"At Middleton" Movie Review

My review of "At Middleton" starring Andy Garcia, Vera Farmiga, Taissa Farmiga.

"At Middleton"

Published on Jan. 31, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

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Photo courtesy of Freestyle Releasing

“At Middleton” (2013)

George Hartman (Andy Garcia), a stodgy, bow tie wearing, heart surgeon,  is taking his teenage son, Conrad(Spencer Lofranco) to tour the campus of Middleton University. Conrad is only doing this because his father is forcing him to do it.  Conrad would much rather be anywhere else listening to music.  It’s George’s hope that somehow, someway, Conrad will fall in love with the campus and maybe even find some purpose and direction.

Edith (Vera Farmiga) is also taking her daughter, Audrey (Taissa Farmiga) to visit the campus.  Edith is a free spirit of a woman who owns a high end children’s clothing store and is used to speaking her mind. She is definitely a person who likes living in the moment. She fears losing Audrey once she goes away to school and doesn’t want to go on the campus tour. Audrey is the exact opposite of her mother, a driven young woman with a determination to go to Middleton to learn from her hero, a linguistics professor named Dr. Emmerson (Tom Skerritt). She has been planning this day for months and has been dreaming about coming to Middleton since she was nine.

The two adults meet at the start of a campus tour and after Conrad and Audrey make it very clear they don’t want their parents around them (for very different reasons), Edith and George decide to head out across campus to tour it on their own. There are sparks between the two almost from the start as they discover in a very short amount of time that they are attracted to each other. As their children are off on a formal tour, Edith and George explore the campus, having more fun as each moment passes.

Unlike must romantic comedies that have been released recently, it’s nice to say this is a rom-com for adults and not the teen audience. Garcia and Farmiga have a marvelous chemistry that you see from the first time that they meet on the tour. Farmiga is a high energy force who just lights up the screen with a deft touch.  Too much of this clearly OCD character would make her seem nuts, but instead Farmiga makes Edith work. Farmiga brings us a character that comes across as carefree, but also someone who truly cares about her daughter. Garcia from the start shows us that his George might not be the straitlaced professional man he likes the world to think he is. That just maybe, there is some life to George that Edith can fully bring out. It’s a role that Garcia rarely gets to explore, but he has a real knack for it.

Photo courtesy of Anchor Bay Films

While the main emphasis of the film is the budding romance between Edith and George, the backstory is how the two teenagers handle their tours. I felt that Lofranco, who plays Conrad, wasn’t given all that much to do, in most of his scenes he is playing of off Taissa Farmiga’s Audrey. Audrey’s character has the better lines, and is certainly more dramatic of the two. Taissa Farmiga has the bigger part of the two, and though we come off not totally liking her character (she tends to blow up if not given her way), she gives a very pleasant performance.

Photo courtesy of Anchor Bay Films

Director / co-writer Adam Rodgers does a good job of keeping up the pace of the film and bringing out the comedic performances of the two leads.  I did feel the film did drag in a section of the movie where George and Edith happen upon a drama class and are dragged (in George’s case, almost kicking and screaming) onto the stage to do a dramatic exercise.  That scene tries to show us some of the reasons why these two people are unhappy with their respective marriages, but it seems forced, and almost an excuse to show off their dramatic talents. The film hits better notes when the air is lighter, and the two actors can banter with each other as they abound across campus, reliving their youth.

“At Middleton” is full of fun performances and is an adult romantic comedy that works because of it’s too leads are so perfect for their roles.  It’s a film about discovery and romance, where you can spend a day getting away from reality before having to face it, and it’s challenges again.  My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

The film is playing in Atlanta at the Plaza Theatre

"The Past" Movie Review

My review of "The Past" starring Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa.

