Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 was funny. That is, if you accept the premise that Kevin James plays a lovable but hapless schlep named Paul Blart, who will thwart his enemies and overcome adversity after being humiliated along the way. It’s not rocket science, but it’s fairly innocuous entertainment.
The reviewers of Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 may have been expecting something other than what is capable of being delivered here. This is not groundbreaking cinema, but harmless fun for the family.
There’s not a lot of depth here, but when you go into a movie with a fairly low bar of expectation, you are not quite as disappointed. If you were entertained by the antics of Paul Blart in the original film, you may well enjoy this second outing. There is no real difference in anything but the location-Las Vegas. Enough said.
Child 44: Looking for a murderer in Paradise
Reminiscent at times of the 1983 Film Gorky Park , Child 44 is another thriller set in Russia. This one is set in the oppressive Stalinist era that existed after World War II. Tom Hardy stars as a man who was raised to be loyal to the militaristic and oppressive regime of Joseph Stalin. From the beginning, his loyalty is tested. First, with the notion that “there is no such thing as murder in Paradise.” This is the ironic motto under which the police and military must operate. Later, when Hardy’s character, Leo, is asked to betray his wife, he must choose where his loyalty truly lies.
Like The Handmaids Tale, the characters operate in a dystopian atmosphere, therefore everyone behaves within the framework of an Orwellian state of being. Murder and torture are committed routinely by the ruling authorities in order to keep the citizens in line. In this environment, Leo is determined to unravel the identity of a man who is killing children. The total number of deaths is 44, hence the title: Child 44. But keeping with the mindset that there are no murders allowed to exist in Stalin’s Russia, the notion of finding a child murderer is a heavy lift. Based on the novel of the same name, the overall pace of the film feels dark, and the tone is suitably oppressive
There are some plot points to quibble over. The James Bond method of doing away with the protagonist makes one ask, “Why not simply shoot him?” But the plot does manage to wrap the ends up at a slow but steady pace. Perhaps a slightly shorter running time (it runs 2 hours 17 minutes) might have increased the pace.
Noomi Rapace, seen with Hardy in last year’s excellent film, , pairs again with him as his wife, Raisa. She is an effective foil for Leo’s determined and steadfast character who is fixated on learning the truth. Gary Oldman seems slightly under-utilized as General Nesterov, Leo’s skeptical and eventually supportive superior officer. All in all, the film features a good cast and an uneven screenplay, which makes for an interesting, but not overly exciting thriller.
6 Degrees: Recommended viewing
Last month, 6 Degrees recommended a few select sites to visit on the web to look for information on film. This month, we continue with more film sites.
- IMDB: This site (or app to download on your tablet or phone), is a good comprehensive place to go for information on upcoming films. There’s not a lot of elaborate background, but basic information to give you a good idea of what a film is about. Lots of films are released under the radar, and this site has extensive overall information concerning release dates and upcoming movie titles.
- Rotten Tomatoes: Another comprehensive site that includes reviews for films. My complaint: there’s too much going on. The site is so “busy” that it’s hard to focus on what you’re looking for.
- Netflix: If you are a Netflix member, this is a good place to find filmographies of your favorite actor or director. There are lots of titles, but it’s also laden with way too much information for those simply looking for basic background on a select film. There’s also a section (harder to find now than it was five years ago!), that includes the top 100 films on Netflix, plus Critics Choice and Foreign films.
- Turner Classic Movies: features monthly listings of films dating back to the beginning era of silent film all the way to the modern era. They group films by genre or by star, depending on the theme of the day. They also feature unique tributes to stars who have died recently, and those who have made unique contributions to cinema. All these things make Turner Classic a necessary tool for any serious film buff. The best thing to do is to look at the monthly schedule and mark the films that catch your eye. There’s a treasure trove of old movies in their vaults. Recently, they completed a deal with Disney to feature some of their old TV movies from the fifties. Some of the early Disney films are little gems of Americana. Baby boomers will remember Walt himself opening the TV show each week as he introduced the films.Some great character actors who never receive enough recognition are brought into focus in their opening vignettes. The hosts Charles Osborn and Ben Mankiewicz often offer up juicy tidbits and fascinating facts about the behind the scenes drama that often occurs on the sets of famous films.
- American Film Institute: This film site works best when it focuses on the honorees and special events. There are some good lists of film classics, and it’s a great place for movie buffs to check out and look for hidden gems or forgotten masterpieces.
