3 Reviews

The Flying Scotsman- The inspirational sports drama may actually be the most cliche ridden genre in all of film. It seems that even though all of these films are "inspired by a true story," that the true story is always remarkably the same. Most of them just end up following in the footsteps of "Hoosiers" and pale in comparison to that 1986 film. Understanding this makes you realize just how refreshing "The Flying Scotsman" is. Rather than being a melodramatic look at a stereotypical team that "no one believed in," it's a character study, and it studies a fascinating character.
Graeme Obree ("Trainspotting's" Johnny Lee Miller) learned how to ride a bike as a child to escape his tormentors. When we see him as an adult he's still riding away. We see Obree as a bicycle courier and the owner of a small bicycle repair business, but his true passion, and true talent, lie in racing. Crafting a revolutionary bike of his own design, Obree decides to go for the one hour cycling record. With the support of his wife ("A Knight's Tale's" Laura Fraser) and new business manager Malky (Billy Boyd, who you probably know as Pippin), Obree trains for his dream.
There are a few typical sports movie cliches here, such as the character who will do anything to keep Obree from succeeding. Yes, the character is based on a real man, but his villainy is never explained terribly well. He's a movie character surrounded by real people.
Despite a few missteps, writer-director Douglas Mackinnon keeps his focus (and ours) where it should be. On the long-suffering Obree, who's still scarred from his childhood experiences. Miller is fantastic in the lead here as we see a man who is sympathetic, determined, and always on the edge of breaking down. The rest of the cast is great as well, particularly Brian Cox ("Braveheart," "Rushmore") as a local minister who offers Graeme encouragement and support. Also, kudos to Mackinnon and cinematographer Gavin Finney. The film is beautifully shot and they give the race scenes the energy that is required. This is one sports film "inspired by a true story" that gives us something new. It's in limited release. If you can't find it be sure to give it a rent on DVD. 7.5/10

Everything's Gone Green- Over the last fifteen years or so audiences have become accustomed to Vancouver, British Columbia portraying virtually every city in the world, except for itself. This is where much of the joy of "Everything's Gone Green" comes from. Shot and set in Vancouver, it tells the story of Ryan ("Joey's" Paulo Costanzo), a 29-year old with seemingly no ambition. This lack of drive is what causes his girlfriend to dump him and kick him out of her apartment at the film's beginning. The day goes from bad to worse when he gets put on suspension at his job. The news that his parents just won the lottery turns things around however. That is until they discover that the ticket is for the wrong day.
In spite of this series of events, Ryan's optimism is never really damaged, and he starts writing for "Winners" magazine, which details the lives of lottery winners. It is at this point that Bryce (J.R. Bourne) comes to Ryan with an unsavory, though not illegal, proposal.
The film (written by Douglas Coupland and directed by Paul Fox) is a very funny examination of seemingly everyone's desire to get rich quickly without actually working for it. As Ryan muses at one point, "What's wrong with just being middle-class?" But even he is lured into the world of get-rich-quick.
For being such a low budget affair, "Green" looks wonderful. Fox and cinematographer David Frazee bring Vancouver to life. Seeing the city play itself is a real treat, especially for someone who has been up there a number of times and knows what a great looking city it really is. What really raises this film to another level though is its acknowledgment of this. Ryan's potential girlfriend, Ming (Steph Song) is a set decorator whose job is to make Vancouver look like Oregon one day and Phoenix the next. We even see "Mars, Texas" (a sly "X-Files" reference) being filmed across the street from Ryan's parents house. Sadly, this movie only played for one week in Seattle and is nearly impossible to find most anywhere. But be sure to check this out on DVD when it comes out. We need more movies like this one. 8.5/10

The Ex- As you all certainly know, "Arrested Development" and "Scrubs" are two of my favorite TV series ever. So when I heard that Zach Braff and Jason Bateman would be playing adversaries in a movie, I was pretty darn excited.
"The Ex" tells the tale of Tom Reilly (Braff) and his wife Sofia (Amanda Peet). Tom gets fired from his job as a New York City chef mere hours before Sofia gives birth to their first child. They take this as a sign that they are supposed to get out of New York and move to Ohio, where Tom can get a job from Sofia's father (Charles Grodin). The company is an advertising agency called Sunburst, one of those goofy sorts of places where there are no offices, employees ride around on segues, and everyone looks a lot happier than they really are. This is where Tom meets Chip Sanders (Bateman), a wheel chair bound ex-flame of Sofia's. A battle of wills ensues.
The cast, which also includes Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, and Amy Adams is what made me want to see "The Ex," but sadly this movie proves that a great cast can't save a movie from a screenplay that needed a couple more drafts and a director with virtually no sense of comic timing. Jesse Peretz just doesn't seem to understand comedy at all. Set-ups which should lead to hilariously uncomfortable payoffs just end up being uncomfortable. I love, LOVE, awkward humor, but too much falls flat here. The cast do their best. Bateman and Adams (who's in this all too briefly as a new agey mom) come off particularly well. Bateman's smarmy Chip deserves a better movie (with some better dialogue) to be in. If you're a big fan of Braff and Bateman like I am, it's good for a few laughs, but there aren't nearly enough of them. Skip this and pop in your DVDs of "Arrested Development" and "Scrubs" (which has been officially renewed for one more season!) instead. 5/10

Finally, if you see only one movie that's currently in theaters, make it "Hot Fuzz." It just gets better and better every time I see it. Cinematic bliss!