Crime Wave

I've been thinking about this for three days now since I watched 1954's Crime Wave, and I've got nothing. I really do try to come up with interesting intros to the reviews, even taking some pride in it. I'm stumped here though so let's cut to the chase. A film noir with a solid cast and director, I liked this movie a lot. Good enough? Yeah, let's get going.

In the dead of night in Los Angeles, three escaped convicts led by Doc Penny (Ted de Corsia) rob a gas station, grabbing $130, but as they make their getaway, an investigating police officer on patrol gets in their way and is callously gunned down. The news spreads through police departments/offices throughout the city, and in minutes, a huge manhunt led by Lt. Sims (Sterling Hayden) is under way. The city is all but shut down in hopes of capturing the trio, but they seem to have disappeared. Sims and the police start to investigate where they could be hiding with Sims thinking they've holed up somewhere with an ex-con. Suspect No. 1? An ex-con named Steve Lacey (Gene Lacey) who Sims put away years ago and has supposedly gone clean. Time is running out though, and there's a chance that maybe the crooks slipped away, the murder going unresolved.

I come away more and more impressed with the entire genre of film noir flicks the more I'm introduced to them. I was always aware of the more well-known, well respected noirs, but as I try to review more and more reviews, I'm finding more and more worthwhile entries to the genre. This one from director Andre de Toth is one that doesn't get much in the way of recognition, but it's everything that's right about the genre. It was filmed on location in Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale, its shadowy streets, alleys and neighborhoods providing a backdrop to the story. It looks great, and it doesn't waste any time with its 75-minute running time. Cops, crooks, and those caught in the middle. Hard to mess up that formula, but de Toth does a great, workmanlike job here.

Early on in 'Crime,' I thought I was watching a quasi-remake of Jules Dassin's 1948 noir The Naked City. That film plays almost like a documentary of how the cops handle the investigation following a crime. Seeing both the police perspective and that of the crooks on the run, 'Crime' is similar in its portrayal. We see suspects brought in for questioning, the police searching for clues, following any leads that might lead to bringing the cop killers to justice. The story takes an interesting, even surprising turn in the second half, focusing more on Nelson's Steve and his troubles. He's moved on from his criminal past, marrying Ellen (Phyllis Kirk), a woman who accepts what he was but loves him for what he is now. This goes down the more traditional route in its noir roots, Steve, Sims and the police, and Doc and the crooks all converging on a collision course.

As far as casting goes, 'Crime' lacks the star power of more well-known film noirs, but I liked the cast. Hayden especially stands out as Lt. Sims, a veteran police officer who's seen just about everything the streets have to offer. Early on, he's so driven -- even obsessed -- I thought the story might have him develop into the bad guy. As the villain, de Corsia is appropriately greasy/slimy with a young Charles Bronson (listed as Buchinsky) and Nedrick Young as his convict cohorts. Jay Novello plays a doctor and ex-con who accidentally killed a patient, now working as a vet who gets caught up in the manhunt while the uncredited duo of Timothy Carey and Jim Hayward as two other ex-cons brought into Doc's plan. Dub Taylor makes a quick appearance as the gas station attendant while Hank Worden plays Steve's trusting boss.  

Not too much analysis required here. It's a good film noir with a solid story, good casting and quick-moving pacing. Not a hugely well known film noir, but one I enjoyed a lot. Oh, and 1950s Los Angeles looks pretty cool. It almost feels like Joe Friday should come in to assist on the investigation.

Crime Wave (1954): ***/****

The Brothers Bloom

Oh, con jobs, the second cousin to the heist film....but not related by blood. The two sub-genres are pretty close, using a lot of similar conventions, characters and stories. After all, you can only rob-con-steal in so many different ways. However, I love heist flicks, but I only like con job movies. Case in point, 2008's The Brothers Bloom, a movie that started off decent but derails in the second half.

From the time they were kids, bouncing from one foster home to another, brothers Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody) have gotten better and better as con men. After 25-plus years of pulling cons -- most of them quite successful -- Bloom has decided he's had enough. Years of conning under his belt, he's lost track of who he is and who he pretends to be. He tries to leave his partnership with Stephen, but his highly convincing brother Stephen pulls him back in for one job. Bloom agrees and takes charge in a con meant to dupe a quirky East Coast millionaire, Penelope (Rachel Weisz), who inherited millions of dollars. Traveling around the world, they intend to convince her that they're smugglers, and she stands to make some money herself if she goes along with the plan. It isn't so simple though, especially when Bloom starts to fall for Penelope, threatening to ruin Stephen's plan.

