Ben Affleck continues to prove that he is the closest person, past or present, with a chance (however slight) to unthrone Clint Eastwood as the greatest actor/director combo ever. It will take a herculean effort to unseat Eastwood’s five Oscar nominations for directing (wins for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) to go along with over 35 other directing credits, as well as nearly 60 acting credits. Affleck, at just 50 years of age, very well could surpass Eastwood’s acting credits, but another 35 directing credits seems like a stretch. Air is Affleck’s fifth feature-length film. Three of his previous four (Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo) have resonated strongly with critics and audiences, while his fourth (Live By Night) wasn’t that far of a drop-off. What’s great about Affleck as a director is his drive and creativity. The staples of his directed movies are taut scripts, formidable, seasoned casts, and expert artisans (cinematographers, sound engineers, production designers) who he allows the freedom to shine. Air delivers on all fronts. It’s a movie that would be difficult not to enjoy.
Category Archives: Jason Bateman
Horrible Bosses 2 (2014)
Horrible Bosses wowed audiences ($117 million) and won over most critics (69% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) in the summer of 2011. The unlikely comedy starred three guys in their late 30’s/early 40’s who absolutely hated the bosses they worked for so much that they plotted ways to get even with them for making their work lives so miserable. With an unlikely group that had TWO Best Actor Academy Award (Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx) winners from the last fifteen years signed on as supporting characters, this cast was a list of who’s who in Hollywood. The movie is hilarious and is very much worth a view. It seems, however, that the same critics who lauded the Horrible Bosses seem to be the same ones crushing Horrible Bosses 2 (just 35% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). While I wouldn’t go so far as to say the sequel was better than the first one, it was comparable in terms of laughs. While the formula is the same, the jokes are new and original, and the payoff is just as good as the original. With that said, I hope that this franchise quits while it’s ahead. I could see a potential Horrible Bosses 3 resulting in an utter disaster.
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The Gift (2015)
Joel Edgerton’s (Warrior, Exodus: Gods and Kings) The Gift is easily the surprise hit of the summer. Creepy and suspenseful, this movie is a clinic on developing characters and entrenching viewers fully into the storyline. I saw the film in a probably 75% full theater, and you could hear a pin drop during the film’s quieter moments. Everyone was all-in on the story, and nobody seemed to know where it was headed because of the oohs and aahs at each new twist. Based on its 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I did not doubt this movie would be good. However, I did not watch a preview beforehand (purposefully), nor did I know anything about the film other than when somebody said the night before my viewing that they heard it had a crazy twist. Therefore, before I get into my review, I would suggest stopping reading and avoiding as much reading or trailer-watching as possible about the film. Long story short, see the movie.
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Disconnect (2013)
Following the pattern of such successful smashes as Crash, Traffic, and Babel (all of which earned Best Picture nominations, with Crash winning the top prize), Henry Alex Rubin’s (Murderball) first non-documentary film, Disconnect is a movie that tells three distinct stories at the same time that have little connection with each other and only minor overlapping, but one in which many of its main actors are not on the screen at the same time. It’s a formula that, when done correctly, is magical but when done poorly, can be a disaster. Disconnect was done right. It is a daring movie and deals with not just one but three of the most prevalent technological safety issues of the day, which are cyberbullying, security fraud/identity theft, and the predatory practices of recruiting minors to become online porn performers. Each story could be its movie, but Disconnect does an awesome job of telling all three and showing the raw emotion associated with each. On top of that, the performances are top-notch. And while this movie came in at 68% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, it earned only $1.4 million at the box office. Both are much too low for a movie of this magnitude, officially classifying Disconnect as a hidden gem I think everyone should see. Continue reading Disconnect (2013) Horrible Bosses (2011)
In 2011’s Horrible Bosses, four of this decade’s best actors (Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston, and Collin Farrell) take a backseat to the film’s three stars. The plot of this movie revolves around three friends. Nick (Jason Bateman – Juno, television’s Arrested Development), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis – Hall Pass, We’re the Millers), and Dale (Charlie Day – Going the Distance) are stuck in jobs that are made intolerable because of bosses who make their lives hell. Their bosses are so terrible that the trio wonders how much better their lives would be if they were no longer their current bosses.