Oz, the Great and Powerful - The Thin Man? Really???

It is not a terrible movie or a great movie, it is a Disney movie. It is signature Disney with a lot of happiness sprinkled with some evil touches to keep the audience awake. This a prequel to the original Wizard of Oz. The main character Oscar Diggs (aka Oz) is transported to the Land of pre Oz, meets three witches and has a great battle to secure a sequel to the prequel.

Acting in this movie was not a push. If over acting was a currency James Franco would be a millionaire. For the three witches, Mila Kunes, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams, their acting is unremarkable, and almost interchangeable, but they look really good doing it. The battles between good and evil are spectacular and are fun to watch.

Regrettably there was not much humor in this movie. The camaraderie of the Scarecrow, Thin Man and Cowardly Lion is sorely missed. It is difficult to imitate a classic without duplicating it. This Oz does not do it.

See this movie if you are into fantasy or nostalgic for the original Oz. As for the audience this movie is a bit scary (it’s those dam flying monkeys) so kids should be older than twelve years old, except kids from the Bronx older than five is OK.

The Call - It Make Life Interesting

For a B movie The Call is very good. But before I continue, what the hell is with Halle Berry’s hair in this film? It looks like a Chiba Pet is growing out of her head. From here the review gets better.

The genre is familiar. Bad guy kidnaps a young girl, shoves her in the trunk of a car and a police chase ensues.  There are similarities to Silence of the Lambs, but more in tone than a rip off. The unique parts are interesting enough to hold your attention. The movie maintains tension which is essential to a suspense film. Berry is a 911 operator who deals with a cell call from a young girl, Abigail Breslin, who is girl in the trunk. There is some blood and gore, but nothing that would interest Quentin Tarantino.

All three principal actors give serviceable performances. Halle Berry does not over do the nervous operator type. There are some far fetched scenes, but they do not spoil the film. Little Miss Sunshine goes to the dark side, and she seems to like it there. I was skeptical of her performance but her character’s transition is well done.  Michael Eklund plays the creepy kidnapper who has enough film time to give a strong performance. One aspect of his character even bothered me. I like the ending because I did not expect it; the audience liked it also.

For the most part the critics panned this movie. Don’t always listen to the critics, it make life interesting.

The Master - Jim Jones sans Kool Aid

This is not a date flick. The relationships in the movie are volatile and intense. Love and hate exist in the same space. To appreciate the film you have to separate the story from the acting. The story is loosely based on Scientology founded by L. Ron Hubbard. The film offers snap shots of how the cult operates from the domination by the Master to the cult devotion of his followers.

Joaquin Phoenix (and his character, Freddie Sutton) has more issues than National Geographic. Phoenix’s character is a recent World War II veteran whose future is aimless. Phoenix’s transformation into Sutton is stunning. It is evident Phoenix lost weight for this role; his frame is gaunt and his face is a leathery mask. Sutton is tortured by the past and an uncertain present. He is always on the verge of exploding against friends and foes. This guy is so messed up he cannot even belong to a cult. What dark closet did Phoenix pull this character from?

Philip Seymour Hoffman is the Master. He is Jim Jones sans Kool Aid. Hoffman specializes in playing the deceptively soft spoken domineering character, and here he does it well. His cult is young and evolving. Hoffman uses charm and when needed brutality to advance his cause. Sutton is his blunt instrument.

This was not a comfortable movie. Sutton is distressed and is unable to find peace or belonging. For all his guile, Hoffman is basically a charlatan and he knows it. As for his flock, they are sheep. Some lucky sheep will disco dance and fly jets and others will marry tall women.