Review: The Big Wedding

A Big Surprise

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: April 26, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Running Time: 89 minutes

Director: Justin Zackham

Writers: Justin Zackham (screenplay), 

Jean-Stéphane Bron and Karine Sudan 

("Mon frère se marie")

Cast: Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, 

Susan Sarandon, Katherine Heigl, 

Topher Grace, Ben Barnes, 
Amanda Seyfried, Christine Ebersole, 
David Rasche, Patricia Rae, 

Ana Ayora, Robin Williams

"The Big Wedding" is about a big family with big issues. It's a big, fun screwball comedy with a large all-star cast and dramatic revelations galore. It may not end up being the absolute highest point of anyone's career, but it is a tasty side dish that left me feeling warm and very pleasantly surprised.

Here are the members of the wedding party:

• Don (Robert De Niro) was married to Ellie (Diane Keaton) for twenty years before divorcing. Since then, he has been living with his girlfriend, Bebe (Susan Sarandon). As the movie begins, they've been together for about a decade or so.

• Their adopted son, Alejandro (Ben Barnes), is getting married to Missy (Amanda Seyfried). I'll get to her parents and his biological family later.

Before adopting Alejandro, Don and Ellie had two children together:

• Jared (Topher Grace) is a 30-year-old virgin who is saving himself for marriage. He's obviously a devout Catholic. I'll get to that later as well.

• Lyla (Katherine Heigl) may be less uptight about sex than her brother is, but she's certainly uptight enough about everything else. Weddings, babies, and family make her tense and queasy for reasons that will be revealed as the film progresses.

Meanwhile, Missy and Alejandro have their own set of family members and problems to deal with:

• Muffin (Christine Ebersole) and Barry (David Rasche) are Missy's parents. They're a bit, shall we say, eccentric. Yes, Muffin is her real name.

• Madonna (Patricia Rae) and Nuria (Ana Ayora) are Alejandro's biological mother and sister, respectively. They come from South America, where the values are said to be different and far stricter (in other words, more Catholic). However, Nuria doesn't have the typical American hang-ups when it comes to nudity and sex.

Of course, no "big wedding" would be complete without someone there to officiate it:

• Father Moinighan (Robin Williams) is a Catholic priest of the fire and brimstone variety. Pre-martial sex and birth control are unforgivable sins for which there is no redemption. Divorce is even worse. In his mind, that's a sure one-way ticket straight to Hell!

They all practice a type of Catholicism that the rest of the world left behind in the 14th century – or at least they'll have to pretend to. You see, they believe Alejandro's biological mother would be horrified to learn that she gave up her one and only son to divorced heathens who are living in irreparable sin. Oh, the horror!

Therefore, Don and Ellie will do what any former husband and wife logically would when put in a situation like this:

For the weekend of the wedding, they'll have to pretend they're still married.

This plan, as you would expect, does not please Bebe, who already feels like a third wheel. It's bad enough that Don never put a ring on her finger, but now she has to pretend she's not even a part of the family she's been with for ten years?!

If only Don and Ellie had thought about blowing thousands of dollars for no reason to get an annulment, none of this would be an issue. Sometimes it doesn't pay to be cheap, folks!

And all of that, believe it or not, is only a small sampling of what to expect during "The Big Wedding."

Even though every character in the movie is required to lie, the story works because it's based on a big truth:

If a family hasn't seen each other in a while, put them together in the same room for more than a few minutes and conflicts are inevitably bound to arise. 

"The Big Wedding" is nicely acted and well-scripted. All of the plot points that are introduced in the film ultimately have a payoff – and that makes for a satisfying viewing experience.  

Robert De Niro went through a long spell of appearing in projects that weren't worthy of his considerable talents, but between this and "Silver Linings Playbook," it's great to see him once again getting good material to work with. He's surrounded by a large, talented ensemble cast, and all of them interact with each other at some point. It's a treat to watch De Niro sharing fiery scenes with Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon tiptoeing around each other, Robin Williams taking confession, and dozens of other fun combinations.

