Review: Gangster Squad

Aims, Shoots, Misses

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: January 11, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Action, Drama

Running Time: 113 minutes

Director: Ruben Fleischer                

Writers: Will Beall (screenplay), 

Paul Lieberman (book)     

Cast: Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, 

Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, 

Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, 

Michael Peña, Robert Patrick, 

Mireille Enos

"Gangster Squad" is a major mixed bag. It features some of the best actors working in Hollywood today, absolutely beautiful backdrops that transfer the viewer right back in time to vintage Los Angeles circa 1949, and it's based on the fascinating real-life story of mobster Mickey Cohen. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, a few things...

The premise: Notorious criminal Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) has taken over L.A. with a dangerous mixture of money and force. He has police officers, judges, and city officials in his pocketbook; anyone who can't be bought off is violently disposed of. Police Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) wants to take back his town. He enlists former World War II sergeant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and orders him to put together a secret army to bring Cohen down.

O'Mara's wife, Connie (Mireille Enos), is pregnant and worried, but she ultimately surprises him by scouting out potential candidates.

Soon, the "Gangster Squad" takes shape: its initial recruits are Coleman Harris, an African-American detective who is tired of wasting time on lowly drug pushers (Anthony Mackie); Conway Keeler, a family man who also happens to be an expert at surveillance and bugging (Giovanni Ribisi); and Max Kennard, a famed marksman nicknamed "Hopalong" for his incredible shooting skills (Robert Patrick). They're soon joined by Kennard's partner, Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña), and finally another sergeant, Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling). Wooters complicates things by falling in love with Cohen's "tomato," Grace Faraday (Emma Stone).

Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, and Robert Patrick have enough charisma between them to set off fireworks. Yet, they dial it down to almost nothing; their performances for this movie are strangely subdued.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who sizzled as on-screen couple in "Crazy, Stupid, Love," once again play lovers but completely fail to recapture the same magic. They have the chemistry of brother and sister in this film.

Sean Penn, one of the most talented and versatile performers of his generation, comes across as a cartoonish caricature – more reminiscent of a "Dick Tracy" villain than the serious criminal Mickey Cohen was.

I have to believe these were all conscious stylistic choices by each actor – particularly Penn. Cohen is presented as a man-child who wears a bib at five-star restaurants, doesn't know which fork to hold during meals, and throws tantrums like a toddler when things don't go his way. All of these little details would make for an interesting character study of Cohen's psychological makeup if Penn's performance wasn't so one-dimensional and downright hammy otherwise.

The pacing isn't much better. "Gangster Squad" limps along, sliding the pieces into place but never really going much of anywhere for a while. The big turning point comes near the end with a scene set in Chinatown. It's beautifully shot and packed with action and drama. The grand finale, in a hotel, is even more spectacular – with guns blazing. Even if it does take far too long to get there, "Gangster Squad" doesn't falter at the finish line. The payoff is absolutely worth it, and that is almost but not quite enough to redeem the rest of the movie.

And yet it has its moments, even in the early-going – as few and far between as they may be. The squad recruitment scenes and spy setup stuff, for example, are somewhat fun to watch. Overall, "Gangster Squad's" reliable mediocrity might serve as comfort food in repeat viewings. You know the type of movie I mean. Still, it could have been great. The fact that it's anything less is a colossal disappointment. 

Review: The Place Beyond the Pines

Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper Cycle Through Life

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: March 29, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 140 minutes

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Writers: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, 

Darius Marder

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, 

Eva Mendes, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen,

Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, Rose Byrne, 

Mahershala Ali, Bruce Greenwood,

Harris Yulin

I went into "The Place Beyond the Pines" knowing nothing about it. Other than its two lead actors, Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn't seen any trailers. I wasn't even sure which genre it fell under. To be honest, the name led me to expect a supernatural twist of some sort. Instead, I ended up watching a film that was realistic, gritty, and very much down to earth.

Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) is a motorcycle stuntman who works for a touring carnival company. Because of his job, he's never able to stick around the same place for very long. During one of his stops, he reconnects with a woman from his past. Romina (Eva Mendes) accepts a motorcycle ride from Luke to her house but doesn't invite him inside. There are reasons for that. Her current boyfriend, Kofi (Mahershala Ali), is only one of them. A possible solution to Luke's problems comes from a new friend, Robin (Ben Mendelsohn), who runs an auto repair shop.

Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) is a rookie police officer. He chose to become a cop instead of following in the footsteps of his father, Al (Harris Yulin), a retired judge. Avery is squeaky clean and respects the law, perhaps because he grew up around it. He and his dad have disagreements but seem very close. Jennifer (Rose Byrne), his wife, worries about the safety of the job. Some of his colleagues, including Deluca (Ray Liotta), have been at it longer; they’ve even had to pull out their gun a few times. 

If I seem sparse with details, there's a reason for that. Much more happens. It's better to just sit back and let everything unfold. The movie is divided sharply into three clear acts. It progresses at a leisurely pace, but the plot is always advancing. I was never bored. My eyes were glued to the screen. This is a film that knows how to tell a story!

Most of "The Place Beyond the Pines" is set in the New York town of Schenectady, but I kept trying to figure where and what the film's title was referring to. While watching and wondering, I checkmarked a few locations in my mind – all from key scenes, of course – that appeared to be possibilities. Well, as it turns out, Schenectady is a Mohawk Indian word that roughly translates into English as "the place beyond the pines." But the "place" in question could also represent a certain state of mind or moment of desperation.

Throughout the film, people do the right things for the wrong reasons or the wrong things for the right reasons, and yes, the wrong things for the wrong reasons. Sometimes decisions have to be made at the spur of the moment – without any time to calculate their effect. But all actions have consequences – some far-reaching. Such is the cycle of life.

Review: Before They Faced "The Impossible" Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts Starred in "Stay"

A Crazed Conundrum

By Chris Sabga

"Stay" is a visually-arresting psychological mystery-thriller with gorgeous set-pieces and striking camerawork.  It's also confusing as hell. But as one character says, "There's too much beauty to quit."

Here's what can be definitively discerned from the labyrinthine plot:

The film stars Ewan McGregor as Dr. Sam Foster, a psychiatrist who becomes the "substitute shrink" for a disturbed patient named Henry Letham (played by a young Ryan Gosling with dirty longer hair that makes him look like a dead ringer for the actress Chloë Sevigny).

Henry's previous psychiatrist, Dr. Levy (an almost unrecognizable Janeane Garofalo), has taken time off because she's "exhausted." The stress of Henry's case obviously has something to do with it – or does it?

Henry begins hearing voices and plans to commit suicide in three days. Now it's up to Sam to find him and stop him.

As it turns out, Sam's girlfriend Lila (Naomi Watts) is familiar with suicidal feelings herself; she once tried to kill herself in the bathtub with two razorblades.

Bob Hoskins appears in a small role as Sam's friend Leon. He may or may not be blind. He may or may not be alive. He may or may not have a connection to another character. The only thing for sure is that he plays a pretty effective game of chess. In a way, so does this movie – because it always seems to be several steps ahead of the audience, and that continues even as the credits begin to roll.

But what does all of this indicate about Dr. Sam's mental state? His patient Henry may not be the only one with problems.

A film like this with so many strange twists, turns, and developments requires a strong payoff – and yet the ending barely seems to clear anything up. A cursory glance at the IMDB message board reveals multiple threads with numerous interpretations.  

Such an obtuse approach usually irritates me to the core. Somehow, though, I find myself wanting to talk about "Stay," recommend it to others, and even watch it again to piece together the perplexing puzzle that unfolds during the 99 minutes we spend with these fractured people. Surely there are clues to be found in the movie's dazzling dreamlike visuals and camera transitions that seamlessly blend one scene and location into the next.