The Other Guys: The screw-ups try to make it big

Living in the shadow of someone else is always terribly disappointing. You are looked down upon and always have a much higher standard set for you which becomes difficult to live up to. It is also difficult to have to take up the reins when that someone else has moved on since you are then expected to fill in their shoes which is no easy task. That task becomes even more difficult if you are a screw-up, which is seen in the 2010 movie The Other Guys.

Terry was a motivated cop who wanted to make a name for himself as one of the top cops in New York City. Unfortunately for him, countless mistakes on the job led him to being confined in the office with Allen as a partner. Allen is an over-calculating detective who is happier doing research work instead of being out in the line of action. Terry and Allen are forced to sit at their desks and file the paperwork of the top detectives in the city, Danson and Highsmith. They are constantly bullied in their department for being ‘the other guys’ who don’t solve any cases but are forced to do the dog work of the rest of the department. When Danson and Highsmith meet their untimely deaths, every duo in the department has their sights on the unofficial label of top dog. Terry and Allen have to get over their spite for each other and get past their own shortcomings to make sure they finish ahead of every other cop duo in the city.

Directed by Adam McKay, this movie brings together the repertoire of Mark Wahlberg as an action star and Will Ferrell’s comedic relief. It is meant to be an action-comedy flick but isn’t here-or-there in either of the genres. It actually blends the worst of both genres since it doesn’t provide edge-of-the-seat action nor does it have laugh-out-loud funny moments.

There is nothing much that can be said about this film. It has a routine style to it and brings nothing special to the table in terms of plot and execution. As an action movie, it is poor. As a comedy, it’s worse. In fact, it’s a sad testament of what passes off as comedy in today’s industry.

Burlesque: Small town girl dreams of the big city life

Musicals are always fun to watch. The infusion of song, and occasionally dance, in a film lends a different tone to what would otherwise be perceived as merely drama, romance, comedy or whatever other genre it falls under.  Many musical films of the past have been declared as classics and few of which have been created recently can be seen as tributes. But, one of the interesting styles which have been adopted in recent musical films is that of stage performances; particularly cabret and burlesque.

Ali is working as a waitress in a small town diner with dreams of making it large as a singer or dancer in a big city. She abruptly quits her job and leaves for Los Angeles with no plan for the future but no hint at looking back either. After scanning through classified advertisements and being turned down at very job, she finds herself standing outside the doors of a burlesque club. She is enticed to walk in and finds the atmosphere enthralling. She begs the owner, Tess, for a job as a performer but her only respite is a position as a waitress which is given to her by the bartender Jack. She tends to the customers, flirts with Jack - who is engaged - and learns the routines of the female performers until she finally gets her big break in the form of one of the performers getting pregnant. Her brilliant audition gets her the job and eventually lands her in the spotlight after her boss decides to model the entire show on her ability to sing. Ali begins to shine in the limelight but makes an enemy by taking the headliner spot away from Nikki. She also receives attention from Marcus who is trying to buy the club away from Tess as she risks foreclosure. Ali has to struggle between her love for Jack, her awe for Marcus, her loyalty to Tess and her rivalry with Nikki to come out on top at the end.

Burlesque is a 2010 musical film which was written and directed by Steve Antin. The film was the debut for lead actress Christina Aguilera while the rest of the cast had relevant experience in acting in Hollywood films, television shows and other entertainment platforms. The other actors include Cher, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Eric Dane, Dianna Agron, Julianne Hough, Kristen bell and others. Aguilera as the star of the film does a decent job. Her acting skills are limited but she does put on a good show with her singing and her dance performances. While Aguilera has sung most of the songs in the film, the vocals of two songs were provided by the mature voice of Cher.

Unfortunately, the only element in the film that stood out was the music and performances. The story of the film is a terrible cliché. It features a small town girl who is trying to make it big in the city while struggling with her personal life and love triangle; a concept which is done to the death. The finale of the film can be guessed from the very first dialogue itself which leaves the entire experience of watching the film to be a bust.

