Film Review Throwback- "The Perfect Host"

The Perfect Host
Directed by Nick Tomnay
Starring David Hyde Pierce and Clayne Crawford

God bless Netflix. Really. If it weren't for Netflix I'd never be able to see a lot of independent films that only make their way through festivals and limited releases. I mean I can't afford to go to Sundance every year. So I'm thankful the likes of Netflix, Redbox, illegal online streaming….provides me the opportunity to see films like this one.

The Perfect Host came out way back in 2010, and when I saw the trailer I was intrigued. It looked to be offering, essentially, Niles Crane from Frasier going pure evil. Six years later I've finally seen the film, and it delivers just that, and more...

The film opens on criminal John Taylor (Crawford), on the run for a robbery he recently pulled with his girlfriend (Megahn Perry). Injured and desperate for refuge, he cons his way into the home of Warwick Wilson (Pierce), who is in the midst of planning a dinner party. It isn't long before the jig is up for John and he's trying to hold Warwick hostage. The tables quickly turn, when its revealed Warwick has drugged the wine John's been drinking all night. John learns Warwick is not what he seems, and soon he's the hostage for one of the most bizzare dinner parties ever witnessed.

There's much more going on in this film that I can't tell you without going into spoilers, but it is one nutty film. A lot of twists and turns come out of nowhere, some that are probably not properly hinted at or set up, but who cares this is a twisted black comedy if I've ever seen one. You'll be face palming and chuckling to yourself at how far gone this thing goes, and in a good way, because it's a fun ride.

Now a lot of the film's success falls onto the two leads, but where one gives a great performance, the other gives a pretty bland one. I'm sure it's a no brainer to you which one is which. Yes, this is David Hyde Pierce's film 150%. He gives such a gripping, wild, colorful performance he owns every second on screen. This is not Niles Crane. This is Niles Crane meets Stewie Griffin meets Raymond Reddington. Sadly on the other side of things, Clayne Crawford can't measure up. He gives such a bland, one-dimensional performance, and the character comes off so unlikable you don't care what happens to him.

Maybe that's the idea though…maybe the filmmakers cast an unknown amateur in the role to make him seem every more unlikable David Hyde Pierce in his role. I mean it's Pierce not Crawford on all the posters and stuff. Whoa…

Anyway, The Perfect Host is an insane, fun little film. It is dark, and might not be for everyone. You might watch it once and never watch it again, or it might be a frequent rewatch depending on your taste. I enjoy a black comedy from time to time, and I loved Frasier, so this was definitely one I was glad to finally see. Thanks Netflix.

Film Review Throwback- "Walt Before Mickey"

Walt Before Mickey
Directed by Koha Le
Starring Thomas Ian Nichols, Jon Heder, and Armando Gutierrez

It's honestly very surprising that a proper film about the life of Walt Disney hasn't been made yet. I can see part of the challenge in it though. Disney had a long, illustrious life and career, and it could be difficult for a script to find its focus. A screenwriter could arguably take one period of Disney's history and script a film out of it. Saving Mr. Banks did that to much success. Walt Before Mickey, not so much.

Now Walt Before Mickey does focus on one period of the man's life, but perhaps too big a period. Based on the book of the same name by Timothy S. Susanin, the film focuses on the first ten years of his career, before he created Mickey Mouse. Now not every average joe would know this, but Walt suffered a lot of setbacks before the mouse was made. If you didn't know, this film will definitely hammer that fact into your head.

We see every one of those setbacks, from his losing of Oswald The Lucky Rabbit, to being evicted out of his office and apartment. It's just all very depressing. Imagine, a film about Walt Disney being depressing. There's a lot of telling and not enough showing, and with the over-abundance of narration I mean that literally. There are some sweet moments in the film, but on a whole the pacing and the tone of the film is just off.

There is this strange subplot in the film, about Walt befriending a mouse he finds on the street (Yeah I know. So subtle.) that was obviously crafted by the filmmakers, that just comes off as a lame attempt to give some bit of structure to the script.