Quirky is one thing. The quirkiest of all directors, Wes Anderson, has shown that with his films like Moonrise Kingdom, Life Aquatic, Rushmore, Royal Tennenbaums among others. But with a quirky, funny, little-off movie, there's a fine line. You have to be a little off-center with your humor, but you can't be obvious about it. The biggest issue for this film from director Rian Johnson? It is quirky, it knows it, and it aggressively wants to let you know it's not a normal, everyday comedy caper. For a flick to work like this, it has to be almost effortless to be effective. When it's trying to be different, it just doesn't work. Unfortunate here because there's a lot of potential that is ultimately untapped.

As for the general quirky nature of the story, it is both good and bad. In most cases, it just goes too far. It's an incredibly stylish movie, filming in Romania, Belgrade, Greece, Montenegro and Prague. Visually, it's a treat to watch as the locations add another layer to the story. As for the style in terms of the characters and their wardrobe, here's where we meet a problem. Stephen and Bloom are gentleman thieves, always wearing suits, vests, ties and hats. It feels and looks like a throwback to French films from the 1960s. It's a style ripped out of the sky because the story takes place in modern times. Con men that stand out like a sore thumb? That makes sense. The look of the movie is great, but like everything else, it calls attention to itself in a big way, and for me at least, that's off-putting.

Of all the things though that bothers me the most, it was the characters that put me off. Johnson also scripted the movie, but it never finds that right balance between reality and uniquely appealing (and trust me, it's trying). The best thing to develop is the relationship between Brody's Bloom and Weisz's Penelope, two very different people who are drawn to each other because they're different. While everything else is aggressively in your face (WE'RE BEING QUIRKY! LAUGH DAMMIT!), this comes across naturally. Ruffalo is okay, but he's the face of that aggressive quirkiness as is Rinko Kikuchi as Bang Bang, the brothers' accomplice, a specialist in nitroglycerin and woman of few words. Also look for Robbie Coltrane as the Belgian, a member of their conning team, Maximilian Schell as Diamond Dog, the brothers' former mentor turned bitter enemy and Ricky Jay as the narrator. In a weird, out of left field cameo, look for Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a club patron. Seriously, blink and you'll miss it.

The all over the place quirky humor is one thing, but 'Bloom' can't even choose that correctly. Is it a quirky comedy? Is it a crime thriller? Is it a violent story of betrayals? Unfortunately, the last 45 minutes are one and all of those. Not that I was really enjoying it to begin with, but the story completely unravels in the last act. Twist after pointless twist, one after another until things become almost completely unrecognizable, much less able to follow. There are moments I liked a lot, especially Weisz's performance including her exhibition of all the hobbies she's picked up over the years (watch it HERE). A ton of talent assembled with a lot of potential, but ultimately, it just tries too hard to make us like the movie. Good musical score, stylish title cards, but it never goes anywhere. I wanted to like it, but it so desperately wants us to like the film that it's almost painful to watch at times.

The Brothers Bloom (2008): **/****

Life of Pi

Back in February, the Academy Awards created a stir when Argo won Best Picture. I for one didn't think it was on par as a Best Picture winner. An excellent political thriller? Yes, but not Best Picture. Dissenters pointed to a strong field of other potential winners like Amour, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty and 2012's Life of Pi.

Growing up in India with his family and its hotel-zoo, young Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) finds that as he tries to figure out who and what he is, he's open to many different religions; Muslim, Hindu and Christianity. His friends and family laugh at him, questioning what he's up to. As a teenager, Pi's family is forced to move, sailing to Canada across the Pacific in a huge cargo ship that's packed with their zoo animals who have all been sold. The ship sinks in a horrific storm, and only Pi manages to survive, saving himself by crawling aboard a well-supplied lifeboat. He's not quite alone though as there are other occupants aboard, including a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. How can resourceful Pi survive? Can he survive on the open seas, battling not only the elements but also a ferocious jungle predator?

Add this film from director Ang Lee to the list. I could try for weeks, but a one-paragraph plot synopsis ain't going to cut it. This is a movie that is so much more than one simple paragraph. From a novel by Yann Martel, 'Pi' encapsulates so much more, and for the better. It is a movie about religion, faith, personal convictions, survival, family, friendship and so many other things. There isn't a movie out there you can fairly compare it to, and that's a good thing. If I ramble here, so be it, I'm not quite sure how to explain and/or spell out why I liked this movie. You've been warned.

The storytelling technique utilized here is nothing flashy or new. It's told in flashback. We meet an adult Pi (played to perfection by Irrfan Khan), now living in Canada talking to a writer (Rafe Spall). While in India, the writer met a man who told him of a man -- Pi -- who had a story that would make him believe in God. He seeks out Pi and asks to hear the story, and away we go. We meet a younger Pi (Ayush Tandon), learning the origins of his name, his childhood, his days in school. We see him grow up, become a young man and start to think for himself, including the religious beliefs. A majority of the 127-minute movie focuses on Pi's survival at sea, but these other portions do a great job of fleshing out the character. Quick departures to an adult Pi break up the story and then move it forward again quickly. Seeing Pi grow and mature works in highly effective fashion, credit to all three actors for bringing the character to life.

