Cars 2 [REVIEW]

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Kimmo Mustonenen, Behind The Proscenium, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Kimmo On Kino, Cars 2, Disney, Pixar, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Ben Queen, Dan Fogelman, Robert Iger, Rich Ross, Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro, Brent Musberger, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Kretschmann, Peter Jacobson, Bonnie Hunt, Darrell Waltrip, Franco Nero, David Hobbs, Patrick Walker, Tony Shalhoub, Jeff Garlin, Michel Michelis, Jason Isaacs, Lloyd Sherr, Bruce Campbell, Teresa Gallagher, Jenifer Lewis, Stanley Townsend, Velibor Topic, Sig Hansen, Guido Quaroni, Vanessa Redgrave, John Mainieri, Brad Lewis, Cheech Marin, Jeff Gordon, Lewis Hamilton, Paul Dooley, Edie McClurg, Richard Kind, Katherine Helmond, John Ratzenberger, Michael Wallis, Jess harnell, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Denise Ream, Michael Giacchino, Jay Shuster, Mike Estes, Julie Adams, Allison Nelson, Brendan Donnison

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Kimmo Mustonenen, Behind The Proscenium, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Kimmo On Kino, Cars 2, Disney, Pixar, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Ben Queen, Dan Fogelman, Robert Iger, Rich Ross, Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro, Brent Musberger, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Kretschmann, Peter Jacobson, Bonnie Hunt, Darrell Waltrip, Franco Nero, David Hobbs, Patrick Walker, Tony Shalhoub, Jeff Garlin, Michel Michelis, Jason Isaacs, Lloyd Sherr, Bruce Campbell, Teresa Gallagher, Jenifer Lewis, Stanley Townsend, Velibor Topic, Sig Hansen, Guido Quaroni, Vanessa Redgrave, John Mainieri, Brad Lewis, Cheech Marin, Jeff Gordon, Lewis Hamilton, Paul Dooley, Edie McClurg, Richard Kind, Katherine Helmond, John Ratzenberger, Michael Wallis, Jess harnell, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Denise Ream, Michael Giacchino, Jay Shuster, Mike Estes, Julie Adams, Allison Nelson, Brendan DonnisonCars 2

With Wit, Reviewed By Kimmo Mustonenen

Wow!  Maybe over thinking was the downfall.  Or over loving of money by Pixar.

Whatever.

No longer “wonder kid” crazy movie makers supreme.  Now, just another assaulting to my eyeballs.

All for my dollars.  Bastards!  In sucky 3-D.

Written by Ben Queen from a previously devised by John Lasseter, Brad Lewis and Dan Fogelman, the script for Cars 2 hit by investing in a different story from that seen in the original instead of making the same mistake most of the proceedings and try to repeat the previous formula – and it is a pity, then, that the plot is chosen by the team as bad and equally formulaic.

What?

Adopting the genre “espionage” as the basis of the narrative, the film features Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his best friend Mate (Larry the Cable Guy) on a trip around the world while the race car part in a series of disputes promoted to prove efficiency of an alternative fuel, clean and renewable – or “green” to you and me.

However, Mate turns out to be mistaken for an American spy and goes on to spearhead several adventures along the agent McMíssel Finn (Michael Caine – not acting, but Reacting!) and his assistant Holley Box (yowza!) Brita (Emily Mortimer) as they try to discover the identity of the villain who seeks to sabotage the race discredit the new fuel.

