REVIEW: The Whale, Straw Dogs and Restless
‘The Whale’
Set to be released on Sept. 16, “The Whale” tells the true story of a killer whale who befriends his human visitors on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After being separated from his family, Luna, the young Orca, causes controversy among his visitors and his “friends.”
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, an actor that we just can’t seem to get enough of these days, the 89-minute long documentary seems to be somewhat light-hearted and, let’s just say, lacking some substance. From what I have seen, the only real reason to see this “touching film” is because it is based on a real whale, and his real fans.
For those who do decide to see it, I’m sure that it will make you take a side. If you’re an animal-lover, you’ll side with the folks who break the rules to befriend the whale, and if not, you probably won’t see the movie.
“The Whale” should be cute, in short. I do not expect this G-rated film to be extremely popular among students, but to those who are whale fans, I am sure you will be uplifted.
— shayna.marcure@aggiemail.usu.edu
‘Straw Dogs’
For the sake of full transparency, I am going to cut to the chase. The only real reason I’d watch “Straw Dogs” is because Alexander Skarsgard, who plays Charlie, is a sexy hunk of Scandinavian man. He is the tallest, blondest, manliest Swede I ever did see.
Enough of my verbal ogling. “Straw Dogs” is the remake of the 1971 thriller starring Dustin Hoffman, which was based on the book “The Siege of Trenchner’s Farm” by Gordon Williams. David Sumner (James Marsden) moves his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) to her Southern hometown where she appears to have some unfinished business in the form of her high school boyfriend, Charlie. Charlie hasn’t gotten over Amy, and I don’t really understand how Amy got over Charlie. Marsden is a cutie, but over Skarsgard? Charlie must have been a real jerk.
If he wasn’t a jerk then, Charlie definitely is now. Intimidation of Amy’s husband escalates quickly into harassment and further into full-blown assault. The trailer opens with David and Amy calling the police from inside their house while bricks are lobbed through windows by former linebackers. Marsden becomes crazy brave and, naturally, resorts to throwing boiling water on his attackers and nail gunning their hands into walls.
While it seems as if Amy and David are definitely the victims in this story, there are too many loaded, secretive glances for comfort. Especially between Amy and Charlie — they’re up to something.
Truthfully, I am intrigued by all the fishy behavior between characters, and Skarsgard is as foxy as ever. However, rumors of a rape scene and the overall creepiness of the “Straw Dogs” trailer lead me to preemptively avoid this film.
— noelle.johansen@aggiemail.usu.edu
‘Restless’
“Restless” looks like a charmingly satisfying film. With an independent feel to it, I think it will go far. It will not be the next “Twilight” or “Harry Potter” but will probably be among those sweet and simple productions like “Martian Child” and “500 Days of Summer.” A complex, yet original plot is depicted in the trailer, and it looks like a film that is easily related to.
It is a story of life and death, and how short or fast it can pass by. “We have so little time, to say the things that we mean,” says Enoch Brae (Henry Hopper), a boy who attends strangers’ funerals.
Annabel Cotton, played by Mia Wasikowska, is a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for Enoch. Let’s not forget about the ghost Hiroshi Takahash, who is a WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot, and Enoch’s best friend. The story of the three characters comes together in a drama that will tug at the heart strings. Wasikowska, who was recently seen in “Alice in Wonderland” and “Jane Eyre,” is becoming the next “it” actress. I am less familiar with Henry Hopper but am always pleased to see a fresh face leading a new film.
The director, Gus Van Sant, is known for his accomplished films “Milk” and “Good Will Hunting.” With that said, I think it is safe to say that “Restless” will also be praised for a job well done. If you are looking for a heart-wrenching type of film and chick-flick that can really be enjoyed by everybody, it looks like “Restless” will be just that. I preemptively think I would enjoy this movie.
— anike.pullens@aggiemail.usu.edu
The pre-emptive critics write knee-jerk analyses of upcoming films based solely on hearsay, advance
publicity and — most importantly — movie trailers. They have not yet seen the movies.