Contraband

Lone Survivor

Some of the finest contributions to 20th century film have captured the brutality and complexity of war, showing both its devastating psychological consequences and the savagery of battle.  From Apocalypse Now to Full Metal Jacket to Saving Private Ryan, Hollywood has brought us some incredible showcases of war.  Most of the war movies I’ve seen were set during the Vietnam War, but the Civil War and World Wars 1 and 2 have been represented, among others.  While the jungle of Vietnam is a familiar backdrop, few movies have depicted the mountainous terrain of the more recent war in Afghanistan until now.  Lone Survivor tells the real life account of a group of SEALS who fought courageously in pursuit of high-profile Taliban ally Ahmad Shah in 2005.

Actor/director Peter Berg (Battleship) dramatizes the events of Operation Red Wing, a military action in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of all but one SEAL, lone survivor Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg, 2 Guns).  Let me preface by saying that any criticism I have is from a purely cinematic perspective; I am thankful for the men and women who serve our country and understand full well the incredible sacrifice that was made in that military operation.  I’m only discussing Berg’s interpretation of what happened, and I found the film mostly effective.  He opens the movie with ostensibly real footage of the grueling preparation endured by all SEALS, revealing the unique fortitude required of the men who carry out some of our most dangerous military operations.

We are introduced to the unit in Afghanistan, and the prevailing mood is one of fraternal camaraderie. Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch, Savages), Danny Deitz (Emile Hirsch, Savages), and Matt Axelson (Ben Foster, Contraband) join Luttrell, and the band of brothers couldn’t be any closer.  When they are apprised of the mission, it’s go time.  Luttrell, Murphy, Axe and Deitz are embedded in the mountainous terrain, and soon locate their target Shah.  They are hidden in dry foliage when a local goat herder and two boys stumble upon them.  In a pivotal moment that ultimately determines their fate, Lieutenant Mike Murphy must decide whether they let the party go on their way, detain them, or eliminate them all together.

When Murphy releases the party, they promptly alert Shah and his well-armed band of locals to the soldiers’ presence.  A firefight ensues, followed by an extended and gut-wrenching battle, as the SEALS are outgunned and perilously exposed.  They suffer devastating injuries, including broken legs, shrapnel, and bullet wounds.  It was nearly unbearable to watch, including one scene where they literally hurl themselves over a cliff, tumbling down the mountain as bone meets rock.  The human body and the human spirit weren’t meant to endure such turmoil and trauma, and the viewer is constantly reminded that SEALS are simply cut from a different cloth.

Lone Survivor succeeded in its accuracy, but I can’t help but compare it to the previously mentioned standouts in the genre.  While it was effectively authentic, it was almost too straightforward.  There wasn’t much character or plot development, but I suppose that wasn’t Berg’s intention.  I think the goal of depicting Operation Red Wing was achieved, but I’m not sure this movie is emblematic of an era like the great Vietnam movies were.  However, the casting was excellent, with Wahlberg, Kitsch, and Foster masterfully capturing the bravery, courage and heroism of these real-life fallen soldiers.  Grade: B.

Pain & Gain

The trailer for Pain & Gain looked like my kind of movie, just the type of exciting, cool flick that cinephiles can expect this time of year as we gear up for the action-packed summer blockbusters.  I’m a fan of Mark Wahlberg, who is no stranger to playing the badass antihero (see The Departed and Contraband), and I liked the premise.  It promised to tell the true-life tale of an ambitious young bodybuilder who went from rags to riches, breaking a few laws along the way.   I was entertained at various times throughout the movie, but by the time the credits rolled I had an underwhelmed feeling.

Wahlberg stars as Daniel Lugo, a convicted murderer who took the lives of two innocent people in 1995 during a botched robbery.  The movie opens by introducing us to Lugo, an ambitious meathead with a voracious appetite for his version of the American Dream.  Lugo was inspired by the fictional exploits of the likes of Tony Montana and Michael Corleone, and (stupidly) aspired to be like them.  One would think that Scarface in particular would be a cautionary tale, considering that he ended up laying dead in a fountain looking like a piece of Swiss cheese – but don’t tell that to Daniel Lugo.

