Time To Get With "The Program"

The Program (2015)

Rated R

Starring Ben Foster, Chris O'Dowd, Dustin Hoffman, Lee Pace, Jesse Plemons,

Directed by Stephen Frears

The Story:

David Walsh (O'Dowd) is a reporter for an Irish newspaper who has been covering the Tour de France for years. When he sees his colleagues become enamored with previously not-that-great cyclist Lance Armstrong (Foster), he expresses his doubts. The more Armstrong begins winning, the more sure Walsh is that he's cheating.

This is based on the book that Walsh wrote on Lance Armstrong doping, and duping, the entire world.

And it's a good movie, but it's not great.

It unfolds in a straightforward fashion with Lance not being very great on the hills of France and then slowly, methodically, he works his way to the top of the mountain, both figuratively and literally.

Foster is an amazing Lance Armstrong, the guy that everyone loved once upon a time.

The American that beat The Tour!
The American that beat Cancer!

Then he got greedy and had to come back for more.

And that's when things began to unravel.

Had he simply stayed away from the limelight, it's quite possible that his legacy would have endured.

But the ego, the need for the spotlight shines through in his performance, and you can see it as his true undoing.

O'Dowd makes for a great reporter, going after the story that nobody else wants to believe.

The weird thing, for a story that involves his work to uncover the story, the reporter is absent for most of the proceedings, which is a shame.

It seemed like the story was missing the dramatic cues that allow Armstrong to stay one step ahead for so long, or perhaps it's just knowing what happens, there's never a sense of real drama or tension to elevate this film from a "should see" to a "must see".

Now streaming on Amazon Prime as of this writing.

Final Grade:  B-

Pleasant Surprise..."St. Vincent"

St. Vincent (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Bill Murray, Jaeden Lieberher, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O'Dowd, Terrence Howard,

Written and Directed by Theodore Melfi

The Story:

Oliver (Lieberher) and his mom (McCarthy) move in next to Vincent (Murray). He's obnoxious, crass, and just about anything else you can imagine not wanting in your neighbor. As Oliver tries to adjust to his new school and being bullied, fate brings these two together as Vincent ends up watching Oliver after school. A  bond begins to develop between the two as both of their lives change for the better.

Imagine a strange amalgamation of The Karate Kid or just about any other movie where a mentor takes a kid under his wing.

Then tip it over, shake it around, and you have St. Vincent.

Yet it works.

In a weird, strange sort of way.

Yet at the same time, Vincent learns just as much from Oliver and the two bond over the course of the movie.

It's both fun(ny) and dramatic. Sad and uplifting.

The things I take away from watching the film:

a) It's my favorite role that I've seen Melissa McCarthy in. Ever. She gets to use her sense of humor, but instead of dialed up to 11 like in everything else I've seen, she's got this one scaled back to about a 6, and it works. It works so well in fact, I wonder how and why she hasn't tried this before. A little of her brashness goes a long way.
b) It's Bill Murray's best role in ages as well. He's an a-hole with little redeeming qualities when we are first introduced to him. Then, like the proverbial onion, as Oliver and the audience gets a chance to get behind those layers and walls that Vincent has built over the years, the entire opinion of the man changes, even if the man himself doesn't. Totally at least.

Jaeden Lieberher also has the task of having the 2nd most amount of screen time and carrying his half of the storyline, sometimes with Murray, much of the time without, and the kid nails it. Not bad for his first movie role, and hopefully he enjoys a nice long career to come.

I would also be remiss to mention that the wonderful Chris O'Dowd kills it with his brief, but plot-needed character of the Priest who gives the assignment that culminates in the film's third act and delivers the emotional payoff the film has been building towards.

Good stuff if you missed it last year.

Final Grade: B+

The Place To Go To Learn "FAQ About Time Travel"

FAQ About Time Travel (2009)

TV-14

Starring Chris O' Dowd, Mark Wootton, Dean Lennox Kelly, Anna Faris,

Directed by Garreth Carrivick

The Story:

Ray (O'Dowd), Toby (Wootton) and Pete (Kelly) are best friends who decide to cheer up Ray at the pub after he was fired from his latest job. In the pub, Ray meets Cassie (Faris) who claims she's a time traveler. Ray assumes his friends are setting him up as he is a huge science fiction geek. But when Pete goes to the bathroom and travels to the future, something is definitely amiss at the pub!

Well, that was pretty fun!

O'Dowd continues to kill in just about any performance I've seen him in. This time, he actually has some funny support with Wooton and Kelly as they react with amusement to the business of time travel, and then continue to change their tune as the time travel issues continue to crop up for them.

As with all time travel stories, the less you hear about them, the better they are.

Let's just say, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one.

Currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and I don't think Netflix even has it as a disc rental. Shame.

Final Grade: B

It's Rather Sparkling..."The Sapphires"

The Sapphires (2012)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris O'Dowd, Miranda Tapsell, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens

Directed by Wayne Blair

The Story:

In the 50s, the Australian government went around the country and rounded up light skinned aborigines and assimilated them into white culture. This is the backdrop for the story of 4 girls who reunite to sing after attempting to find one of their own that was lost years earlier. With the help of a down-on-his-luck manager who does know how good music should sound (O'Dowd), the ladies just might become famous.

If their trip through Vietnam to entertain the troops doesn't kill them first!

Did I mention this was based on a true story?

Of course I didn't.

But it is!

Written by the son of one of the vocalists, there were of course liberties taken with the story to make it more entertaining to audiences across the globe.

He succeeded.

The girls can sing, and switching them from country to soul was a smart decision.

O'Dowd is a fun presence to the story, but it always comes back to the girls and their abilities to sing and get along with one another, especially while touring through Vietnam, are constantly keeping the group on edge.

Pretty enjoyable film, and it's available to stream on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: Solid B

Time To Spice Up Your Salsa... "Cuban Fury"

Cuban Fury (2014)

Rated R for language

Starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O'Dowd, Ian McShane

Directed by James Griffiths

The Story:

Ben Radcliffe (Frost) is a young teen who loves to Salsa Dance.  His competitive dance skills are blossoming under the tutelage of teacher Ron Parfitt (McShane) but on the night of the finals, Ben is bullied, beaten and leaves his passion behind.  Decades later, an out-of-shape Ben has all but forgotten Salsa dancing, but when he meets his new boss, Julia (Jones), Ben is in love.  Of course, he is pushed aside by Drew (O'Dowd) his co-worker who has designs on Julia himself.  However, when Ben learns that Julia loves to Salsa, he begins to get back into dancing shape.

Based on a true story.

Because apparently one day Nick Frost thought of this story, and one screenplay later, here it is.

It's a little slow, perhaps deliberate, I'm still not certain, on the build-up to the story.  Then it gets going and about the mid-way point, there are changes towards the absurd .

Basically the funniest, and weirdest scene in the entire movie is the parking garage dance-off between Frost and O'Dowd.

Seriously.

Hilariously weird stuff.

I give them credit for trying some odd stuff.  Some of it works, some of it doesn't.

But it's all original, and the cast is more than willing to throw themselves into the material.

Frost is especially convincing as poor Ben who you root for to succeed as the ultimate underdog.

Final Grade: C+/B- range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Too crude to be an engaging romantic comedy, too odd to be a perennial classic.  Silly, but otherwise forgettable.