The Wire Series Review

"If the Gods are fucking you, you find a way to fuck them back. It's Baltimore, gentlemen. The Gods will not save you." - Commissioner Ervin Burrell

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

As with any medium you familiarize yourself with, you are gonna hear about the specific fancies within that medium. The stuff that people go crazy over. Now, I didn't have to be the TV series addict that I am now to know what the hottest new shows were. TV series' are advertised heavily on their given networks; they develop freakishly large or reasonably modest fandoms; they are talked about in magazines, by people, on the entertainment news programs. Such examples would be modern television addictions like Glee, Modern Family, and Big Bang Theory. Ones that are addictive for the more intellectual and substance craving viewers would be ones like The West Wing, The Shield, or the topic of today's review, The Wire. I tend to watch shows that fall sort of in between. I like shows with a great deal of substance, craft, and talent; they are the ones that make me think, while also having a good percent be of the quality of silly fun entertainment: Breaking Bad, Supernatural, True Blood, Dexter, and the late Lost. All shows that are essentially just very well told good stories.

The Wire is on it's own plane of intelligence, honesty, and storytelling. I realized a lot of people had nothing but good things to say about this show. I Wikipedia'd it, as I often do most things, and found that the show was apparently one of the more groundbreaking series to be introduced during the early 2000s. A few things really drew me toward it in the beginning, however. One happened during the final days of Lost, my main source of in depth reviews was Entertainment Weekly's Lost page. While there I found a listing they were doing that year of, like, 25 of the best badasses in movies or TV. They had a few of my favorites on their of course (Tyler Durden, Dexter Morgan, and John Locke). But I think the one in the top 5 was a character from The Wire, who would become my one of my favorite characters actually, Omar Little (played by Michael K. Williams). Pictured as what looks like the world's scariest gangster ready for war, complete with pistols, shotgun, bulletproof vest, doo rag, trenchcoat, and actual scar across the face. He is also described as a man who can walk to the store in his pajamas, unarmed, and have everyone in the streets still run away in fear. That's certainly cool.

Second, I start seeing The Wire on people's top ten lists for best shows, always very near the top. My mom starts talking to me about how her online political pundants always rave about The Wire and how awesome it is. People on Netflix write worshipping reviews, which don't fuel my expectations so much as the negative reviews which deem it as "slow and boring" more than anything. In my experience, when people call a movie or show slow and boring it usually isn't; the people are usually just low level ADHD cases who can't devote their attention to anything on the TV that doesn't followup immediately with explosions. So there was that.

What really caught my attention is that many well-known critics and common viewers as well have hailed it as "the greatest television series of all time." As a person who enjoys great entertainment, who has seen some of the most moving, mesmerizing, and absolutely enjoyable as hell shows of recent years, this seemed almost like a challenge.

So I began watching and what can I say?

I'd be lying if I said that The Wire isn't worthy of being called THE BEST. It'd be a crime if it wasn't at the top of those lists. And it's definitely a show worth talking about. Why? Because it is honestly a show about people, regular people. While I originally thought this was a hard boiled HBO cop series, like The Shield or something, it is actually about the various forms of politics within the city of Baltimore. It doesn't show every facet, but it at least strives to. The five season series details the workings of these institutions: the police department, the criminal underground, the court system, the union, city hall, the school system, the mayor's office, the newspaper, and the homeless. With many characters being based upon real live people who lived these kind of lives, The Wire's story and characters have a certain authenticity. It is about people who, whether they are employed in an institution or not, are trying to survive in a bittersweet world. A more discussed element, in the show and the audience, is "the game" (sorry you lost). "The game" is referred to often by characters. I think I've deciphered that "the game" is really just a natural order of things within society, one that these characters (or really everyone in the world) tries to live by, control, or disassociate with.

I will bring to light some of the main plotlines and characters.

The Wire does primarily observe the clearly futile war on drugs in Baltimore by going into the multilayered and freakishly shocking politics of both the police department and the criminals they try to catch in the act. Through Detective Jimmy McNulty's (Dominic West) interference, the department is forced by a judge to put together a Major Crimes division to set up an investigation against the city's biggest yet most untouchable drug kingpin, Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and his organization. The Major Crimes division are a central group of characters who usually find it extremely difficult to put a case against their suspects while the brass ruthlessly demands quick results or else every season.

On the flip side, we see Avon, his business savvy partner Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), dog-eat-dog "corner boy" Bodie (J.D. Williams), and the other various high or low level criminals try to be careful, stay afloat, and stay alive in their seedy world of crime, which is really only an order within chaos they've created, like every other institution.

Making their way through the cross fire of these two factions are the neutral characters, primarily "Bubbles" Cousins (Andre Royo), a homeless drug addict, who is wise, redemptive, but self destructive, and then the previously mentioned Omar Little, a peculiar gentleman thief who has a habit of robbing and picking fights drug rings, namely the Barksdales.

Season 2 has a lot to do with a stevadore and union boss, Frank Sobotka (Chris Bauer), a decent man whose interaction with a master criminal The Greek's smuggling ring and his quarrals with other institutions to grim results.

Season 3 shows how a district police commander, Howard "Bunny" Colvin's (Robert Wisdom)response to the drug war by way of laying down arms and letting the chips fall where they may is far less destructive, though no good deed goes unpunished.

Season 4, deals with the horrid machinations of inner city schools. We are thrown into the daily lives of a four school kids who see their world in uncertain ways and adapt to it in very unexpected ways. surprisingly compelling political aspirations of councilman Tommy Carcetti (Aiden Gillen), a mostly idealistic man who wants to do good for the city and weed out the corruption he is sickened with. After the Obama presidency, the way Carcetti's story plays out is kind of darkly amusing and very true.

Season 5 has the city in another state of decay as budget cuts hurt the police department. A young and malevolent drug kingpin is in over his head while trying to manipulate the criminal underworld. Some key cops cross lines in order to get real police work done. The last institution to be seen is the Baltimore Sun, the city newspaper, as a veteran editor sees the crooked nature of his young coworker and even his bosses. And, as with any final season, characters find closure, do not, or are destroyed.

