Movie Reviews: Inherent Vice, Force Majeure, The Babadook, Predestination

As film noir stories go, Inherent Vice (2014) isn't all that different:  There's a down-on-his-luck detective, a femme fatale, unsympathetic cops, and a convoluted mystery with all sorts of twists and turns.  It's the film's style that really makes it stand out.  As directed by P. T. Anderson, everything's a little more pastel, a little more shaggy, and little more hazy as befits a stoner P. I. like Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix).  I appreciate filmmaking that puts you in the subjective space of its protagonist (the recent alien thriller, Under the Skin, is another fine example of this); it's a little off, but it rings truer.  Aside from its stylistic trappings, this is a really fun film.  It has an all star cast, and Martin Short nearly steals the show with an especially welcome cameo.  Some folks will be turned off by the implied drug use in the film, and this movie is definitely a hard-R, but if you can handle that, you'll be thoroughly entertained.

When I read the plot summary for Force Majeure (2014), I thought it was going to be a comedy.  If it had been made in America and not Sweden, I suspect it would have been (and I don't think that would be a wrong approach).  Instead, it's a very insightful exploration of family dynamics after a life-or-death moment; after a family of four on a ski trip stare down an avalanche and survive.  Do you know how you would behave?  I should note that, despite the ski resort setting, this is not an adventure film-- don't go in expecting adrenaline pumping stunts or anything like that.  This is a talkie; it asks a lot of great questions that you'll want to talk about afterward-- be sure to see it with friends.

The Babadook (2014) is a good old-fashioned haunted house movie, to the point that the special effects were pretty low budget.  But you know what?  Those cheap effects managed to spook me just fine.  Not that it's about the special effects.  No, this film is about the relationship between a widowed mother, her young son and the strains on their relationship; The Babadook only brings things to a head.  As the mother, Aussie actress Essie Davis goes through several emotional transformations, and she does so brilliantly.  I really liked this film, but it's more relationship oriented than most horror flicks, which may turn off many fans of the genre.  On the other hand, if you're more a fan of drama, this might be a right horror film to check out if you want to test the waters.

Predestination (2014) is part of a new trend in which smaller films are released simultaneously in theaters and on pay-per-view.  I watched this one on TV at a friend's place, which was fitting as it felt like a very good episode of the Twilight Zone.  As with most time travel films, it's hard to go much into the plot, except to say that I enjoyed the film even when I could see the twists coming.  This is the second team-up between Ethan Hawke and the Spierig Brothers (the previous being Daybreakers, which is now on my watch list), and they do a good job.  Ethan Hawke is one of those actors who I don't particularly care for, but I put up with him because he usually chooses good films to make.  I don't want to overpraise this film-- there's not much to it beyond its central plot and one great performance.  But if you're looking for a blast of hardcore sci-fi, this will scratch that itch.