DVD Mini-Reviews: Holy Motors, The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2, The Impossible

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In an effort to catch up on some of my recent rentals, here’s a new batch of DVD mini-reviews:

Holy Motors [2012]
Holy Motors [dir. Leos Carax]
Holy Motors has to be one of the strangest films I have ever seen, and boy, does it know it. Here is a film that is spliced together as something resembling a series of vignettes, each one bizarre in its own way. The film revolves around one man, Mr. Oscar (Denis Lavant), who rides around in a limousine throughout Paris while occasionally stopping to perform in increasingly weird scenarios. While riding, he puts on makeup, changes his costume and grabs the props needed for his next performance. One early scene has him dressed in a motion capture suit in which he simulates sex with a similarly dressed female. Another scene, arguably the movie’s most popular (see photo above), involves Mr. Oscar dressing up as a deformed leprechaun who terrorizes a photo shoot and seemingly falls in love with a supermodel (Eva Mendes).

As the film jumps from scenario to scenario, it’s difficult to make sense of it all. In fact, I still have no clue as to what exactly the film was about. For those expecting a clear narrative, this one is bound to aggravate. Some scenes work better than others, but if you’re willing to go along for the ride, this is one worth taking. It’s certainly one of the most unforgettable movies I have seen. 8/10

The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2
The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2 [dir. Jay Oliva]
The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 ended on a cliffhanger that perfectly set up its sequel. Here we have the Joker back to his old ways, feigning sanity in an effort to appear on a talk show from which he escapes. He begins terrorizing Gotham, prompting the 55-year-old Batman to attempt to put an end to his games once and for all. Meanwhile, the President (a caricature of Ronald Reagan) has contacted Superman and requested that he force Batman into ending his vigilantism by any means necessary.

These two storylines are paid off in huge ways, as the battles between Batman and the Joker (and later Superman) rank among the best moments of either film. This is actually a rather dark movie, as Batman slips into a form of brutality that is unheard of from him. Peter Weller once again does a fantastic job voicing the Dark Knight, and Michael Emerson, while no Mark Hamill, is a highlight as the Joker. The Dark Knight Returns Parts 1 & 2 make for a great double feature, especially for those who may have been disappointed by Christopher Nolan’s conclusion to the live-action trilogy. 8/10

The Impossible
The Impossible [dir. Juan Antonio Bayona]
The Impossible tells the true story of one family caught in the middle of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed over 230,000 people. The film impeccably captures the devastation and chaos of this natural disaster, and the scene showing the tsunami’s arrival is downright frightening. This is a beautifully made film, but I had a hard time getting over one especially glaring issue: the movie is focused on one white English tourist family.

Nevermind that hundreds of thousands of locals were killed in this awful tragedy; in the film, they are portrayed as merely being there to help the white tourists get medical attention and reunite their families. It also doesn’t help that the film changed the real-life Spanish family that this story is based on into an English one. This begs the question, why are films so afraid to place minorities in their lead roles? This is especially frustrating here because The Impossible is a good film otherwise. The blame can’t be placed on its actors. Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts are tremendous — I have no complaints with Watts’ Oscar nomination for her performance — and newcomer Tom Holland is a real highlight as the couple’s oldest son. If you can get over the “whitewashing” factor, this film is worth a look. 7/10

Have you seen any of these? What did you think of them?

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Poll Results: Favorite Baseball Film + The Warning Sign Update

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A recent film stands tall as the winner:

Moneyball

THE RESULTS:
- Moneyball: 8 votes
- The Sandlot: 6 votes
- Bad News Bears [original]: 5 votes
- Bull Durham: 3 votes
- Field of Dreams: 3 votes
- A League of Their Own: 3 votes
- Major League: 2 votes
- 61*: 1 vote
- Eight Men Out: 1 vote
- Fever Pitch: 1 vote
- Rookie of the Year: 1 vote

The write-ins:
- It Happens Every Spring: 1 vote
- Major League II: 1 vote

Some really interesting votes this time around. I expected a better turnout for Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, but it seems that *everyone* loves Moneyball. No complaints here, as any film based on sabermetrics that manages to also appeal to the non-baseball fan crowd is worthy in my book.