Upcoming Films and trends:
Browsing through the list of upcoming films on IMDb (stands for Internet Movie Database), you’ll find some interesting trends emerging in the latest releases.
One thing apparent is Hollywood’s need to focus on diversity. Women are the focal point in several upcoming films. The Age of Adaline features up and comer Blake Lively as a woman who has lived for over a century without aging. Academy award winner Helen Hunt returns to the screen with a comedy about a mother who decides to drop out along with her surfer son.
Hot Pursuit stars Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara in a comedy with Witherspoon as a bumbling police woman and Vergara is the woman she is tasked to guard. Spy stars Melissa McCarthy in another comedy. McCarthy plays a CIA agent working a desk job who is sent on a dangerous field mission.
The message out of Hollywood is: Keep it light, keep it funny, and keep it all women, all the time!
Other films with women stars slated for release in the coming months include Welcome to me with Kristen Wiig and I’ll See you in my Dreams, starring Blythe Danner. Danner is proof that even older women are going to get on the girl-power train! Kate Winslet rounds out the field with a period piece set in France entitled, A Little Chaos.
6 Degrees focuses on the premise that almost all films are reworked or re-hashed material. There are only so many stories you can basically retell. One sure winner in movies is anything with children or animals. Dog lovers such as myself are always interested in seeing a film with a lovable mutt. Max is an upcoming film about a dog returning from serving in Afghanistan. Even dog lovers are getting in on the diversity wagon.
Of course, several remakes are in the works This season, Far from the Madding Crowd, a great film for Julie Christie and Alan Bates directed by John Schlesinger, was made in 1967. The remake stars Carey Mulligan. Mad Max is also being revamped with Tom Hardy (one of my favorite actors working now), and Charlize Theron. It’s set to debut at Cannes Film Festival, which should lend it some measure of gravitas. Survivor looks like a remake of Robert Redford’s Three Days of the Condor, only this time a woman, Milla Jovovich, has the lead.
Hollywood is continuing to look at the politics of war with Good Kill. The film, with Ethan Hawke, focuses on the moral and ethical struggles of a soldier who is assigned as a drone pilot. And there’s even a few Westerns out there for those of us who love the genre. Slow West stars Michael Fassbender.
The phrase Cinematic Universes has come into play in recent months. It appears there are several remakes in the works for Ghostbusters. Star Wars has spawned its own universe, as well as the Lord of the Rings and the world of Harry Potter. In the world of Hollywood, there doesn’t seem to be anything inherently wrong with spawning a Cinematic Universe (Especially if you can make money!)
But some of the purists do wince when they talk of the all- female cast of Ghostbusters, or a black lead for James Bond. The world is changing, and Hollywood is adapting slowly but surely.
Cinderella: A weak message embedded in a strong myth
There are some good things about Kenneth Branagh’s newest incarnation of Cinderella. The costuming is beautiful. There are two actresses from Downton Abbey appearing in the film (Rose plays Cinderella and Daisy is one of the stepsisters). Other highlights include the evil stepmother played by Cate Blanchett. And perhaps the most memorable feature is the CGI, the Computer Graphic Images that enable the fairy-tale to be updated for the 21st Century.
This would have been a chick flick, in another era. But post-modern feminists would deplore the banal message sent to young women. Cinderella’s enduring theme has been that your life begins when your prince arrives. Although in the post-modern era, there could be a socio-economic message about income inequality hidden within the plot. That may be stretching it.
And though the plot is thin, the visuals are beautiful and the message is the same. As films go, there’s not much here. The message is pretty banal. Cinderella is told by her dying mother to stay strong and be kind. It is the same message found within fortune cookies and Girl Scout troops. But young children will love the rich and colorful scenery, and the movie is family-friendly and innocuous enough to be viewed by old and young alike.
There’s a strong thread of banality that runs through many of the plots these days. Cinderella has a weak message but a strong foundation. The mythological quality of the story and the timeless elements weave through the thin narrative. This is not to be recommended for lovers of Shakespearean theatre. For that crowd, you should rent Brannagh’s Henry Vth or As you Like it. If you have young children or simply want to become immersed in a fairy tale for a few hours, then this is the movie for you.
6 Degrees: March Notes on Film
Final post-mortem on the Oscars:
A few we
eks ago I was discussing the poor quality of the recent Oscar shows with an old friend. We both remember the glamour and the excitement generated from past shows. There were not only glamourous stars and tributes to movie-making, but there was humor and elements of spontaneity that have been noticeably absent in recent years.
