Movie Review: Iron Man 3 (2013)

by Tony Dayoub

"You know who I am." It's a statement made several different times in Iron Man 3 by both Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his nemesis the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) that turns out to be more of a question than a declaration: "Do you know who I am?" We find out who the Mandarin is fairly early. Whether you'll be satisfied with the answer largely depends on if you're a comic book fan who holds filmmakers accountable for screwing around with your precious text. The answer to who Stark is takes a good deal longer to arrive at a resolution, relentlessly driving Iron Man 3 to its conclusion rather skillfully thanks to director Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) who consistently subverts the expectations one brings to the otherwise increasingly predictable and generic superhero movie.

Movie Review: Iron Man 2

by Tony Dayoub

Fulfilling the commercial objectives set by its preceding film, Iron Man 2 makes good on its aim to spearhead an entire Marvel Universe of film franchises. But at what cost? All of the goodwill engendered by its endearingly brash predecessor completely evaporates before this film reaches its denouement. Iron Man 2 doesn't play within any established dramatic constructs in existence. And it betrays the fine character work of its cast by limiting their appearances in order to tease fanboys with the promise of future entries in the tapestry it is intent on weaving.

Movie Review: Two Lovers, One For Each of Joaquin’s Careers

by Lissette Decos So much time passes between the lights fading to black, the vulgar commercials, lotsa trailers, and the actual movie that when I found myself about to see Two Lovers I wondered for a moment, “Why am I seeing this movie?" I hadn’t seen a trailer, and the only article I had read was some lame detail about the unique locations its director had chosen. And then, all of a sudden, there was the reason walking across the screen... Joaquin. I love anything Joaquin Phoenix is in (preteen, angst-ridden Joaquin even made me love Parenthood). I was here because Joaquin says he has quit acting, and if that turns out to be true, this is his last film. If you’re like me, when you hear “two lovers” you’re like, “Wow, lucky you,” or “Can you spare some change?” But in this film, Joaquin’s two lovers represent his two conflicting sides. Both sides struggle with the question that children of immigrants in the United States must at one point ask themselves, “Am I American or am I Cuban? Am I Puerto Rican or am I...?” Well that’s actually a bad example. But you get the point. This question often weighs one down because one can’t really be both. In this film, JP - as I like to call him – is torn between obligations to his ethnic side, represented by his family (the tribe or the clan), and his American or individualistic side, the part of him that wants to break free from tradition and not suffer the fate of his boring folks. His lovers symbolically personify his struggle with these dual obligations. One lover (played subtly by Vinessa Shaw) represents the tribe. It’s no surprise that their first kiss is in front of the wall of portraits of all of the generations of JP’s clan in the film. The other lover is played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Her performance was impressive (but I would be uber-talented too if I got to make Chris Martin’s dinner once in a while). This lover represents the soul-searching free spirit who in actuality is a lost individual. She's the kind of person that makes up her own rules as she goes along, and then breaks them; the one that is cool, crazy and free, like surfers in California. American freedom is what JP wants more than anything in Two Lovers, and so he pines after Gwyn’s blond haired ideal. By the end of the film I couldn’t help but feel that these two lovers could also represent JP’s two careers. The clan girlfriend represents his acting career, his heritage, his safe success. Gwyn represents the rapper in him, the wild child without rules. My theory is not so far-fetched - in the film he raps and even break-dances to Gwyn. The funny thing is that to just about everyone on the planet (except maybe Obama), an actor’s life is amazing and incredible, but yet the life of a musician is somehow way cooler to actors. They don’t have to memorize no stupid lines. They don’t have to work so hard to act like someone else. With music, they can hide their cryptic selves behind their own lyrics instead. I believe the main reason is because after years of directors directing them; agents agenting them; interviews; and most of all, having to smile so much on red carpets, the only logical response is to pay for studio time and scream lyrics they wrote while on junkets into a microphone (this theory of mine is based on the astronomical number of actors that start rock bands and… on me taking a wild guess. Plus, I once saw Juliette Lewis perform with her band Juliette and the Licks. It was loud.). In Two Lovers, JP the actor is taken care of by the clan, kept safe and warm and showered with boring yet useful gifts like jobs and winter gloves. JP the rapper releases his individualistic side, does drugs, and has sex on rooftops. The latter sounds more rock-n-roll, yes? I hope so much that Two Lovers will not be Joaquin’s last film. That is, if we don’t count the mockumentary that Casey Affleck is supposedly filming of JP’s transference into rap life. I hope that in the end, this rap thing turns out to be a big joke, and that we get the punchline. I hope it turns out in real life for Joaquin like it does for his character in the film, a film which teaches that you can’t count on selfish, crazy, drug-using individuals. They will leave you out in the cold waiting with a suitcase full of dreams. But you can always count on the tribe. They will take you in even after you’ve been a total ass. Two Lovers is a great film. Take your two lovers to see it, that is, if you fall into that 4%*. Or if you’re like me, take a small popcorn and a box of Goobers. *Percentage number is based on wishful thinking.

