WHAT WOULD TOTO WATCH? » Johnny Depp

Toto’s Best Movies of 2011 (so far)

cftoto — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:46:31 +0000

Compiling “Best of” movie lists at this time of the year defines “fool’s errand.”

The first few months of any movie year are usually its weakest, and the best summer blockbusters rarely aspire to more than fast food entertainment.

“The Dark Knight” remains a joyous exception.

So far, 2011 feels different. We’ve already seen a number of films which wouldn’t look odd rubbing elbows with the Oscar bait heading our way this Fall. A few others brought the spectacle in ways that didn’t insult our intelligence.

Let’s all savor that for a moment.

So, in no particular order, here are my picks for the year’s best movies so far:

“Rango” – This one comes with a disclaimer. My son has made me watch the Blu-ray version, out July 15, again and again. And each time I marvel at the artistry involved and Johnny Depp’s brilliantly off-kilter line readings. It’s not Pixar. But at times, it’s just as good in its own way, Rango’s perfect comic timing is something to savor.
“X-Men: First Class” – What began as a frantic franchise extender became a smart, sophisticated superhero yarn in the hands of director Matthew Vaughn. And casting the great James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as the lead mutants only sweetened the deal.
“Barney’s Version” – Paul Giamatti plays the kind of guy who flirts with a strange woman during his own wedding ceremony. And you can’t help but love the big lug all the same. That’s the power of Giamatti in his prime, and it’s precisely what you see in one man’s road to what passes for redemption.
“Win Win” – Giamatti, again, shines as a small-town wrestling coach who tweaks his own moral compass to pay the bills. When he stumbles across a wrestling prodigy (played by newcomer Alex Shaffer) his life seems complete. His deceit backfires in a big way, letting us watch a man scramble to save his marriage and himself. “Win Win” offers poignant moments and a gaggle of great one-liners, many delivered by Bobby Cannavale in a role deserving of Best Supporting Actor consideration.
“Insidious” – I spoke with the film’s director, James Wan, prior to its release. He promised me his film wasn’t another gore-fest, and that it held fast to old-school horror movie principles. And, by golly, he wasn’t lying. The final act feels incomplete, but the rest reminded me why the horror genre remains a personal favorite. The film’s micro-budget made its success even sweeter.
“Bellflower” – It’s twisted, romantic and dark to its core. But “Bellflower’ is the most original film of the year, a journey through the broken heart of a man whose angst burns brighter than his homemade flamethrower.
“Super 8” – Director J.J. Abrams is not Steven Spielberg. But he’s the closest thing we have to the man behind “Jaws” and “E.T.,” and Abrams proved it with this loving mashup of coming of age movie and action romp. Now, about that ending …

Welcome Big Hollywood and KyleSmithOnline readers! Please let me know your thoughts on this list, the site in toto and anything else movie related. And, please know, your first comment here needs to be “approved” by me. After that, everything you write goes live instantly.

(Photo: Johnny Depp provides the voice of “Rango,” an existential kiddie movie about a lizard trying to save a water-deprived town. Paramount Pictures)

Rank the movie casts: ‘The Outsiders’ vs. ‘Platoon’

cftoto — Thu, 26 May 2011 18:29:55 +0000

Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Outsiders” didn’t storm the box office back in 1983.

But, years later, it became famous for its young cast. Patrick Swayze. Tom Cruise. Ralph Macchio. Matt Dillon. Rob Lowe. Diane Lane. Emilio Estevez.

All would go on to become either stars or, in the case of the couch-jumping Cruise, mega-stars.

But doesn’t the same hold true for “Platoon?” That 1986 Oscar winner, out this week in a snazzy new Blu-ray release, fared far better with both critics and crowds alike. So it never needed much in the way of a boost. But look at the “Platoon” cast. Willem Dafoe. Forest Whitaker. Charlie Sheen. Johnny Depp. Kevin Dillon.

Not a bad collection of young actors on the cusp of fame.

But whatever happened to that Sheen kid, anyway?

Does Depp have a romance problem (on screen, that is)?

cftoto — Sun, 22 May 2011 15:36:04 +0000

Johnny Depp is one good lookin’ fella, and he’s got the People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive certification to prove it.

If that’s not enough, just ask the nearest woman what she thinks of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star. Better catch her before she swoons and hits the deck.