"The Past"

Posted on Jan. 31, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

“The Past” (2013)

Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) has not seen his wife in four years since leaving her behind in Paris to go back to his life in Iran. He has come back to sign the divorce papers and see his family and friends one more time before returning home. His wife, Marie (Berenice Bejo) has had a number of relationships since her husband left. She is now living with her two kids, 16 year old Lucie (Pauline Burlet) and younger Lea (Jeanne Jestin), both are not Ahmad’s. They all live within Ahmad’s old home with Marie’s fiancé, Samir (Tahar Rahim) who has a son of his own named Fouad (Elyes Aguis).

Ahmad has been dragging his heels on giving the divorce and has come back to see if there is still a spark between him and Marie. The first scene of the film symbolizes their relationship as Ahmad has arrived at the airport and does not see Marie, even though she stands just a few feet away from him on the other side of a glass wall. When they do see each other, they communicate through the glass, even though they cannot hear each other. Once they get in the car Ahmad discovers that Marie didn’t make the hotel reservations for him because she didn’t think he would show up (he apparently had cancelled at the last minute in the past). Now he must stay in a home that was once his while his wife sleeps with another man. It seems that this couple only communicates with each other when it’s convenient for both people.

The film is about each character’s past. Marie can’t let go of her anger from her failed relationships. Ahmad is haunted by his past decisions, including leaving Marie. Lucie is convinced that Marie will continue what she has done in the past, to get involved with men and then leave them. All the characters in this film have let the past consume them, to the point that they can’t move forward.

The film’s director / writer Asghar Farhadi does a masterful job of letting us slowly know each character so that by the end of the film, we understand each of their choices that they have made. We might not agree with their choices, but we fully understand why they made them. The film never seems slow, mostly because in each scene we are learning so much about each person. The film has a number of mysteries, some of which are solved, but never completely or clearly, and others will linger long after the film ends.

It is set in Paris, but it’s not the bright, sunny city of a romantic comedy, but it’s a dark, wet city because it seems to be continually raining. Cinematographer Mahmoud Kalari does a great job setting the scenes with lighting that seems warm when inside the house, but cold and distant when the characters go out into the world.

Bejo’s Marie is the center of the film and her performance is magical. It’s a character that another actress would had made shrill and possible hated. Bejo allows us to see her as a very vulnerable woman. A woman who struggles to find happiness for herself and her children, but much like her home which she is shown endlessly painting, it’s a work in progress. Ali Mosaffa gives a restrained performance as Ahmad, a man who seems to want to fix his families problems, all the while avoiding his own. It’s a compelling performance in a role that is multilayered. I particularly liked Jeanne Jestin, as the troubled teenager Lea. She gives off a quality in her performance where you know that there is more to her story than she is letting on. Her performance adds substance to one of the many mysteries in this film.

Farhadi, as he did with his Oscar winning film “A Separation” (2011), brings us a film that explores the relationships of a complicated family. It’s a film full of twists and turns, with characters that seem simple at first, but, as we soon learn, have a number of skeletons in their closet. It’s an engrossing film about a family that is haunted by the choices they made not only in the past, but also in the present. My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“The Past” is playing at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema
“The Past” Website

"The Invisible Woman" Movie Review

My review of "The Invisible Woman" starring Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas.

"The Invisible Woman"

Posted on Jan. 24, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

“The Invisible Woman” (2014)

The film starts out in 1883, where Nelly (Felicity Jones) is teaching at a grade school on the coast.  She is mounting a production of Charles  Dickens play.  This brings her back to the memories of when she first met Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes), appearing in a production of one of his plays with her mother (Kristen Scott Thomas) and her sister (Perdita Weeks).  Instantly there is a spark between Dickens, who is in his forties and the teenager Nelly. Dickens becomes instantly enchanted with her beauty and charm.