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Kimmo Mustonenen, Behind The Proscenium, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Kimmo On Kino, Cars 2, Disney, Pixar, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Ben Queen, Dan Fogelman, Robert Iger, Rich Ross, Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro, Brent Musberger, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Kretschmann, Peter Jacobson, Bonnie Hunt, Darrell Waltrip, Franco Nero, David Hobbs, Patrick Walker, Tony Shalhoub, Jeff Garlin, Michel Michelis, Jason Isaacs, Lloyd Sherr, Bruce Campbell, Teresa Gallagher, Jenifer Lewis, Stanley Townsend, Velibor Topic, Sig Hansen, Guido Quaroni, Vanessa Redgrave, John Mainieri, Brad Lewis, Cheech Marin, Jeff Gordon, Lewis Hamilton, Paul Dooley, Edie McClurg, Richard Kind, Katherine Helmond, John Ratzenberger, Michael Wallis, Jess harnell, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Denise Ream, Michael Giacchino, Jay Shuster, Mike Estes, Julie Adams, Allison Nelson, Brendan DonnisonThe desperation of Cars 2 to establish some kind of solidity in its plot, in fact, reaches its peak at the instant kill, for no apparent reason, a loose unbelievable device, only to conclude that there can “do it” by not feel secure in himself, forcing his old friend to encourage him (I don’t even know what I wrote right now, but you will) – and this kind of unfortunate crud is spread throughout the work, starting on the scene, at the beginning of the film, in which Lightning mourns the death of Doc Hudson in a monologue accompanied by an artificial track just to forget about the very second he leaves the museum dedicated to old mentor (apparently, Pixar decided to delete the character after the death of his voice actor, Paul Newman, although the van originally voiced by George Carlin has not deserved the same consideration – words you can’t say on T.V. being said to Pixar right now).

This is now my longest sentence.

If nothing else, the film still takes care of sending anything positive for their young audience, planting the idea that “junk” (the “old”, “different”, “rejected”) see the world with envy, resentment and bad intentions (whatever!).

And what about their supposed ecological message, which at first seems to advocate the importance of a clean fuel and sustainable only to conclude with the mantra so unbelievable.  So unbelievable that I shan’t mention it.

Ha!

A mantra that replaced the word “gasoline” for “Pixar” unfortunately no longer applies.

There, I said it.

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Behind The Proscenium, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Reese Witherspoon, Water For Elephants, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, Paul Schneider, Jim Norton, Hal Holbrook, Mark Povinelli, Richard Brake, Stephen Monroe Taylor, Ken Foree, Scott MacDonald, James Frain, Sam Anderson, John Aylward, Brad Greenquist, Tim Guinee, Donna W. Scott, E.E. Bell, Kyle Jordan, Aleksandra Kaniak, Ilia Volok, Bruce Gray, Jim Jansen, James Keane, Ivo Nandi, Karynn Moore, Andrew Connolly, Doug McDougal, Tracy Phillips Rowan O'Hara, Water for Elephants, Tai, Uggie, Ice, Sita Acevedo, Danny Castle, Michael Coronas, Aloysia Gavre, Francis Lawrence, Andrew R. Tennenbaum, Erwin Stoff, Gil Netter, Kevin Halloran, Alan Edward Bell, Ana Maria Quintana, Chad Holmes, David Crank, Denise Chamian, Molly Allen, Sasha Veneziano, Kimmo MustonenenKimmo Mustonenen for Kimmo On Kino – Behind The Proscenium

P.S.  The Glee Project brings me tears of joy.  I have much hope for those poor, weirdo reject kids.  And they’re not in their 20’s!  Or auto-tuned!  Yet.

Midnight In Paris [REVIEW]

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Behind The Proscenium, Kimmo Mustonenen, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Maurice Sonnenberg, Thierry Hancisse, Guillaume Gouix, Audrey Fleurot, Marie-Sohna Conde, Yves Heck, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Sonia Rolland, Daniel Lundh, Laurent Spielvogel, Therese Bourou-Rubinsztein, Kathy Bates, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Marion Cotillard, Lea Seydoux, Emmanuelle Uzan, Adrien Brody, Tom Cordier, Adrien de Van, Serge Bagdassarian, Gad Elmaleh, David Lowe, Yves-Antoine Spoto, Laurent Claret, Sava Lolov, Karine Vanasse, Catherine Benguigui, Vincent Menjou Cortes, Olivier Rabourdin, Francois Rostain, Marianne Basler, Michel Vuillermoz, Atmen Kelif, Letty Aronson, Raphael Benoliel, Javier Mendez, Helen Robin, Jack Rollins, Jaume Roures, Stephen Tenenbaum, Johanne Debas, Darius Khondji, Alisa Lepselter, Juliet Taylor, Anne Seibel, Franck Allera, Mallorie Ballestra-Duquesnoy, Delphine Bertrand, Geoffroy Koeberle, Deborah Alexander, Melissa Tomjanovich, Howard Neustadt