But on screen, he’s not very good in the romance department lately.

Consider “The Tourist,” last year’s pairing of Depp and the equally pretty Angelina Jolie. The two looked like they had been set up on a blind date, and all each could think about is how they’d chew out the friend who did the matchmaking.

In 2009’s “Public Enemies,” director Michael Mann cast the lovely Marion Cotillard as Depp’s on-screen paramour. Again, the sexual chemistry meter remained more or less neutral, partially staying true to Depp’s character. John Dillinger’s first love was robbing banks. Women came a distant second.

This week, Depp returns to the screen in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” teaming him with one of the most attractive women in Hollywood – again.

Co-star Penelope Cruz isn’t just another pretty face. She’s an Oscar winner with a killer accent. And yet the two go through the requisite flirting motions without making much in the way of sparks. Blame the storyline, the flaccid script or the fact that Cruz was preggers during the film’s shoot. Depp simply doesn’t make the romantic subplot work.

This all could trace back to Depp’s penchant for quixotic roles. He loves playing the outsider, the guy who others look at from the corner of their eye or with outright disdain. That’s his comfort zone. Those characters aren’t easy to like, let alone watch fall in love. What kind of romantic entanglement could The Mad Hatter possess in “Alice in Wonderland?” It would be awful creepy to see Willy Wonka make time with the ladies in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Depp hasn’t always been so chaste. He played the roguish gypsy in “Chocolat” who made Juliette Binoche’s heart go pitter patter. But that was 11 years ago. Isn’t it time for one of the most dashing, talented actors to make a love story worth the price of admission?

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(Photo: Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz play ex-lovers who reunite under difficult circumstances in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” Walt Disney Pictures)

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ – Franchise life preserver

cftoto — Fri, 20 May 2011 04:24:26 +0000

“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is arrgh-uably the best sequel yet to the 2003 original.

With that faint praise out of the way. let’s start the review.

Both Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom walked the plank before “On Stranger Tides” begins, leaving Johnny Depp as the remaining attraction. That’s marvelous news for those who can’t get enough of Depp’s fey ways. But the new “Pirates” carries over too many flaws from its predecessors, including an inability to put some of Hollywood’s finest actors to the test.

Depp returns as Capt. Jack Sparrow, the wobbly cad still mourning the loss of his Black Pearl vessel. Jack gets coerced into a new sea adventure, an expedition to find the legendary Fountain of Youth. The wicked Blackbeard (Ian McShane) forces Jack to help him find the Fountain, but the sozzled sailor is kept even more off-balance than usual by the presence of Angelica (Penelope Cruz), Blackbeard’s comely daughter.

Seems Jack and Angelica were once lovers, and they fight and flirt like old times.

Meanwhile, a British vessel commandeered by Jack’s nemesis Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) also seeks the Fountain. So does a team of Spanish explorers hot on their trail.

Who will get there first, and will Jack and Angelica stop bickering long enough to share a kiss, or something more?

“On Stranger Tides” isn’t a narrative nightmare like its predecessors, but the film feels bloated all the same sailing past the two hour mark. We get flickers of popcorn brilliance, like Jack’s nimble escape atop a pair of stagecoach vehicles. Director Rob Marshall (“Nine”) lets Depp’s loopy movements lead the way, making this far more than your generic set piece.

Jack’s reunion with Angelica begins with a round of sexually charged swordplay, the first and last time the stars display chemistry of any kind. The story has little time to work on such mundane matters.

Conflict is good. Seesawing emotions can be even better. But you never know where the characters in “On Stranger Tides” are leaning at any given time. Are Jack and Angelica falling back in love? In hate? In between? The script really doesn’t care, so long as it can squeeze off a half-hearted punch line out of their exchanges.

“You walk like a girl,” he tells her.

“You should know,” she snaps back.

The same dynamic holds for Jack and Barbossa, a wasted chance to build a rivalry that could legitimately fuel a few more installments.

The weakest link is an odd love story between a cleric and a mermaid, the details of which require too much time, space and energy to fully catalog. The less said about the story arc, the better.

Every actor here is capable of knocking one out of the park, especially Rush who delights in donning pirate gear and a cool peg leg. He’s having so much fun he doesn’t care that his scene stealing larceny essentially goes for naught. McShane isn’t as lucky, left with a poorly realized role and no juicy lines to masticate.