Charles Dickens, during his time, was the most famous person in the world. His books were best sellers, and his book tours sold out every time making him one of the most famous people on the planet.  He is married to a woman who rarely speaks, the rather dowdy Catherine (Joanna Scanlan).  Their life together seems one of convenience where they don’t even share a bedroom, though at some point,  they did have ten children together.  Dickens seems to be drawn to Nelly because of her youth but also because she can keep up with him, both physically and verbally. She adores his work and the attention that he gives her.  And so, the incredible slow dance of courting in Victorian times begins with Dickens as the pursuer and Nelly the object of his affection but he must proceed with caution so that his marriage stays intact.

The film moves back and forth, mostly spent in the past as the romance between Dickens and Nelly blossoms.  The scenes set in 1883 are mostly ones of Nelly, walking about on the beach in what look to be mourning clothing.  Even though she has married a young man and has a child, it seems as if she will never get over her affair with Dickens.

Felicity Jones gives a fine performance and the young and sometime naïve Nelly.  Jones is quite beautiful and carries herself with the pride and the sometimes naivety of her character.  She really stands out, even in a crowd of beautiful actresses preparing for a play.

The problem with the film is Fiennes.  Charles Dickens was the rock star of his time, mesmerizing audiences with his readings of his books and appearing larger than life at any event he attended.  Fiennes never shows the charisma that Dickens must have had.  There is also no chemistry between Fiennes and Jones as their love scenes seem to played out more as two actors playing parts than to irresistible lovers that were meant for each other.

Besides starring in the film, Fiennes also directed the film, and he uses slow pushes into the settings, letting the scenery dominate the actors.  The set design and also the costumes do a great job of setting the tone of the film, with Cinematographer Tom Hardy creating scenes that seem to be always filled with a little smoke, even when the sun is shining.

It’s an interesting film but doesn’t quite have the passion that it should have for the romance between two strong individuals.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“The Invisible Woman” is at UA Tara Cinemas 4 and Lefont Sandy Springs

"Gimme Shelter" Movie Review

My review of "Gimme Shelter" starring Vanessa Hudgens, Rosario Dawson, Brendan Fraser.

"Gimme Shelter"

Published of Jan. 24, 2014   on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

“Gimme Shelter”  (2014)

My interview with Vanessa Hudgens and director Ronald Krauss

Apple Bailey (Vanessa Hudgens) has lived a hard life, living in foster homes when her-drug addicted mother (Rosario Dawson) is in jail. Her mother sees 16 year-old Apple as her next meal ticket, grooming her to become a prostitute. Fed up with her living conditions, she decides to try and find her father (Brendan Fraser), Tom,  a man she has never met. Her father, a successful stockbroker with a wife and kids, reluctantly take Apple into their very upper-class home. Apple doesn’t fit in with her new family, especially after revealing that she is pregnant and decides to run away. She then meets Father Frank (James Earl Jones), who takes her to a home for pregnant young woman run by a woman named Kathy (Ann Dowd).  There she will discover how to love and be loved, finding the family she has never known.

The reason to see this film is Hudgens, who gained 15 pounds, cut her hair and wore very little makeup for the role.   At the start of the film, she is almost unrecognizable. She brings a surprisingly realistic presence to the role of Apple. Hudgens has transformed herself into someone who looks as though she has had to take care of herself most of her life. You see it in the way she walks into a room, where instead of the lighthearted full of energy person Disney character that she has played in the past, she tries to blend in and not be noticed. In Apple’s world, if you stand out, you will be picked on or assaulted, so Hudgens seems to almost fold into herself as she walks or sits.  As the film goes on and Apple’s situation gets better, Hudgens portrayal of Apple changes, giving her character more confidence, and much like her character’s clothing, Hudgens allows us to see Apple as shedding layers of mistrust and years of abuse.

The film has a fine supporting cast, including Ann Dowd. Playing Kathy, a former homeless woman, starts a place where young, pregnant girls could find shelter.   James Earl Jones is perfect as the priest who is used to dealing with troubled teens and therefore knows how to speak to someone like Apple. Of the girls in the home (some of which were young women from actual shelters), Emily Meade stands out, portraying Cassandra, a young woman who bonds with Apple. Cassandra sees in Apple as fellow runaway who has seen her share of sorrow and abandonment, someone that can understand her aloofness and need to be on her own.

