a 3 Word Review
film
The Rear View Podcast
It’s time I shamelessly plug my awesome new podcast, The Rear View. Now available on iTunes, Soundcloud, and Stitcher.
Also…
Best of 2011 – Time For Action (Part IV of VII)
[*Read Part I: Chick Flicks here, Part II: Art House Flicks here, and Part III: Dramas here.]
Action films are usually not known for their oscar-worthy screenplays and seminal performances. We go see action films on the big screen because that’s where they belong. Big fat movie screens with huge speakers pumping the THX and creating a permanent mold of your body in the seat cushions. Every so often we get an Inception or The Dark Knight that manages to have give us quality story telling and intense action. So until Christopher Nolan gives us another Batman film we have to make do with the best of the rest. (One note – in case you don’t read the Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol segment : Go see this film in a TRUE IMAX theater. I beg you! Learn about impostor LIEMAX screens and where to find real IMAX screens near you. )
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol – IMAXimum Movie Adreneline
(Aaron’s “Doesn’t Self Destruct” full review here)
As I mentioned just above, please see this film in a real IMAX theater. Director Brad Bird (Pixar director of The Incredible, Ratatouille and the non-Pixar classic Iron Giant) makes his first live-action film his big-boy calling card by using 70mm IMAX cameras and having roughly 30 minutes of full screen IMAX eye candy to give audiences. This is how we are supposed to watch action films. Not in 3D with uncomfortable, germ infested, head-ache inducing plastic glasses. When Tom Cruise starts to scale the worlds tallest skyscraper my stomach literally dropped and I think I shit myself. This film is beautiful and like a classic Bond film (not the crap that is called Quantum of Solace) the action travels all over the world. Europe, the Middle East, Russia and so on. And unlike the recent James Bond film the gadgets are awesome, the cars are kickin’, the girls are smoking-hot and Simon Pegg is the right amount of cheesy funny. But I’m telling you, the action… Until you experience a car spinning in the air toward you in a giant sand storm in 70mm on a 70+ foot IMAX screen you haven’t seen an action film. Oh, the story? I have no idea. Something about a terrorist wanting to start WWIII between the U.S. and Russia by launching a nuclear warhead at San Francisco. You know, the same story in every international spy movie.
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Caesar is home
I had zero interest in seeing this. Why? I love the original film. It’s one of the best role reversal films ever made. The production value is unmatched in a vintage 60’s style way. Which is why I hated the Tim Burton remake 10 years ago. It was too polished, too perfect looking. They also unnecessarily fucked with a great story and switched things around and made a mess. Really, Ape Lincoln at the end? Back to not wanting to see this new version – I also don’t like James Franco. He’s boring unless he’s genuinely stoned while playing a bored stoner. So why the hell did I go see this? Word of mouth was strong and so were the praises for the great Andy Serkis. He’s the motion capture actor who will end up receiving an honorary Oscar when he’s 70 for the revolutionary work he’s been doing. After stealing the Lord of the Rings films as Gollum, he knocks it out of the park as super-intellegent ape Caesar in Rise. Make no mistake Andy Serkis is the best actor in this film and one of the best overall performances of the year. Not just because I get to compare him next to James Franco, but in spite of it. Serkis also gets to claim the most goose-bump inducing film moment of 2011 that I won’t spoil here. As far as the story goes, the filmmakers do for the Apes originals the same thing 2009’s Star Trek did for that franchise. It smartly begins the story anew but with deep respect for the original. The homages to the original weren’t simple throw-away moments meant to appease the old fan base, although there were a few. It felt they took the material seriously and professionally and then had tons of fun with it. This film should classify as Sci-Fi on my best of 2011, but because the film arrives at an awesome finale that is as action packed and thrilling as anything else this year, it belongs here.
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Fast Five – Fueled by Diesel
If you brought a dead guy with into the theater to see this movie he will be alive by the end and begging to drive you all home – the long way.
*Be sure to leave your favorites below in the comments.
Best Of 2011: It’s Aaron’s List
Since everyone else is writing their “Best Of” lists this month, I figured I’d put together a list of my own. Yeah yeah, I know. You’re welcome. Compiling my list of television, movie and music favorites, below is a rather diverse list. For user friendliness, I’ve narrowed the list down to 20 and have alphabetized it for you. How nice of me!