The show is intentionally presented in a novelistic fashion. Each episode progresses slowly with much detail, acting more like book chapters that don't typically have standard beginnings, middles, or ends. Since I love quality TV and enjoy books more and more, this was a treat. Episodes do run the risk of dragging along with not a lot of eye candy, but it still advances the plot and the plot is always good. No episode has a particular arc, so every season feels like one full story. I actually think that it was intentional due to the producers never knowing if they'd get renewed every year, so every season finale was made as if it could double as a series finale. Each episode starts out with a quote, usually from a character in the episode. Since I have a similar tendacy, I thought this was cool. There is also a pretty good soundtrack to show, the main theme throughout the series is "Way Down in the Hole" played by various artists including Tom Waits (who wrote the song), Steve Earle (who has a good small role in the series), but mainly The Blind Boys of Alabama.

I couldn't possibly name all of the main characters here because, frankly, there isn't exactly any main character(s). I can probably say that just about every introduced character who serves some kind of a role in the plot, and even some who don't, are terrific. As such, this is also the first show I've seen with all around solid acting performances for every episode. Every character feels authentic; like they could be real people you meet. That's who they are playing: real people. Even the very mythic characters like Omar, The Greek, and Brother Mouzone feel real. By the end of the series (even if you're watching it back to back), this group of characters, perhaps more than any other I've seen, feels like old friends. Of course, I will probably have to go back and make a Top Ten characters list at some point. Definitely.

Ultimately, The Wire is a portrait of America, city life, or, more broadly, society itself. The aim of the creator, David Simon, was not to present a police drama as he had done in the past, but to show how people deal with the institutions they are associated with. Simon, a former Baltimore police reporter and author, is perfect at channeling all of his knowledge of the dog-eat-dog streets of Baltimore, the inner workings of the police department and newsroom, and the corrupt and selfish mentalities of those within various institutions. Another creative mind behind the show is Ed Burns, an ex-cop and teacher, who no doubt provided great insight into the minds of police officers and the seemingly hopeless inner city school systems. Renowned authors such as Richard Price (Clockers, Freedomland) and Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone) have written episodes for the show.

I couldn't possibly describe all of the depth and layers of The Wire in this post. I will simply say that it is one of the greatest shows ever, no one was wrong about that. I really enjoyed it. It has great characters, relatable scenarios (especially for adults), thought provoking themes, a story that might be too true, and an overall remarkable universe. It is addictive in its own right. You wanna keep watching to find out whether these people will rise up or fall down in this unpredictable world.

I forgot my new rating system for my last few review, so I am giving The Wire six out of five wiretaps.

This has been another series review from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.

Prison Break Series Review

Tattooist: "Takes guys a few years to get the kind of ink you've got."
Michael: "I don't have a few years."

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

I watched the first episode of Prison Break when it first aired. That was back in a time when I was not really into the big, live action, one hour series'. Sure enough, it looked like a good idea. Finally, after being acquainted with a galore of other awesome big, live action, one hour series', I decided Prison Break sounded good enough to where I would give it a try. Of course, I do not regret this decision. It is an amazing show that has suspense enough to match Lost. Full of secrets, motley crews, secret organizations, government conspiracies, double crosses, action, drama, humor, and intelligence, Prison Break was a hell of a show. One that I wished I had watched while still on.

This is another great show that revolves around two brothers. Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is a small time criminal who is framed for the murder of the US Vice President's brother. With all of the evidence against him to prove he's the one, he is sent to Fox River Penitentiary to await execution. Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), Lincoln's younger brother, is a genius structural engineer who designed the prison. Michael, convinced of his brother's innocence, devises a plan to break him out of prison and escape. After committing a crime, allowing himself to be arrested, and pleading guilty he is sent to Fox River where his plan is in motion, all carefully mapped out on his torso and limbs with tattoes. Along the way, the conspirators behind Lincoln's supposed crime try to tie up their loose ends and Michael must side with some of Fox River's lowest inmates in order to execute his plan. I can't spoil where the show goes from there.

I must admit, I have not seen that many great prison escape movies; The Shawshank Redemption was pretty awesome, though. I must say, though, that watching master planner Michael come up with new angles every episode was quite enjoyable. Elements from The Fugitive come into play later, obviously. The show is really kind of like a magic show: every week the characters get themselves trapped in new dangerous and intense situations where it looks like they can't escape and they use methods we didn't think of or weren't expecting to escape. It's really a lot of fun.

There are secrets revealed, and alliances made between characters that create dynamics throughout the series. Most notably is a shadow organization that you will come to know as The Company (not to be confused with the one from Heroes), of which Lincoln Burrows' frame job is the most minor of corruption and conspiracy. Another are the characters Michael meets, faces, or sides with within Fox River, who become players in the game he has thrown himself in. Questions such as why was Lincoln in particular framed, are very important and interesting. Of course, the biggest and most exciting question every episode is how Michael and co. are going to escape.

