Apr 23 2010

The Losers

Graphic novel action comes to life when a group of spec ops military personnel are set up for failure and presumed dead by a cloak and dagger CIA operative named Max (Jason Patric). Now out to clear their names, Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Jensen (Chris Evans), Roque (Idris Elba), Pooch (Columbus Short), and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada) team up with the help of the mysterious Aisha (Zoe Saldana) to get back into the country that betrayed them and take their revenge on Max. But are they biting off more than they can chew, and what exactly is this new weapon that Max is trying to obtain and why?The_Losers_poster Visually designed and shot to have a look and feel similar to the graphic novel series the film is based on, this offering has what could be considered a softer action feel when compared to the recent hyper-violent action films audiences have been exposed to. Fun performances from the ensemble also work well to strike the careful balance of levity and seriousness to give the film that desired comic-esque pulp action feel. Still, the visual effects could have been a bit better, and the film ultimately ends up feeling a little long despite the fact it only clocks in at 98 minutes of runtime. Decent enough to warrant a matinee for those looking for a popcorn chomping family action flick. The Losers is rated PG-13.


Apr 23 2010

Exit Through the Gift Shop

When an eccentric documentarian and clothier named Thierry Guetta gets the idea to start documenting the secret society of street/graffiti artists it appears he’s stumbled onto some interesting subject material. After several years of video taping literally every move of some of the worlds most notorious artists it’s time to assemble his footage into some semblance of a film, the only problem is, Thierry doesn’t know the first thing about filmmaking. Upon this discovery the elusive artist known as Banksy takes over the project and instead turns the focus of the film on the more interesting subject– Thierry and his aspiration of becoming a street artist himself. exit-through-the-gift-shop-poster Shedding light and insight into the philosophy and inspiration for a handful of these artists the film offers a fascinating look at what many might just dismiss as vandalism, and gives pause for reflection as to what art is? Digging deeper the film also raises questions about the artists’s ambitions and what, if any, is their message. Worth at least a matinee, the film makes for a smart choice this weekend and promises to help audiences learn to discern what’s good art. Exit Through the Gift Shop is rated R.