And the decision to ditch the clips of famous films makes the whole thing unwatchable. The original idea of the Academy was to create an awards show to congratulate the film-making community. If you take the original premise away, the program becomes one long, boring and pointless TV pilot.The recommended way to watch the program now would be to tape it and fast-forward to any possible outlet of originality. This year it was Lady Gaga’s impressive performance which occurred far too late in the broadcast to save the viewer from total boredom.
And then there are the films. The nominated films are a big part of the problem. I’ve written at length on the problems Hollywood films are facing. And, I might add, they are doing a terrible job of adjusting to Global Film trends.
Fortunately, the award season is winding to a close. Here’s a short list of the winners from the past year:
The British version of the Academy is BAFTA: Boyhood won Best Picture..
Eddie Redmayne & Julianne Moore also won for Best Actor & Actress, respectively.
Rising star category!: Jack O’Connell (A nice touch-the Academy might take note…)
GOLDEN GLOBES: Boyhood-Best Drama/ The Grand Budapest Hotel-Best Musical OR Comedy
Eddie Redmayne & Julianne Moore-Best Actor & Actress
OSCARS: Birdman-Best Picture
Redmayne & Moore again.
DIRECTORS GUILD: Outstanding Directorial Achievement: Alejandro G Inarritu: Birdman
Screen Actors Guild or SAG: Birdman
WRITERS GUILD: The Grand Budapest Hotel won for Original Screenplay
RAZZIES (WORST FILM): Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas
Birdman and Boyhood took home the bulk of the awards. They were both artistic and slightly indie in tone. Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel was definitely an indie film. Most of the artistic community voted for Grand Budapest, and deservedly so. The film almost plays out like a giant storyboard for artists.
Best websites & Blogs on film: Part I
One of the hardest facts for film critics to face is the brutal reality that we cannot possibly screen and review the myriad number of movies that are released and circulating. Therefore, at some point we have to “let go”. In other words, let some other critic or writer take over the job. At least, in part, if you are honest.
In my humble opinion, there are far too many websites out there that purport to write about film, and few of them are worth your time. The criteria I look for, as a writer and as a film critic, in assessing the merits of a film blog or website are as follows
*Does the critic write knowledgeably on the subject of film? Is the writing clear and coherent?
*Does the writer have working knowledge of the history of film? Do they understand the genre they are writing about?
* Does the writer understand the source material? If it is a book, do they define the boundaries without simply repeating notes of the synopsis?
*Do they review the content of the film, or simply type data points or box office stats?
*Is the writing compelling and interesting enough to read? With or without the pictures?
With that criteria in mind, I’ve compiled a short list of some of my favorite places to go online to find out about movies I’m interested in seeing. Some of them are very slick and much lighter in content and tone. Others are more in depth and feature longer reads. It depends on your mood and how much time you have, of course, and I’ve also included some lesser known sites from my favorite colleagues. They are not all large scale online operations, but it’s good to mix it up and all these sites have some stand-out features to recommend them. They are:
1) Roger Ebert at rogerebert.com. Ebert’s widow, Chaz, does a great job managing this site!
2) The Guardian at theguardian.com/film
3) Salty Popcorn. My colleague Jason King has a fun and informative site at saltypopcorn.com.au
4) 6 Degrees of Film & 6 Degrees of Film @the Movies on Flipboard at sixdegreesoffilm.com
5) Self-styled Siren at selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com
6) Film Comment at filmcomment.com
7) Film Quarterly at filmquarterly.org
8) John Schwab’s My Film Journal at my-filmjournal.blogspot.ca
9) Some Came Running at somecamerunning.typepad.com
10) NPR-National Public Radio Film reviews at npr.org/movie-reviews
Stay tuned for Part II with more recommended film sites for movie buffs. Some of my favorite places to find out about movies come from less well-known writers and critics who love movies and love to write about them. My list of film websites continues in Part II.
Kingsman: The Secret Service review
Thi
s is a lighter and fairly forgettable film for a younger audience. It’s too violent in spots but not half bad….Samuel L. Jackson tries to add a twist to his role of evil villain by adding a lisp to the character. For the most part, it doesn’t quite pan out.
There’s one funny bit with a McDonald’s burger being served to the snobby and upper crust Englishman Harry Hart, played by Colin Firth. Firth is at his ironic best as the suave and debonair version of James Bond as Mentor. Taron Egerton as “Eggsy” is quite unmemorable as the young protégé of the Kingsman Hart .
