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KPBS Film Club reviews CHANGELING, ZACK AND MIRI, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY & SYNECHDOCHE, NEW YORK

October 29th, 2008 by Scott Marks

I am currently “on assignment” (always wanted to write that) in L.A. and for the first time literally phoned in my appearance on the Film Club. There is a lot to be said for this Larry King “keep-’em-separate” approach to broadcasting. Perhaps when I return to San Diego, I should permanently be miked in another studio. One problem: without my presence (frantically waving my hands up and down to get our host’s attention), Tom tended to send more questions Beth’s way. In that case of Synechdoche, New York, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Listen to the Podcast here.

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Filed Under KPBS Radio Shows, Reviews, Theatrical

Review: WANTED / Timur Bekmambetov (2008)

June 29th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Wanted (2008)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Adapted from a comic book by: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan
Starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and Terence Stamp
Running Time: 110 min.
Aspect Ratio:

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Remind me never to post images to the Image Vault before seeing a movie. My show of good faith invariably results in a bupke. (Check out this inexcusable inclusion! WTF was I thinking?)

Wanted is hardly required viewing.

Once again, Angelina Jolie takes time away from her busy schedule of saving the world to make movie theaters a worse place to live in. Her overexaggerated features make her a logical choice to play comic book heroines, but any similarity between her choice of action/fantasy/adventure scripts and quality entertainment is highly unlikely. Only sludge like Wanted, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Tomb Raider(s) can possibly make one wistful for the glory days of Hackers.

It’s not that she is incapable of handing in good performances in worthy projects. Playing by Heart is a terrific ensemble film and the much maligned Original Sin is actually a very enjoyable Gothic noir. Girl, Interrupted is not much of a movie, but her performance is electrifying and at least she’s naked a lot in Gia and Foxfire.

With the exception of one bare-back shot, Ms. Jolie remains clothed throughout Wanted. It’s a good thing. The once voluptuous starlet is now thinner than one of the undernourished third-world toddlers she carts around at photo ops. I swear that I could fit my thumb and index finger around her upper arm.

Pounds aren’t the only thing to be pruned from Ms. Jolie’s mien. What happened to her feminist conscience? The women in Wanted exist only as grotesques, bait, killing machines and pussy. Aside from a big payday, what possible allure did this trash hold?

James McAvoy apes the Edward Norton role in Fight Club, a nebbishy clock-puncher transformed into an urban warrior. His father, a closeted world class assassin, is murdered and a secret organization recruits McAvoy with the promise of avenging dad’s death. Run by Morgan Freeman (who also should have known better), The Fraternity receives it’s assignments to kill from a giant weaving loom. I kid you not.

With The Wackness and Wall-E currently gracing multiplexes, Wanted is not the ‘W’ film of the week.

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Filed Under Rants

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