This Week’s Poll: As many of you know, last week brought us the series finale for the U.S. version of The Office. While the show suffered in its last couple years, it still had a hell of a run, and it was sad to see it go. In honor of one of the best TV sitcoms of the 2000s, I want to know who your favorite characters of The Office are. Since there are just so many characters, I’m making this a pick two.

The Warning Sign Update: Things have been slow around these parts, as the hustle and bustle of summer has given me little time to devote to blogging. Between going out of state and having friends and family visit here, my free time has been minimal. However, this week is looking better, and I hope to begin sharing regular content from this point on. Thanks to all who still visited during the lull — I greatly appreciate every single one of you!

Have a great week!

Top 10 Songs by The National

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Hey folks!

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Chris from the wonderfully diverse blog, moviesandsongs365, invited me to write a guest post about my favorite band, The National. While I rarely write about music here at The Warning Sign, it is one of my greatest passions, and I was eager to accept his proposal. I composed a list of my top 10 favorite songs by The National; it was hard to whittle down their catalog to just ten songs, but I’m happy with how it turned out.

the-national

Read the full article here: Eric’s Top 10 Songs by The National.

Poll Results: Most Anticipated Summer Blockbuster

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With so many blockbusters this summer, it’s no surprise that this was a close race:

The Great Gatsby

THE RESULTS:
- The Great Gatsby: 7 votes
- The World’s End: 6 votes
- Man of Steel: 5 votes
- Pacific Rim: 4 votes
- Star Trek Into Darkness: 3 votes
- Kick-Ass 2: 2 votes
- The Wolverine: 2 votes
- Fast & Furious 6: 1 vote

The write-ins:
- Only God Forgives: 2 votes (great choice)
- Before Midnight: 1 vote (my most anticipated film as well, but I would be hard-pressed to call this a “blockbuster”)

So, for those who were looking forward to The Great Gatsby, did the movie live up to your expectations? The reviews are all over the place… what did you think of it? Feel free to link to your review if you have one.

This Week’s Poll: Since the hockey and basketball seasons are winding down (GO WINGS!), the focus of the sporting world is about to shift almost entirely to baseball. This is a sport that has been covered quite a bit in film, and there are several titles that are enjoyable even to non-fans. This week’s poll is a pick two: What is your favorite baseball movie? Do you prefer modern picks such as 42 or Moneyball? Do you get nostalgic about The Sandlot? Do you still fire up Bull Durham for every Opening Day? Let’s hear your thoughts!

Have a great week, folks!

Video Game Review: Thomas Was Alone [PS Vita/PS3]

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Thomas Was Alone [PS Vita/PS3]

Thomas Was Alone
System: PS Vita/PS3 (crossbuy) [also on PC and Mac]
Genre: Puzzle platformer
Publisher: Mike Bithell
Developer: Bossa Studios, Curve Studios (Vita/PS3), Mike Bithell (PC/Mac)
Release Date: April 23, 2013

At first glance, Thomas Was Alone doesn’t look like much. There’s a black background, a few blocks and some ledges. Hardly anything visually stimulating.

Yet here is a game that will have you hooked from the very first level.

It all starts with the narrator. British humorist Danny Wallace, who earned a BAFTA Award for his performance, is there to narrate every single one of the game’s 100 levels. Through his voice, he gives every block in the game a name and personality.

Thomas Was Alone [PS Vita/PS3]

There’s Thomas, the titular character, a red rectangle that is trying to make sense of the world around him. Soon he meets Chris, a short and stout orange square, and he is a particularly grouchy character. Later, Claire is introduced. She is a large blue square, one who is insecure but takes some great pride in helping others. A tall and thin yellow rectangle named John also enters the picture, and he loves to show off his high-jumping abilities.

These are only but a handful of the characters we are introduced to in Thomas Was Alone, and all of them are different-sized squares and rectangles. Sometimes a level will require you to use a few of them together in order to solve puzzles, while others only use one character.