Movie Review: Two Lovers - Serious Romance Charms with Its Emotional Depth

James Gray's Two Lovers begins with a man jumping off a Brighton Beach pier, hoping to drown, yet ultimately too fearful to go through with it. Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) is a nice-guy schlub who's moved back in with his Jewish parents (Isabella Rossellini, Moni Moshonov). Arriving home, drenched from head to toe, his worried mother doesn't seem too surprised at her son's condition. He's attempted suicide at least one other time, we'll learn later, and is on medication to combat his depression. His fiancee had left him after a genetic test indicated that any offspring of theirs would likely suffer a debilitating disease and die after one year. Soon, he meets two women. One is Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), daughter of a dry cleaner who plans on merging his company with that of Leonard's dad. She is a sensible woman from a good Jewish family that Leonard's parents hope will get him out of his funk. He also meets a neighbor, Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), a charmingly neurotic beauty that he finds himself instantly attracted to. The apartment she stays at is right across the courtyard from his window, and is provided to her by her married lover (Elias Koteas) who comes to see her when visiting his mother. The plot could easily form the basis for a typical romantic comedy were it not in the hands of Gray (We Own the Night), with Sandra playing the vanilla girl who stands in the way of Leonard's pursuit of his dream girl, Michelle. But Gray treats the proceedings with seriousness and sympathy for all of his characters, especially Leonard. In this, his third collaboration with Phoenix (The Yards), Gray seems to be maturing somewhat. Like in his previous films, Gray confounds expectations he has deliberately encouraged, leading us up to the predictable conclusion and then turning away with subtlety to provide a more realistic alternative. So when Leonard's mom is shown to be a nosy old biddy, for instance, it's not to imply that she is domineering and may be at the root of his problems with women. It is to demonstrate how fragile he is after his suicide attempts, the implication being that his mom feels she may have failed him once and is unwilling to do so again. Leaving behind the melodrama of his earlier crime pictures, Gray also hones in on another strength evident in his earlier films, the ability to elicit outstanding performances of great emotional depth. It's a real shame that Phoenix is leaving acting behind to pursue a rap career. Supposedly his "last" performance, this is perhaps the most touching performance of his career. As Leonard, Phoenix reveals the lonely soul of a man abandoned by love who still reaches out for someone to save him. Phoenix uses his best features, his hooded eyes, to great effect here, alternately lifting and lowering his gaze as if to unveil and shroud his wounded heart to at least the viewer, if to no one else. And strangely enough, a goofy rap on his first outing with Michelle instantly endears him to her and us, the viewers, as well. Gray underscores the allure that Michelle holds for Leonard in some interesting ways. When they trade cell numbers in order for her to be able to start texting him, it immediately characterizes their relationship with touches of modernity, secrecy and excitement, a way out for Leonard from the path of tradition he feels locked into in Brighton Beach. Gray usually frames Paltrow (Iron Man) in a blur, both figuratively and literally. The first time Michelle and Leonard go out, he euphorically gets caught up in her Ecstasy-induced haze as they party in a club, the whirl of dancing people and colored lights surrounding them. The picture above demonstrates how only Michelle is in focus when he is with her. But this shot is from early on in the film, and as he (and we) get to know her, the frame's background begins to sharpen. Sandra, on the other hand, represents his roots, and perhaps painfully reminds him of the woman who left him. Gray often depicts her within the context of family, i.e., her brother's bar mitzvah; cancelling a date because of her father's birthday; a New Year's party at Leonard's parents' home. She often prefers coming to see him in person, rather than calling him on the phone. Even her gift of winter gloves to Leonard is a sensible, though unexciting one. As seen in the picture above, Sandra is a natural beauty, dressing conservatively, and wearing little makeup. Gray often shoots Shaw (The Hills Have Eyes) with a wide-angle lens, tying her character into the background, rooting her in Leonard's world. The director, an aspiring painter in his youth, gives Leonard and Sandra's world his typical chiaroscuro lighting, accentuating the contrast between the safety and stability of Sandra's world in Brooklyn, and the glitzy wonder of Michelle's Manhattan life. This upcoming Valentine's Day, if you've had your fill of comedy, but still ache for romance in your cinema, Two Lovers is a great movie to watch. Two Lovers opens in limited release February 13, 2009.