American Horror Story
Of all the television shows that premiered in 2011, I have got to say American Horror Story surprised me the most. Never have I seen such an unpredictably unconventional creepy show grace the likes of basic cable. Maybe Twin Peaks come close. Maybe. Over the span of this first Season, we’ve seen a show that splices together references from many from horror films’ past. The writing, acting and direction push boundaries and left me scratching my head dumbfounded every week. AHS is a ridiculous show that tends to habitually jump the shark. But it does it in such a way that hypnotically gets under your skin and moves you to watch again week after week. If that doesn’t intrigue you to watch, it also has one of the creepiest opening credit sequences I’ve ever seen for a television show.
Attack The Block
What is this movie Attack The Block you speak of Aaron? Well, if you are unfamiliar, it really does suck to be you I suppose. Released earlier this year to rave reviews on the festival circuit, Joe Cornish directed a movie that seeps 1980s monster movie nostalgia. I went into the theater not knowing anything about the film and left with a hyper energy that moved me to tell everyone I knew to go see it. With an amazing soundtrack by Basement Jaxx, solid acting and nightmarish aliens the likes of which you’ve never seen on screen, Attack The Block is probably one of the best movies you have not seen this year. Last I checked, it’s available on Netflix Instant as well as VOD. So you have no excuse now, do you?
Bad As Me – Tom Waits
Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m a huge Tom Waits fan and the man, in my book, has never released a bad album. Bad As Me is his first album of all original material since Real Gone. The album, like most of Waits’ fairly recent works, runs the gamut from ballads to carnival barking blues. He’s been making music for roughly four decades now so it seems like a no brainer at this point to pick up every thing he puts out. The guy’s a legend.
Breaking Bad
God dammit, I still meet people who have never seen an episode of Breaking Bad. I am thinking of one friend in particular who has never seen an episode of it or Dexter. That just boggles my mind. I can forgive him for the not seeing Dexter thing. That show needs to end already (I’m a fan and I’m saying that!). Breaking Bad, however, I cannot forgive him for not watching. This show is, simply put, the best show on television. It pushes boundaries in every way possible. The acting, the writing, the directing, all of it is brilliant and comes together in such an honest gut twisting manner that leaves you begging for more. And Season 4 pushed the show into new territory. If Giancarlo Esposito does not get recognized for his work on the show this Season, the terrorists win. That’s right. I said it!
The Dreamer/The Believer – Common
I’m a pretty big fan of Common’s and was slightly let down by his last studio album Universal Mind Control. Overall, it seemed to lack the insight and lyrical prowess that brought Common to where he is today in his career. I’m sure it had something to do with his focus shifting more towards acting. Well thankfully he had the time to create and release The Dreamer/The Believer while still performing in movies and television. Released earlier this month, The Dreamer/The Believer shows Common back in top form. I’ve had this album on repeat for a few days now. This is real Hip Hop. Sweet.
El Camino – The Black Keys
I’ve been onto The Black Keys for a while now. After randomly discovering Thickfreakness some years back, they have become one of my favorite musicians making music today. Blending classic blues musicality with modern day rock, they’ve been compared to the likes of The White Stripes (which I don’t really agree with). They have the hooks, their songs are catchy, and with their new album El Camino, have delivered more delicious goodness for your ears.
Fast Five
Everyone was raving over the Summer about which was the best blockbuster this year. Well, hands down, my favorite movie that came out this Summer is Fast Five. Hell, it’s one of my favorite films this year (obviously, it’s on this list!). I wasn’t a huge fan of the previous Fast And Furious films. I stopped watching after Part 2. All they really had to do to get me back on board, it seems, was to bring back Vin Diesel and add The Rock to the mix. Yeah, it was that easy. The film is a powerhouse. As long as Diesel and The Rock are involved, I’ll go see every sequel they put through the pipeline. This type of mentality also applies to The Expendables 2 (I own a penis, thusly I must go see it).
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
I’ve pretty much enjoyed every David Fincher movie in existence. So it seemed like a no brainer I would enjoy The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. But much unlike most of you people, I’ve never read the books and I never watched the original. I’m assuming if I had, I would probably have a different reaction to viewing this film. Clocking in at almost 2 hours and 30 minutes, it can lean on some people’s patience. The stand outs for me here are the music by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and the performance of Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. Seriously, who is this girl? Obviously she was wasting her talent in that awful remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street. Her performance here is simply amazing.