Every level has the same basic end goal: to move the blocks to their appropriately-sized exit portals. Since each character has its own ability (i.e. Claire can float in water, John can jump really high), these specific traits must be taken advantage of in order to make progress. Most puzzles can be solved by using some variation of stacking blocks and using each other as a platform, and very few of the game’s levels actually present a real mind-bending challenge.

Thomas Was Alone [PS Vita/PS3]

However, it is this simplicity that only enhances the game’s ambiance. Combined with the glitchy, minimalist soundtrack, Thomas Was Alone is a laidback experience, perfect for when you just want to relax after a long day.

It’s rather amazing that a game so basic in concept can achieve so much thanks to good, quality writing. It’s hard not to be enchanted with Wallace’s witty quips about isolation, loneliness, companionship and artificial intelligence. If you had told me beforehand that I could get attached to a few blocks, I would have called you crazy. While sometimes I wish the game did have more of a challenge, the setting and overall charm makes this an easy one to recommend.

8/10

Movie Project #11: Y Tu Mamá También [2001]

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The 50 Movies Project: 2013 Edition

In what has become an annual tradition, I have decided to embark in a third round of the 50 Movies Project. The premise is simple — I have put together a list of 50 movies that I feel I absolutely must see in order to continue my progression as a film lover. With so many films to see, it’s easy to get off track and forget about some of the essentials. This is my way of making sure I watch those that have been on my “must see” list for too long.

Y Tu Mamá También [2001]

Y Tu Mamá También [2001]
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Screenplay: Alfonso Cuarón, Carlos Cuarón
Country: Mexico
Genre: Drama
Starring: Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna
Running Time: 106 minutes

Reason for inclusion: I can’t remember where I first heard about this film, but it caught my attention years ago. Since then, I have seen it pop up in many “best of” lists, which has made me want to see it even more.

Accolades: New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film, One Oscar nomination (Best Original Screenplay), two BAFTA nominations, one Golden Globe nomination

It seems only fitting that I follow up Luis Buñuel’s fantastic erotica, Belle de Jour, a film that showed little in the way of nudity, with Alfonso Cuarón’s Y Tu Mamá También, a film that revels in its sexual freedom.

Here is a film that takes pieces from many cinematic themes — a coming of age story, a road movie, a tale of best friends, and the seduction of an older woman to a much younger male — and ties them altogether into something very unique. I can’t say I have ever seen a film like it, even though it still feels familiar.

Y Tu Mamá También [2001]

Julio (Gael García Bernal, a recognizable face from Amores Perros) and Tenoch (Diego Luna) are two teenage boys that are also best friends. They seem inseparable, especially when their girlfriends go away for the summer. Now free to do whatever they like, they party, drink, do drugs and try to get laid whenever possible. At a wedding, they meet Luisa (Maribel Verdú), the Spanish wife of one of Tenoch’s cousins. Both teens are instantly smitten with her and, in jest, they invite her on a road trip to a secluded beach that no one knows about. She finds their gesture flattering — and amusing — but politely declines. Later, when it appears her marriage has hit a rough patch, she decides to take them up on their offer, much to their surprise.

Y tu mamá también [2002]

Julio, Tenoch and Luisa all hit the road together and drive through the Mexican countryside in search of this mysterious beach. This gives everyone involved — us included — to learn something new. For us, this trip provides a glimpse through rural Mexico, showing economic disparity while also beautifully evoking its many different cultures. For the characters, they are all discovering new things about themselves and each other, for better or for worse. It goes without saying that things will not be the same by the time they come back.

Y Tu Mamá También is frank with its subject matter, and full-frontal nudity is a common occurrence. However, there is nothing sleazy about this film, and in fact, it should be commended for not concealing anything. This is a wonderfully told story that feels raw and authentic. Best yet, it is honest, and by the end of the film I felt like I really knew these characters. All three grow up, just not perhaps in the way you might expect.

