The Ladykillers (2004)

This is the Coen brothers trying too hard: a great cast has been overwrought in this witless farce of crude jokes, bad accents and stereotypes. 

See the 1955 original starring Sir Alec Guiness and Peter Sellers if you prefer your comedy quirky, but smart.

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

With a sold cast including George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Robert Patrick, Steven Root and Keven Spacey, why did this movie turn out so crappy?

Special (2006)

Les Franken (Michael Rapaport) is a local meter maid who is approved to take part in clinical trials of a new antidepressant. Adverse side effects leave Les convinced that he is developing super powers. Despite his doctor’s behest that Les quit taking the medicine, Les dons superhero threads to fight the evil that maligns the world with very mixed results.

Special is an original idea lacking focus; at only 80 minutes the film is over before you really mind. Part black comedy, part social satire and kind of enjoyable Special is held together by Rapaport’s admirable performance. His portrayal of a mediocre man draws respectable sympathy from the viewer. But his drop off the deep end is befuddling. The oddball-supporting cast offers a few laughs, but in this sad tale everything seems out of place including them.

As I see it, Special isn’t worth your time unless you’re a fan of Rapaport. It’s a solidly mediocre film.

Noise (2007)

New Yorker David Owen (Tim Robbins) is a fussy old man. Desperate for peace and quiet, he turns his hatred for car alarms and their never-ending shill inward and becomes ‘The Rectifier’. Breaking into the offending cars to pop the hood and deactivate their alarms draws the attention of the mayor (William Hurt) who is determined to end this vigilante justice.

Noise is an insipid disjoined mess. That’s a shame considering the originality of the plot. The issues are threefold. The cast is content to phone-in uninspired performances. Tim Robbins with his lethargic whiny delivery comes across all wrong. He’s the neighbor everyone loves to hate. Delightful Bridget Moynahan is miscast as an uninteresting, disinterested wife. And the superb William Hurt is a total douche. It also lacks focus with a narrative that falters long before it gets started. Combined with all that is a thinly veiled socio-satirical diatribe and you’ve got a mess-terpiece.

Night on Earth (1991)

Writer-director Jim Jarmusch is behind one of my favorite conversational films, Coffee & Cigarettes.  In that, Jarmusch seemingly thrust celebrities together and recorded the results in a certain randomness.  So much so, that you could believe that Bill Murray is, in fact, human.

In Night on Earth, Jarmusch presents individual vignettes that occur inside taxi cabs across the world on the same night.  We jump from the US to Frances, Italy or Russia.  The film is interesting, quirky, dated, but only two stories were truly entertaining.  I was disappointed.

As I see it, Night on Earth just isn't interesting enough to warrant a rental.

Visioneers (2007)

Level 3 Visioneer George Washington Winsterhammerman (Zach Galifianakis) is disillusioned with the good life. Employed by the Jeffers Corporation, the largest and friendliest and most profitable corporation in the history of mankind, George has it all in a world where the threat of spontaneous combustion looms. That right, people explode from stress and George is showing early symptoms. Desperate not to explode, George is forced to examine his life. A stable job and comfortable marriage with Michelle (Judy Greer) doesn't make him happy. Even his life coach can't seem to turn George off of auto-pilot. Then his pole-vaulting brother comes town.

Visioneers is a satiric, slightly futuristic black comedy that tries to be the next Office Space. It's not, but it's fun all the same. Thoroughly quirky and oddly random, Visioneers isn't cohesive--sadly, the wheels fall off during the last half of the film.

Zach Galifianakis carries the film with the weight of every corporate drone. The Jeffers morning greeting is something we've all dreamed about. As a descendant of THE George Washington, this George is sad man, bored with routine, but unsure of how to break out of it. Haven't we all felt that way?!

Visioneers doesn't depend on much. Set in a modern, dystopian society, the production is bare bones. It's the cast that imbues the film with life. Judy Greer is top-notch as Michelle. She, too, is looking for happiness and looks to TV personality Sahra (Missi Pyle) and her latest book recommendation '1001 ways to be happy'. Checking them off like clock-work, Michelle is too preoccupied with her own happiness to bother with George or their never-seen-onscreen son, Howard.

As I see it, Visioneers examines the grim reality of life. The duality of the dialogue here is thought-provoking and ultimately the sole reason for viewing. Sadly, the film won't leave a mark on pop-culture thanks to some glaring missteps {and poor marketing}, but overall, Visioneers is a nice compliment to Office Space. If you're a fan of that, you'll want to see this.

J4T: 3 stars

In Bruges (2008)

After accidentally killing an innocent boy in London, hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are sent to lay low in Bruges, Belgium. Told to act like sight-seeing tourists by their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), the two professional have a difficult time adjusting to the fairytale town. Bored and trying to cope, Ray is spending his time drinking while Ken takes in the sites. Waiting it out begins to take its toll and the eclectic locals of Bruges soon have them in trouble.

Director and screenwriter Martin McDonagh's black comedy has a very human heart. Farrell and Gleeson have brilliant chemistry. Both trade barb for barb wonderfully. Farrell is the real surprise as Ray. The young man, sick and despairing after killing the little boy is reexamining his existence. Farrel plays him with real emotion and sardonic wit. Farrell is at the top of his game; he's moody, but his comedic sense of timing is spot-on. Ken is the seasoned professional and Gleeson plays him a cold mentorly-type until Bruges unlocks the tender, fatherly side of things. Ralph Fiennes, in a role as perverse as Amon Goeth, plays up his quirky crime boss perfectly.

Adding to the mayhem is a varied low of townsfolk, a midget, and couple of angry Canadians. McDonagh works every angle and it's easy to see the cast is relishing the work. Bruges is a character in its own right. The cobbled streets and medieval history of castles, spires, and churches is an odd setting. But under McDonagh's direction, it's alive and plans to sock you in the mouth.

The screenplay is existential, almost nihilistic, in nature, but McDonagh tempers the philosophy with sharp humor and brutality. By allowing our protagonists to stew on their recent actions, McDonagh opens the door for coping and each hit man does it his own way for hysterical, but decidedly morbid results. The film is simply full of crazy goodness with it's unexpected turns, provoking laughter or tears when their shouldn't be and causing the viewer to care for our conflicted criminals.

As I see it, In Bruges is brilliantly executed with top-notch performances, strong direction, and thought-provoking humanity amid memorable dialogue and stunning cinematography. What makes it a must see is the absurdity of it all.