Hell On Wheels
Dare I say I think AMC’s Hell On Wheels is better than Deadwood? Blasphemy! Two brilliant shows that exist in The Old West. It’s really too early to tell if Hell On Wheels could be better than David Milch’s brilliant HBO Western. However, still in its first season and now even completed, Hell On Wheels is well worth your time. By far, it’s my favorite new television show of the year. AMC continues to push boundaries and raise the bar with its programming. Both Anson Mount and Common deliver the goods every week. Yes, Common. He even surprises me in this role. The man can truly act, given the subject matter he is given.
The Help
I knew nothing about The Help when I went to go see it. I knew it was based on a book and had some star power attached but the rest was beyond me. I’ll just go ahead and say this, of the films I listed here, The Help is probably my favorite film I’ve seen this year. It’s very very well done. Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis deliver way above par performances and both deserve recognition for their work here.
Hugo
The best 3D movie you’ll see this year, seriously. Martin Scorsese delivered a surprise with Hugo. While it is a long and sometimes slow moving film, it left me feeling like a kid. It’s the perfect children’s movie for every movie loving adult. Although, I’m not sure it’d suffice as being the perfect children’s movie for kids. Still, it’s a beautifully told love story dedicated to the art of film.
Insidious
Sadly, there aren’t many notable horror films that come to mind when I think about this past year. One that does is Insidious. I’ve spoken to enough people to realize you either love this movie or you hate it. I love it, if not for anything else, than the film’s ability to deliver scares without blood or gore in the most unexpected places. I will never hear Tiptoe Through The Tulips by Tiny Tim the same way again.
Justified
I have two words to describe the awesomeness of Season 2: Margo Martindale.
The Layover
I’m a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain. I’ve read Kitchen Confidential. I’ve seen every episode of No Reservations. I just received The Nasty Bits for Hannukah. So when he announced his new show The Layover, I was immediately sold. Unlike No Reservations in the sense that he showcases places the locals go, each episode of The Layover takes you to different parts of the world where Bourdain is stuck for roughly 24 to 48 hours. In that small amount of time, he takes the viewer on a tour to places they should visit if they too are stuck in the city in question with some time to spare.
Moneyball
Moneyball is a solid movie. As a fan of baseball and a good story, this film delivers everything I could have wanted. Brad Pitt is great here but the stand out performance, for me anyway, is given by Jonah Hill. The writing and acting here work beautifully. The nominations announced for the film are well deserved.
Sons Of Anarchy
It was a struggle to get through Season 3 of Sons Of Anarchy. With it’s detour to Ireland, the story suffered and my interest waned. Thankfully, Kurt Sutter and the gang got the message and brought the show back on track for Season 4. If AMC is raising the bar for television programming, than FX Networks is really their only competition on basic cable. I really don’t know what else to say here. If you haven’t watched Sons Of Anarchy, you really don’t know the brilliance you are missing.
The Killing
AMC’s The Killing sort of snuck up on me. Reminiscent of Twin Peaks mixed with the dark gruesomeness of Se7en, The Killing takes the viewer along on the investigation to find out who killed Rosie Larsen. Again, another AMC show. I’m sure you know what I’ll say here about how great the show is. So just watch it already! Season 2 is just around the corner.
The Walking Dead
God damn AMC, again!? Yeah, well, here we are with ANOTHER AMC TV show! Season 2 of AMC’s The Walking Dead really began with a bang. There were some really jaw dropping moments during the first half of Season 2. It doesn’t look like Frank Darabont’s departure has effected the show in a negative way. Straying from the original story in the comic books, the show still maintains important plot points. And after that Mid Season Finale (that Sofia story line was getting old anyway), I am damn sure excited and curious to see what will happen next.
Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
Maybe it’s due to my getting older, but it seems like there aren’t many solid rock bands delivering great work anymore. Everything has gone Indie or Folk or some shit. The Foo Fighers’ newest album Wasting Light was indeed a light a midst a bunch of the current rock crap. Full of honesty, energy and humor, Wasting Light marks another Grade A album from Dave Grohl and the gang. And if you’re not convinced, check out the below music video for Walk which takes a few pages from the film Falling Down. How could you not love them!?