The show has a wide range of unique characters; granted they aren't all as colorful or as cool as those from other shows I've seen, but I felt for them and wanted most all of them (even some of the villains) to get away. Like Supernatural and, to a lesser degree, Lost, Prison Break's primary story revolves around two brothers: Michael and Lincoln. They are both different, but I ended up liking them both. Michael is portrayed early on as a calculating and efficient manipulator of events, willing to sacrifice freakishly in order to save his brother. While he tries to put on a cold demeanor, it becomes perfectly clear that Michael is really a man of morality and compassion who won't bring himself to kill even the worst enemies. His structurally intuitive mind is a character all of itself sometimes, when Michael is able to contrive methods of escape in a con or on a whim, decipher his opponents agendas, or improvise a situation to his best advantage. Along with actor Wentworth Miller's droll demeanor, with a bit of a deep suave voice, rugged good looks, and various emotions. Overall, Michael is, in general, a true hero. Lincoln is not a genius like Michael and is oddly looked down upon for not being as smart as him, which is used like an insult. After using an inheritance to insure his brother's future, Lincoln turned to a life of petty crime to help himself. He is a wounded man in the assassination plot, a fabricated conspiracy to insure specific political powers. Lincoln is a cunning strategist like his brother, and a tough fighter from living on the streets. He is an honorable man and often heroic, but he will do ruthless things should his family be in danger. Dominic Purcell is, like Wentworth Miller, another oddly cool, montonous actor. This guy makes Lincoln seem kinda chill. Other important characters include Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne-Callies), Fox River's idealistic head nurse, who immeditaly forms a kinship with Michael. Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco), a small time thief and Michael's cell mate in Fox River; Sucre is a loyal, friendly guy whose subplot involves him trying to find his true love waiting for him outside of prison. Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Robert Knepper, brilliant), a psychotic pedophile, serial killer and feared man inside of Fox River; T-Bag, though considered a perverted, dumb hick, is actually a master manipulator himself who can figure out plans and strategies of his own against the heroes. Other notable Fox River figures include Charles Westmoreland (Muse Watson), a convicted manslaughter case who is also suspected of being D.B. Cooper; Benjamin Miles Franklin aka C-Note (Rockmund Dunbar), a crafty smuggler who resorts to conniving methods in order to get back home; John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare), a shifty and brutal gangster; Henry Pope (Stacy Keach), the moral warden of Fox River; Brad Bellick (Wade Williams), the often menacing head of the prison's security; or Veronica Donovon (Robin Tunney), the brothers childhood friend who tries, as a lawyer, to appeal against Lincoln's execution. Later essential characters would include Alex Mahone (William Fictner, awesome), an intuitive but compelled FBI Agent; Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein), a cold, ruthless operative within the conspiracy; Gretchen Morgan (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), a cold blooded, lethal, yet mercurial conspiracy merc; and the infamous big fish who I will only name "Pad Man" (Leon Russom), who is as shadowy figure appearing behind the scenes of the shadow organization. Wow. I just named almost every character. Whoops. Guess they are pretty good.

A main theme running through this show, which has also been either a primary or secondary element in other great shows, is the theme of love and what we will sacrifice for the ones we care about. A theme of family and brotherhood is prevelent in many characters. Even a theme of corruption, extremely illustrated through homicidal carnage. It's a very interesting story.

So, Prison Break, in the end, was a great show. It was a fun show. One I would have loved to tune into to watch on TV now. Well, thank all for the internet. This does something that shows nowadays have gotten better at doing and that is the classic trait of suspsense within the show. Prison Break's suspense is in overdrive for the majority of each episode. The characters are cool, as I have clearly mentioned, you know only a little. The plot is always snakeish and fun, make great twists. Definitely worth watching back to back, that's a lot of fun but I'll bet the real fun would be waiting a week in suspense for the next episode. Very awesome and highly recommended on this end, I'd say Prison Break is well worth the time. Five out of five tattoes

One of hopefully a trilogy of series reviews from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.

Two Lovers Review

Neighbor: "Either of you ever use a fucking phone?!"
Leonard: "Josh, I want you to know, there is a fucking storm coming!"

Haha, I just loved that part.

But seriously, Two Lovers is a tense and breathtaking drama. It was released in 2009, directed and co-written by James Gray ("We Own the Night"), and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Vinessa Shaw. It is a story not so much about love but about passion and dreams. It's about what people want for themselves, perhaps selfishly, as opposed to what they need that will benefit themselves, and maybe even everyone else. If love plays a part in the movie it only exists as an illusion. Some characters think that love is returned when given, while being blind to actual love in front of them.

The plot involves three main people in a neighborhood of Manhatten. Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix) is a morose and emotionally unstable young man whose been prone to suicide attempts following his fiance leaving him. He lives with his parents (Moni Moshonov and Isabella Rossellini) as of late and works in their dry cleaning business. Suddenly two women appear in his life. There is Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), the daughter of his parents' new business partner who is sweet, pretty, and fond of Leonard immediately. Then there is Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), Leonard's neighbor who is charming, exciting, and beautiful, and quickly befriends him. He has feelings for both women, but Michelle moreso than Sandra. Leonard senses right away that his parents and Sandra's want them to be together, given both families' new partnership in the dry cleaning business. Though Leonard likes Sandra, he doesn't like his apparant fate being arranged for him, i.e. being goaded into marrying an ideal woman and walking in his parents' footsteps. Leonard is taken with Michelle because she is fun and good to him; she seems to have no hand in his destiny, nor does she try to. But Michelle is a not-so-recovering drug addict and is currently in love with a married man (Elias Koteas) who refuses to leave his family. Sandra is clearly better for Leonard and loves him, but he still pursues Michelle even though she is a wreck and in love with someone else.

This is not exactly a new concept, but it really hasn't gone so in depth or felt so real. James Gray's directing is haunting, and the script is very nuanced and intelligent. It seemed like something of a passion project. The film has a true sense of characters. It knows their behaviors and personalities inside and out, yet what they will do is still unpredictable in many ways. Yes, this is a film that had me not be able to guess where it was going. There is an obvious conclusion, but it is somewhat less obvious in this movie. In fact, it makes you really think about what has happened and what will happen. For a movie that has been done before, been done before wrong, and could have gone so wrong in so many ways itself, Two Lovers was just a brilliant film.

I gotta give props to the cinematography in this movie. Very dark, shadowy, and cold, almost like the character's thoughts and intentions (or not.) James Gray uses this kind of style in his last movie too, and it really sets the mood. So yeah, props to that real quick.