The story revolves around a group of young recruits, including Eggsy (Egerton), being trained to become spies as they ultimately narrow the field down to the one who will become the exceptional Kingsman (or woman). The film has its moments. What it lacks in plot it more than compensates for with CGI plus over the top violence.
It would be a fun date movie for a younger crowd who decided to settle for action over romance. Not a must-see but entertaining enough if you’re in the mood for some lighter fare with a slight helping of gore.
The Birth of a Nation and Black History Month
The masterful camerawork and the brilliant direction of D.W. Griffith made The Birth of a Nation the first blockbuster movie. It was for many years the highest grossing film in Hollywood until the advent of sound and films like Gone with the Wind made this film appear obsolete.
The Birth of a Nation has long been viewed as a dated and deeply flawed cinematic masterpiece. D W Griffith and his cameraman, G.W. Billy Bitzer, made film history with the techniques they established. But the subject matter has long been viewed as openly racist. Yet how ironic that the debut of this film, 100 years ago this month, coincides with our celebration of Black History Month.
Black History Month is a celebration to be marked with pride. It’s one way we as Americans can say: We have come so far. Therefore, a film that glamorizes the Ku Klux Klan and demonizes the enslaved race of black men and women is a film that is no longer seen to be “in vogue.” Instead, we try and focus on more positive things such as the fact that 12 Years a Slave was the winner of Best Picture in 2014.
While it’s true that there are still barriers to keep people of color from being acknowledged on par with their white colleagues, we at least have made note of the discrepancies rather than simply sweeping the evidence under the carpet. Women are still, to a large degree, second class citizens in Hollywood’s upper echelons. That fact has been noted, along with the percentage of white, older, male members of the Academy of Motion Pictures that votes.
All these things still give us hope and cause to celebrate. The actual birth of the nation that we now live in took longer than we would have liked to end the shameful practice of slavery, but the Civil Rights Movement, the election of Barack Obama, and recent films like Selma and 12 Years a Slave, are celebrations and reminders for our society about how far we have come.
Some of the best films about race in America and the Civil Rights Movement have been directed by African-Americans. I consider John Singleton, director of Boys n the Hood from 1991 and Rosewood in 1997 to be superior to Spike Lee, but both are acclaimed for their work. Spike Lee is perhaps most famous for Do the Right Thing, yet he also did an excellent job with Malcolm X in 1992 which starred Denzel Washington.
Other outstanding films dealing with Civil Rights are Mississippi Burning, starring Alec Baldwin as an attorney working with the widow of the slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers. The film focused on the true story of the determined efforts of Evers’ widow to re-open the case and bring his killer, Byron De La Beckwith, to trial almost thirty years after the crime had been committed.
Ghosts of Mississippi, directed by Rob Reiner and released in 1996, was another very good film with Willem Dafoe highlighting the true account of three Freedom Riders killed by Klan members while attempting to organize AfricanAmericans in a small town in Mississippi in the early sixties. Dafoe plays one of the FBI agents sent down from Washington to investigate the disappearance of the young men.
Steven Spielberg has a great movie, not well known, called Amistad, released in 1997, which deals with another true story. The story is not about the Civil Rights movement but it deals with African Americans on board a slave ship called the Amistad. The film centers around the actual trial held in 1839 to determine if the men who had mutinied on board the ship were free men or slaves.
Rosewood, from 1997, and directed by John Singleton, starred Don Cheadle and was based on another real-life event centering around a small town in Florida where the African-American population was completely wiped out in 1923.
There are a few very good films on Nelson Mandela, one being the 2013 Mandela: Long walk to Freedom. But to glean some understanding of the scope of the Civil Rights Movement in our own country, the acclaimed documentary, Eyes on the Prize, released in 1987, is the gold standard by which all other films are held. This 14 hour documentary takes you from the beginning of the movement, with Rosa Parks and the quiet and determined actions of an entire generation of young men and women of color, then on to the triumphs and charismatic leadership of Martin Luther King which ended with the ultimate tragedy of his death.
All of these films are testaments to Hollywood and independent filmmakers who were determined to make us open our eyes to a subject we still grapple with in the modern era. It’s a fitting tribute to end Black History Month with a nod to some of our great films and filmmakers who have also grappled with the subject of race in America.
Bringing Up Oscar by Debra Ann Pawlak-A Book Review
I have nothing but praise for the amazing amount of research in Debra Pawlak’s book, Bringing Up Oscar. She has a wonderful ability to bring the stories of Hollywood legends to life. Her accounts from her blog of early silent stars like Mary Pickford and Fatty Arbuckle were detailed and fascinating portrayals that humanized the stilted celluloid figures we had come to know.