As for the message or goal of the story, it tries to accomplish a lot. As I mentioned before, it is about religion, God, faith and survival among a laundry list of other things. It is never heavy-handed though. It doesn't try to force a message on you. 'Life' presents it and lets you make of it what you will. I commend Lee for making that decision as a director. It is about religion, but even that is limiting. I think the most appropriate thing I can say is that it is about human beings and living, appreciating what life offers. Through his trials and tribulations at sea, Pi comes to a new understanding and perspective on what life really is.

Watching the shipwrecked survival time as he floats at sea with a Bengal tiger (a phenomenal character in itself) named Richard Parker -- with a perfect backstory as to his name -- is an incredible visual. The story and its flashback technique works perfectly, but the story is at its best when its with Pi, Richard Parker and a lifeboat floating on the Pacific. Pi's narration is moving and effective but never tedious. The relationship that develops between young man and tiger is transfixing to watch. Both want to survive, but the tiger's first instinct is to kill Pi, the one providing for him. There is a simple beauty to this survival story, but it's more too. It's both simple and highly complicated, but it manages to find a way to work. I loved where the story went as days turn to weeks and weeks to months on the seas, some twists and reveals coming along the way that I could have never seen coming. Sharma especially delivers a memorable performance as the lifeboat-bound Pi.

Okay, enough with the hokey, pretentious bigger meaning that I took away. When I saw the trailer for this film originally, I was intrigued visually more than what the story looked to offer. This is a stunningly beautiful film, cinematographer Claudio Marinda fully deserving the Oscar for cinematography. It is a visual treat to watch, the screen always full of light, color and shadows that resemble paintings. The shipwreck scene is haunting and uncomfortable to watch coupled with the beauty of the scenes on the open seas as Pi struggles to survive. I saw this film on a Blu-Ray player, and I couldn't look away. If you get a chance to see it on a big screen, jump at the opportunity. It belongs on a level with films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and basically anything Terrence Malick directed as one of the most beautiful films ever made. It's unreal how this movie looks.

The final act too provides a bit of a twist as we learn more about Pi's story. Obviously, we're talking to him and seeing him so we know he survived his trials at sea, but how? Is his incredible story true? I don't want to give too much away overall because what develops late didn't even cross my mind as the story developed. It works though in a huge way, Pi's final line going a long way to bringing it all together. It's an ending that will disappoint some while others will no doubt love it. I see the flaws and/or issues viewers may have with it, but it worked. Also look for Adil Hussain and Tabu as Pi's parents in key supporting parts. I loved this movie, and I think it can only get better on repeated viewings. Highly recommended.

Life of Pi (2012): *** 1/2 /****   

Pursuit of the Graf Spee

In the early years of World War II, Germany ruled the seas as its enemies jumped into a new age of naval warfare. The battleship Bismarck was the most infamous example of German firepower on the high seas, a ship that terrorized Allied shipping. Another example -- a significantly lesser-known one -- is the pocket battleship Graf Spee, a cruiser dubbed a battleship that caused an international sensation late in 1939, a story told in 1956's Pursuit of the Graf Spee.

As 1939 comes to a close, British merchant marine Captain Dove (Bernard Lee) sees his ship sunk by a German cruiser, the Graf Spee, that is gaining notoriety around the world for its ability to disrupt Allied shipping. On board the German cruiser, Dove meets its captain, Langsdorff (Peter Finch), who tells him that he will be kept with other prisoners until they can be dealt with. The days and weeks pass though and Dove is joined by countless other prisoners who tell him a rumor of coming trouble. The British are sending a three-cruiser convoy in pursuit to hunt down the infamous German warship. Outnumbered but not necessarily outgunned, the Graf Spee is ready for a battle, but the coming fight involves more than either side was planning for, including international negotiations and intrigue.

From directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 'Pursuit' is an interesting movie, but for reasons I really didn't see coming. A forerunner of 1960s/1970s WWII movies like Midway, The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, Tora Tora Tora, this British-made film plays like a documentary at times. Big, expansive story telling a true historical battle and a big impressive cast set the backdrop. What I was most impressed with was the use of real ships that give the story a sense of authenticity and realism. There are some truly impressive shots of these immense, destructive warships at sea, and some equally enjoyable shots of cast and crew on-board these ships.

