Middle Men

Middle men trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am_T56uOOnw

Middle Men is set around the creation of the computer code that allowed people to pay for porn sites, using their credit cards anonymously.  What interesting about that is now days it not such used for porn but most internet transaction? So the create a new way to due commerence...is just so happens like most science breakthrough it was originally created as a way to release our sinfull sinfull seed… in a way that makes baby angels cry. That where rain comes from you know. Either way back to the movie starts off with the inventors of the invention. They are two drugged, out genius low lives who manage to create it. But those people aren’t the star. The star is a character that helps them out get involve as the middle man. He is a suit, a clean cut guy who wants no part with porn but just the guy who organizes the deals and talks to people. He kind of the fix it guy if you get in trouble. Problem is things get over his head, as he get richer he gets more and more into a seedy world of gangster, mafia guys, and kidnappers, with a little terrorist and FBI.  One thing you probably got to do is not get hang up on the base on a true story deal. Figure most of what happened was pure crap.  This story make Abraham Vampire Hunter look accurate. But that ok. Because let’s face it, it would be boring following computer geeks around...feeling up on porn stars in a non porno movie.  So they had to add some violence. The main character is pretty likeable. Luke Wilson always plays a good guy you can root for. Although some of his decision are iffy. Don’t seem like the character would make the choices he does given what we knew about him. Also they final save...not sure how that would hold up in court. But it stills a fun twist. You see stuff pile on the guy and wonder how he gets out it. So it satisfies none the less.

Banraku

Banraku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVabHVw4dMc

Banraku takes place it what practically an alternate universe. It seems part Samurai Era Japan, where they use guns instead of swords let they have modern technology in other areas. A lot of them either act like a gangster from the 40’s or Samurai from a kung fu film, which gives it a unique feel. Think Bruce Tim Batman animated series...where it was like it took place in the 40; s but didn’t. It is about a crime lord who rules the town with an iron fist along. He has 7 men each called killer 1-7 depending on their rank. He also has an army of henchmen and the cops in his pocket. Every now and then someone challenge him to control the city…and homicidal killer being the orderly chaps set up a fight. He hasn’t lost a fight in a 100 fights. One day two men come to town separately.  One is cowboy type guy searching for revenge of some sort. The other is a Samurai search for a medallion that was taken from him. They soon join force after fighting of course, to battle this army.  Seem like standard revenge fair but the way it told is pretty cool.  The backgrounds look like a popup book or story book at times. The moon look likes it’s made out of paper. It like if Jon Woo directed Paper Mario movie. If that doesn’t sound awesome…well then I don’t want to know you. The car chases have bird eye view shots that sometime look like toy cars crashing into this model toy city. The cars made pinball sound when the crash and their sometimes video game sound when people fight.  It uses Comic book caption for subtitles, and a lot of fights are announce like a sport. On top of all that, it sounds like the guy from the Soul Caliber games narrating the story.  All of these could have easily got annoying, and screaming to try to be artistic. But it all flows well due to the cast of actors knowing how to play it just right. The actors a nice mixed, of Ron Pearlman, Josh Harnet, Ron Pearlman (chews the scene like its mcrib) Demi Moore and Woody Haralson (pretty neat stunt casting) and a few other character actors. The fights are fast pace and always add something different. Each of the 7 killers is odd which makes each of their fight different. They pretty good blood affects and special affect. If I had any complaint it would be the narration. As I said it sounds like the guy from Soul Caliber at times...and that gets pretty annoying for a 2 hour movie. It’s a lot of Fortune cookie shit the guy spews out. Also to be honest...some of the character not really deep, while other could have been explored more. But it not that kind of movie I guess. There more archetype. I kind of surprise this didn’t get a wide release. It looks like it cost some money.  So seem like a waste to have it direct to Netflix. It’s a really great movie.

The Perfect Host

The Perfect Host

Thing you must understand is Niles Crane is a bad ass. If you mess with Niles Crane, if you come to his party and insult his fine cooking, mess up his wine…your shit will get pushed in by one Niles Crane. That something one criminal learns in the Perfect Host.  A criminal is wounded and on the run after a robbery gone bad. He needs to hide out. So he cons himself into some nerdy upper class guy’s house, while the man is planning a fancy dinner party. The owner of the house (played Fraisers Brother) seem nice, refine, and being proper and manners to a fault.  When the House host finds out what he doing the criminals things he could just push the guy over. Turns out the owner of the house a sociopath with hallucianation. The house guest seems to be in his head, and the criminal end up getting tied up and torture. The rest of the movie is the criminal trying to get out of there

The story runs into a problem that it nobody to root for that much. It not like the robber is some sort of Robin Hood. He kind of appears to be a Bully who basically doing it for money and to get the girl. But both characters are doucebags...in their own unique ways, dangerous in their own unique way where they play well of each other.   A lot of times their interactions played for Dark Comedy, and seeing inside their heads can be fun. The dream sequences are pretty out there seeing the same scenes through both of their eyes. Seeing David Hyde having imaginary sex can be kind of funny. If mimes did that kind of stuff there me more popular. You do end up rooting for the criminal more, because you identify him more. So he starts to become rootable...because well you’re not going to root for nutty mcnutsack. I mean sure the criminal will rob you, but least he won’t have sex with your corpse afterwards. So you foot for him by default and try to figure out with him how one could get out of this. Where it falls apart is there a part where the movie really should have ended...then it goes into dumb directions...which involve some precog ability of some of the guys, and to many chances. Then they try to sale both guys as geniuses...when they never showed that. It too many twist its own good. Also you got to really like the two characters, sense it basically just them talking through a lot of it, and the other character not, that define.