Exit Through the Gift Shop

Release Date: December 14th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Documentary / Comedy

Stars: Banksy, Thierry Guetta, Shepard Fairey, Space Invader

Synopsis: Details the story of a man who devotes his life to documenting the underground world of street art and winds up becoming an artist himself.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                              

A very fascinating story that is funny and also says a lot about the condition of our society.

Writing / Production:                 

The one flaw I found with this film is that for the first half it is unclear as to why Thierry Guetta is the main subject of the documentary as opposed to the talented street artists who risk their life and freedom to make a statement that may only be visible for a matter of hours.  Once the twist is unveiled that Guetta used his connections from the hours of recording these artist to leverage his own success as an artist, the beginning makes more sense and it would have been more effective to reveal that fact a bit sooner.

Acting:                                       

While there aren't "actors" in a documentary the subject characters are entertaining and interesting which helps to make the film fun to watch.

Originality:                                  

The exposure to street art combined with this unbelievable tale of a man who gains overnight success in the art community by somewhat questionable methods provide extremely fresh material.

Overall:                                       

"Exit Through the Gift Shop" is a comical expose of a quirky man who loves street art and a serious indictment of how his own art work became worth thousands of dollars.  Hopefully this documentary will not only entertain audiences but also encourage them to value independent thought especially when it comes to viewing and purchasing art. 

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Predators

Release Date: July 9th, 2010

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi

Stars: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne

Synopsis: A group of professional killers from different backgrounds find themselves dropped into a jungle with no memory of how they got there and hunted by something otherworldly.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                              

Brings a decent formula to the table for what could amount to a pretty entertaining action adventure ride.

Writing / Production:                

The biggest problem with "Predators" is the painfully slow start and mundane lulls between the action.  The action scenes are okay but disappointing considering how long the audience sits in anticipation of them.  The special effects seemed hokie at times which drove the final nail in the coffin for this film.

Acting:                                         

I just don't think bad ass is in Adrien Brody's range so it is unfortunate that the film makers didn't go with someone else.  Laurence Fishburne and Topher Grace were very good but their roles were too small to carry the movie.  The rest of the supporting cast gets a solid B+.

Originality:                              

The film is a sequel and really offers only one small plot twist audiences may not see coming that is in the end quite trivial.

Overall:                                      

Action adventure movies are supposed to keep your juices flowing and at the very least not put you to sleep.  "Predators" fails to do either and perpetually will keep you waiting for something good to happen. 

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The Chosen One

Release Date: November 9th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Stars: Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi, Carolina Gomez

Synopsis: A down in the dumps American car salesman is deemed "The Chosen One" by three shaman from a Columbian tribe seeking his help to restore order to the universe.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                      

It' an off the wall and wacky idea but that isn't always a bad thing when it comes to comedy.

Writing / Production:       

There were a couple of funny moments but this movie didn't even try for laughs during a vast majority of the film.  The overall tone and direction was surprisingly serious and wrong considering anybody who picks this movie up will expect humor. 

Acting:                                

Steve Buscemi is great as the protagonists spritually "enlightened" brother but Rob Schneider gets away from his niche with disastrous results in "The Chosen One".  The rest of the cast is not memorable for being superb nor heinous.

Originality:                      

I think we'd all agree there are plenty of boring unfunny films parading as "comedies" in this world.

Overall:                              

"The Chosen One" was written by Rob Schneider, directed by Rob Schneider, and starred Rob Schneider.  Just not the Rob Schneider we like who makes us laugh without thinking too hard.  The new Rob Schneider wants to be taken more seriously and he makes terrible movies that are hard to stay awake for.

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My Own Love Song

Release Date: December 7th, 2010 (DVD)

Genre: Drama

Stars: Renee Zellweger, Forest Whitaker, Madeline Zima, Nick Nolte

Synopsis: A wheelchair bound paralyzed woman and her male mental patient friend set out on a road trip in search of change.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                        

A nice idea that is definitely more reliant upon characters than storyline but a fair tale nonetheless.

Writing / Production:       

There are quite a few good scenes that are unfortunately frequently interrupted by several surreal sequences that don't belong in this picture and only distract and detract from the value of the film.  

Acting:                                     

All the major players in this movie are talented professionals and perform very well.  Forest Whitaker probably stands out slightly from his co-stars as the best performance in "My Own Love Song".

Originality:                        

This is one of those pictures that trys too hard to be different and ends up with a final product with much less quality than if it had strayed less from the formula.  Even if this means the film was somewhat original it is hardly the type of creativity we can reward.

Overall:                               

"My Own Love Song" features a brilliant cast that peforms well but unfortunately the final product is not likely to sit well with most audiences due mostly to the decision to use bizarre off the wall sequences that don't advance or add much to the story.  On a positive note, the two musical scenes were very well done and enjoyable to listen to.

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The Extra Man

Release Date: July 30th, 2010

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Stars: Kevin Kline, Paul Dano, Katie Holmes, John C. Reilly

Synopsis: A young man moves to Manhattan and rents a room from a quirky middle aged former playwrite who has taken up escorting wealthy elderly women.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                     

"The Extra Man" is not really a plot driven film by any means but could have benefitted greatly from some twists to keep the story fresh and interesting.

Writing / Production:            

The characters are developed very well and there are there are some great laughs especially during the first half of the movie.  As the film progresses it becomes somewhat stagnant and less interesting, making only a partial recovery as it concludes.

Acting:                                      

Kevin Kline is the show stopper and plays the oddball who takes in the protagonist quite brilliantly and hillariously.  Paul Dano as the protagonist performed admirably in spite of some somewhat difficult material and the rest of the cast were very professional and an asset to the film.

Originality:                             

This style of comedy feels vaguely familiar but is still quite uncommon and represented a welcome change of pace from the status quo.

Overall:                                    

"The Extra Man" builds up a full head of steam and then fizzles out midway through the film.  It is an introspective into lonliness that is very funny at times which will strike a chord with a particular audience and bore another to tears.

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