Now for my favorite part: the acting. All were tremendous, because as you know I rarely watch movies with bad acting. I am saving Joaquin Phoenix's appraisals for last, as there is much to talk about. But I will first regard the two women. Gwyneth Paltrow, a favorite actress of mine and perfect choice for the damaged beauty, is her usual compelling and likable self here. She does unlikable things, mind you, but she still comes off as very endearing. Michelle describes herself as "lost" in the film, and that's a pretty good definition of the character, which Paltrow conveys sincerely. She is a good person who can't seem to help but make the wrong decisions. I will also say that I think this is probably the first movie since Great Expectations in 1997 to address how freaking beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow is. Vinessa Shaw, who should be in more movies, does not have as much of an emotional element, but hers is still a good one. She plays her character as confident but with repressed doubts that can clearly be seen; she knows what she wants but doesn't see that Leonard has even bigger doubts. Mostly, we feel sorry for her as she continues to love this man, but is tragically oblivious to what he is doing. I think her character Sandra was supposed to simply be a truly good person. I was trying to find some flaw, something unappealing about her that made Leonard continue toward Michelle. I couldn't. The parents in the film were particularly interesting. This is mostly because I found them so damn believable. Moni Moshonov, who played a gentleman gangster in We Own the Night, has a lot of presence as Leonard's father. Isabella Rossellini plays a concerned and loving mother very well. They are both real people who, though they expect certain things from their son, are very kindhearted. Elias Koteas for his brief scenes is good as the suave married lover of Michelle, who isn't really using her or anything. He does love her, but he also loves his family. (I've gotta say it now or I never will: Elias Koteas looks and even acts a little like a young Robert De Niro. I dunno, it's just always seemed weird to me; he could be De Niro's son.)

Now for the big show. This is the last movie Joaquin Phoenix made before he embarked on that legendary act of a burned out, wannabe rapper version of himself for the mockumentary I'm Still Here. Phoenix shines here as Leonard, the central character. A part of me wanted to despise Leonard for leading one very sweet girl into thinking he loved her while constantly vying for the affections of a girl who is in love with someone else. I didn't though. The way Phoenix portrayed the character, Leonard seemed more like a child or, at most, an awkward teenager. He is very confused, doesn't know quite what he wants except love and freedom, is constantly trying to make everyone happy so they will leave him alone to find his own happiness. He returns Sandra's affections as if he didn't want to be rude to her, not so much because he felt the same way. He crushes on Michelle like a timid high school kid. He really is an emotional wreck, not confident about where his life seems to be drifting toward, and sees what is instant gratification as a way to start his own life. Leonard is one of those perfect characters who keeps you summoning different ideas about and emotions toward, as if he were a real person. Joaquin pulled him off splendidly. Yes, if this was his last role it would have been a damn fine one to go out on.

So, all in all, Two Lovers was a very powerful yet subtle movie that will provoke many thoughts. It's fascinating. Though I don't particularly like The Graduate, this movie reminded me of The Graduate a little bit. Some of these characters do seem like they would be at total peace if they were sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool. Of course it is not all drama and/or melodrama, there are funny moments too. This may actually be the first serious drama film to feature break dancing in a night club (which Joaquin partakes in, again, with childish abandon). This is a film that definitely deserves a viewing. I won't tell you to expect a happy ending or not to, just don't expect too much because, like I said, it is kind of unpredictable.

This has been, of course, another review from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.

True Grit (2010) Review

"The man wanted a proper burial, he shoulda got killed in the summer." - Ruben 'Rooster' Cogburn

Yep. It's me again.

I have not seen the original movie with John Wayne, nor have I read the book. Shame on me. I know. But knowing the Coen Brothers, I went in assuming that it would have their brand while still doing justice to the original concept. I suppoe they did that. I enjoyed this movie. I do have but a few things to discuss though, as usual. You know, when I'm not ignoring this blog.

The problem with having not seen the original film is that there is nothing to compare this too. I went in blind. All I saw in this trailer was Jeff Bridges = badass, Matt Damon = huh, this could be cool too; Hailee Steinfeld = I don't know you but you've already impressed me; Josh Brolin = Bran from The Goonies (jus kiddin); Coen Brothers = sold. Plus I'm a freaking nerd boy for western movies. It's a place I was very interested in seeing the Coens go.

The plot, which I suppose is kind of a classic story by now, revolves around the adventure of 14-year old Mattie Ross (newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) to capture her father's killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), dead or alive. Helping her in this mission is the aged and lethal US Marshall "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and cocky but underestimated Texas Ranger LaBouef (Matt Damon) as they set out across the terrain to find their man. Along the way they encounter nature's torments as well as some of the worst of the worst outlaws the old west has to offer. Mix in the Coen Brothers' mastery of dialogue, violence, and storytelling, along with some very enjoyable quirkiness from Jeff "The Dude" Bridges, and you have yourself one damn fine movie.

Tonally, this movie feels more realistic than most westerns. I know I have no way of knowing, but it just all feels plausible. They even have former outlaws Cole Younger and Frank James (not really them, of course) near the end, shown being chastised by an older Mattie whilst they profit from their wild west shows. There are particularly interesting scenes of complete clarity of speech and activity, such as young Mattie's negotiations with a lawyer, Rooster's cross examination in court, and of course the very well choreographed gunfights. As much as we love it, this is not The Outlaw Josey Wales go up against ten guys straight forward and win unscathed.

But in another way, it holds true to everything we love about westerns. Loud and intense shootouts with aged revolvers and top quality repeater rifles. Droll and/or weird characters that stick with us even after the movie. Beautiful photography of the great terrain of the time when their were large trees and more land. Roger Deakins is probably one of the best cinematographers, and I can see why the Coen Brothers keep using him; he's been with them since their first movie. This film is full of true blue western images, maybe moreso than other westerns.

It touches on something that is sometimes overlooked in, but always interesting in, westerns which is the innocence of children in a time like that. Mattie Ross acts older than she should and is competent and brave even under very nerveracking situations, but she also shows instances of being a kid that are real. For as cold and professional she tries to be, she does tend to see a light in people who have little of it or none at all (even her father's killer it seemed). I felt that was interesting. I read that the book was largely from Mattie's point of view, and the Coens wanted to capture that. I think they did well.