Like most weddings I've attended, I walked into "The Big Wedding" not expecting much. It ended up being a big surprise. It has all of the drama with none of the boring speeches.

Review: Cloud Atlas

Maybe We've Met Before – Somewhere in Time

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: October 26, 2012 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Comedy, 

Romance, Thriller, War

Running Time: 172 minutes

Directors: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, 

Lana Wachowski

Writers: David Mitchell (novel), Tom Tykwer, 

Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, 

Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, 

Ben Whishaw, James D'Arcy, Zhou Xun, 

Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, 

Hugh Grant

"Cloud Atlas" isn't a movie that's meant to be written or read about – it simply has to be experienced! Spanning six different time periods and featuring an international cast of world class actors in multiple roles, it's utterly breathtaking in its sheer size and scope. It's a historical drama, an action movie, a conspiracy thriller, a love story, a comedy, futuristic sci-fi, a post-apocalyptic war film, and a mystery.

Even though it incorporates a wide variety of genres, it's definitely not for everyone. Great art never is.

___

Here is a list of the impressive cast and the many personas they play (courtesy of IMDB):

Tom Hanks: Dr. Henry Goose / Hotel Manager / Isaac Sachs / Dermot Hoggins / Cavendish Look-a-Like Actor / Zachry

Halle Berry: Native Woman / Jocasta Ayrs / Luisa Rey / Indian Party Guest / Ovid / Meronym

Jim Broadbent: Captain Molyneux / Vyvyan Ayrs / Timothy Cavendish / Korean Musician / Prescient 2

Hugo Weaving: Haskell Moore / Tadeusz Kesselring / Bill Smoke / Nurse Noakes / Boardman Mephi / Old Georgie

Jim Sturgess: Adam Ewing / Poor Hotel Guest / Megan's Dad / Highlander / Hae-Joo Chang / Adam (Zachry's Brother-in-Law)

Doona Bae: Tilda / Megan's Mom / Mexican Woman / Sonmi-451 / Sonmi-351 / Sonmi Prostitute

Ben Whishaw: Cabin Boy / Robert Frobisher / Store Clerk / Georgette / Tribesman

Keith David: Kupaka / Joe Napier / An-kor Apis / Prescient

James D'Arcy: Young Rufus Sixsmith / Old Rufus Sixsmith / Nurse James / Archivist

Xun Zhou: Talbot / Yoona-939 / Rose

David Gyasi: Autua / Lester Rey / Duophysite

Susan Sarandon: Madame Horrox / Older Ursula / Yusouf Suleiman / Abbess

Hugh Grant: Rev. Giles Horrox / Hotel Heavy / Lloyd Hooks / Denholme Cavendish / Seer Rhee / Kona Chief

___

A brief breakdown of the various time periods featured in the film:

1849: South Pacific High Seas

A lawyer, Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess), vouches for a runaway slave (David Gyasis) to the ship's captain (Jim Broadbent). Eventually, Ewing becomes deathly ill. Can the doctor on board (Tom Hanks) save him?

1936: Cambridge and Scotland

Two gay lovers, Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) and Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy), correspond via letters after Frobisher leaves Cambridge to seek out the great Scottish composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Broadbent). Together, they will create a musical masterpiece, the Cloud Atlas Sextet.

1973: Los Angeles, California

Roving reporter Luisa Ray (Halle Berry) gets stuck in an elevator with an older Rufus Sixmith (D'Arcy), who tips her off to a shocking conspiracy. Will the help of a scientist (Hanks) and her father's old friend (Keith David) be enough?

2012: The United Kingdom

John Travolta lookalike Dermot Hoggins (Hanks) becomes a bestselling author after he tosses a critic off a building – leading to trouble for his publisher, Timothy Cavendish (Broadbent). Cavendish turns to his brother, Denholme (Hugh Grant), who puts him in a nursing home – where he's imprisoned against his will. From there, a comedy of errors follows.