Watch The Throne
One of the biggest albums of the year, Watch The Throne combines the talents of two of the biggest Hip Hop artists right now – Jay Z and Kanye West. While, in my opinion, this is not the best work either artist has released, the teamwork still delivers something special. P Diddy eat your heart out, this is Luxury Rap at its finest.
Well there you have it! To narrow down my list to 20, many items fell to the wayside. If I missed something you’re just stabbing yourself in frustration about, go ahead and shout it out at me in the comments below!
Oh! And just for the record, if you are viewing this list and scratching your head as to why movies like Drive, The Artist, The Descendants, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, The Muppets, or Martha Marcy May Marlene isn’t on here. Well it’s because for some reason or another, I haven’t seen them yet! I ain’t gonna list something I ain’t seen yet. The line to hand out smacks to my face starts to the right. Thanks for your patronage.
Best of 2011 – Oh, the Drama (Part III of VII)
[*Read Part I: Chick Flicks here and Part II: Art House Flicks here.]
As we end another year long chapter of the 21st century, allow me to reflect upon said year’s dramatic film offerings. These are the films that undoubtedly leave the viewer with an emotional wound. One that may have healed over time only to be ripped open by the subject matter or a fresh cut that runs just as deep. Over the last decade, films such as as Million Dollar Baby; The Wrestler and Diving Bell & The Butterfly have had audiences leaving the theater in silence with glazed looks from those puffy eyes. This year though, I found three dramas that gave me more to be happy for, even if the journey was a rough one. (Special shout-out to Win, Win with the great Paul Giamatti and a great cast)
Warrior – Unexpected Heavy Hitter (full disclosure, I do not know anything about MMA)
I know this is a 3 word review, but if I had to give only a 2 word review it would have been “Tom Hardy”. I may be starting to overhype him, but he has been on my radar for about 3 years when I first saw him in the film Bronson at the Sundance Film Festival. I would not have had any interest in seeing this film if it hadn’t been for him staring in it. Then with the director of Miracle, (you know, the true story of the “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Hockey team defeating the Soviet Commie bastards in the 1980 Winter Olympics) Gavin O’Connor, behind the camera for this one – I was completely on board come opening weekend. It’s sad that this film did not bring more eyeballs to the screen and asses in the seats. And I get it, it’s such a late 80’s Van Damme/Dudikoff B-Movie premise that it screams for direct-to-DVD. MMA has a growing following but even those devotees would feel suspect going into a film based on the sport. But dammit – Tom Hardy is such a bad ass and he plays the ultimate bad ass hero in this. This is a real family drama between two estranged brothers with a deadbeat father smack dab in the middle. The greatest part about the finale, and I’m not spoiling anything here trust me – is that you have no idea who you would be rooting for in the final match. You root for both of them. In fact, I don’t remember who won the fight. Maybe that’s because this film is more about family, healing old wounds, honor, loyalty and love more than it’s about mixed martial arts. And that is definitely why I loved it so much more that I thought I ever would.
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The Devil’s Double – Sadistically True Tragedy – full review here
Since you can go read the full review I already wrote, this is where I get to tell you people that the actors that Hollywood keeps forcing us to like – the ones they keep casting in box-office busting shitty action films that are actually brain-dead disappointments – are forcing the better actors into doing the films that should be topping the box office. Hollywood says come see Ryan Reynolds, Shia LeBeouf, Taylor Lautner, Sam Worthington and whoever else they find in some West Hollywood Gold’s Gym that they can turn into a “movie star” – all this while Dominic Cooper, Tom Hardy (see above), Jeremy Reiner, Ryan Gosling and the rest churn out performances that rock the house in films that don’t spoon feed audiences. Please support these great films with fantastic performances. I have a rule I like to follow – if a big studio film i.e. Transformers comes out like and I see it and I do not like it – I will not go see the sequels. No matter how much “better than the original” it is. I will not give you more of my time and money if the first one wasted both. I will post about this topic another time. So look out for that. For now – just watch this…
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The Debt – Riveting Overdue Payback
Helen Miren is the main headliner in this film. I understand why. She is a legendary actress and deserves much of the film accolades that are presented to her. She shines very well in this film but it is her younger counterpart – Jessica Chastain that steals the film. Oh, and look who else is in this film, Sam Worthington trying to gain back some street-cred (see above) by starring in a gritty indie drama. Sorry Sam, you are still boring to watch. The Debt bases it’s premise on the true story of Nazi medical experiments leading up to and occurring during WWII. A doctor with a pivotal roll in the disgusting experiments eluded capture after the conclusion of the war and the newly formed state of Israel made it a mission to trek the globe in pursuit of Nazis. How awesome a story is that? (If you are unfamiliar with Simon Wiesenthal, look him up and his foundation and learn more about the real Nazi Hunters.) This film has some surprisingly tense moments that sneak up on you. You think director John Madden (boom, not that one) is simply and effectively showing you everything, keeping nothing a secret because the story is so intriguing already, but then he slips something into your drink and you are now looking over your shoulder thinking – what could be next? The tension is there from the get go. The film is available to rent by streaming and on DVD. I highly recommend it.