Now for the acting. I will go right into Jeff Bridges' much anticipated and now praised performance of Rooster Cogburn, iconically played by John Wayne in the past. All I heard for so long was that Bridges would not outdo Wayne. The Dude would never beat The Duke. Well, guess what? Maybe I can't compare, but people who've seen both can and most who I have talked to have said that Bridges beats John Wayne in this department. I have seen bits and pieces of the original True Grit and it looks good enough. Wayne seems good in it but from what I saw he's not really playing THIS character so much as he's playing John Wayne (not a bad thing). Bridges is definitely not playing himself, at least not totally. Bridges' Rooster is a ragged, dirty, gravelly voiced body of experience, death, decay, yet still some nobility and decency. Bridges has so much presence that he makes something wholly original out of the character. Something many have agreed with is that Rooster seems to have a stench just by looking at him. He's also a total badass, as we all knew. Matt Damon is interesting as LaBeouf, we get the feeling he is a shady guy with his own agenda at first, but as we know him more we quickly find out he's a smart man who wants to be taken seriously and is anxious when he isn't. Hailee Steinfeld deserves her Oscar nomination for her amazing first major performance. To share the screen with Bridges and Damon and dominate along side them is quite impressive. The way she carries herself and the subtext the writing that she adds to is something to be fascinated with. In many ways she is the best character in this movie. Josh Brolin in the small role of Tom Chaney was funny and intimidating. I love how astonished and then amused he is in his first appearance. Brolin is a very good actor, I'm glad he's getting work these days. He makes Chaney a truly vile thing. But the bad guy who beats out Brolin is Lucky Ned Pepper, played by Barry Pepper of course. This ragged, wild eyed, yellow teethed renegade is a far cry from Barry Pepper's actual chisled good looks, so this transformation is cool. Plus he just makes this character somehow endearing, because for as vicious and nasty he is, Lucky Ned can still be a civil gentleman. So acting is top notch, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The direction is marvelous. Joel and Ethan Coen are master filmmakers and I doubt I will ever say otherwise. Their editing, their writing, their casting, their photography, their overall style is all perfect. There are very few bad things I can say about this movie. A lot of people have said that they weren't trying to make "True Grit: A Coen Brothers film" but they were just trying to make "True Grit: A Western." I'd agree. You can see the tweaks and touches of their style or humor in the story, but really it felt pure and unbound by a brand, at least not a brand as broad as western. That's okay, because I get the feeling that if this was a Coen Brothers movie it might be one of their lesser ones like Burn After Reading. Still good, just not quite as good. This is a western and they understood that and liked that.

Since this review is pretty damn late on my account, I would say that you should definitely watch this movie when it hits the market. It is fun, interesting, funny, and breathtaking in many ways. At times it may seem slow and it won't thrill you through and through, but it is enjoyable. I definitely liked it so, like I sometimes say, if you like what I like you will probably dig this film. Watching it for Jeff Bridges alone is good enough, I think. So yeah, six out of five stars.

This has been the review I said I'd post months ago, but here we are with Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.

Tron: Legacy Review

"You're messing with my zen thing, man." - Kevin Flynn

I've seen the majority of the original Tron film from the 1980s. Watching it, I thought that at the time Tron was a landmark for science fiction filmmaking. The virtual reality world the film presents was fascinating and extremely revolutionary. It paved the way for many other ideas of similar nature. Looking back at this moment, I'd say that in modern times, with all new kinds of technology in the business of film, you couldn't really leave a world like this alone. That's what happens with Tron: Legacy; it takes the atmosphere of the first film and makes as original as it was when first presented in the 80s. It's very refreshing.

The film continues the story of the first Tron's character, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges). After his success following the first film's story, Flynn is a leading corporate game developer who has found a way to reinvigorate The Grid world of the Tron games. Unfortunately, once he does he goes missing. Years later, his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) takes time off from his corporate espionage hobby to investigate an apparent message from Kevin. This leads him to one of the coolest arcades I've seen (mostly because I haven't seen one in a long time) where he himself is transported to The Grid. Here, Sam must find his father and help him to defeat a program doppleganger named CLU, who seeks to "perfect" The Grid, before he escapes and perfects our world. They also must protect Kevin's program apprentice Quorra (Olivia Wilde), who is mysteriously crucial to her world and ours. So grab a disc and hop on to your Light Cycle. We're in for a ride.

The entire Grid world in the movie is something to truly be admired. It almost reminds me of black white movies with its highly saturated and crisp light and shadow effects that basically is the structure of the world. Light Cycle battles have never been so cool. Where in the first film it seemed like we were watching people almost in some sort of simulation, here we actually feel like were riding on one of these things. And there is plenty of new things too. The bizarre, building-like helicopters, or the Light Gliders, it was all cool.

I will be honest, I was excited for the movie but did not think it was going to be that good just the same. I, like most people I knew, were going to see it for it's clearly amazing technical attributes. To my surprise, though, I really enjoyed this movie. The visuals and soundtrack was monumental (and I'm not using that word lightly). Daft Punk creates an electric ambience and pace that drives the movie more than the plot sometimes. Some visuals and set pieces brought to mind films such as Dark City, The Matrix, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The acting was not oscar worthy or anything but it at least interested me and impressed me in some ways. Jeff Bridges shines here, remarkably, as two characters: one is a man who has attained a God status while also being an outcast, he's wise, cool, but regretful; the other is a cold, angsty tyrant whose existence was based upon a flawed purpose. Garrett Hedlund was actually very believable as Sam, the rebellious son. To my surprise, I liked him, though he's had more impressive roles, of course. Bruce Boxleitner reprises his role from the original Tron to play both Flynn's friend Alan, still in the gaming business in our world, and as Tron (you know, the title character the movie could care less about) who has also fallen victim to Clu's vision of perfection. I was very amazed that of all of the characters, Olivia Wilde's Quorra was the one I found most interesting. Come now, we all knew going in that Wilde was going to sell us on this movie. She is very beautiful after all. But no, Quorra was a fascinating sort of character. She was almost that classic anime archetype, the sweet and cute badass who is also very special. She was fun to watch, and not in a perverted way. Of course a movie this cool, needs some character to send it over the top. It needs something shiny amongst this deep and dark stuff that the kids can go crazy over. And in that, we get Michael Sheen as Castor, an eccentric night club owner in The Grid. It just goes to show that every Disney owned movie these days can not escape a freaking Mickey or Goofy. For Pirates of the Caribbean we get Jack Sparrow. For Alladin, we get The Robin Williams Genie (and many other Robin Williams voiced characters. For Tron: Legacy, we get Castor. I mean, Michael Sheen is a great actor, everyone knows he is, but he's a bit like Nicholas Cage where he's great at one point and outrageous at ten other points. It isn't bad per se, just overbearing in such a short time. At least his character is resolved the way the audience wants it to be.
I do not need to say that Joseph Kosinski's direction is top notch, because it really is. He kept most everything balanced (save for mystery and explanation of course), but unfortunately this means the movie was a bit understated. By understated I mean it doesn't impact the viewers as well on all levels. No one can say that the technical aspects of the movie were underplayed by the story and characters. The special effects were in sync with the world's atmosphere, therefore they were believable and amazing. I really liked that this movie can kind of stand alone, because you don't necessarily have to watch the first Tron to understand this Tron. Despite a fairly unfocused and needlessly complex explanations (did I mention the guys who wrote this were Lost writers), I thought the movie had strong dialogue, good characters (save one), and gripping storytelling. The movie is a straight adventure and that's what I loved about it.