If someone were to watch the film only for the songs and performances, it would still be a terrible disappointment and waste of time. This film does not rank anywhere in the realm of a tribute and doesn’t do much for the audience. Not one to be watched over and over again; or at all for that matter.

Insidious: Attempting to terrify our non-physical bodies

One of the most fascinating theories of the ancient world is astral projection. Astral projection is an out-of-body experience which involves leaving the physical body behind to travel to higher planes in the form of an ‘astral body’. It is fascinating to think that in the modern world, in spite of science and the requirement of solid facts, there is place for belief in such ideas as astral projection; a form of living beyond the bounds of the physical body to experience more.

The Lambert family has recently shifted into a new house. The family consists of the patriarch, Josh, his wife, Renai, their two sons Dalton and Foster, and their newborn daughter. Dalton is an adventurous boy who likes to play with action figures and imagine new worlds as their battlefields. He does not lose a chance to explore new things and it is this curiosity that brings him to the attic of their new house. In trying to reach the light switch in the attic, Dalton has an accident and suffers a mild concussion. He goes to sleep that night as usual but unfortunately does not wake up the next morning. The doctors reveal that he is in a comatose state but medical science has no reason to explain his grave condition. Renai takes care of him for 3 months but finds it difficult to continue to live in the house which has an ominous presence. The family shifts houses but the hauntings continue. Finally, consulting with a paranormal expert, the family discovers that it wasn’t the house that was haunted but Dalton himself. Josh must take matters in his own hands to make sure his son comes back to his normal state safely.

The film begins with the story of an ordinary family who have just started their new life by welcoming a new member and moving into a new house. From there, the story goes into a tragedy of a mother taking care of her son before turning on its heels to become a horror about a paranormal condition of astral projection. The film starts decently and becomes quite interesting with the theories of astral planes and travelling beyond physical existences. The expectation of watching the characters take on what is called ‘The Further’ in the film, i.e. the astral plane where non-physical persons roam, becomes quite exciting. Unfortunately, the manner in which it has been dealt is quite disappointing. Towards the end of the plot, the horror elements in the film actual become quite ridiculous.

The film is not really terrifying. It does use a few scare tactics with good costume and makeup alongside quick cuts and sound effects, but that is as far as it goes. Overall, the film would have been more interesting if the astral planes were dealt with better and if the film maintained its consistency.

Red White & Blue: One fact to destroy three lives

Sometimes there are simple occurrences which can shape entire destinies. It is hard to believe that the introduction of a single fact into one’s life can cause a spiral into an unforeseen direction, like a butterfly effect which cannot be predicted. Red White & Blue, the 2010 film directed by Simon Rumley, documents this sort of change of a single fact to unleash an untoward story which creates a ripple effect to drastically change the lives of the characters who are involved.

Erica is a slacker who is willing to jump into bed with any man that will have her. Unfortunate instances in her past have left her scarred and numb as she goes through life with no focus apart from having sex with a man only once, never falling in love and staying away from friendships. In this mix, she gets into bed with Franki, a wannabe rock star who is facing emotional turmoil as he helps his mother recover from her cancer while also trying to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend. Erica is forced into getting a job when her landlady demands rent but finds a friend and confidant in Nate, an ex-army veteran from the Iraq war, who has recently moved into the building. As Erica begins to learn how to trust with Nate at her side, Franki steps back into her life with some disturbing news which will adversely affect Erica, Franki and Nate.

The film tends to move slowly but unleashes a long, arduous story along the way. Beginning as a drama and then slowly moving into a thriller with instances of gore as the plot spins on its heels, the film has a unique treatment of its own. The drama is underplayed and many-a-times subtle clues in the story can be missed. It is crafted in a way that every shot of the film can convey a point which is important to the story. However, the film begins as slacker-based drama which has the potential to become a classic before it completely changes into a revenge plot which can be a little hard to follow and digest.

The style of the film borders between amateur and independent which is evident with the minimalistic makeup, bare use of background scoring and ambient sound recordings in certain outdoor scenes. There are plenty of points to be made in this film, and with a different execution it might have made those points more clearly.