*Be sure to leave your favorites below in the comments.
Jack and Jill (2011) – Rather Eat Rad-Nar
I know this film came out a few weeks ago. I actually went to see it that opening weekend. I didn’t have huge hopes for it, but Adam Sandler is a funny dude, and I usually like his films. After seeing it, I really had no intention of writing a full review on this film until it hit me – I had to. However, I have to preface it with a quick story about about this new Thai restaurant that my girlfriend and I visited recently.
The chef had been pretty successful in his previous kitchens across the city. We’ve enjoyed many of the unique dishes that he’s created and one of them is my girlfriend’s absolute favorite. Unfortunately that restaurant, once located on prime real estate on Sunset Blvd. has since closed. Fuckin’ economy. Anyway, when we sawthis new Thai place opening and it’s kitchen was being run by one of our favorite head chefs – we had to try it out. The grand opening came and we grabbed a table. We ordered some of our favorites and decided to also try a dish that is pretty traditional in Thai cuisine, Rad-Nar. Our server double checked with us to make sure that’s what we wanted – “Yeah,” we said “… let’s try it!”
We were a little apprehensive while waiting for our order. Was she trying to warn us or did she clearly not hear me. Maybe I pronounced it wrong. Either way, the right choice was made. The appetizers came and they were right on point. Our entrees arrived and one of them looked suspicious, but we threw down a solid layer of rice on the plate, grabbed a spoon and started to dish out the Rad-Nar. The sauce was translucent brown and gloppy, that was a little strange. But the broccoli was bright green and looked really crunchy and fresh! The meat looked tender and full of flavor and the noodles were pan fried and begged to be eaten. Interestingly though, the dish didn’t really have much inspiration behind it. We understood that this was a traditional meal in Thailand and if it’s lasted this long, was on the menu and prepared under the supervision of a favorite chef it’s gotta be good, right?
After eating through half of the large portion on the plate, I couldn’t take it anymore. The texture of the goopy sauce and the absence of any flavor was too overwhelming. I couldn’t eat it anymore as is. So I grabbed some spicy chili sauce and dumped it over the top and mixed it up. Boy, that was a mistake. The Rad-Nar sauce became this pinkish clear slop with specks of red flakes huddled together as if they were trying to escape the gooey trap. The taste was somehow made worse. I love spicy food – but this was a fucking mess now. It was now clear to me that the chef had lost his mind. This may be a traditional Thai dish but it has no business on the menu in an American restaurant. This place wasn’t even located in Thai Town to maybe justify satisfying the locals. It wasn’t even in Korea Town, Chinatown, Little Tokyo and it was miles from the nearest landfill where it truly belonged.
Just because something is traditional doesn’t make it good. When I was a kid I used to make peanut butter and bologna sandwiches and I ate them everyday when I came home from school to watch Thundercats. That’s my tradition. Anyone else I’ve mentioned that unique concoction to threw-up a little in their mouth. Peanut butter and bologna on white bread. Go try it. So believe me when I say the Rad-Nar was atrocious. I’m certain after the description above, if you didn’t traditionally grow up with this dish, you wouldn’t touch it. So, now back to Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill…
I would rather eat Rad-Nar then watch that movie again.
