K-11

So, I hadn't really planned on seeing this movie, ever. To be honest, it scared me. I wasn't sure if I was hardcore enough for this film. But alas, it was surprisingly available at my Redbox and I took it as a sign and rented the movie. I had heard a lot about this movie as it was from first-time writer and director, Jules Stewart, who happens to be Kristen Stewart's mom. This was a tiny independent film released at the Turin Filim Festival and didn't find it's way to any theaters (don't quote me on that). I can't find any budget information but I'm going to take a stab and guess that it was made with under $1 million.

Okay, here's what initially scared me from watching the movie; It's a story about a real-life prison unit in Los Angeles, K-11, for transgenered and other vulnerable male inmates. A wealthy record producer, played by Goran Visnkic, finds himself in this unit after a long drug binge and realizes quickly that the unit is run by Mousy, a transgendered inmate. He soon learns that all of the inmates are men, even though they don't appear to be. He sets out to find out why he's there and make sure he doesn't step on the wrong toes.

After seeing the movie, I have definite issues with the DVD cover art. The cover makes it look like this is going to be one hell of a creepy movie. Luckily for me, it isn't. The plot was very well written. It starts with some great exposition and it leaves the audience wondering just how deep into this seedy world is it going to go, much like our protagonist is also wondering. I was surprised at how the 'scary' aspects seemed to fade once you got to know these characters and you almost forgot about the gender issues going on. It turned out to be a nice cautionary tale with hints of, yes, feel-good-movie-ness. That being said, there is some definite rated R stuff going on inside this unit! Somehow, all of the debauchery didn't feel gratuitous in the least bit.

The cinematography was kickin' in this movie. I listened to the commentary (yes, I'm one of those), and Stewart apparently knew exactly how she wanted each scene and each edit to be. The way she made the edits appear seamless was genius as their world was seamless and out in the open. She also gave the movie a cinematic look and feel and the lighting was beautiful. She employed a very minimal sound design which worked perfectly as there was just enough there. Some films use very stark silences which can become distracting, in my opinion. They also filmed on location which made the movie that much more genuine.

The movie pretty much hinged on the performance of Kate del Castillo, who plays Mousey. Basically, she's a woman playing a man acting as a woman who also is the leader of a prison unit. So yeah, props to her. At one point, Kristen Stewart was given this role however she had to drop out for scheduling issues. (Nikki Reed was also attached to the project). Goran Visnjic was pretty awesome as well, not to mention he's ridiculously handsome. His character went through some major challenges and this was a great showcase for his range. D.B Sweeney was the main antagonist in the film and while he was very good in his role, it was sad for me being a die-hard Cutting Edge fan. I was also especially enamored with Portia Doubleday's performance in her extra-heart-wrenching scenes. Stewart's son, Cameron, also made his film debut, which I had mistaken him for Callum Blue the entire movie until I watched the commentary.

I was pleasantly surprised at how human and universal the story ended up being. I'm usually not a fan of prison dramas, except for maybe Cool Hand Luke, but this story felt more about the characters. What I was most impressed with in regards to Stewart's work was the cinematography and look she gave to the movie. I'm glad this movie was made as it obviously would have some difficulty finding backers, but that's what cinema is for. It's definitely not a film for the weak-hearted or close-minded. I'm actually not sure who I would recommend this film to. Perhaps, people on drugs or going on the wrong path in life? Or maybe those who like to see risky movies? I'm not sure. In any event, I'm glad I didn't get any recurring nightmares from this movie. Did they seriously have to make the cover look so sinister? "Bad things happen to bad people" - K-11.

Gangster Squad

So, I had wanted to see this movie ever since hearing about this awhile ago and that both Ryan Gosling AND Emma Stone were attached. Obviously, Gosling is ah-mazing, but I am also a fan of his talent as well (i.e, Blue Valentine, Lars and the Real Girl, Murder by Numbers, Drive, The Slaughter Rule, . . . I could go on). Throw into the mix Sean Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, and a mob plot line and I was hooked. This movie was slated for a late 2012 release date however was famously pushed back to an early 2013 release as it had contained a scene in which mobsters shot through into a movie theater through it's screen and the studio decided to change it out of respect for the tragic shooting in Colorado. The film has actually made more from foreign totals than here domestically (despite it's star-studded ensemble cast) and has brought in about $105 million to date, well surpassing it's modest $60 million budget.

The plost is very (VERY) loosely based/inspired on the actual Los Angeles based gangster, Mickey Cohen, and the police involvement. The LAPD police chief commissions a secret group of policemen to take down Cohen by any means necessary. Josh Brolin picks a rag-tag team of misfits comprised of Giovonni Ribisi, Ryan Gosling, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, and Anthony Mackie to take down the mobster played by Sean Penn. Emma Stone becomes involved in a love triangle between the two sides.

The plot had tons and tons of cliche's and the dialogue was pretty bland. However, it was a very entertaining story line, despite it's lack of direction at many points. The characters were very stereotypical and all of the copious amounts of action in the storyline didn't leave much, if any, room for character development. There was also numerous scenes of obviously gratuitous violence. I'm talking over-the-top gratuitous. Even with these things lacking, I still found myself getting involved with the story and genuinely enjoying it. The movie did say the story was inspired from a true story which I'm glad it didn't say it was based on as pretty much everything was fabricated or didn't happen in the same context as the story. Yes, there was a Jewish gangster named Mickey Cohen who ran Los Angeles during this time and there was also a police chief who hated him and commissioned a secret squad against him. However, the squad was comissioned after Cohen went to prison to keep anyone else from taking power and Cohen went to prison for the much less interesting tax evasion. I don't want to spoil the story, but that's much different from the movie. But again, it doesn't claim to be historical and was a nicely entertaining story with some factual events thrown into the mix.

The movie was highly stylized and had the smoke and grit we've come to associate with Old Hollywood. There were also some pretty slick camera movements employed, especially in the car chase sequence. There were also some very artificial and sappy background shots, but they were few and far between. One thing I noticed shortly into the film, was there was AHMAZING blocking. All of the characters were choreographed in and around with the many camera movements without looking artificial. This may (er, will) go unnoticed by most, but I was especially pleased.

What really made this movie was the ensemble, and especially Gosling, Stone, and Brolin as they had most of the screen time. Gosling and Stone didn't get as much opportunity as they did to showcase their chemistry as in Crazy Stupid Love, but they were still very charismatic within the limits of their characters. Brolin , Ribisi, and Penn were all believable and entertaining. I think without this cast, the movie would have not has been as entertaining or worthwhile.

The movie, as a whole, was more entertaining than not, in my humble opinion. There were definite parts that could have used some re-working, but if you go into it simply looking for an entertaining and stylized ensemble piece, you won't be disappointed. If you want a unique mob movie, look elsewhere. Oh, and try not to cringe at the dialogue, just remember this movie is about the action and plot. "If you lose everything but win the war, you're a hero. If you lose everything and lose the war, you're just a fool". -- Gangster Squad.