Beyond that though, the movie stays on a superficial for its first half of the 119-minute running time. It gets bogged down quickly in the details and the naval tactics of the history. It's apparently very accurate, but that doesn't make the story interesting to watch. The commander of the cruiser convoy (Anthony Quayle) sits down with his ship commanders and explains what their plan of attack is. Then we see the attack after an excruciatingly long segment of the ships scanning the horizons for the Graf Spee that plays in real-time (seemingly of course). The actual battle is ships miles away from each other just blasting away at each other. While we see the effects as the shells land and tear the ships apart, it is far from exciting to watch. I never felt emotionally or personally invested in the story that sticks to close to its quasi-documentary style.   

After the slow-moving naval intro that never really caught my attention, 'Pursuit' finally picked up pace in the second half when it takes a surprising turn. Severely damaged in the battle, the Graf Spee makes a beeline for the neutral harbor of Montevideo with the British not far behind. What follows is an interesting twist of that international intrigue as the Uruguayan government (including minister Peter Illing) decides what to do with the situation as several foreign ministers (Anthony Bushell = British, Douglas Wilmer = French, John Chandos = German) try to get their two cents in. At the same time, intelligence agents (Michael Goodliffe and William Squire) attempt to decipher what the Germans will do. An American radio rep (Lionel Murton) for NBC describes the action from shore as huge crowds gather on the beaches and docks to see what happens. The story just plays differently, and it plays well with a change of pace.

The overall casting has its positives and negatives. 'Pursuit' features a lot of impressive names, but like the early goings in the story, it has a superficial feel to it. The naval battle is especially affected in negative fashion, faceless sailors in white yelling amidst smoke and chaos. The captains of the British cruisers include John Gregson, Ian Hunter and Jack Gwillim with Patrick Macnee as one of their subordinates. Also look for Christopher Lee as Manolo, a passionate Uruguayan bar owner who bothers Murton's radio man, with Donald Moffat as a signalman in his film debut, and Anthony Newley and Nigel Stock with small, uncredited supporting parts. I wanted to like this one more, but it's too uneven and missing that special something (energy is my final verdict) that brings a movie up a notch. The second half is considerably better so stick with it for the payoff.

Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956): ** 1/2 /****     

Moon

It hovers about Earth like a sea waiting to be fished. A natural satellite of planet Earth, the Moon is a natural backdrop for science fiction films. It seems to be where something horrific makes its last stop before assaulting Earth. In others, something has been hiding for hundreds of years on the Moon dormant, just waiting to strike. Then there's 2009's Moon, maybe the best of them all, a great science fiction film.

Working for Lunar Industries, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) works on the moon. He's nearing the end of a three-year contract at an elaborately-built base that extracts a form of helium -- a pure energy -- from the Moon, harvests it and sends it back to Earth. His only companion is GERTY (voice of Kevin Spacey), a computerized artificial intelligence with who he communicates and works. As he nears the end of his three-year tour of duty as a completely isolated individual, Sam is not surprisingly psyched to get home and see his wife and child who he's never seen. But just a few weeks removed from his final days, Sam starts to see weird things, notice weirder things around the base and all around it. What's going on? Has the isolation begun to tear his brain apart, or is there something else going on?

From first-time director Duncan Jones, I loved this movie. Loved it. Working with fellow screenwriter Nathan Parker, Jones has created a homage to his favorite sci-fi flicks of his youth -- 2001, Solaris, Silent Running, THX 1138 among others -- while also making an expertly written, well-told story that is able to stand on its own. Jones even admitted in interviews that he was trying to make a film that in terms of visual, tone and style was reminiscent of the late 1970s and early 1980s. I loved the look of the film with the eerily white passages of the Moon base to the seemingly dead, empty miles surrounding it on all sides. There is a calmness and eerie quality in general that makes the film special. It isn't aggressive or full of shock value. It wants to tell a story, an ultra-personal one, with some good twists and a great electronic, trance-like score from composer Clint Mansell.

I was intrigued reading the plot synopsis about Jones' film when I stumbled across it via Netflix. It was mysterious without being overtly so. It was vague, but in a way that drew me in instead of driving me away with its "cleverness." I was worried then about 40 minutes into a 97-minute film when a rather major twist is revealed. It takes its time developing itself, explaining itself, and momentarily, I struggled to keep up. All I can say is this; stick with it. It is completely worth it. It keeps unraveling and revealing more, improving with each additional layer added. I'll usually post spoiler alerts and just warn readers not to read if they want any secrets blown up, but I don't feel like I can do that here, even a slight reveal. The success of the movie -- and your enjoyment -- will no doubt come from how much you embrace the twist. It is smart, original, and the pay-off is incredible in a way I didn't see coming. I loved its originality, and it's more than just an interesting idea. It's executed well.

