Fright Night Review

Fright Night Review

Remakes of classic films are seemingly everywhere. Hollywood has essentially become obsessed with the idea that what was once out dated can once again be classic if dusted off, cleaned up and of course updated for the youth market. There is no doubt in my mind that this version of Fright Night is very much aimed at teens and young adults who without question wouldn't have known this was a remake unless people like me told them. There is nothing sacred about the original Fright Night from 1987. It is and was just your standard vampire next door movie. So when it comes to remakes I don't mind them digging up lumps of coal and turning them into...well, shiny polished lumps of coal.

The Fright Night of 2011 is something that in 23 years will be looked upon in a similar fashion to the Fright Night of 1987. The story is not spectacular, and neither are the effects. Don't get me wrong they are both perfectly adequate and are neither distracting or awe inspiring. They are in a word acceptable. Acceptable for a movie of this caliber. However, where this version of Fright Night excels is in the performances.

Colin Farrell shines as the wicked vampire "Jerry." He absolutely relishes in the role and as he preys upon and stalks his unwitting victims you can tell he was born for this kind of charming monster. Also exceptional is Anton Yelchin as the teenager who discovers that his charming neighbor is a creature of the night. Yelchin brings a quiet intensity to the part that allows you to believe he is just another naive kid but also take him seriously when he decides to take control and go on the offensive. The final performance of note is also quite possibly my favorite of the film. Peter Vincent, played by David Tennant is an example of a brilliantly written character played perfectly. Vincent is your typical Vegas Magician. He is full of flash and theatricality, a shining example of gothic indulgence and mystery, but all of that is smoke and mirrors. Behind closed doors his true nature is revealed, and that is just a cowardly english slob, who drinks as heavily as he curses. His true nature of course is a result of his tortured past, which led him to the occult and why our hero seeks his advice. Tennant plays the multi leveled character so well he steals every scene he is in and, were it not for his ferocity and delight, would have stolen the movie away from Colin Farrell.

Jerry is quite a pleasant and charming fellow, all the better to suck you in before he sucks you dry. But Jerry is nothing more than a serial killer or a sociopath, putting you at ease with his charisma just long enough to gain the element of surprise when he attacks his victims. Vampires have always been romanticized by Hollywood. It is easy to make these beastly characters sympathetic immortals who are tortured by their curse. Fright Night is not your brooding, moody, romantic vampire story. No, it is a brutal, violent and vicious vampire film. Vampires are monsters, they are predatory creatures, preying on humans like lions prey upon gazelle. The bloodsuckers in this movie are less Soap Opera more Shark Week and it is refreshing to see monsters on film actually be monsters again. While the violence in the film is never gratuitous or overly gory, much blood (most of it CGI) is spilled, splattered and spewed.

The movie is full of dark humor, traditional vampire eroticism, jumps, scares, and of course action. While Fright Night may not be a perfect film; it fits nicely into the end of the summer when audiences are ready for something other than mindless action, but not quite ready to think heavy yet.

The Beaver Review

The Beaver Review

Make no mistake The Beaver is not a feel good movie.  It is not light summer fun.  It is not a comedy, or even a dark comedy.  Yes it has some clever moments, and some moments that will make you laugh.  These moments of laughter are more out of discomfort than of humor.  Jodie Foster is a great director.  Her two previous features, Little man Tate, and Home for the Holidays, are two of my favorite movies.  With the Beaver she has created another small picture that is honest, and meaningful.  You can include this as another perfect swing in her flawless directorial career.  The Beaver is a dark movie, with a sensitive soul, and real sincerity that cannot be ignored.

Mel Gibson, who may or may not be mentally ill himself, plays Walter Black, a deeply depressed individual who cannot cope with his life in any capacity.  His depression has left him hopelessly stagnant, unable to do anything but sleep. The depression leads to the breakdown of his personal relationships with his wife, played perfectly by Jodie Foster, and his two sons.  The eldest son, Porter, played by Anton Yelchin despises his father. He hates his father not only because of what his father's disease has done to their relationship, but because he sees himself becoming like him.  Walter is seriously disturbed, and the events that occur in the movie only continue to strengthen is disassociation with reality. When Walter first discovers the beaver he is instantly different, experiencing a new mania, full of ideas, and energy.  His wife is skeptical at first, but soon accepts his "treatment" and things seem to return to normal.  Porter on the other hand is cynical, and cannot be won over by the charming beaver, or its seemingly beneficial influence on his father.  Porter is of course going through his own personal struggles, he is a prolific term paper writer, who is currently struggling to write the valedictorian's graduation speech for her, mostly because he has a crush on her, but also because she is a bit of a mystery to him. After a while the beaver looses its charm with his wife, and she begins to confront Walter, asking him to become himself again. Needless to say this doesn't go over well, and the family disintegrates once again. When his wife leaves with the kids Walter returns to his depression and this time the beaver can't help. There is a point in this movie when I realized that The Beaver is essentially is the same character as Tyler Durden.  A personality split our main character has created in order to cope with his mental defect.  Just like in Fight Club when Walter  realizes his "helper" is nothing more than a dissociative disorder, mayhem ensues. 

You could make a significant argument that The Beaver is really just an allegory for our over medicated society.  That the beaver is merely a metaphor for prozac, or any other anti depressant. I think you could also make a strong argument that the story is about realizing that no matter what happens to us, no matter how we are feeling we are not alone, we are never alone, and that there is always hope.  The movie's real strengths however lie in its performances.  Mel Gibson gives an incredibly outstanding performance in this movie.  His performance is so real, so intense, so nuanced, and so perfect that he should undoubtedly be in contention, if not the front runner come Oscar time. There are times in this movie that he allows you to forget that the beaver is just a puppet, and then there are times when he forces us to. Also to be noted is Anton Yelchin, who's portrayal of Porter should also be a contender for Best Supporting Actor. The movie is as much about Porter as it is about Walter, and without the strong performance of Yelchin the movie could have easily fallen apart.

There is not much more I can say about the movie, it is incredibly well made, and while I do think it will be easily overlooked this summer, It will hopefully be remembered come awards season. I encourage everyone to see it when they get the opportunity.

The Beaver opens in select cities on May 6th, 2011