9/10

Video Game Review: Gears of War: Judgment [Xbox 360]

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Gears of War: Judgment [Xbox 360]

Gears of War: Judgment
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Third-person Shooter
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Epic Games, People Can Fly
Release Date: March 19, 2013

No matter what happens to the Gears of War series in the future, Judgment is always going to be an outlier of sorts. After Epic Games released the fantastic conclusion to its trilogy in 2011, it seemed the book had been shut on the series, at least until the next console generation. Since the sequels were released with 2-3 year gaps in between, it came as a bit of a surprise that a fourth entry was to be released just over a year after the last.

Gears of War: Judgment is a prequel that takes place 15 years before the original trilogy, so it basically has free reign to try out some new ideas. Some work, some don’t.

This time around the campaign has been reduced to a series of brief, arcade-style missions, and most of them can be completed in a matter of minutes. The main emphasis is on getting a high score and acquiring ribbons based on how well you are playing. Each mission has a 3-star system, and the more kills you get, the faster the stars fill up. All of this is tied into an overarching XP system that lets you level up and customize your selected character.

Within each mission is an option called Declassification, and their purpose is to provide an extra challenge by changing the environment settings, restricting you to a certain weapon loadout, increasing the amount of enemies, and so on. By accepting this option, the stars fill up faster, and you can gain more XP. Some of these tweaks are interesting, but I never found it too difficult to get three stars without accepting these bonuses.

Gears of War: Judgment [Xbox 360, 2013]

There is also an extra chapter set during the Gears 3 timeline that offers the traditional series gameplay. While this add-on can be finished in an hour or less, it’s nice to at least have that option to play the familiar way.

With such a focus on high scores, the campaign offers little in the way of a well-developed or exciting plot. The four main characters — Baird, Cole, a Russian vet and a female ex-journalist — are on trial for treason, and each chapter of the campaign shows their different recollections of the questioned event. Unfortunately, there are very few, if any, memorable setpieces, and the dialogue is sparse and devoid of any of the trademark goofy humor the series is known for. Those looking for the Gears campaigns of yore will be greatly disappointed.

However, even though the campaign does feel lacking in many ways, I did have a lot of fun with it. The combat system is as smooth as ever, and the 4-player co-op is an absolute blast. It’s easy to drop in and out of other players’ campaigns, and if you get a good group together, it’s one of the better co-op experiences on the 360.

Gears of War: Judgment [Xbox 360]

The competitive multiplayer mode has also received a major overhaul. Gone are old favorites such as Horde, Guardian, Warzone and Wingman. In their place are two new modes — OverRun and Survival — as well as Team Deathmatch, Free-for-All and Domination.

Both OverRun and Survival switch things up a bit by allowing players to select different character classes for both COGs and Locust. COGs have four options: Engineers who can repair fortifications, Medics who can heal squadmates, Soldiers who can provide ammo, and Scouts who can spot enemies from afar. On the Locust side, there are eight types of monsters that can be controlled, ranging from Tickers all the way up to the vicious Corpsers (similar to the Beast mode found in Gears 3).

In OverRun, the COGs and Locust square off in a 5×5 battle with the goal being to either defend or destroy three objectives. This takes place on a very large map, and after every round the objectives are moved to a new location.

Gears of War: Judgment [Xbox 360]

Survival mode is this game’s answer to Horde, as it is basically a stripped-down version (no fortifications) where you are supposed to protect an objective while facing several waves of enemies. It’s an interesting twist on a tried-and-true concept, but it really just made me wish there was also a standard Horde mode.

For those willing to indulge, there is still a lot of depth to multiplayer, even with the lack of familiar modes. I have a feeling some favorites will be released as DLC in the future, but as for now there is still enough substance to satisfy most Gears vets.

I have to give credit to the developer, People Can Fly, for trying something new with Gears of War: Judgment. The weak narrative and arcade-style campaign will bother some, but the bite-size missions are addictive, especially when played co-op. The new multiplayer options are also enjoyable, even if it would have been nice to have at least some of the old favorites ready from the start. While certainly a lesser Gears title, it’s still a good one, and it has me excited to see what the next console generation brings to the series.

7.5/10