematography By: Robert Elswit 
Editor: Stephen Mirrione 


Cast: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar issac, Noah Jupe, Richard Kind, Jack Conley, Gary Basaraba 

In the bosom of Suburbicon, a family-centred, all-white utopia of manicured lawns and friendly locals, a simmering tension is brewing, as the first African-American family moves in the idyllic community, in the hot summer of 1959. However, as the patriarch Gardner Lodge and his family start catching a few disturbing glimpses of the once welcoming neighbourhood's dark underbelly, acts of unprecedented violence paired with a gruesome death will inevitably blemish Suburbicon's picture-perfect facade. Who would have thought that darkness resides even in Paradise?

THE AMERICAN (2010)

Directed By: Anton Corbijn 
Written By: Rowan Joffe 
Based On The Novel By: Martin Booth 
Cinematography By: Martin Ruhe 
Editor: Andrew Hulme 


Cast: George Clooney, Irina Bjorklund, Paolo Bonacelli, Johan Leysen, Thekla Rueten, Violante Placido, Filipo Timi 


Alone among assassins, Jack is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Pavel that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde, is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto and pursues romance with local woman Clara. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

HAIL, CAESAR! (2016)

Written & Directed By: Joel & Ethan Coen 
Cinematography By: Roger Deakins 
Editor: Roderick Jaynes 


Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Clancy Brown, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Christopher Lambert, Robert Picardo, Fisher Stevens, David Krumholtz, Alex Karpovsky, Alison Pill, Fred Melamed, Wayne Knight, Jack Huston, Agyness Deyn