Movie Review: Iron Man - Fun Flick Marks Start of Summer Movie Season

by Tony Dayoub


Iron Man, based on the Marvel Comics superhero from the 1960s, opened Friday nationwide. Directed by Jon Favreau, it tells the story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), a less charitable Bill Gates-like (updated from Howard Hughes in the comic) multi-billionaire who makes most of his fortune from the lucrative weapons development division of his company. Injured when he is captured by rogue terrorists, he has a change of heart (literally and figuratively) about his role in the scheme of things, after seeing the terrorists using his weapons to subjugate the innocents of their country, and defeat American soldiers. Forced to make a missile for them in return for his release, he instead makes the first clunky version of the armor that will lead to his new endeavor as Iron Man.

The film is everything a fun summer flick should be. It's topical, updating the comic book origin to take place in Afghanistan rather than Vietnam. It's exciting, particularly whenever Stark takes exhilarating flight as he tests his armor. It has enough humor to let you know it doesn't take itself too seriously. One running gag involves a government agent frustratedly seeking a moment to debrief Stark after his escape from captivity. The gag is amusing on that level, but it's also a nod to the geeks (if they listen to what division he's from, they should get the joke right away). And it has a brilliant cast.

Downey is perfect for the party boy savant Stark, whose lifestyle parallels much of Downey's own brushes with addiction. Gwyneth Paltrow, as his assistant Pepper Potts, is clearly having fun with her role, but is integral to saving the day, a role rarely assigned to females in this genre. Terrence Howard as Rhodey is the everyman that must manage his friend, making sure he doesn't screw up his naive pursuit of justice, but secretly happy that his friend has the guts to go outside of the box in his crusade.

Jeff Bridges is a strong adversary. His Obadiah Stane is the real workhorse who's built Stark Enterprises to what it is today, and won't see it, or himself, flushed down with the refuse because the mercurial Stark has had a sudden notion to save the world. Bridges wisely plays the villain without twirling his mustache too much. Instead, he makes us understand the business obligations that drive Stane to do what he has to do, delineating the contrast between Stane's pragmatic persona with Stark's, until now, more flighty one.

By the way, if you're a fan of the comic books, stay till after the end credits for a special surprise that sets up future adventures. You will not be disappointed. Iron Man is a solid entertaining way to start the summer movie season, and I hope the rest of this season lives up to the benchmark established by this film.