2144: Neo Seoul

Fabricants – a series of subservient slave drones cloned and engineered to please Consumers – are unchanging in their routine and unwavering in their beliefs. But one of them, Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae), eventually desires more. With the help of Hae-Joo Chang (Sturgess, playing an Asian man), she breaks away and discovers the deeper, darker truth.

106 Winters After The Fall: The Valley

A simple goat herder, Zachry (Hanks), tends to his family in a post-apocalyptic, prehistoric world. When his village, The Valley, is invaded by a violent tribe, he's helped by a mysterious, sophisticated woman, Meronym (Berry), who has access to technology. She wants him to take her up to the mountains, where "the devil" is believed to live. 

___

Those small summaries barely scratch the surface of "Cloud Atlas's" ambitious story, powerful themes, and central message.

Connections form across time in both big and small ways. Jim Sturgess's character from 1849 makes decisions that will shape his actions in 2144. Halle Berry and Tom Hanks meeting and falling for each other in 1973 will ripple through ages and beyond the fall of civilization. A comedic observation made in 2012 about something from 1973 will have sinister implications in 2144. And there are countless other examples...

Each segment has one or two (or more) major characters, but almost all of the main cast members are featured in some way. Sometimes they're easy to spot, even under heavy costuming and makeup – such as the Asian actress Doona Bae portraying a Caucasian redhead in 1849 or Halle Berry as a European white woman in 1936. But don't expect to catch all of them: Berry, again, is unrecognizable in the 2144 timeline as a male Korean doctor.  

The aforementioned prosthetics aren't always convincing. Doona Bae doesn't look or sound like a white woman, and Berry's appearance as one is equally as strange. However, Jim Sturgess pulls off the role of an Asian man surprisingly well. Everyone will have their own favorite performance and one particular actor they consider the "star" of the film. For me, it's Sturgess.

As I thought more about the jarring appearances of Berry, Bae, and others in some of their more disparate roles, it dawned on me that I can come up with countless examples of people from my own life who look nothing like their actual nationality. Have we, too, been "Cloud Atlasing" through the ages? 

Sometimes we make connections of such great power that they instantly seem otherworldly. Have you ever just met someone, and yet it feels like you've already known them your whole life? According to "Cloud Atlas," maybe we have – for all of our lives.

Review: Snitch

The Rock: Father, Husband, Drug Informant

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: February 22, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action, Drama

Running Time: 112 minutes

Director: Ric Roman Waugh

Writers: Justin Haythe, Ric Roman Waugh

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, 

Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon, 

Michael K. Williams, Rafi Gavron, 

Melina Kanakaredes, Nadine Velazquez, 

Benjamin Bratt

"Snitch" is an action-drama with something to say. An unusual combination. It ends with a damning statistic: "The average sentence for a first time non-violent drug offender convicted under the federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws..." Pause for dramatic effect. "...is now longer than the average sentence for rape, child molestation, bank robbery and manslaughter."  The rest of the movie does everything it can to make its message as persuasive as possible. There is definitely an agenda being driven here, but it never feels heavy-handed. At its core, "Snitch" is still an entertaining spectacle with gang shootouts and "Spy Hunter"-style car chases – but it also features great actors tackling tough topics.

It begins with a dopey, naïve 18-year-old boy reluctantly agreeing to accept a suspicious package from his so-called friend. As soon as Jason Matthews (Rafi Gavron) opens the box, DEA agents swarm the house and arrest him for drug possession with intent to distribute. The charge carries with it a minimum ten-year sentence.

But the kid's father is played by The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), so you know heads are going to roll! John Matthews (Johnson) will do whatever it takes to free his son. He pleads his boy's case to a prominent district attorney, Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon), who is staunchly against drugs and has her eye on a congressional seat.

John offers to go undercover and pose as a drug dealer in exchange for his son's release. He owns a truck company and can easily use his rigs to distribute "product." In reality, he'll be an informant – a "snitch" – to help Joanne bring down a major narcotics operation.

He just needs an introduction into that world. He turns to one of his employees with a criminal past: Daniel (Jon Bernthal) used to associate with a local dealer named Malik (Michael K. Williams), but he has put all of that behind him for the sake of his wife and son.

