The Weekly Movie Watch Volume 60

This week I watched Drive Angry, Detachement.

I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.

Drive Angry - Crazy Nic Cage, cars, and the rule of cool.

Drive Angry (2011) 
Watch Drive Angry
Written by: Todd Farmer, Patrick Lussier
Directed by: Patrick Lussier
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner
Rated: R

Plot:
Nicolas Cage is John Milton, a man with a dark past set on avenging his daughter, killing a Satanist, and saving his granddaughter. He picks up Amber Heard's character Piper along the way.


Review:
It's a simple revenge flick that is over the top in every way, and that includes Nic Cage. It's a lot of fun provided you don't mind the R rating it earns.

From the start this movie acknowledges that it's a ridiculous B movie. I like a movie that knows what it is and revels in it. It's got ridiculous one liners like, "I never disrobe before a gunfight." It follows the 'rule of cool'. If it's cool, include it even if it doesn't make sense.

The story is simplistic. I have to imagine the pitch started with an idea of Nic Cage being invincible, and then figuring out the rest from there. Let's have him escape Hell. Let's add cool cars. Wait, we need a girl.
While Nic Cage is average, William Fichtner does a great job, and Amber Heard's accent is absolutely terrible. We see cool cars, explosions, and invincible Nic Cage. It's got a fair bit of subtle humor. The ending alone is a great joke, making fun of over dramatic, cliche endings.
The CGI is fair to bad, but it's a fun romp. Why did Nic Cage want to be in this movie? He joined the movie because his character would be shot in the eye. That is the full breadth of his decision making process.

Verdict:
If you're looking for a fun movie that revels in B movie glory with little sense, story, or plot, but cool cars, and Nic Cage phoning it in, this is the movie.
It depends.

Detachment - Thought provoking, touching, and depressing.

Detachment (2011)
Watch Detachment
Written by: Carl Lund
Directed by: Tony Kaye
Starring: Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, Marcia Gay Harden, James Caan, Lucy Liu
Rated: --

Plot: 
Drifting from school to school, Adrien Brody is substitute teacher Henry Barthes. With an intense desire to help his students, he can't change bureaucracy and he can't help students and their parents who don't want to help themselves.


Review:
The cast list is impressive. Adrien Brody has won an Oscar, but also starred in Predators (2010). Brody has many impressive moments, and the supporting cast each gets one moment to really shine. James Caan really stands out. This movie could almost be funny in moments if it wasn't so haunting in others. It feels very raw and very real. It's shot in a documentary style with a hand held camera and a grainy image. The animations don't really feel out of place, they serve to bring thoughts to life, things you know are being thought, but not spoken. The film almost reminds me of a book, the way it unpacks these characters and adds layers, though it's not a complete picture of any of them. The layers only serve to expound upon the deep seated sorrow and remorse the characters have, adding to the feeling of futility.  While we get to know Brody's character the best, he still remains a mystery. We can only wonder at his backstory told with quick flashes here and there.
 While it's a well done movie, directed by Tony Kaye of American History X fame, it's incredibly saddening. Brody tries to help not only students, but even a stranger, and this is off putting because most people wouldn't bother. Instead of rejecting people, his insight helps him see the pain beneath their violence and antics. The movie criticizes parents maybe more than anyone else, thought it's not as blatant. The students' attitudes are a symptom of the problem, but the movie shows multiple times that students' attitudes are derived from parent feedback. Educators can't change that and face an increasingly difficult battle to teach students who don't want to learn. Teachers become galvanized and indifferent, and who can blame them?


Verdict:
The movie is as amazing as it is haunting and depressing. It's a very good movie with something to say about the school system and education, but it's hard to recommend a movie that could put a damper on your day.
Watch it.