The cast, and especially Hudgens is let down by a script that is slow to develop and direction by Ron Krauss that never quite mixes with the performance of the actors to the storyline. There are plot holes throughout the film, possibly due to the fact that Apple wasn’t based on just one character.

Writer/director Krauss spent time in a shelter to add authenticity to the role of Apple. But, by making her a composite of a number of real shelter women, he stretches the character too thin. The film preaches at the audience too many times, hitting us over the head about religion instead of letting us figure out the message of the film. It’s a film that tries to hit too many points of interest, instead of focusing on one thing.  That is not what kind of home you live in or how nice it is, it’s the people inside the home that makes the difference.

It’s as if Krauss wanted to make a “Boys Town” for modern day but instead made a film that seems more like a 1970’s “afterschool special”. While I feel that “Gimme Shelter” is earnest in its attempt,  it never lets it’s cast show the whole, full picture, just a composite of one.    My Rating:  Cable

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Gimme Shelter” opens today at Atlanta area theatres. “Gimme Shelter” website

"Her" Movie Review

My review of "Her" starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson.

"Her"

Posted on Jan. 10, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

“Her”  (2013)

Set in the near future, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a writer who works at a company called BeautifulHandwrittenLetters .com, where he writes letters for people to send to their friends and loved ones. Theodore is not a happy man as his marriage is in tatters, but he can’t accept that it’s over and sign the divorce papers. He constantly flashbacks to happier times with his wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara), before his marriage fell apart. His friends tell him to snap out of it, including his best friend, Amy (Amy Adams), but this is a man that seems to relish living alone, brooding about the past. His one attempt at trying to find human companionship ends in disaster filled phone sex call with a stranger. It seems that all the feeling and love that Theodore puts into the letters he writes for other people, he can’t express these feelings for himself.

After seeing an ad, he decides to buy the latest operating system for his computer, an operating system that is called the most intuitive operating system ever developed. Within the first five minutes that the system is up on his computer, it names itself Samantha and starts organizing Theodore’s life. From that point on, Theodore’s life will never be the same.

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

Samantha is played brilliantly by Scarlett Johansson, who we never see, we only hear her voice as Theodore interacts with her. Samantha is smart, funny and sexy with a lust for knowledge, something that Theodore helps her with and encourages. Samantha soon becomes more than just an organizer of his life, she becomes a friend, one who pushes Theodore to go beyond his “safe zones” and push his boundaries. She even goes as far as setting Theodore up on a date with a pretty, smart woman (Olivia Wilde), a date, like most of Theodore’s experiences, does not end up well.

Joaquin Phoenix, in another outstanding role, gives us an open hearted performance that makes us like Theodore and root for him to find love. We watch as his relationship deepens with Samantha, and he learns to love again. It’s a role that could have easily become tired and pathetic, but Phoenix makes Theodore a real person, one which we come to understand and enjoy.

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

This is one of the better written films of the past year and writer/director Spike Jonze perfectly blends the interaction of Theodore with Samantha’s verbal interplay creating a film that is funny and thought provoking. Their interaction is absolutely amazing as the words seem to just flow between the two actors. I think one of the interesting things about this film is that we never see Samantha and therefore, each audience member must provide their own image of her to the film experience.

The look of this film is full of colors, making the futuristic world seem full of life, quite the opposite of the sparse computer driven world you might expect. The set design works to help us understand the world that Theodore lives in and works in, using the modernistic settings of Singapore to stand in for a future world of L.A.. Also, helping set the mood for the film is an incredible score by Arcade Fire that perfectly captures the feel of the film. There is a wonderful song that Phoenix and Johansson sing together near the end of the film that sums up their characters feelings for each other.

