Deadpool

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a pretty forgettable movie, but one thing almost saved it. That was Ryan Reynolds as the loony assassin Wade Wilson, alias Deadpool. But they wasted it by turning him into a joyless "mutant killer" played by another actor.

Flash-forward to now and Fox and Reynolds are ready to try again. Deadpool has his own movie now. And it's the opposite of joyless. Who better to explain the plot than the merc with a mouth?

Yay!

So I'm Wade Wilson, former special forces guy turned protector of the innocent. I have a hot girlfriend, Vanessa (that's good!), and cancer of the everything (that's bad!). The guys at my favorite bar bet on which of us will bite it first. That's the Deadpool from which I get my super identity. But I think I'm getting ahead of myself.

Yes, you are.

Quiet you.

A guy shows up offering to cure my cancer and make me a superhero. So I turn guinea-pig. That's when I meet Francis (Ed Skrein) and his partner, Angel Dust (Gina Carano). Francis is the censored scientist who tortures me so my dormant mutant genes can give me a superpower. I get a healing factor (that's good!) that roadblocks my cancer (that's awesome!) and destroys my good looks (that sucks!). And then Francis leaves me to die when the place goes up in smoke. (It was kind of my fault. I made the place go boom.)

But I'm still here. And I can't bring myself to see Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) in my condition. I want some payback. I put on a red suit and go hunting for Francis. These two X-men, Colossus (body by Andre Tricoteux, voice by Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), want me to join them. But I don't wanna. Francis decides to nab Vanessa to get to me. So I have to get their help.

And since you're reviewing the movie ... Deadpool out.

Yes, I am.

The movie prides itself as an anti-superhero movie. There is, of course, all the blood and language X-Men Origins never had. But we also have Deadpool break the fourth wall like it was never there. The opening credits give jokey descriptions to the cast and filmmakers (i.e. Stan Lee is "A Gratuitous Cameo"). There are also left-hooks delivered to Deadpool's portrayal in X-Men Origins. The metaphysical violence makes for the best laughs of the film.

Deadpool and his supporting characters are memorable. His first scene endears him to the audience as an honest, goofy anti-hero. He says he's not a hero, but his heart's in the right place. His relationship with Vanessa is endearing; Vanessa herself is much better than typical damsels in distress. His sidekicks are capable straight men to Deadpool's zany one. I just wish there was more of one of his non-mutant sidekicks, Blind Al (Leslie Uggams).

Director Tim Miller makes the most of $58 million. The visual effects are amazing for the budget, especially the opening shot, which travels along a spinning car with Deadpool and bad guys. The mutant powers are also nicely realized. The editing helps punctuate the action and humor. The fight scenes are exciting and tense. These elements help make it a fun movie.

Exercise caution if you take your kids to Deadpool. Or don't bring them at all. Those who come won't be disappointed. It's a much more memorable portrayal of the title character than last time. It's also much smarter and mature than advertisements might portray it. It stands with the best superhero films rather than on top of their smoking carcasses. And that's a good thing.

Hail, Caesar!

Joel and Ethan Coen won the Palme d'Or for their sendup of 1940's Hollywood, Barton Fink. Now they deal with Hollywood in the 1950's for their latest farce, Hail, Caesar! It's the kind of film you'll appreciate if you know your Hollywood history.

In 1951, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) runs entertainment powerhouse Capitol Pictures. He's also a "fixer" who maintains his stars' good public images. He feels trapped in his job and life. So an offer to work at Lockheed seems tempting. But first, he has to manage his studio's latest biblical epic, Hail, Caesar!, which has a PR disaster looming. Its star, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), has been nabbed by a Communist cell called "The Future." And they want lots of cash.

Meanwhile, The Coens let us see what else Capitol Pictures has in the pipeline. A classy drama, Merrily We Dance, whose star, singing cowboy Hobie Doyle (Arden Ehrenreich), can't shake off his drawl. An Esther Williams-esque musical, whose star, DeeAnna Moran (Scarlet Johansson), is pregnant out of wedlock. And a Gene Kelly-esque musical starring Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum), a major player in Whitlock's plight. Mannix has to keep those productions running smoothly.

Whether or not you get the jokes depends on your knowledge of film history. The Communists count influential philosopher Herbert Marcuse (John Bluthal) as one of their members. Many of the characters are substitutes for real-life figures (or use their names). And the whole process of old time film-making gets skewered. That last part provides some accessible jokes, especially editor C.C. Calhoun's (Frances McDormand) near-fatal encounter with her Moviola.