So all in all, Tron: Legacy is certainly not a great movie but it is very good. If you want to have a lot of fun kicking off 2011, than by all means see this movie. I'm sure it'll get you more pumped for movies this year than Season of the Witch. It's really good, surprised the hell out of me how good it was. I guess I was a bit wrong to underestimate it. Understand I saw the first trailer for this mid 2009 and thought it looked incredible, then I saw Avatar and thought nothing could impress me after that. A Scott Pilgrim and Inception later, I was even more convinced that I was going to be severely underwhelmed. And I wasn't. Maybe modern movies will have a major impact on the future of movies.

So yes, this concludes the first in my two Jeff Bridges sagas I will be reviewing. Speaking of which, if there is one thing a gallery of Big Lebowski fans will be snickering about after seeing this is this: The Dude is God! After Tron: Legacy, I can abide that.

This is yet another review from Your Modest Guru and really that's pretty much all I do these days. Thanks for reading.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Review

"I can't get these fucking numbers out of my head!" - Alex Mason

I've always kind of wondered about our fascination with video games centered on warfare. Is the fact that game franchises like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor are so popular some kind of subliminal thing cooked up by the government. I think kids are getting a bit wiser these days about recruiters. But who needs some propagrazzi (propaganda + paparazzi, yeah I made it up) to tell people how cool it would be to be a soldier when they can just market a video game franchise that allows kids to take a first person look through the eyes of a soldier, even if many of the missions this soldier takes are highly implausible and some even hysterical. But enough of that. This isn't one of my thinking posts, it's one of my reviews. So without further a due, here's what I think about Call of Duty: Black Ops.

(I will not be mentioning the online play because I don't play online, but I'm told it's shitty)

Black Ops is without a doubt the best Call of Duty I have played. Instead of being some random yet inexplicably awesome grunt for a 70-year old war (why not WWI or the Civil War next time), this time we are the men behind the curtain. We get to play as a scarred covert operative working in alongside the CIA and other shady customers from our side and the others. And the game's frenetic action and fascinating non-linear storyline can keep the players on their toes and adrenaline fueled at the same. And if all of that isn't enough, you can get your blood pumping by playing the new and improved Nazi Zombies side game.

STORY

Black Ops is a sequel to the previous CoD game, World at War. You play as Alex Mason (voiced by Sam Worthington), a skilled wet boy who makes a living out of going to hell and back, during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. After his involvement with the Bay of Pigs goes wrong, Mason is captured by Soviet terrorists and imprisioned in Vorkuta. He escapes after befriending Russian inmate Viktor Reznov (Gary Oldman), a character from World at War who helps you here and there during the game, Mason is able to escape and get back into his old line of work. Despite his mental scars, new missions granted by the CIA and President John Kennedy himself bring Mason and his compatriots to war torn Vietnam, the grimy Tokyo metropolis of Japan, and the harsh cold of Russia. All the while, Mason and his stealth comrade Reznov have their own score to settle with their targets.

BASICS

Okay, so Call of Duty is still the same basic first person shooter it's been since the beginning of the series. There are cool new things to be seen here, though. You can drive vehicles at times, which Call of Duty I don't think has done before save for tanks and planes. You pilot helicopters, drive cars, and ride motorcycles. All very cool, and a lot more fast paced. Most fascinating to me was that this game was a bit more story based and character driven. Whereas there was only a silent avatar as the protagonist in past games, Alex Mason has a personality and an arc (and an interesting one at that). You see things through his eyes, and you see how he has become mentally unstable through brief but vivid hallucinations (one in particular will catch everyone off guard, mainly because it doesn't seem like a hallucination). Also the story goes in detail and involves various situations, real or fictional or who knows, into the game. Realism seems to be a bit heavier here, even if there are moments of the usual Call of Duty improbability (moreso than usual in fact). Love the Vietnam standard music soldiers would play (CCR's "Fortunate Son" and The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil") and subtle reminders of classic films. (Platoon, Hamburger Hill, Fullmetal Jacket, and Mason's partner Woods totally looked like Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter) There is also a wealth of actual stars delivering voice work for the game: Sam Worthington, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris, Ice Cube, With all of this in mind, Black Ops is actually a more visceral, compelling, and intense Call of Duty game.

For Zombies, things have vastly changed too. There are three new and fun maps to play on (the latter two being unlockables). One is set in a run down movie theatre with Nazi decor. This map is set in 40s, but of course features health drinks ("Need a little REVIVAL!!!"), a teleporter, and a weapons customizer. This is also probably the easiest map for players, or for me at least. Here you can play as a gung ho American, a loud and strangely sexually frustrated Russian, a creepy German, or an eccentric Japanese man, all of them highly abrasive and over the top. The second map puts players in the 60s where the Pentagon's War Room comes under a zombie siege. In this instance, a player can play as President Kennedy, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamera, Fidel Castro, or Richard Nixon. The final map puts players in a 90s Arcade sort of setting where players can view things from an aerial point of view and watch monsters just flow and hand out a bunch cool upgrades upon dying. This can be fun, but is not entirely what I want out of Nazi zombies. All of these maps are interesting and put a new spin on the Zombies format to the game (a format that is becoming increasingly popular).