I can’t even give my usual input on how to improve the film other than to say don’t make it. Maybe you put the smoking-hot Katie Holmes in a small picture-in-picture frame at the bottom of the screen where she would just give innocent Dawson Creek looks into the camera for 100 minutes, that’s the only suggestion I can think of. But then having a smoking-hot photo Katie Holmes next to a plate of Rad-Nar won’t make it taste better. I must also issue the disclaimer – I laughed my ass of watching Don’t Mess With The Zohan. I’ve seen that flick more than once and loved it. And Zohan is not even close to the greatness of Billy Madison.
No offense was intended to those who enjoy a plate of Rad-Nar, Thai people or Thailand itself. However, to Al Pacino, please retire.
Drive (2011) – Flawed and Delicious
After this film ended I immediately began to point out all the flaws in the storyline, to question the motives of characters, to wonder why certain scenes were set where they were and to be mystified about how the hell do you waste the great Bryan Cranston. Funny enough, with all of that… I absolutely loved watching Drive.
Director Nicolas Winding Refn first popped up on my radar in 2008 at the Sundance Film Festival with his film Bronson starring the great Tom Hardy. Refn was able to help transform Hardy into such memorable character filled with uncontrollable rage and emotion. With Drive he was able to do the opposite with Ryan Gosling. Here Refn and Gosling create a subdued stealth like shark. Gosling is that shark, a subtlety pointed out in a sweet scene between him and the kid, Benicio, while watching cartoons. This shark is in constant motion, moving forward and never once stopping to wipe the blood from his clothing.
As I mentioned at the top, huge flaws for me in the story. Why do certain crimes happen in broad daylight when the chances of a problem are extremely high, especially when you set up the film with a brilliant night time heist & getaway as the standard of how this Driver operates. It’s unclear what motivates Gosling because there is absolutely zero backstory on him. We never even get to know his name. At one point he even steals a brand new car, again in broad daylight with a slim jim never once having to deal with a car alarm going off. Having an alarm sound off would have been a good moment of levity and even a comment on society. I mean, honestly when a car alarm goes off nowadays nobody pays attention and if they do it’s out of annoyance at the horrible noise. I can just imagine Gosling shrugging his shoulders at a passerby as they shake their head at the moron who can’t turn off his car alarm.
Bryan Cranston is one the most brilliant actors on TV right now and seeing him billed in this flick got me jonesin’ like Jesse in Breaking Bad after 10 days without a hit. While Cranston makes the most of his screen time, I would have preferred to see him cast as the baddy that Albert Brooks & Ron Perlman play. Not to take anything away from Brooks or Perlman. They were, are and always will be golden in any roll they take.
Now because we don’t know anything historical about Gosling’s character, I didn’t give a shit about the light love story that began to develop in the first half of the film. Carrie Mulligan, Benicio’s mother Irene, sat in the passenger seat of a film that didn’t need one. By no fault of Mulligan, she certainly wouldn’t have been missed. Irene would have been better utilized had her story not been so docile. I mean she’s made out to be the innocent angel. She was knocked up at 17 and decided to marry the father, a criminal wrapped up with all the wrong people who gets released from prison halfway into the film. Mulligan is a fine actress and she certainly played the innocent angel role with ease. I just would like to have seen a bit more depth to her. 
So why then, with all these flaws, was this movie something I can’t wait to see again and again? Well the music was great, the cinematography was mesmerizing, the action was a simple bloody tableau of choreographed violence and there was some awesome driving. I was expecting a car chase to happen that would rival Ronin, Death Proof or even Bullitt. Sadly that didn’t happen, but we did get a tasty one with the stolen black mustang (nod to Bullitt?) that was good enough.
The simple yet intrusive imagery Refn put in front of the lens reminded me of what John Carpenter did with the first Halloween. In a film world filled with handheld shaky cameras, CGI and gratuitous images of sweaty torsos and hot bodies, Drive lets it’s story and action unfold clearly and succinctly with disturbing detail. Setting the film and shooting it Los Angles is another huge bonus. While helicopter shots looking directly down on the downtown high rises were one too many times, the rest of the city gets the proper loving camera treatment. (Although I do challenge any filmmaker out there to make a film in LA without having to wet down the streets at night. It rains maybe 40 days out of the year. I know it’s look great on film but being a LA native, it’s something that sticks like a Karl Malone on the Lakers.) So thank you Nicolas Winding Refn. You achieved in making a movie where I absolutely don’t care about how things are able to happen, I just enjoyed that they were happening.
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