Not to attack the filmmakers themselves, but the whole film has a very cheap feel to it. Yes, I know it's an independent film, but everything is almost at amateur level. The film is just too weak to carry the rich source material its trying to adapt.

The same can be said for the acting. Honestly no performances stand out over all the rest. All seem to be giving their mediocre quality work. Nichols (Kevin from American Pie in case you couldn't recognize him...) as Disney is tolerable at best. Special criticism is reserved for Jon Heder as Roy Disney, who comes off as just so painfully dumb and wooden in his performance, but hey, this is the guy who gave us Napoleon Dynamite.

With a little more effort and production value, Walt Before Mickey could have been a better film. Instead it comes off as something in between "film students' senior capstone" and "low-budget indie". I'd say if you have any interest in the life and career of Walt Disney, give it a look if you have the time, but don't rush to this. There are plenty of better ways to learn how it all started before the mouse.

Film Review- "Zootopia"

Zootopia
Directed by Byron Howard & Rich Moore
Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Idris Elba

At first glance, Zootopia seems like just another generic animated comedy, with anthropomorphic animals. Something simple just to entertain the kids for two hours, that in no way could reach the same level of Disney pedigree like Frozen, Tangled, or something older like The Jungle Book. Looks can be decieving, as Zootopia ends up being one of the best and most clever films Disney Animation has ever produced. That's pretty ironic, when you consider the message at the heart of the film, but more on that later.

Judy Hopps (Goodwin) makes history becoming the first rabbit officer of the police department of Zootopia, a city where all animals have evolved, and predators and prey live in peace. Being the new gal and underestimated for the fact that she's a rabbit, she's assigned to mundane parking duty. Her chance for glory comes when she takes it upon herself to solve a missing mammals case (one of fourteen in Zootopia) in less than 48 hours, or she resigns.

With absolutely no evidence to go on, she recruits the only witness, a con-man fox (con-fox?) by the name of Nick Wilde (Bateman) to help her solve the case. As they carry on the search, they discover a bigger conspiracy in the works, and suddenly the fate of the city is in their…paws.

Zootopia is much more clever than it's marketing suggests, which has been filled with animal puns and pop cultural references. Yes there is a good amount of that, but taking place in a universe that mimics our own it works, and Zootopia has a subtle but strong commentary on the world today. Briefly on the universe of the film, it's incredibly well crafted, and puts the likes of Chicken Little to shame. The filmmakers clearly put a lot of thought and creativity into crafting this world.

Zootopia tackles important issues of prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination incredibly well. Again, not something you'd expect from a film starring a talking bunny and fox (There in lies the irony). The message is not hammered into the viewer's head, but it's strong enough to leave a lasting impression.

What makes the film so enjoyable is that the chemistry between the two leads, perfectly written by the screenwriters, and performed by Goodwin and Bateman. Goodwin, who has become synonymous with Snow White thanks to ABC's Once Upon A Time is unrecognizable, diving headfirst into the incredibly likable and relatable Judy. Bateman gives Nick plenty of his trademark snakiness, but with much more warmth. The rest of the voice cast is great too, Idris Elba in as Chief Bogo being one of the highlights, and Nate Torrence as Officer Benjamin Clawhauser being the very definition of a scene stealer. The likes of JK Simmons, Jenny Slate, and Shakira all turn in great work in small supporting roles.

If there's any flaw I could find in this film, it's just one, and it's the villain. In the final act of the film, without getting too spoilery, it pulls a Hans from Frozen "trick". I put "trick" in quotation marks because I know at least one other animated film has used this move in the past few years. Is it better than just having an obviously sinister looking character like Jafar or Scar walk on the scene? Maybe so, but if films keep pulling this, villains are going to become obvious in a whole new way.

Zootopia works on so many levels. As an animated film, as a buddy cop film, and as an inspirational film. It definitely earns a spot alongside some of Disney animation's greatest works, due to it's amazing cast and characters, incredibly crafted setting, and script. It's an instant classic, that will become a hallmark for Walt Disney Pictures in the years to come.