This is a film about love and how it can rescue even the biggest lost cause. It’s a movie that pushes us to consider just what love is and how it is defined, asking the question, can a man fall in love with a computer? Well, I know I did.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See It Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Her” made my top ten films of 2013, see what other films made the list!

“Her” is in theaters nationwide starting today.   “Her” Website

"Top Ten Worst Films of 2013"

"Top Ten Worst Films of 2013"

Posted on Jan. 2, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

I did not see the following films that are making several bottom tens lists: “Girl Most Likely”, “Planes”, “Battle of the Year”, “The Big Wedding”, “The Canyons”, “A Haunted House”, “Movie 43.”       

Here are my Top Ten Worst Films of 2013:

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1). “Grown Ups 2″ (2013)

Three years after reuniting with his old high school friends, Lenny (Adam Sandler) has relocated his family back to his hometown. Things are not quite working out as well as Lenny had hoped as the past is not easily escaped, especially if your friends are some of the root of your problems. This was a film that was only 91 minutes in length but felt like it was three hours long. The movie starts out with a deer peeing on Sandler’s character in his bedroom. The film just goes downhill from there. The plot is non-existent, making the movie just a handful of poorly done skits by Sandler and his friends.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

2). “After Earth” (2013)

Due to some cataclysmic events, Earth was abandoned over 1000 years ago. Cypher Raige (Will Smith) leads a peacekeeping mission to explore Earth when he and his son, Kitai (Jaden Smith) are the sole survivors of a crash landing. Now father and son must team up to survive a world populated by dangerous, wild animals. The special effects in this film were so bad it made me think I was watching the 1970’s show “Land of the Lost.” Will Smith’s character gets his leg broken in the crash, so it’s really Jaden’s film and we get to see Jaden’s idea of good acting, freaking out in almost every scene. It’s a film with plot holes so large an asteroid could fly through them.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

3). “R.I.P.D.” (2013)

Detective Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) is killed in a shootout and discovers that there is a whole other dimension out there inhabited by the spirit world. Now Nick works for the R.I.P.D – the Rest in Peace Department, the police force of the undead. Partnered with Roy Pulsipher (Jeff Bridges), Nick has to stop evil spirits from taking over the living world. This film went downhill almost from the start as a chase scene goes on with some of the worst CGI special effects that I have ever seen. Every one of the characters in this film seemed be inspired by 1950’s cartoons, and bad ones at that. Bridges performance is especially disappointing as he has decided to go over the top with his cowboy accent and bigger than life facial expressions. Reynolds looks as if he wishes he was in another movie and the usually reliable Kevin Bacon, playing Nick’s best friend, just never connects with his character or the audience. Thirty minutes into this film, I was looking at my watch, hoping that this film was almost done. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Photo courtesy of Relativity Media

4). “21 & Over” (2013)

Jeff (Justin Chon) is a straight A college student with a very promising life ahead of him. It’s the night before an important interview with a prestigious medical school, and Jeff just wants to stay at home and sleep. But, his two buddies (Skylar Astin and Miles Teller) convince Jeff to go out to celebrate his birthday. It’s a birthday he will never forget, but only if he survives it. If you think a scene where a person throws up in slow motion while on a spinning mechanical bull is funny, then this film is for you. For most of us, the film will seem long and tedious as the funny scenes are few and far between. The main characters are claim that they love each other like brothers but are willing to sell each other out at a moment’s notice. I just wish the script to this film had never been sold.

Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures

5). “Identity Thief” (2013)

Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) discovers that his identity has been stolen, and it’s causing him a world of problems. Sandy finds out that the identity thief is a woman named Diana (Melissa McCarthy) and that she is living large in another state. So, Sandy goes on a road trip to hunt down Diana and bring her back to clear his name. This was an incredibly unfunny film filled with unlikable characters. The first twenty minutes – and yes it takes that long to set up the premise – feel more like a drama or a horror film as it is really scary how quickly Sandy’s identity is stolen and how quickly his life gets torn to shreds. The plot is full of holes the size of Montana, and there are “comedy” bits that are so obvious, they might as well be put on a billboard. It seems that at no point in the film did the director let McCarthy loose and improvise her part, something that she has done so well in “Bridesmaids”, and “This is 40.” And my advice to Melissa McCarthy, get a new agent, because you are far better actress than this and one who doesn’t need to be constantly put down by an array of fat jokes/situations.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

6). “The Internship” (2013)

Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are salesmen who see the business they work for destroyed by the digital world. They decide, when you can’t beat them, join them; as they talk their way into an internship at the ultimate digital workplace, Google. Now, they must compete with fellow interns who are younger and much more tech savvy to land a job in the fast paced, high tech world. The film is one long, and I do mean long, infomercial for Google. The Google name is plastered across the screen so much that, at times I thought I was watching an instructional video on how to do a search on the web. The characters are all one dimensional, the scenes are all predictable, and the film rarely is funny. While Vaughn and Wilson do play off each other well, there just isn’t much to the script to make it interesting. If you are asked should you see this film, you don’t need to Google it – just say no.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

7). “The Lone Ranger” (2013)

Tonto (Johnny Depp) tells the story of a man who started out as lawyer John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man who favored the law over a gun. But the West is a tough place and to save his brother’s family, John had to turn into the man with the white hat and the black mask. He had to become The Lone Ranger. The film can never decide if it is a film for kids (it’s not, even though it’s being released under the Disney label) or adults, and it mixes things such as a violent shootout where numerous lives are lost, with a humorous scene involving the Lone Ranger’s horse, Silver. The film is too long, never captures the audience’s imagination, the best acting performance in the film is the horse, and the last big chase scene is entirely too confusing to make any sense. It’s a sad state of affairs when I enjoy the performance of a horse more than the actors.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

8). “A Good Day to Die Hard” (2013)

John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Russia to try get his son (Jai Courtney) back on track. What John doesn’t know is his son isn’t a kid bumming his way through Europe, he’s a CIA operative trying to stop the sale of nuclear weapons. Now John must team up with his son to keep the world safe. Yippee Ki yay bad! This is one of those films where the plot is so badly thought out that, at the end if the film, you have no idea how you got there. There are lots of daddy issue jokes/situations, and unlike some of the other Die Hard films, this one just isn’t fun. The film feels like it’s just one long explosion of a movie, and I have no idea who the villain of the film is, though it could possibly be the screenwriter.

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

9). “Gangster Squad” (2013)

The story of a group of police officers who form an elite squad with the intention of keeping 1950’s Los Angeles free of Mafia influence. This squad, though, will have to make tough decisions in their attempt to fight crime, and the Mafia plays dirty, so the squad may have to do the same. Be warned, this film contains a lot of violence. The first time we meet gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), he is having a man ripped apart by two cars. Overall, the film had an almost cartoon-like feel to it, Sean Penn’s makeup is campy, and it was as if I were watching a remake of the 1990 Warren Beatty film, “Dick Tracy”.

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

10). “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” (2013)

Magician Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and his partner Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) were once the toast of Las Vegas, wowing adoring crowds with their magic act. But times have changed, and now Vegas is ruled by street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) whose stunts get more and more outrageous. Can Burt change his act in time to save his career? The best way to sum up this film is it is just boring. Jim Carrey, doing his a very bad Chris Angel impersonation is just horrible in the role. There isn’t any chemistry between Carell and Buscemi, and the ending of the film so predictable that we could have ended the film 30 minutes sooner. There wasn’t anything wonderful or incredible about Burt the magician.

Almost made the list: “The Counselor”, “Getaway”, “Spring Breakers”, “The Bling Ring”, “Oblivion”, “Only God Forgives”, “Paranoia.”