With a very limited cast, the movie's success rides almost exclusively on the shoulders of Sam Rockwell. No concern there because he hits a home run with his performance. Rockwell is one of my favorite actors currently working in Hollywood (I wish he'd do more roles!!!), and he shows why here. Playing astronaut of sorts Sam Bell, Rockwell is given a chance to show a variety of different emotions and feelings within one part. He questions if he's losing his mind or is he as sane as ever? I loved that variety that Rockwell offers with the part, especially with the twist revealed about halfway through the movie. As his companion, Spacey is brilliant casting as GERTY, the artificial intelligence "mind" in the vein of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. His calm, cool and subtly played voice feels like a set-up as GERTY. What's this artificial intelligence up to? I loved the visual there too, an interface moving via the ceiling with a small panel featuring a 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' face as the face of Sam's interaction. It smiles, it frowns, it looks confused. It's a great dynamic back and forth.

This is a movie that depends on Rockwell and Spacey to carry the film, a task the duo does effortlessly. There are a few small supporting parts that round out the cast, starting with Dominique McElligott as Tess, Sam's wife back home waiting to see her husband again. Kaya Scodelario has a bit part as Eve, Sam's grown-up daughter (he thinks) he starts to see in odd hallucinations. Benedict Wong and Matt Berry plays Lunar executives communicating via transmission about the success of Sam's tour.

I can't say enough about this movie. Science fiction films so often resort to cheap scares or 'Gotcha!' moments to be effective, but Jones' film avoids all those pratfalls. It is at times unsettling to watch, the questions without answers, the worry of the unknown and what awaits Sam at the end of his worries. 'Moon' develops perfectly, finding its groove quickly and racing to the finish once it is all laid out. I loved this movie, and I'm just sorry it took this long to get on my radar.

Moon (2009): ****/****

Escort West

Think 'wild west,' and a lot of people will think of the 30-plus years after the Civil War right on through the end of the 19th Century. But there is a crossover as the two historical eras overlapped. Yes, the Civil War western like Major Dundee, Escape from Fort Bravo, Two Flags West, and now, a new entry, 1958's Escort West.

It's been just a few months since the end of the Civil War, and ex-Confederate soldier Ben Lassiter (Victor Mature) is riding west with his 10-year old daughter, Abby (Reba Walters). They're heading to Oregon -- via Nevada? -- but now they've caught up with a Union patrol guarding a payroll shipment. Ben and Abby head their separate ways, but down the trail they ride across the massacred remains of the patrol with two female survivors, sisters Beth (Elaine Stewart) and Martha (Faith Domergue) Drury. A Modoc war party is on the warpath killing everything in its path. The Drury sisters tell Ben they were supposed to meet up with another Union patrol somewhere ahead of them, but they're not sure exactly where. While trying to avoid the Modoc warriors, can Ben and Co. manage to find the patrol and safety?

This western from director Francis D. Lyon is interesting for its writing staff; actor/writer Leo Gordon and Fred Hartsook (cool name). Gordon made a career out of playing tough guy roles in films like Tobruk (also wrote), Hondo and many others, including this one. He also wrote more than a few films and TV episodes and did it well. Gordon had a knack for writing meat and potato stories that audiences ate up. They're pretty straight forward, but they feature plenty of action and tough guys beating the hell out of each other. This one is pretty straightforward too, even a little short at 75 minutes, but western fans should enjoy it.

The Civil War western angle plays well here. A few months since the end of the war, Mature's Ben is looking for a fresh start. He's put the war behind him and wants to move on with his daughter. Meeting up with Union cavalry troopers though that aren't so forgiving, the hatred and rivalry from the war still very much alive. It's made worse when Ben meets the Drury sisters. Beth likes the Confederate and his daughter, but Martha isn't so forgiving, holding a hard-edged hatred for the Confederacy having lost her husband in the war (but there's more going on there too). The Union vs. Confederacy angle works well, giving a familiar western a fresh perspective. Then, the two former enemies must band together to survive Indian attacks. Good stuff all around.

The casting is good from top to bottom here, starting with Mature. He's a very capable soldier, but we also see a softer side of him as he looks out for his daughter. Stewart is solid and Domergue is appropriately shrill and hateful as the Drury sisters. Rex Ingram is a scene-stealer as Nelson, a black Union quartermaster wounded in the attack who bonds with Ben. The Union troopers include William Ching and Noah Beery Jr. as the officers in charge with Slim Pickens, Harry Carey Jr., Ken Curtis and Gordon. With a movie that's just 75 minutes, none of these familiar western faces are given much to do, but it's cool to see so many in one film. Would the movie be better with some more development in story and characters? Sure, what movie wouldn't? What's here is solid though.

Filmed in black and white, 'Escort' has the California hills/mountains posing as the Nevada mountains. It's got an interesting visual look to the story, the black and white adding a nice touch. The cavalry vs. Modoc story develops nicely with a claustrophobic touch as the canyons full of rocks and plants seem to be closing in on the troopers. Indians are hiding all around, just waiting to attack. An actor named X Brands play Tago, the Modoc leader. The biggest flaw may be that at 75 minutes, it feels rushed. The ending comes together too quickly, wrapping up in a flash because....well, because it does. It's a solid, entertaining B-western that could have been significantly better, but it's not bad for what it is.

