Reel News: Week of Oct. 21 — 12 Years a Slave, The Counselor, Jackass: Bad Grandpa, The Conjuring, The Internship, Before Midnight

Upcoming Theatrical Releases

The Counselor
Director: Ridley Scott
R; 113 mins.
Trailer

Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott and Pulitzer Prize winning author Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) have joined forces in the motion picture thriller THE COUNSELOR, starring Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt. McCarthy, making his screenwriting debut and Scott interweave the author’s characteristic wit and dark humor with a nightmarish scenario, in which a respected lawyer’s one-time dalliance with an illegal business deal spirals out of control. (Synopsis by The Official Site)

Suffering from overly philosophical source material, the film collapses under its own weight. The non-stop barrage of cameos and monologues does nothing but further drag down the convoluted story. Disappointing for the level of talent employed.

Jackass: Bad Grandpa
Director: Jeff Tremaine
R; 92 mins.
Trailer

86 year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companion, his 8 year-old Grandson Billy in “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.” This October, the signature Jackass character Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) and Billy (Jackson Nicoll) will take movie audiences along for the most insane hidden camera road trip ever captured on camera. Along the way Irving will introduce the young and impressionable Billy to people, places and situations that give new meaning to the term childrearing. The duo will encounter male strippers, disgruntled child beauty pageant contestants (and their equally disgruntled mothers), funeral home mourners, biker bar patrons and a whole lot of unsuspecting citizens. (Synopsis by Paramount)

Check out my review later this week on The Dagger.

12 Years A Slave
Director:
R; 134 mins.
Trailer

Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, the New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s. Steve McQueen (Hunger) directs from a script he co-wrote with John Ridley, based in part by Northup’s memoir. Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, and Paul Giamatti co-star. (Synopsis by Rovi)

One of the most realistic portrayals of American slavery. A necessary shift away from over-the-top fare like “Django Unchained.” Extremely emotional and powerful. A likely front-runner for the film of the year.

Upcoming DVD Releases

The Internship
Director: Shawn Levy
PG-13; 119 mins.
Trailer

Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital world. Trying to prove they are not obsolete, they defy the odds by talking their way into a coveted internship at Google, along with a battalion of brilliant college students. But, gaining entrance to this utopia is only half the battle. Now they must compete with a group of the nation’s most elite, tech-savvy geniuses to prove that necessity really is the mother of re-invention. (Synopsis by Fox)

This a large step back from Vaughn and Wilson’s previous comedies—it’s a lazy film with tedious attempts at humor. Skip it.

Before Midnight
Director: Richard Linklater
R; 108 mins.
Trailer

Before Midnight is an upcoming American romance drama film and the sequel to Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004). Like its predecessors, the film was directed by Richard Linklater. As with the previous film, Linklater shares screenplay credit with both actors from the movies, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. (Synopsis by the Official Site)

A messy, charming romance that rises on the strength of smart dialogue and strong performances. Fans of the series will be pleased; newcomers will want to go back and visit the two predecessors. Don’t miss this one.

The Conjuring
Director: James Wan
R; 112 mins.
Trailer

Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. “The Conjuring” tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives. (Synopsis by Warner Bros.)

A throwback to the old school suspense of Hitchcock, this is a Halloween movie you can get behind. Wan receives high praise for his deft touch in pulling this off in a clichéd genre.