[Review] About Last Night (2014)

Bernie (Kevin Hart) is the rambunctious horndog buddy of Danny (Michael Ealy), who is on the more romantic, Drakier side. Debbie (Joy Bryant) is subdued and conservative. She describes her friend Joan (Regina Hall) as the "crazy one." During a double-date, Bernie gets obliterated drunk with Joan and the two take off to the bathroom, while Danny and Debbie leave quietly and spark a relationship in typical rom-com fashion. 

About Last Night follows an acutely similar template to the 1986 original film of the same name. The plot is nearly beat-for-beat and some scenes and lines of dialogue are identical. It also uses conversational intercuts between the duos of counterparts. And thematically, the story explores the conflicts and dynamics of relationships, the undermining games that occur, and the push-and-pull between friends.

Even though it's nearly a copy (with a new cast), this film has a freshness that makes it more entertaining than the original. The length is shorter and the pacing is more succinct compared to the often lulling former version. Maybe most importantly, it's edgier, raunchier, and it provides bigger laughs, many thanks to Kevin Hart's comedic timing. Regina Hall and Kevin Hart hijack a riotous Thanksgiving scene, notably improving on the first.

Despite the upgrades, the film stays too similar to its predecessor, holding it back to just decent at best. The story loses its steam toward the end and dives into banal schmaltz. However, this modern rendition still has enough high points to please, but your total amount of satisfaction will ultimately depend on your relationship with this genre.

6.5/10

[Review] 12 O'Clock Boys (Documentary)

Some say they terrorize the city, others say it's a positive form of escapism. 12 O'Clock Boys is a gripping look into an expanding group of dirt bike enthusiasts who ride through the city streets of West Baltimore, often performing dangerous stunts. The meaning of the "12 O'Clock" tag is gracefully revealed as the film opens, and it's better to see it than have it explained.

Pug, a wide-eyed runt with a big personality is the film's central protagonist. "I've been on this earth for a decade and a couple years, so what that makes me? I'm a grown-ass man!" he proclaims. Pug dreams of joining the 12 O'Clock Boys one day. It means absolutely everything to him.

The documentary is brilliantly layered, working as a glimpse into an interesting subculture, a portrait of West Baltimore and its socio-economic issues, and a story of a young kid trying to find his way though it all. The visuals are beautifully rendered, from the slow-motion stunt sequences to the sunny day color pallet. It's briskly paced and the frenetic editing entrances, intently capturing the active neighborhoods.

Director Lotfy Nathan refrains from biases and doesn't attempt to make any grand statements. Everything in front of the camera, whether it be a line of dialogue or a broader incident, subtly keys into to various outlooks. Check this one out if you can.

Recommended Doc

[Review] RoboCop (2014)

It's the year 2028. Samuel L. Jackson is the news reporter, and the conglomerate OmniCorp is supplying the US Military with powerful but dysfunctional robots (only for use on foreign soils). Michael Keaton is the company's greedy CEO with a plan to sell these products to local law enforcement, much to the public's dismay. After some rallying and brainstorming, OmniCorp's team of marketers and scientists, led by mad genius Dr. Norton (Gary Oldman), devise a plan to insert a human into one of their highly advanced combat suits in order to keep the 'conscious' factor.

Policeman Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is selected as the prototype, after being severely injured in an explosion. The film spends a lot of time on introductions, along with a high volume of scenes involving experiments with the high-tech suit and Murphy's post-cyborg form. In fact, RoboCop doesn't go out on the prowl until about an hour in, where he engages in some slick action sequences with videogame-like POV.

This version delves further into Murphy's family life, the moral conundrums that the scientists face, and there's a brain manipulation component that generates Murphy's inner battles of human and machine. Jose Padilha's RoboCop is almost completely void of the over-the-top charms, gore, and sickly satirical humor of the original. Instead, it's dead serious. The politics come to the forefront and are adjusted to the millennial age (and so are the special effects).

People will scoff at this remake's existence, but its obvious departures from Paul Verhoeven's 1987 film are exactly what keep it from being a complete waste, establishing it as a somewhat serviceable action/sci-fi flick. But even though these differences work in its favor, the new climax pales in comparison to the memorable showdowns of the original. That's one thing that can't be really be tinkered with.

6/10

[Review] Gloria

Gloria (Paulina Garcia) is a 58-year-old divorcée. She lives in the moment, reacts to conflicts in stride, and she doesn't dwell on the past or dread the future. She's the center and title of this Chilean film, directed by Sebastian Lelio.

During a night at a singles bar, Gloria meets Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez) and the two develop a hit-and-miss relationship. A chunk of the plot concerns this, but the stagnant and repetitious narrative often dwells in mundane territory. Gloria is very much an intimate and observational character study that hinges on Garcia's stellar acting.

Paulina Garcia is consistently radiant in each scene, beguiling attention without ever getting Streepish (can we make that a word?). Garcia's performance exudes the powers of subtlety through nuanced expressions. It's amazingly well-rounded and effortlessly fluent.

Despite Garcia's greatness, the film sighingly reaches a point where you get the feeling that if you dozed off for a period of time, you wouldn't miss too much. This leisurely pace gets tiresome over the course of 110 minutes. The film will be too tedious for some, but Gloria herself is lively as can be.

 6/10

[Review] Like Father, Like Son

In this Japanese film, Writer/Director, Hirokazu Koreeda, presents an unconventional situation study on familial bonds.

Like Father, Like Son is a story about two couples whose sons were switched at birth, and they're just now finding out--six years later. It's the type of thought-provoking setup that carries enough tricky drama (and then some) to make emotions run wild for all those involved. The parents are faced with the extremely difficult predicament of deciding whether to go through with a swapping process or not.

The film approaches this weighty subject with great sincerity, exploring every intricate avenue, while raising more questions than answers. It's such a stirring series of events, but it's gently told with immense grace. Never once is its authenticity doubted.

The performances are stellar all around. Masaharu Fukuyama plays an uptight businessman and strict father, while his wife (Machiko Ono) is more outwardly loving and involved in their son's life. Riri Furanki and Yoko Maki play the opposite family. Both parties are vastly dissimilar in ideals and social class. Each character handles the news differently, displaying all types of nuanced emotions. And the child actors are amazingly impressive.

Like Father, Like Son will leave you conflicted on many levels. And considering a story as complicated as this, it shouldn't be any other way.

7/10