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Behind The Proscenium, Kimmo Mustonenen, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Maurice Sonnenberg, Thierry Hancisse, Guillaume Gouix, Audrey Fleurot, Marie-Sohna Conde, Yves Heck, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Sonia Rolland, Daniel Lundh, Laurent Spielvogel, Therese Bourou-Rubinsztein, Kathy Bates, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Marion Cotillard, Lea Seydoux, Emmanuelle Uzan, Adrien Brody, Tom Cordier, Adrien de Van, Serge Bagdassarian, Gad Elmaleh, David Lowe, Yves-Antoine Spoto, Laurent Claret, Sava Lolov, Karine Vanasse, Catherine Benguigui, Vincent Menjou Cortes, Olivier Rabourdin, Francois Rostain, Marianne Basler, Michel Vuillermoz, Atmen Kelif, Letty Aronson, Raphael Benoliel, Javier Mendez, Helen Robin, Jack Rollins, Jaume Roures, Stephen Tenenbaum, Johanne Debas, Darius Khondji, Alisa Lepselter, Juliet Taylor, Anne Seibel, Franck Allera, Mallorie Ballestra-Duquesnoy, Delphine Bertrand, Geoffroy Koeberle, Deborah Alexander, Melissa Tomjanovich, Howard NeustadtMidnight In Paris

With Wit, Reviewed By Kimmo Mustonenen

Gil and Ines, a young American couple on vacation in Paris.

Although their marriage is expected to fall, they are constantly disagreeing on everything – he thinking “it would be good living in the French capital to write novels”, as she swears by their future home in Malibu.

He likes to roam the streets and soaking up their history (like crusty bread), while she thinks only run wine tasting dinner parties (no blame here).

One evening when Ines decides to follow friends to go dancing, Gil tries to return to their hotel alone and lost his way.  The stroke of midnight rang in the city, a strange car stops in front of him.

Absorbing!

The new Woody Allen film opens on a generic rather unusual, reviewing dozens of places in Paris like so many postcards – bucolic.

There, I said it.

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Behind The Proscenium, Kimmo Mustonenen, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Maurice Sonnenberg, Thierry Hancisse, Guillaume Gouix, Audrey Fleurot, Marie-Sohna Conde, Yves Heck, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Sonia Rolland, Daniel Lundh, Laurent Spielvogel, Therese Bourou-Rubinsztein, Kathy Bates, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Marion Cotillard, Lea Seydoux, Emmanuelle Uzan, Adrien Brody, Tom Cordier, Adrien de Van, Serge Bagdassarian, Gad Elmaleh, David Lowe, Yves-Antoine Spoto, Laurent Claret, Sava Lolov, Karine Vanasse, Catherine Benguigui, Vincent Menjou Cortes, Olivier Rabourdin, Francois Rostain, Marianne Basler, Michel Vuillermoz, Atmen Kelif, Letty Aronson, Raphael Benoliel, Javier Mendez, Helen Robin, Jack Rollins, Jaume Roures, Stephen Tenenbaum, Johanne Debas, Darius Khondji, Alisa Lepselter, Juliet Taylor, Anne Seibel, Franck Allera, Mallorie Ballestra-Duquesnoy, Delphine Bertrand, Geoffroy Koeberle, Deborah Alexander, Melissa Tomjanovich, Howard NeustadtBut make no mistake: it is true that it shows the face of tourism in the French capital, Midnight in Paris is less a tribute to the city – a cry of love for art and artists that it was born in it.  What?

Putting aside some of his recurrent obsessions, death, psychoanalysis, hypochondria – making them anecdotal, Woody Allen returns to the story and delivers an enchanting story about the magnificence of the past (although not the future, tense).