Having read Ms. Pawlak’s blogs on early Hollywood, the book strikes a similar tone, yet lacks the concise bite and flavor that a shortened blog piece conveys. Somehow the flow is not as cohesive or immediate as the blog accounts, but the information imparted is still fascinating to read.
The book begins with an interesting account of the meeting and concept behind the establishment of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The first ceremony and the events leading up to it are all part of a fascinating narrative thread which underscores the theme of Oscar and the events surrounding its creation.
But the scope of the larger story often bites off more than it can chew. It almost calls for a two or three book series. The book runs 348 pages and is filled with the background and life stories of all 36 founding Academy members.
As a side note, it’s telling that the original group of founders was made up of 34 white males and just 2 women. (Mary Pickford being one of them). Debra Pawlak’s great strength as a writer lies in her ability to take these stories of long-gone executives and lifeless names on a plaque and to bring them back to life with accounts of their exploits and very human foibles.
Her storytelling abilities make the characters come alive. But my wish is that the book would have narrowed the scope and told the accounts in perhaps more manageable chunks of text. There are so many gems and tidbits buried in paragraphs full of exposition about the circumstances leading up to the meat of the matter, whether it be Irving Thalberg’s weak heart or Mary Pickford’s fatal attraction to Douglas Fairbanks, all of these tales are told within the longer expansive story of the formation of Hollywood itself.
Some editing with sub-heads may have been needed, but one suggestions to readers which was helpful to me was to read the story as it was intended. That is, to read the Preface, which lists all 36 founding members, and then to read through the book and simply find the material surrounding each member which is featured within the chapter listings.
Bringing Up Oscar is a valuable treasure trove of material, but like any good treasure hunt, you must find the treasure buried within. Ms. Pawlak is one of the best of the best researchers who writes about early Hollywood history. For those who love film, and those who love a challenge, take up the book and find the treasures buried inside.
6 Degrees of Film: Oscar News
This is the time of year for movie awards. Best of the year past, the best directors/writers, the greatest hits, the biggest losers. But let’s face facts. 2014 was not a great year in film. And yet, there were some innovative films made and some pretty good films released at the end of the year. So it wasn’t a complete wash, but one of the most telling statistics was the fact that films pirated, or bootleg films, were the 2013 films. They were the most watched or stolen films. 2014 was so bad they couldn’t even give the films away to bootleggers!
One of the most interesting conversations on television recently was one Chris Hayes, the host of All in, had with a film critic regarding the film industry’s need to heavily criticize so many historical dramas that have the potential to win Oscars. The Oscar race is so politicized that stories are often planted denigrating the historical accuracy of a film based primarily on the need for a rival studio to trash their competition in the race prior to the nominations coming out for the Best Film of the year.
This should not shock anyone, as my book, 6 Degrees of Film, points out so many times in the history of Hollywood the political nature of the entire industry. From the outset, Thomas Edison lobbied to keep a monopoly on the fledgling motion picture industry.
“Exhibitors across the country, in small towns and large cities, were informed that they could operate only at the pleasure of Edison’s newly formed General Film Company. “
There was a court case in 1915, exactly one hundred years ago this year, in which the Supreme Court declared the motion picture industry was a business, pure and simple, and therefore not afforded the protections under the First Amendment.
And on and on. Another famous ruling from the Supreme Court in 1949 effectively ended the Hollywood Studio System. And we are all aware of the McCarthy hearings which encompassed so many of Hollywood’s great directors and writers in a witch hunt to root out the infiltration of “communists” in our movies. Then there was Jack Valenti, the head of the Motion Picture Academy for many years, who was a top aide to LBJ. The current head, Chris Dodd, was a prominent senator who once ran for President. He was a co-sponsor of the Dodd-Frank banking bill. Politics and Hollywood have often gone hand in hand. This is Hollywood, then & now.
Movies Premiering in March 2015:
Unfinished Business: Vince Vaughn stars in this comedy about a small business owner who travels to Europe to close an important deal. Tom Wilkinson co-stars in this quirky variation of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The trailer is funny, and the theme seems to be whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.
Cinderella: A feel-good movie from Kenneth Brannagh? This updated version of the classic fairy tale got great reviews when it premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. A chick-flick or date night type film definitely, as a lot of the buzz surrounding this film has to do with the beautiful costumes on display.
