Cyrus Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: C

When John C. Reilly sets out to be an awkward man, he is extremely gifted at it. I don’t think I need to remind anyone of his work in the Academy Award winning adaptation of Chicago, or alongside Will Ferrell in such comedy blockbusters as Talladega Nights and Step Brothers. Apparently this is his graduation from second tier comedy force to leading man, after the semi-tragedy that was Dewey Cox. I entered the theater with the understanding that putting Reilly in a room with Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei could only lead to comedy gold. Hill playing the 20 something homeschooled child still living at home, and Reilly as the man who is courting Hill’s mother. As one might imagine, sparks do fly.

The only problem is, they don’t fly very far. Nor are there that many sparks to begin with. The entire first act ends up being an extended and wonderful setup to a story that never really takes off. Reilly’s ex, Catherine Keener, is getting re-married and has become Reilly’s go-to person to talk about relationships with. They get him drunk at a party, something he happens to be far too good at, and that’s where he meets Tomei. You think that the film will head in a direction that brings an emotionally satisfying arc to the characters, despite the severely cringe inducing humor that peppers the opening act. Yet instead of being a character worthy of our sympathies, Tomei quickly becomes the object that the two men are fighting over, losing her depth as a character in the process.

The transition is certainly not seamless, and it’s pretty much at this point that everything starts sliding downhill. Unable to maintain the subtle comedic relationship touches of its opening, the film doesn’t allow itself to switch gears into a more outrageous, and ultimately fulfilling conclusion. Instead, the climax attempts to maintain the same reserved feeling, and therefore never really culminates into anything at all. We’re left a mere 80 minutes older, and without much to show for it.

I’m sure psychology majors will have a lot of fun debating the mount of Freudian ideology displayed by Jonah Hill’s loving son character, as he is both the child and the significant other to his mom. His involvement makes the film both a romantic comedy and a weird breakup movie, drawing parallels where you really wish there weren’t any. Do I really care that the kid creates weird synth music in the living room? No, but it makes for about 3 minutes of the cringe humor that seems to be the movie’s bread and butter. There’s not having a script, and then there’s not having a story, and I’m not really sure which is more to blame here.

For me, Cyrus consistently feels half-assed. Ever since the elevator pitch, I feel like this idea has been doomed to failure, and giving an unsatisfying indie comedy an A-list cast and a major theatrical release is pretty silly if you ask me. There are plenty of moments that work beautifully, especially the interactions between the two men, and the individual scenes feel just as energetic as you’d expect. The problem is that they don’t go anywhere, and it doesn’t matter to the audience what happens either. The sympathy we feel watching is based entirely on the choice of performers, not the material itself, and that’s where I feel the film truly falls flat. This is a great family drama waiting to play itself out, it just never earns its reason to exist in the first place.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: B

I know I’m probably going to get a lot of flack from friends and critics for this review. Why did I enjoy Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief despite it taking 5 minutes to say the entire title? Because it’s one word that seldom enters the vocabulary of those who analytically contemplate the merits of modern cinema. FUN. It’s entertainment, and it revels in its buttery popcorness. It’s a kids fantasy film that doesn’t start with “Harry” or “Chronicles” and yet manages to remain fast paced and enjoyable throughout. It may not end up being the better of the Greek God films released in the next few months, but it could very well be the start of another major franchise. Christopher Columbus did, after all, direct the first two films about a certain boy wizard, so if anybody can start a children’s fantasy saga off on a strong foundation, he’s certainly the man for the job.

I’d have to say that the biggest early success of the film was in the casting department. The film’s star, Logan Lerman, could very well be the next young actor to break into the big-time. His first film role was in The Butterfly Effect, but if you recognize the face, it’s from his great work as Christian Bale’s son in 3:10 to Yuma. He makes the hero likable but also avoids the pitfalls of the annoying/whiny variety that plague so many of his contemporaries. Kevin McKidd, one time television lead on the late, great Journeyman, plays Percy’s father Poseidon and is probably the most convincing of all the gods. Sean Bean isn’t quite as believable as Zeus (maybe because he’s played so many bad guys during his career) but he’s certainly not the worst choice. I’m of the opinion that the only living actor who could truly play the king of Olympus is Liam Neeson, and that is more than enough to ensure that I go and see Clash of the Titans. Pierce Brosnan also puts in some wonderful work here, and I’d love to see him do more non-tuxedo acting.

It’s a shame that the film will inevitably and extensively be compared to the Warnerbros. epic starring Sam Worthington. That film had a far larger budget, and has the benefit of a PG-13 rating to improve the battle sequences and general epic nature of its canvas. For a film directed at children, Percy Jackson does go out of its way to provide reasons to watch for the older crowd, but it still can’t have bloody fight scenes or realistic language (if a hydra was about to breathe fire at you, I don’t care who you are, you’d probably utter a large variety of obscenities). I guess, because of all that, it sortve cheapens the experience to a certain extent glazing everything with a candy sort of texture. Nobody ever seems to be in real danger, nothing ever has powerful consequences, and the scares don’t come across as anything you’d find terrifying if you’ve progressed past wetting your bed at night.

All those comments aside, the story is a great coming of age, reconnecting with a father figure, learning about yourself, magic and fantasy in the real world sort of yarn that, when done well, will never get old. It’s got all the elements you’ve come to expect, and a charm that makes you forgive certain logical missteps. It’s a good time at the movies, and gives you something to look at while chomping down popcorn. There are also plenty of great cameos spread throughout (I won’t spoil them, even though the opening credits do) that will make even a regular admission ticket worth your while. Do I think the film will be a giant success? Very likely. Will it be the movie that finally kicks Avatar out of the top spot at the box office. I’d put money on it. Am I looking forward to the inevitable sequel. Pleasantly, I am, though I also think Lerman might make a pretty good Peter Parker for the new Spiderman reboot that Sony’s been throwing around lately. I hope he and his agent can pull a Ryan Reynolds and get him 2 major franchises in simultaneous development because I think the kid has real talent. Don’t bother trying to remember the whole title, just tell the lady at the counter that you want to see Percy Jackson and that you also need a bucket of popcorn and a large soda. You don’t even need to thank me.