Review of Middle Men

The Rough Cut

Written by Kevin Terpstra

2010 was the year of the biopic. On the grand scale we saw productions like The Social Network and The King's Speech. The other side of the scale brought us films like Middle Men. I remember seeing a trailer for this film before both it and "The Social Network" came out and being more excited for this film. My reasoning was simple; I just didn't care about Mark Zuckerberg or how Facebook came to be (this doesn't mean I didn't like the movie), but I digress.

Now, Middle Men tells the story of the two guys who created the entire online porn industry and the man who was brought in to act as a, you guessed it, middle man between them and the people. Luke Wilson plays the middle man in question, Jack Harris (Luke Wilson).

Harris' back story is set up quite well as he is shown serving as the mediator for several people including Chicago mobster Louie LA LA played by veteran actor Robert Forster (Jackie Brown). This set-up helps us connect with Harris and lends a greater sense of understanding to why he was the guy called in to help the two aforementioned goons (Giovanni Ribisi & Gabriel Macht).

Along the way, Harris and the guys get tangled up in a web rife with porn stars, the FBI and the Russian mob. James Caan is also along for the ride as corrupt attorney Jerry Haggerty. Now, without giving too much away, let's just say that Haggerty, the FBI, the Russian mob, those porn stars and the two goons don't make life easy for Harris. In fact, he nearly loses his life, his wife and his maid's son (you'll see) during the course of the film.

Middle Men moves fast and parties hard. Luckily, it's easy to keep up with. Many films try to weave so much together that the main concept is lost in a forest of cliched confusion and disappointment. This is not one of those films. Conveniently placed title cards alert the viewer to just exactly when a certain event is taking place and believe me, they make all the difference.

There's nothing truly outstanding about this film. It's a decent story and it will definitely keep you entertained throughout. Luke Wilson does a good job, though, it's pretty much the same character he always is. The thing is, since Jack Harris is a real person, I say kudos to the casting director for a spot on choice in Wilson.

Based on a five star scale, I am awarding Middle Men three-out-of-five stars.

Middle Men - 3/5 stars

Official Rough Cut Review

Review of It's Kind of a Funny Story

The Rough Cut

Written by Kevin Terpstra

It starts with a bridge. This is how we are introduced to "It's Kind of a Funny Story" and its main character, Craig. Craig is an emotionally depressed 16-year-old, but there isn't really one single reason why. In fact, there's not even a legitimate reason why, and he acknowledges this. He knows that his problems are not the worst there could be, but the stresses of life have him down anyway. This results in thoughts of suicide and eventually checking himself into a mental hospital. Oh, and did I mention that Craig's stress always culminates in habitual vomiting?

Once inside the loony bin, Craig meets a veritable who's who of the mentally insane. These include the enigmatic Bobby, played by recent comedy breakout star Zach Galifianakis; and Noelle played by Emma Roberts, the star of various family films (and Julia Roberts' niece). Noelle also suffers from depression, but releases her negative energy in the form of cutting herself.

Rounding out the cast are Lauren Graham as Craig's supportive mother, Jim Gaffigan as his kind-of-supportive-but-always-busy father, Jeremy Davies (of "Lost" fame) as a caretaker in the ward, and Viola Davis as Craig's doctor.

The main plot of the film is a coming-of-age story for Craig. Two sub-plots that are extremely well developed support this. The first is the story of Bobby. It is plain to see that he is a man in pain. While at first he is reluctant to open up to Craig, he eventually tells all (in classic formulaic style). It is ironic to note that Galifianakis' most normalized role is one in which he plays a mental patient.

The other sub-plot revolves around Craig and Noelle. She first takes notice of him after he does a good deed for Bobby (technically, her first impression is of him puking in the cafeteria, but that's forgivable). It isn't long before they start to feel an attraction to one another, but there's no drama in that. Instead, the drama is derived from Craig's "obsession" (his words) with his best friend's girlfriend. I'm sure you can see where this is going so I'll just leave it at that.

Although we've seen this sort of "indie" style before, the film harnesses that style in a way that helps keep the story from entering dullsville. As you've gathered from the aforementioned, this is a rather formulaic film, but formulaic doesn't make it instantly bad. It takes the classic formula and rearranges it in a way that makes the film seem fresh. And you're guaranteed to laugh your way through it, because in the end, well, it's kind of a funny story.

Based on a five star scale, I am awarding "It's Kind of a Funny Story" three-and-a-half stars.

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" - 3.5/5

Official Rough Cut Review