Escort West (1958): ** 1/2 /**** 

Glory Road

As long as there are sports, I think there will always be unique, entertaining and well-told films about sports. The natural drama and tension translate well to the big screen, and all the better when the stories are true to history. Going for some timely reviews with the Final Four and National Championship game around the corner, but here goes with 2006's Glory Road.

A high school girls basketball coach, Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) is hired by Texas Western, a small Division I school in El Paso, to lead the men's basketball team. With virtually no budget, no facilities and no history to speak of as a program, Haskins has to think outside the box as he tries to assemble a team that can win some games. Not surprisingly, many highly touted/ranked players are interested in playing for the little school so Haskins starts to recruit African American athletes who are getting no interest from other DI schools. Just about everyone at the university bristles at the very thought, but Haskins doesn't care much what others think of him or his program. He gets the athletes to come out and play, but the odds are stacked against him. In the mid 1960s when black athletes were still a rarity in basketball, Haskins has seven black players on his roster.

From director James Gartner, 'Glory' is the true story of the 1965-1966 Texas Western men's basketball team that ultimately won the National Championship, defeating powerhouse Kentucky in the championship game. Read more about the team HERE.That in itself isn't hugely appealing, is it? Nah, it's how they did it. Utilizing an entirely black lineup, coach Don Haskin's team defeated an entirely white Kentucky team coached by coaching legend (and known racists) Adolph Rupp. Spoilers? Eh, sorry, I figured if you made into the third paragraph of a sports review, you knew the history. My bad. It was a strategy, a season, and ultimately, a game that changed the face and direction of college basketball. It revolutionized how the game was played, something that still has quite an impact on basketball today in 2013.

Telling the story from the angle of the players and coaches, 'Glory' follows Haskins' hiring through his recruitment, preseason, season and ultimately the NCAA tournament. Clocking in at 110 minutes (hold the credits), it tackles quite the large topic, racism (even civil rights on a bigger level) in a rather turbulent time in American history. Black players dealt with death threats, racist chants and "cheers," any number of horrific things. At times, 'Glory' goes down the heavy-handed route to show us the prejudices they faced. It gets almost tiring to the point it's exhausting as the season develops. Is this how it happened in real-life during the season? Unfortunately, yes, very much so. Racism -- small scale or a bigger scale -- is horrific, but watching it doesn't always make for an enjoyable story. Interesting? Yes, but uncomfortable to the point it takes away from the enjoyment.

Playing real historical figures -- real figures who are still alive at that -- can be a daunting task, but the performances here are solid. As Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins, Lucas makes the most of a familiar part; the coach trying to get his players to gel and be the best they can. Emily Deschanel is solid as Don's wife, Mary, dealing with the prejudice/racism on the home front. Evan Jones plays Don's nerdy assistant, Moe, while Red West is a scene-stealer as Ross Moore, a longtime basketball and strength coach with the weathered face and years of knowledge. And in a small part, Jon Voight is solid as legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp.   

And then there's the players, both good and bad. The movie runs under two hours and has a lot of characters to deal with. Texas Western's team includes Bobby Joe Hill (Derek Luke), a skilled guard out of Detroit, David Lattin (Schin A.S. Kerr), a bullish, skilled forward from Houston, Orstin Artis (Alphonso McAuley), a Gary, Indiana YMCA kid with flash but not fundamentals, Harry Flournoy (Mehcad Brooks), a strong-willed all-around player from Gary, Willie Worsley (Sam Jones III), a fiery little guard from Brooklyn, Willie Cager (Damaine Radcliff), an energetic, skilled worker from Brooklyn, and Nevil Shed (Al Shearer), a gifted player from Brooklyn without the toughness. The white players on the team are generally kept in the background, Austin Nichols and James Olivard being the most visible. With so many characters, they come across at times like cardboard cutouts. They're given issues to deal with -- distracting girlfriends, toughness, work ethic, health issues, overly emotional -- in an effort to humanize them.

There's something missing here in 'Glory' that prevents it from being a classic that I can't put my finger on. The history is generally portrayed accurately with some artistic license taken on how the games are portrayed. The movie scores are vastly different from some of the real-life games. Yeah yeah, I get it, drama over accuracy. As well, the basketball scenes feel rushed and much more like a 2006 style than a 1966 style. If I'm wrong so be it, but I don't think there was a lot of alley-oop dunks or off the backboard passes for throwdowns. Still, it's a good underdog story overall. If it doesn't rise to classic status, so be it.