Gil (excellent Owen Wilson), uncomfortable in her present life, took refuge after the twelve strokes of midnight sounded in an era that has never known but it was nostalgic.

Drawing on the feeling quite mundane (who never dreamed of being born in another time?  Lady Gaga?)

A spring fertile screenplay, Allen is fun and brings to life a fantasy totally impractical: the cross of his idols and dead girl (?!?) to blend in an ideal society where love and art would be kings and/or Prime Ministers – but probably kings.

Unafraid to play the card background contrasts between Paris the day (bling bling, superficial) and Paris by night (mysterious, intoxicating, wine), delivering a purely imaginary, Woody Allen creates the desire and inclination to follow Gil in its temporal incursions, which do meet, among other personalities, his literary idols.

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Behind The Proscenium, Kimmo Mustonenen, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen, Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Maurice Sonnenberg, Thierry Hancisse, Guillaume Gouix, Audrey Fleurot, Marie-Sohna Conde, Yves Heck, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Sonia Rolland, Daniel Lundh, Laurent Spielvogel, Therese Bourou-Rubinsztein, Kathy Bates, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Marion Cotillard, Lea Seydoux, Emmanuelle Uzan, Adrien Brody, Tom Cordier, Adrien de Van, Serge Bagdassarian, Gad Elmaleh, David Lowe, Yves-Antoine Spoto, Laurent Claret, Sava Lolov, Karine Vanasse, Catherine Benguigui, Vincent Menjou Cortes, Olivier Rabourdin, Francois Rostain, Marianne Basler, Michel Vuillermoz, Atmen Kelif, Letty Aronson, Raphael Benoliel, Javier Mendez, Helen Robin, Jack Rollins, Jaume Roures, Stephen Tenenbaum, Johanne Debas, Darius Khondji, Alisa Lepselter, Juliet Taylor, Anne Seibel, Franck Allera, Mallorie Ballestra-Duquesnoy, Delphine Bertrand, Geoffroy Koeberle, Deborah Alexander, Melissa Tomjanovich, Howard NeustadtHe also leans on it for a casting weight, composed of both French and American stars (no Ginnifer Goodwin), including successive appearances are as many surprises as moments of pure delight (it is interesting to note the terms with Woody Allen chooses which his interpreters, who are both rising stars of American values and secure the French film, just to ride the wave [hang ten!] and attracting a wide audience).

Faced with so many fantasies (we had more cerebral Woody – get it?), one can not help thinking of the magic of The Purple Rose of Cairo or minor film but jubilant, the Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

For if the sauce is so good, it’s also because Woody Allen has not waived, for once, the ingredients sacred romance, tense and winks moviegoers, in that order.

Add to that some beautiful scenes where, once is not habit, the comedy situation exceeds that of the word (the scene of the “spoiler removed” is in that already mythical), and you obtain one of the films in greatness.

What?

Woody?  The most charming of the last ten years!

Manka Bros., Khan Manka, Behind The Proscenium, Kyrle Lendhoffer, Reese Witherspoon, Water For Elephants, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, Paul Schneider, Jim Norton, Hal Holbrook, Mark Povinelli, Richard Brake, Stephen Monroe Taylor, Ken Foree, Scott MacDonald, James Frain, Sam Anderson, John Aylward, Brad Greenquist, Tim Guinee, Donna W. Scott, E.E. Bell, Kyle Jordan, Aleksandra Kaniak, Ilia Volok, Bruce Gray, Jim Jansen, James Keane, Ivo Nandi, Karynn Moore, Andrew Connolly, Doug McDougal, Tracy Phillips Rowan O'Hara, Water for Elephants, Tai, Uggie, Ice, Sita Acevedo, Danny Castle, Michael Coronas, Aloysia Gavre, Francis Lawrence, Andrew R. Tennenbaum, Erwin Stoff, Gil Netter, Kevin Halloran, Alan Edward Bell, Ana Maria Quintana, Chad Holmes, David Crank, Denise Chamian, Molly Allen, Sasha Veneziano, Kimmo MustonenenKimmo Mustonenen – Behind The Proscenium