Lugo worked at a Florida gym, where he perfected his body and his designs on untold riches.  Accompanying him was friend Adrian (Anthony Mackie, Gangster Squad), a fellow bodybuilder with similar ambitions of greatness.  Eventually Lugo hatches a plan to kidnap and extort Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub, Hemingway & Gellhorn), a wealthy client for whom he acts as personal trainer.  Kershaw has several assets that Lugo can liquidate if he compels Victor to turn them over.  Daniel and Adrian recruit a third man for their plot, a convict named Paul Doyle (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) who has served time in federal prison.  Doyle is a humorously devout Christian who found Jesus in jail.  Perversely ironic, he has no problem jibing his Christian ideals with a criminal lifestyle.  Once the three stooges have the plan in motion, they bungle their way through, eventually getting their hands on millions of dollars.  Eventually things begin to go south with Kershaw and the gang decides they need to do another job.  Their greed eventually gets the best of them, leading them to the robbery and murder of a wealthy couple that belonged to their gym.

The movie began to lose me about a third of the way through, when I couldn’t tell if it was taking itself seriously or not.  There were several implausible scenes, including one where Kershaw seems to be invincible.  I did research after the fact, and it turns out that these farfetched things actually happened.  I can’t fault director Michael Bay (Transformers) for telling it like it is, but I can fault him for the way he chose to depict these real-life events.  The three principal characters were portrayed as funny and likeable, and so I liked them.  But by the time the movie concludes, the viewer realizes that these funny guys did a horrible thing.  Because they were depicted so comically initially, I’m not sure that the severity of their actions adequately resonated with viewers.  I enjoyed the laughs, and Wahlberg was his usual cool, badass self – but I was left with too many conflicting elements, from an emotional perspective.  I don’t attribute this to any particular depth of storytelling, but rather to a muddled approach by director Michael Bay.

Grade: C+

This article first appeared at Poptimal and was reprinted with permission.

Ted

I saw Ted last week, and so my friend asked my opinion today before taking her son.  I’ll repeat what I told her, “it’s funny – but it’s a talking bear, which is stupid “ – so there’s that.  If you actually make it to the theater to see it, you will probably enjoy.  The hard part is getting past the idea that as an adult, you’re going to see a movie about a talking bear.  Brought to us by the creator of Family Guy, I figured it would be funny.  Quite simply, it’s about a man who must put some separation between himself and his best childhood friend, a talking bear.  My other friend remarked that she thought Mark Wahlberg had turned a corner in his career and would be above such fare.  I reminded her that even Matt Damon (whom I adore) made Stuck on You.

Mark Wahlberg (Contraband) stars as John Bennett, a thirty-five year old man with a middling job and average life.  Average, that is until you look down at his best friend, a talking bear.  When John was a boy, he was bullied and had few friends.  His childhood was a lonely one, and he longed for companionship and a best friend that he could call his own.  When he received a teddy bear for Christmas one year, he finally found a companion.  I’ve never seen a little boy like a teddy bear so much, but ok.  John and Ted do everything together, they are inseparable.  John wishes that Ted would be his best friend forever, and that he was a real friend.  When a shooting star drops from the sky later that night, John’s wish comes true.  When he awakens the next morning, Ted is alive.  John panics momentarily, but Ted reminds him that this was his wish.  There was a hilarious scene where Ted meets John’s parents, who react as I probably would.  Eventually everyone relaxes, and Ted becomes like one of the family.  It’s almost like he’s John’s brother, which is a little weird.  I appreciated the fact that Ted’s identity wasn’t concealed from everyone else.  In fact, Ted becomes a celebrity as word spreads of the sensational talking bear.  Through it all, John is right by his side.

Fast forward to present day and Ted is still right by John’s side, which is sort of the problem.  As our omniscient narrator accurately points out, even if you’re a talking bear, eventually there will come a day when no one gives a shit.  Ted is living a (relatively) normal life with John and his girlfriend of 4 years, Lori (Mila Kunis, Friends With Benefits).  John and Ted live like they are still kids, getting stoned and cracking jokes while vegging out on the sofa.  Lori is fed up with John’s immaturity, and hopes that the next four years of their life together don’t involve the irreverent little bear. John can’t even make it through a thunderstorm without his teddy bear, all because of his childhood promise to be BFFs forever.  Eventually John makes the mature choice, but is able to find the right balance between fun times with Ted and the adult dynamics of a relationship.

A talking bear is obviously a cheap gimmick, but not all humor has to be dry, self-deprecating, or otherwise “smart.”   If you don’t find Family Guy amusing in the least bit, it’s probably best to avoid Ted, since MacFarlane is responsible for both.  I like that type of humor, so it worked for me.  I thought it was hilarious watching Ted do bong rips and fight with John.  On the other hand, it’s a movie. About. A talking bear.  At the end of the day, that simple fact negates a lot.  If you can get past the silly concept, it’s worth a few laughs. Grade: B.