TOOLS

The tools department is a bit obvious. Aresenals for Call of Duty games rarely change, but then again most games don't. You get a new model of the same weapon depending on the era the game takes place. You get a wide range of assualt rifles, sub-machine guns, pistols, shotguns, explosives, and launchers of various sorts. A surprising change this time around is that a player can briefly drive a vehicle in a few instances. In this case, why shoot your enemies when you can plow threw them at the same time. I know a little bit about guns, and for some reason I felt like a lot of the guns seen in this game seemed almost out of place. By out of place, I mean, they seemed more modern and not like something you'd find in the 1960s. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. Either that, or the black operatives just got better tools.

ENEMIES

The enemies are all virtually the same. They are soldiers, they have guns, and if they see you they will try to kill you. Simple war mechanics. I guess I can diffrentiate them based on their nationalities. Early on you will be fighting Fidel Castro's Cuban army during the Bay of Pigs. Then later, and for the most part (being it's the Cold War and all), you will be facing down Russian soldiers of the Soviet Union. In a flashback to Reznov's time in World War II, you go back to a World at War feel and kill some pesky Nazis. There's actually a point where Reznov and his men are allowed to kill everyone in sight: I think it included Germans, Russians, and the British. Finally a lot of excitement is when you are in the worst hot zones of Vietnam and fighting the NVA, Viet Cong and the like. While the enemies in the game are bland and artificial (no doubt, a major contrast to real life), they can definitely be intense and startling when they rush at you in huge groups. Of course, there is the standard dogs that will go for your throat from time to time. Strangely, I think these dogs have been the easiest to kill out of all of the others I've seen in past games. The main antagonist is General Nikita Dragovich, a Communist terrorist from the Soviet Union. Along side him are Lev Kravchenco, Dragovich's ruthless lieutenant, and Dr. Friedrich Steiner, a Nazi scientist (slightly reminiscent to Josef Mengele) who defected to the Reds' side. Fidel Castro is a bit of an antagonist in the beginning, having teamed with Dragovich in order to ambush his would-be-assassins.

For the Zombie gameplay, there is a bit of a difference. The zombies are a lot faster and stronger, and harder to kill at times. And it's not just zombies this time. Joining them are stout demonic crawling monsters that slash and explode in poisonous toxins when killed. And there are also hell hounds (yes, hell hounds) that show up from time to time to maul the player(s). hell hounds are kids stuff compared to massive crowds of zombies and crawlers. Somehow fighting zombies is always more intense.

GRAPHICS

The graphics are top notch. Probably the best Call of Duty has done so far. Character and weapon designs are especially well done. They look authentic and slightly real at times. For characters voiced by big actors, Gary Oldman and Ed Harris for example, the designs were made to resemble how the actors actually look. This was done very well. The environments had a richness and saturated look to them that made them all the more vivid and believable. And there are a lot of different environments, so this look never gets old. Environmental graphics are on par with the Modern Warfare games. So all is well essentially, though I'm sure there is an obvious bug or two. I didn't notice if there were.

OVERALL

Black Ops provides a very exciting new twist to the franchise. I hope it keeps it up if it is like this for good. I even hope it improves. The action hasn't been this exciting in awhile. Every time I fell I was very determined to respawn and keep fighting. Plus there are just so many things that has been done regarding the style and substance of the game that has just been delightful. The campaign mode was scripted by David S. Goyer, the writer of Batman Begins and the Blade trilogy. Pretty impressive job too, as the story is very intricate and involving. Black Ops actually feels like it could be a movie. And if players are worried that this game might be too easy, don't be. I think the difficulty was fairly high even on Recruit. In the end, Black Ops is just a fun game. A wholly good time. Plus if you can't get into the campaign there is always Zombie and Online modes to play on. It is definitely worth a buy.

This has been a second video game review from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.

Fallout 3 Review

"War... War never changes." - narrator

A friend let me borrow his copy of Fallout 3 and I must say it is exactly my kind of game. I made it no secret in my Red Dead Redemption review that I love the free roaming sandbox environment modern games have incorporated lately. This is the perfect sandbox environment. Post nuclear Holocaust Washington D.C. and all it has left. You venture out into the irradiated and lethal Capital Wasteland with nothing but the clothes on your back. The primary mission is to survive. And it all plays out (pun intended) in an almost realistic way. I'm loving it.

The scale of the game is so huge that I've finished the main story mode and scoured the the map yet I'm still sure I did not see all there was to see. Even so, I feel I should review it now. Even if this review is already a few years too late.

STORY:
Set in a future predated by an alternate history, Fallout 3 is set in the American North-East. After the end of World War 2, the arms race was focused on primarily which led to the development of futuristic technology. It also led to the Cold War boiling over into full scale nuclear devestation. The world was thrown into chaos. Though before the bombs fell, thousands of Americans were hauled off into underground fallout facilities called Vaults, where they would be safe and comfortable during the destruction. The game begins with our nameless protagonist, called The Lone Wanderer, apparantly being born inside Vault 101, a Vault specifically ordered to remain closed forever. After getting acquainted with controls and environment while gallivanting around the Vault as a kid, we flash-forward a few years into the future where the player's scientist father, James (Liam Neeson), opens the Vault door and escapes into the Wasteland. It is here, the player ventures outside of the Vault as well to find his father. This also means adapting to the extraordinarily grim Capital Wasteland, once called Washington D.C. And the adventure begins.