Run All Night: An aging hitman (Liam Neeson) is forced to take on his brutal former boss (Ed Harris) to protect his estranged son and his family. This one could be a big improvement from the tired Taken formula Neeson has been milking of late.
Get Hard: A comedy from Will Ferrell. Need we say more? Those who love Ferrell will get a good dose of laughs from the plot centered around Ferrell, as millionaire James King, sent to jail and then turning to a seasoned pro(Kevin Hart) to help him learn the ropes when he’s on the inside. Not PC, but probably funny anyway.
Serena: Lots of buzz about this one as the two stars involved are Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. One of the reviews started, “I tried desperately to like this film…..” which is not a good sign. Cooper stars as the heir to a timber empire in this period drama and Lawrence is his young bride.
Premiering in April:
Ex-Machina: A sci-fi story about a computer programmer selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment involving a beautiful robot female. Bladerunner part 2, or 3 & 4….?
Child 44: Tom Hardy stars in this thriller about a disgraced member of the Stalinist military police who is investigating a series of murders involving children. Anything with Tom Hardy in it is worth watching.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2: Kevin James returns as the hapless security guard on vacation in Las Vegas. Here’s hoping that he has more success than those involved in recent comedy sequels Dumb & Dumber 2 or Hot Tub Time Machine 2…the list goes on!
The Age of Adaline: A young woman, played by Blake Lively, is rendered ageless after an accident.
Also coming in 2015:
Mad Max: Fury Road: A return to the successful Mel Gibson series with Tom Hardy starring as Max and Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, a woman of destiny who crosses the path of the iconic hero while traveling across the desert. This might be good, but then again, it might be purely camp.
Tomorrowland: This film, billed as an adventure, mystery and sci-fi, stars George Clooney. A teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor (played by Clooney), embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory. This plot just screams for the phrase, “you’re trying too hard” to be used.
Jurassic Word: The much awaited sequel occurs twenty-two years after the events of the first film. A new attraction is added to spark visitor’s interest…what could possibly go wrong?
In the Heart of the Sea: This film is directed by Ron Howard and stars Chris Hemsworth. Based on the actual events from the whaling ship that inspired Herman Melville to write the classic, Moby Dick, it’s set for a December release.
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”There’s nothing new under the sun. Critics frequently complain about the lack of originality in film. Another high-profile superstar that constantly used reworked material . ..William Shakespeare
Mortdecai the Movie
I thought Mortdecai was funny. So shoot me! After reading several reviews and seeing the dismal box office numbers, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing this film. But I can honestly say, it was pretty funny.
The problem, in my opinion, is that Johnny Depp’s loyal followers are clueless as to the identity of Peter Sellers or, for that matter, the Pink Panther series of movies that this film strongly pulls from. And the type of foppish British gentleman that Depp is poking fun at is not known to young adults or Western audiences in this day and age.
I’m wondering who “green-lighted” this project? Perhaps the same one who thought it was a good idea to make the Lone Ranger with Depp as Tonto or the Exodus film about Passover that was released just in time for Thanksgiving. All these and similar missteps (The Interview?) give me reason to doubt the intelligence of the Marketing departments at some of the major Hollywood studios.
I predict this film will do well on video. Perhaps overseas it will find a more favorable market. Maybe not in Britain, but in France and other European countries, this type of humor based on the stupidity of the Englishman may have a following.
Gwyneth Paltrow is quite good as the sophisticated wife running rings around her shallow husband, Mortdecai. Paltrow’s natural insouciance and excellent comic timing give her an edge in this light romp about a stolen Art masterpiece. Ewan McGregor is fine as the third wheel, but the entire film rests with Depp. He is funny and fairly physical in this retro role of a foppish and perpetually foggy caricature of an elitist British Lord complete with manservant.
The plot is not as sophisticated as the original Pink Panther with Peter Sellers, nor is it as uniquely zany as the Monty Python films. But it does have its moments, and there are enough among us who will remember with fondness the Pink Panther series and the bumbling style of comedy perfected by Sellers.
If you are looking for some light entertainment and are over the age of forty, Mortdecai may be worth seeing on the big screen. This film does justice to some of the lesser outings in the Panther series. But the problem is, none of Johnny Depp’s fans would remember or care about a rather insipid series of films from the past. Therein lies the rub…Mortdecai may flourish once it moves to Video on Demand, but apparently, it’s not destined to be a hit film.
Six Degrees of Film 