The best part is the Coens' depiction of moviemaking. It's a highly-exaggerated process that makes one wonder how "The Dream Factory" made worthwhile products. One of Mannix's first scenes has him discuss Hail, Caesar! with religious leaders. They make themselves look foolish by arguing over the specifics of God and Christ and ... something. The in-film itself has odiously-exaggerated accents that would derail a modern epic. And they expect this to be their "prestige picture?" Meanwhile, Merrily We Dance has director Lorenz (Ralph Fiennes) deal with Doyle's miscasting. Those scenes provided the best in-universe outtakes of the film.

The Coens have a great crew to visualize old time Hollywood. Their longtime cinematographer, Roger Deakins, makes the films-within-a-film look authentic. Their equally longtime composer, Carter Burwell, provides another good score. Burwell also co-wrote a few songs, including Gurney's catchy dance number "No Dames." Jess Gonchor's production design gives us some nice sets within giant soundstages. And the costume designs by Mary Zophres give us plenty of elaborate 50's fashion. The most elaborate fashion comes from the Thacker Sisters (Tilda Swinton), twin take-offs of Hedda Hopper.

Hail, Caesar! is a lot more optimistic than Barton Fink. The latter film is about a screenwriter stuck in Hollywood purgatory by the end. Hail, Caesar! is about finding joy in what you do. It's a lot more optimistic than many of the Coens' filmography, especially their most recent works. But the Coens' farcical talents are still on display. The various subplots and cameos stall the plot a bit, but they all become useful at the end.

Even if the references fly over one's head, the cast and crew the world of old Hollywood feel authentic. So all in all, Hail, Caesar! is a goofy farce about Hollywood as it was. And it works on those terms. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a small fortune must be in want of running shoes to get away from the undead.

Huh?

Seth Grahame-Smith rewrite of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, became an instant classic in 2009. Lionsgate had the foresight to buy the film rights that same year. But they couldn't get it off the ground right away.

Seven years later, the zombies have finally arrived in cinematic Regency England. And it's Sony's Screen Gems which distributes the end result (and Lionsgate in the UK). 

The undead have risen to conquer England. Mr. Bennet (Charles Dance) has his five daughters - Jane (Bella Heathcote), Elizabeth (Lily James), Mary (Millie Brady), Kitty (Suki Waterhouse) and Lydia (Ellie Bamber) - trained in the Shaolin Martial Arts to fight them. Meanwhile, rich folks like Catherine de Bourgh (Lena Headey) train in Japanese Martial Arts. And Mrs. Bennet (Sally Phillips) wants to get her girls to the altar right away.

A rich gentleman, Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth), moves into a nearby manor. He and Jane develop feelings for each other. So do Elizabeth and Bingley's friend Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) - animosity. But they have to set aside their differences to fight the ever-growing horde of Zombies. There appears to be someone leading the undead into battle. Our heroes will have to find this man before doomsday comes.

Writer/Director Burr Steers moves the story along at a good pace for 108 minutes. Austen's classic story beats are still recognizable even with the walking dead around. The story elements Steers adds were pretty unique. My favorite story element was making most of the zombies sentient. This made them much more of a threat as they can now lure prey into a false sense of security before attacking. A few elements aren't fully developed but they didn't detract from the overall experience that much.

The cast has plenty of fine actors. James and Riley make for a great on-screen couple. Their characters are both prideful but they aren't unlikable. Them learning humility makes for an endearing arc. The other couple, Jane and Bingley, are likable right off the bat. Matt Smith has the best moments as the Bennets' cousin, the obnoxious Parson Collins. 

The fight scenes are pretty good. They would've been better if they didn't engage in rapid fire editing. The special effects were decent. There were explosions, creating London's own great wall and even zombievision. The opening scene had all-too obvious CGI but I forgave it because it was unnerving. But for the rest of the movie, they did their job quite well. I have no complaints about the production design, Julian Day's costumes or Fernando Velazquez's score. They did the best jobs to fuse Wuxia, Zombies and Austen into one package. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies might annoy fans of Austen and Grahame-Smith with its liberties. But I didn't mind the changes. They at least kept me hooked as I wondered how the story would go. The action is as bloody as PG-13 ratings allow, but it's still bloody. So don't fear any zombie sanitation. It works as a martial arts film, a zombie film and a classic literature adaptation. And that's a good combination.

Youth

Paolo Sorrentino's previous film, The Great Beauty, won Italy its latest Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. His latest film is the English-language existential drama Youth. It's an odd character study that keeps the Fellini style alive into this century.

Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) is a retired composer best known for his arias entitled the "Simple Songs". Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel) is a still-working director in pre-production for his last film, his "Testament." They're on Holiday in an Alpine resort. Their personal lives come to ahead.

An Emmisary for Queen Elizabeth wishes to recruit Fred for a Birthday Concert for Prince Phillip. But Fred won't do it. Mick's son Julian (Ed Stoppard) was married to Fred's daughter, Lena (Rachel Weisz). But then Julian left her for pop star Paloma Faith (as herself). Lena is already on strained terms with her father.  Meanwhile, actor Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano) joins Fred and Mick on their outings as he prepares for his newest role: Hitler.

Luca Bigazzi's cinematography covers both the surreal and mundane. There's a running gag about a Buddhist monk who supposedly can levitate which pays off. A few dream sequences. Long takes (such as the first shot). And of course, the Swiss Alps in all their glory. It certainly delivers in the visuals.

The problem is that I don't know what to make of it. The first dream sequence, where the resort seemingly floods, I didn't question. But when Lena's marital woes are visualized in a music video, I felt like I was watching another movie. A scene with Lena and her new rock-climber boyfriend was ruined by awful green screen. The breakdown of aged starlet Brenda Morrel (Jane Fonda) was a bit unintentionally funny (going berserk on an airplane). The tone shifts in ways I never thought surreal films could do. And they put me off.

But the music was good. David Lang's score was memorable, the highlight being the now Oscar-nominated Simple Song #3. We hear the opening violin notes a few times before soprano Sumi Jo sings it in the end. The orchestration of that song is powerful and its lyrics are ... well, simple. But it tells a lot about Fred's current life.

Youth is obviously not for those who want conventional narratives. I recognize its themes, including lost youth and loneliness, but I didn't connect. The slow pace and especially the tone shifts were its greatest weakness. I'm sure people of a certain age will connect with its themes. And I hope they'll love it more than me.

Trumbo

I had the foresight to pick up a copy of Bruce Cook's biography Dalton Trumbo back in September, but lacked the motivation to read it. Somebody who did read it was screenwriter John McNamara, who used it as the basis for the biopic Trumbo.

In 1947, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) is one of Hollywood's top screenwriters. He's also a member of the Communist Party, which gets him subpoenaed to HUAC. Trumbo gets thrown in Prison when he refuses to answer the Politically-Biased committee. The Hollywood Studios subsequently blacklist him and his friends for their beliefs.

But this doesn't stop Trumbo and co. from getting work. They subvert the system by using fronts and aliases on their future screenplays. Frank King (John Goodman), proud producer of Z-Movies, is Trumbo's chief employer. Two of Trumbo's screen stories, Roman Holiday and The Brave One, both win Academy Awards. His secret business puts a strain on his relationships, especially with his wife, Cleo (Diane Lane), and daughter Nikola (Elle Fanning). Gossip Maven Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) threatens to expose him. Trumbo's secret is just the answer to smash the blacklist.

The film doesn't really demonize HUAC and its cooperators. Those that renounce their friends, like Edward G. Robinson (Michael Stuhlbarg), do so under extreme duress, which earns them audience sympathy. John Wayne (David James Elliot), All-American he is, won't doubt Robinson's motives for testifying when Hopper does. They believe they're doing the right thing but are just stubborn about it. Hopper, the most underhanded of them all, is dumbstruck when the blacklist crumbles.

The screenplay's biggest problem is that it speeds through obstacles. The Motion Picture Alliance threatens boycotts and citizens show contempt for Trumbo and his fellow commies. But they don't do much other than rattle sabers. Trumbo and co. just profit by ignoring their threats. They're never in danger of even almost getting exposed.

Trumbo's greatest strength is its cast. Bryan Cranston as Trumbo makes for a likable rogue; his Communist beliefs are well-intentioned rather than malicious. His supporting cast includes great emotional support from Lane and Fanning, as well as Louis C.K. as a fellow blacklisted writer. Goodman also stands out as Frank King; his best scene was him chasing out one of Hopper's cronies with a bat. Helen Mirren makes for a fine villain as Hopper.

 Dean O'Gorman and Christian Berkel also stand out as Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger, whose hiring of Trumbo for their epic films Spartacus and Exodus, helped kill the blacklist. Berkel, in particular, turns the infamously authoritarian Preminger into awesome comic relief.

Trumbo is a well-meaning portrait of a film legend. Its script isn't perfect but the cast sure is. The look into a screenwriter's life makes this a fascinating watch for aspiring writers everywhere. It at least shows how much a screen credit means for people.