BASICS:
Fallout 3, as I said, is a massive sandbox environment. Fortunately, this means you can run around all of D.C.'s famed monuments and sites (and also see how the harsh future has tressed them up). I complained that the Grand Theft Auto games had way too much going on. This game has that, but the difference is each new subplot you happen across can end up being just as, if not better than the game's primary storyline. Also worthy of noting, the game does not have a set main character. The player is free to design the character's adult appearance during the birth scene in the beginning. I always loved that aspect. The game is not exactly easy. If you really work at it, I suppose the main story can be finished in a few hours. But there is over 100 hours of gameplay entirely, and the whole map and the missions found there are like a scattered puzzle. Places aren't just there to go to, they have to be discovered. Also survival with wits and mitts isn't as easy either. Enemies on this game can be overwhelming. What I really liked though, was the moral compass of the game. This game strongly employs free will. Meaning you can choose to be the hero or villain or just passing through. I will say being a villain is extremely difficult with those thoughtful people out there, as the evil choices can be shocking (nuke a friendly little town-shocking). There is also a leveling up system which allows you to gain perks and enhancements. You can sometimes pick up friends who will want to help you along the way; they can be useful or a burden. The game combines political, military, and social satire with a surreal survival horror scenario that is very enjoyable. I've seen few games this nuanced and intelligent with its design and story. It is a pleasure.

TOOLS:
Set in the dystopian future the weapons categories vary considerably. There is a vast array of assault rifles, hunting rifles, miniguns, missile launchers, fragmentation grenades, mines, pistols, and knives laying on corpses or just anywhere sometimes. Then again, we are in the future. Their are rather cool energy weapons such as laser and plasma rifles, as well as their grenade, mine, pistol, and minigun varients. There are also interesting weapons such as Abraham Lincoln's repeater rifle, military officer swords, or even a mini-nuke launcher. If you have the right materials, skills, and schematics you can also customize or invent a new kind of weapon. All of these weapons can be particularly harmful if used properly. The game gives the freedom to switch interchangeably from first person POV to third person (I'm mostly third person). It also has a system that allows you to freeze frame and target and enemy's body to get a somewhat cinematic slow motion shootout. This is particularly useful because the standard real time shootout, no matter the POV, is extremely gritty, fast paced, and unnerving. Needless to say a little free frame shooting here and there, or a lot of it, is not exactly the sissy way out but more like the smart way. Aside from guns, just about any other item can be picked up (not that they are exactly worth something to you). In the Wasteland, scavenging is helpful but you won't always find something good. And if you do, others may not be so keen on letting you take it.

ENEMIES:
This game has a freakish and horrific rogue's gallery that haunts every corner, street, alley, and shadow of the Wasteland. As a player, you have to be on your guard at all times. Depending on how you act around people can determine whether they will become friends or foes, while others merely unload first and don't ask any questions. Many humans have fractured off into groups, and a lot of these groups aren't your friends right off the bat. The raiders are cold blooded killers and rapists who look like they came off the set of The Road Warrior. Being that they are just people (albeit heavily armored, armed, and crazy), you can kill them pretty easy. There's also the Talon Company, a mercenary group and hit squad that attacks with deadly force. The most lethal humans by far are the Enclave, the corrupt remaining remnants of the U.S. Government headed by the mysterious President John Henry Eden (Malcolm McDowell) and his right hand man Colonel Autumn, or the amoral Outcasts of The Enclave's enemy The Brotherhood of Steel. Both Enclave and Outcast fighters are covered head to toe in advanced battle armor that make Master Chief piss himself, and carry energy weapons that would make him do it again. You will mostly come across the Super Mutants, hulking simple minded brutes who tote guns and the most immoral of attitudes. They are in groups and a handful to deal with. You will also face the Ghouls, zombie like humans driven insane and animalistic by nuclear exposure. They are easy to destroy but are fast and make good use of their claws.

There are also a variety of extremely deadly robots roaming around the wasteland or droning around abandoned facilities. Though these robots are modeled after the ones seen off of 1950s science fiction comic covers, they are not fun to go toe to toe with. These things will do their best to take you down with arms that double as miniguns, laser blasters, flamethrowers, and missle launchers. Proceed with caution. Okay a bit of a spoiler, but players who are wary of robots need not fret because in the end Liberty Prime, a 50 foot tall android who spouts ultra patriotic Cold War slogans and obliterates all in its path, is on your side.

But like in RDR, it is the damn animals that pose possibly the greatest threat. The mutated bear, Yao Guay, can ambush you easily and take your health from 100 to 0 in a matter of only three or four slashes. They are also hard to put down. Speaking of putting down, you may find packs of mutated dogs that are fairly easy to kill. Super Mutants sometimes travel with the hideous Centaur, which I can only describe as a blob of the melted bodies of several humans that just spews waste and flings its tentacles (they aren't pretty to look at, so kill them quick and be done with em). Like in old '50s B-Movies, the hilly wilderness is inhabited by large mutant scorpions and the cities are filled with large fire breathing ants. There are the cold blooded Mirelurk creatures, which just seem to be humanoid crawdad (the Mirelurk King is probably the creepiest thing I've seen in the game). Then of course there's the throwaway puny animal antagonists such as the enlarged cockroach or fly. So animals are the scariest and sometimes the hardest things to kill.

GRAPHICS
This is a tough one, because on the hand you have graphics which bring forth a stark, detailed, and highly effective environment, while at the same time player and AI character models are very low grade. The in-game avatars and non playable characters have their hints of detail but are more often than not just tweaked versions of the same model. It's not impressive but it doesn't totally ruin the game either. But like I said, the environmental graphics are amazing. This game does a good job of showing a barren and destroyed wasteland while at the same time making it seem as if a true inhabitable place could have been the pile of stone and dust you are standing in front of. Day to night effects are very crisp too. The graphics aren't perfect, but they are good and unique in many ways.

OVERALL
For those who love this type of open world, survival of the fittest type of adventure, I of course recommend it. The really good thing is that there is just so much to take in. If players don't like the graphics, there is an incredible plot to the game; if the plot doesn't interest them, they can be amazed at all of the different game mechanics; and if none of that catches their fancy than they have a ball ripping and running all over the wasteland just for the hell of it. It will be a long while before you can say that there is nothing to do on this game. Stick with it, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

This has been the first of two new video game reviews from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.