Glory Road (2006): ***/****

Wanderlust

Airing between 1993 and 1995 on MTV, The State was an odd mix of weird characters and skits that helped put an impressive list of comedians in the limelight, including David Wain who's become a film director -- among other things -- in the years since. The State crew sticks together though, working together in films like Wet, Hot American Summer, Role Models, and most recently 2012's Wanderlust.

Having bought a micro-loft in New York City, married couple George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) are forced to improvise on the fly when George's financial company is shut down and Linda's documentary is turned down by HBO. With no money to speak of, the couple heads south to Atlanta to live with George's brother (Ken Marino), who has also offered him a job at his successful port-a-potty company.  Road tripping south, they stop at Elysium, a bed and breakfast spot they soon learn is a hippie commune. Weirded out at first by the commune's general freeness with just about everything, George and Linda then start to see that maybe this out of the way place is what they needed. It gets them away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, reconnecting with what brought them together..........or maybe not.

Anyone who's watched the above-listed movies along with a film like The Ten, comedy groups like Stella and TV shows like Reno 911 knows that the type of humor the extended State group favors is........odd? Off the wall? Eclectic? Random? Yep, one and all. The best example is 'American Summer' for me, ridiculously stupid and random humor that rises above because it embraces the stupidity. I find the humor hit or miss for the most part though in their other ventures. When a bit works, it can be a home run. When a bit fails, it does so epically. Directing this 2012 comedy that struggled in theaters (making just over $17 million), Wain has that typically odd humor with a solid cast. It starts off strong, producing a fair share of laughs, but it struggles to keep up the energy throughout its 98-minute run time.

What is never in question is the strong casting. Rudd is one of the funniest actors currently working in film and television, and he doesn't disappoint. It's not quite a straight man part to the hijinks -- he's given his chances for looniness -- but it's a relatively subdued part. Aniston too is solid if unspectacular, but the duo has some good chemistry together. As George's well-to-do a-hole brother, Marino is a scene-stealer. He has perfected that jackass part dripping with smarminess, Michaela Watkins playing his spaced-out wife. Also look for Keegan Michael Key as an HBO executive, Todd Barry as George's jokey co-worker, and an uncredited/unlisted Ray Liotta playing himself in a scene-stealing appearance in the final scene wrap-up.

It's at Elysium though that the more memorable parts come out, many of them coming from State cast members. Justin Theroux plays Seth, the philosophical Renaissance man running the place with his new-age thinking while Alan Alda plays Carvin, the man who founded Elysium in 1971 and never left. Oh, and acid has torn apart any sort of memory/coherence he has. Just some of the zany folks at the zany commune include Eva (Malin Akerman) who wants to sleep with George, Wayne (Joe Lo Truglio), the nudist winemaker trying to write a novel, Karen (Kathryn Hahn), the hotheaded pacifist, Kathy (Kerri Kenney), the necessarily ultra-odd hippie, and Almond (Lauren Ambrose) and Rodney (Jordan Peele), the white woman dating a BLACK MAN!!!!!

With a whole lot of talent on-screen, much of the humor looks it came from improv. A "truth circle" is a good mix of laughs and drama with a great pay-off courtesy of peyote. The reveal of George playing a didgeridoo with the hippies is similarly a solid pay-off. The hippies rub their fingers together rather than clap because it's "less aggressive." Little things like that go a long way, underplayed to perfection. Unfortunately, much of the humor doesn't lean that way. It's obvious, even a little self-indulgent like Wain and Stella-mates Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black playing a news team with some painfully obvious sexual innuendos. It's so obvious it takes away the humor.

So while there are laughs, it only takes the movie until around the hour mark. From there on in, the laughs are left by the wayside, and things get more predictable. The supposedly pure Seth has his eyes set on Linda?!? I didn't see that coming!!!! Worst than that, some of the humor becomes uncomfortable to watch, like Rudd's improvising dirty talk in front of a mirror is painful. It gets worse later when he tries that with Akerman's Eve. I became increasingly frustrated with this movie as it went along to the point I actively disliked it at times. It's never good when the final wrap-up scene is the movie's highlight, the outtakes over the credits producing the biggest laughs. Capable cast, some funny moments but mostly a disappointment.

Wanderlust (2012): **/****

The Place Beyond the Pines

It's been about 24 hours since I saw 2013's The Place Beyond the Pines in theaters, and I'm still processing the film. Reviews were uniformly positive, the trailer instantly hooked me as did the cast, and my first thought was that it resembled an art-house crime drama like a Melville film or a moody 1970s American flick like The Driver. So yeah, I'm still processing it, but in a good way for a change. I liked it a lot, just deciding if maybe I loved it too.

