Tue. June 11, 2013
By Gregg Shapiro
Science fiction has been very good to Will Smith. The popular and profitable Men In Black series alone has helped to make Smith's name synonymous with the genre. Of course, we can't forget about Independence Day, I Am Legend and Hancock, to name a few other examples of how good the genre has been to Smith.
After Earth is not without its share of problems. The accents employed by the Smiths are inconsistent and distracting, putting the questionable acting further in doubt. The dialogue, which is supposed to have a formality to it, is often awkward and stilted. There's also a vague whiff of Scientology residue to the story (the dreaded fear). But M. Night Shyamalan wisely avoided going for 3D. After Earth comes close to being Shyamalan's best work in at least 10 years, but that might not be saying much anymore. It's simply not enough for him to be forgiven for The Happening or The Last Airbender, but it's a small step, rather than a giant one, in the right direction.
Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean (Iconoclastic Features): Remember the second wave of gay indie films that appeared in the early to mid-1990s? Films such as Swoon, Poison, Go Fish, My Own Private Idaho and Paris Is Burning gave us hope for a future shining brightly on movie screens across the nation. The trend continued through the `90s and into the early part of the 21st century. But with only a few exceptions (Keep The Lights On, Weekend, Pariah and How To Survive A Plague for example), the momentum has been lost (see the agonizing Scrooge & Marley or Strange Frame).
A pleasure to look at, if a bit artsy, Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean is an untraditional portrayal of one of the most iconic performers to ever appear on screen. It's a shame it's not a better movie. (June 7, 8, 11 at the Siskel on State.)
The East (Fox Searchlight): A smart thriller, like corporate responsibility, could be considered an oxymoron. They've become an endangered species, as with the wildlife, being erased by the environmental damaged caused by corporate disregard for the planet.
The East, directed by Zal Batmanglij, who co-wrote the screenplay with the film's star Brit Marling, is a refreshing change of pace. It's a smart thriller with a conscience. Former FBI employee Jane (Marling), an undercover agent at top-rated private intelligence agency Hiller/Brood, is assigned to infiltrate eco-terrorist group The East.
But Jane is not your typical operative. She's young and has never failed at anything on the job yet, the second being something that makes her boss Sharon (Patricia Clarkson) uneasy. That could be due to her faith (she prays) or it could be her own inner fortitude. Even though she's obviously devout, she sees nothing wrong with lying to her boyfriend Tim (Jason Ritter) about her job-related travel.
We immediately see how good Jane is at her work. Acquiring a new identity as Sarah, including a blonde dye-job and decidedly down-scale wardrobe, she easily fits in with the dumpster-diving Freegans and counter culture kids. Before long, she finds herself in the company of gay East member Luca (Shiloh Fernandez) who brings her back to HQ. Once there she is drugged and watched over by deaf squatter Eve (Hilary Baack), quickly earning her trust.
Once she passes a test administered by leader Benji (Alexander Skarsgård), Sarah only has to prove herself to the distrustful second in command Izzy (Ellen Page). Soon enough, Sarah is included in one of The East's jams, an action involving retribution on a pharma company that produced and continues to distribute a lethal drug. Unbeknownst to her compatriots, Sarah manages to play both sides, minimalizing the jam's damage which involved poisoning high ranking officials in the company with their own product. Nevertheless, The East does a degree of damage and the result of their action makes the news.
The East finds an easy balance between Jane/Sarah's story, about a young professional perfectionist driven to succeed, with that of those whose lives took a vastly different direction than hers (of course, some were able to do so because of, say, a trust fund). The East is at its most intriguing as we watch her struggle with the personal conflicts that arise (an unsurprising relationship with Benji) and the gripping finale (the breath strips + SIM card scene must be seen to be believed) definitely earns the movie its place on the thriller map.
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