A DEA agent, Cooper (Barry Pepper), and a drug kingpin nicknamed "El Topo" (a lethal Benjamin Bratt), get involved along the way.

The acting is strong for the most part. The outspokenly liberal Sarandon portrays a Republican politician with a bitchy relish that's fun to watch. Pepper is almost unrecognizable in his role; it's hard to believe that this is the same actor who played a cocksure stockbroker in "25th Hour." It's a great performance. Bernthal is fantastic as a desperate ex-con who finds himself dragged back into his old life.

The Rock, on the other hand, portrays a regular husband, father, and business-owner. The problem is: he's not really any of those things. He's a former WWE Champion who became famous by being brash, over-the-top, and in your face. He doesn't excel when he's forced to play ordinary characters – because it's not really a natural fit for him. As a result, his line-delivery can sometimes come across as stilted and overly-rehearsed. However, he's wonderful expressing emotions and conveying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He knows how to make an audience root for him. His years as a pro wrestler taught him that skill, and he carries it with him to the silver screen.

The role of Jason, the son, is another weak spot. Rafi Gavron's performance is fine, but his character isn't given enough development to generate much sympathy from the audience. More often than not, I shook my head at the boy's stubborn stupidity. Actions that are meant to be "noble" come across instead as childishly rebellious.  

While the situation wasn't entirely his fault, all I kept thinking was, this spoiled dope fiend has ruined multiple lives with his irresponsible actions. Perhaps his character can return for a sequel that takes on another controversial topic – the pro-choice movement might work, because his existence is a pretty good argument for abortion.

Despite some faults, the message is still effective and the experience is entertaining. You know where it's going at all times, but the fun is in getting there.

Family is one of the film's central themes. John and Daniel are husbands and fathers who simply want to protect the people they love. Through them, "Snitch" examines the heavy toll the drug industry takes on families.

Review: Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Seek The Signs

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: March 16, 2012 (limited) – U.S.
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Running Time: 83 minutes
Directors: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Writers: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Cast: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon,
Judy Greer, Rae Dawn Chong

"Jeff, Who Lives at Home" has one of the best openings I've seen in a while: the title character (played by Jason Segel) is sitting down talking about M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" and how it may apply to his own life. His location isn't immediately obvious, and for some reason, he has a recorder in his hands. I fell in love with the movie right away.

Jeff is a stoner who (obviously) lives at home, in his mother's basement. Early on, he has to run an errand for his mom, Sharon (Susan Sarandon, somehow looking younger and better than ever). From there, Jeff encounters his brother, Pat (played by Ed Helms as sort of a darker, more uptight version of his character from "The Hangover"). Perhaps it's destiny? A sign? Or maybe Pat's wife, Linda (Judy Greer), is having an affair and he needs to enlist the unlikely aid of Jeff to figure out exactly what's going on. Meanwhile, Jeff is obsessed with a person – or people – named Kevin after receiving a call from one. A wrong number or a sign?  

With that kind of setup, don't expect a realistic narrative. It's a charming fable of sorts, with signs and destiny weaving their way through the lives of the characters.

Segel and Helms are superb as bickering brothers, and Susan Sarandon plays their mother with the perfect mix of impatience and resignation. As the film progresses, you can see that she carries around traits from both of her sons.

Judy Greer and screen veteran Rae Dawn Chong round out the cast. It is always a pleasure to see Dawn Chong, here as Sharon's co-worker, Carol. This character certainly has nothing in common with the one she played in perhaps her most famous role: the 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie "Commando." I will say no more.

With Segel and Helms as the stars, most people would probably go in expecting a rip-roaring comedy – but this is really a drama with some light, humorous moments.

Even though the story is filled with many unlikely coincidences (signs), everyone portrays a real human being. Because of that, I found myself really caring about each of their lives.

"Jeff, Who Lives at Home" is a simple but touching story with beautiful performances. Jason Segel, in particular, plays what might be the best role of his career.