A stunt motorcycle rider at a traveling carnival, Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) meets Romina (Eva Mendes) as the carnival returns to towns it visited the summer before. She has a shock for him; she had a baby, and it's his, the product of their one night together the year before. Romina has moved on, but Luke wants to help raise his son. He starts work as a mechanic, hoping to provide for his boy, but the money just isn't there. With a co-worker, he starts to rob banks, netting more than enough money to give Romina and his son everything they need. The plan can only work for so long though, and Luke's actions have put him on a path that will have him cross ways with Aaron (Bradley Cooper), a talented if inexperienced cop dealing with his own issues in the department.

I don't usually do this, but here goes. This is a review that's going to be somewhat difficult to write without giving some spoilers away. I won't be giving away any MAJOR SPOILERS -- and there are some surprising twists -- but be forewarned. There are some storytelling twists that I will have to talk about to be even remotely coherent.

Director Derek Cianfrance's follow-up to his uniquely interesting -- some would say odd -- 2010 film Blue Valentine, 'Pines' is a gem of a film. I fell for it the second I watched the trailer. It is an artsy, well-told and unique story that doesn't settle for any semblance of the status quo. The developing story has a lyrical feel to it, based in this world but in an almost ethereal feel to it. Cianfrance filmed on location in Schenectady (where the story takes place), a city in eastern New York that feels removed from the congestion and business of everyday life. It's a town that looks like any number of small towns across the country. Maybe the best thing adding to the mood and tone is the soundtrack from composer Mike Patton. It is a perfect mix of trance, subtle electronica, choirs, and quasi-religious church hymns. The score is perfect, giving it an authentic sense of the ethereal, the other worldly. Give it a listen HERE for the best track. 

Here comes the semi-spoilers so again, be forewarned. At 140 minutes, 'Pines' is broken down into three separate segments. The first has Gosling's Luke trying to provide for his son in desperate fashion, turning to robbing banks. The second has Cooper's Aaron trying to carve a name out for himself as a young police officer dealing with quite a legacy. The third actually fast-forwards 15 years as Luke's son, Jason (Dane DeHaan), meets Aaron's son, A.J. (Emory Cohen), at high school, the two teenagers not knowing that they're somehow connected through their fathers. Each segment is given equal time, about 45 minutes, each given a chance to breathe and develop without feeling forced. Don't be confused. They are connected, one part of the story transitioning seamlessly into the next. It's rare to see a story develop like that, and 'Pines' does it well. It's different from most films which isn't necessarily a good thing, but this one is a huge positive.

The unifying link among the three segments is the relationships between fathers and their sons, a story arc used in everything from Field of Dreams to The Godfather and countless others. Luke sees he's made a mistake and wants to right those mistakes. He's so driven to do that, he turns to crime. Aaron similarly wants to care for his infant son, but he doesn't know if the career he's chosen is actually the right one. Cianfrance's script shows how one decision affects another, one action leads to another. The relationship between a father and son is a simple and complicated relationship at the same time. Without sounding pretentious, the artsy story uses the notion that the universe is connected, people who are supposed to meet will meet. Some paths and individuals are destined to cross no matter what happens.

There isn't a weak performance in the bunch. Semi-channeling his part from the equally impressive Drive, Gosling is a gem. His part as Luke is the perfect doomed, moody anti-hero. We know from when we meet him his path will not be a smooth one. Luke's scenes with his baby boy are perfection, including one silent scene after some startling violence. He continues to impress me as an actor. Arriving about the 45-minute mark, Cooper takes a familiar part -- young cop dealing with corrupt police force -- and makes it his own. He's a hero on the force and struggling to deal with his newfound fame. Relative newcomers DeHaan and Cohen more than handle themselves well in the final act. The high point of the story was Gosling's portion, but I enjoyed it all from beginning to end.

Playing a key supporting part, Mendes too is very solid as Romina, the mother of Luke's child who has moved on, moving in with Kofi (scene-stealing Mahershala Ali). Without being obvious in her part, Mendes does a good job making Romina human without being obnoxious or hamming it up. Ben Mendelsohn is similarly a scene-stealer as Robin, Luke's boss at a fix-it shop who turns him onto bank robbery. Rose Byrne plays Aaron's worrying wife while Harris Yulin plays his famous father. Bruce Greenwood makes an effective, quick appearance as a district attorney while Ray Liotta plays (GASP!) a dirty cop recruiting Aaron. All solid parts supporting the leads.

I'm liking this film more and more as I write the review. The third part drags a little bit, and I would have liked a more definite ending, but it works just the same. Cianfrance's script has everything coming full circle (well, almost), wrapping up everything in a moving, at times heartbreaking finale. The title comes from the Mohawk translation of Schenectady by the way. I loved this movie. It starts with a worthy start, an impressive tracking shot following Luke as he walks through the carnival, and never really lets up. Well worth seeking out, and definitely a change of pace from most movies.

The Place Beyond the Pines (2013): ****/****