And, for those keeping score, the film’s 3D effects do manage to inject us into some of the elaborate sets, but their appeal diminishes right along with the rest of the film.

“Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides” should stop the franchise’s death spiral, but it still can’t convince us a fifth feature is required.

(Photo: Penelope Cruz, left, and Ian McShane, right, join star Johnny Depp – middle – for the fourth installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.)

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The mystery of the ‘Pirates’ sequels solved!

cftoto — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:36:30 +0000

Still scratching your head over “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “At World’s End,” the second and third films in the swash-buckling franchise?

You’re not alone.

Even star Johnny Depp wasn’t quite sure what was going on in the last two films. Depp tells Entertainment Weekly of exchanges he repeatedly had with director Gore Verbinski during the production of the films, which were shot back to back.

“I don’t really know what this means,” Depp would inform Verbinski.

“Neither do I, but let’s just shoot it,” Verbinski answered.

When your star and director haven’t a clue what’s happening in a film, what chance does the audience have?

Depp certainly hopes this confession will make you more agreeable to “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” the fourth film in the franchise. The actor swears the new film is leaner and more comprehensible than the past two chapters. We’ll have to take him at his word until May 20, the day “Tides” hits theaters.

(Photo: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) attempts a quick getaway from yet another precarious situation in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”. Photo credit: Peter Mountain ©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

2010 offered few laughs for film fans

cftoto — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:23:08 +0000

Judd Apatow, where are you?

2010 was such a lousy year for film comedies that “The Tourist” just picked up a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical.

“The Tourist” wasn’t even a comedy – unless you count unintentional laughs of which there were plenty. But what else could the selection committee have chosen?

Screen comedy has been on a roll for some time now, what with the Apatow Army working near-nonstop and other films racing to catch up. WWTW will stack up films like “The Hangover,” “Wedding Crashers” and “I Love You, Man” against any comedy from the late 1990s/early 2000s.

This year, “Get Him to the Greek” proved amusing but not worthy of the far superior “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” And “Due Date” with It Comedian Zach Galifianakis was more mean-spirited than riotous.

This year’s other Best Comedy/Musical Golden Globe nominees include a few other head scratchers. “The Kids Are All Right??” Terrific movie, but I don’t recall any pratfalls or verbal gags.

The best movie-related joke this year might be Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie picking up a Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical nomination for “The Tourist.” Depp seemed asleep half the time, and Jolie looked like a fashion model who stumbled in front of a movie camera.

Let’s hope 2011 brings the funny – fast.

(Photo: The 2010 comedy “Due Date” underwhelmed those expecting another laugh riot from star Zach “The Hangover” Galifianakis. Warner Bros.)

WWTW Rewind: ‘Donnie Brasco’

cftoto — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:28:02 +0000

It seemed foolish for Al Pacino to re-sign for mob duty for the 1997 drama “Donnie Brasco.”

How could he possibly top “The Godfather,” and why even try?

But Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero, the real-life wiseguy Pacino portrays in the film, is no Godfather. He’s a mid-level shnook desperate for respect.

He gets that – and a second son – when an undercover FBI agent befriends him in order to help bring his buddies down.

The journey isn’t an original one, but crisp acting and a sturdy sense of disco-era New York make “Donnie Brasco” one of Pacino’s most lived in performances.

Johnny Depp plays Joe Pistone, an FBI agent working under the name Donnie Brasco to infiltrate the New York-based Bonanno crime family.

He quickly connects with Lefty (Pacino), an aging mobster whose bluster hides an insecurity about his place in the pecking order.

Lefty is a made man without a nickel to his name or the respect of his bosses. He’s even asked to perform menial tasks like caring for a kept lion – a subplot that might have been based on real events just plays silly here.

Lefty and Donnie forge an awkward father-son relationship, but while Donnie starts rising up the ranks it looks as if Lefty doesn’t figure in the mob’s immediate future.

But can Donnie keep his cover long enough to give the FBI all the evidence it needs to bring Lefty and co. down? And what if it means Lefty will be whacked for allowing Donnie into the family?

Lefty is a heartless killer, but Pacino makes him into someone you can’t help pity. He can’t catch a break, and his slumped shoulders and unruly hair bespeak a man as beaten down as a salesman who can’t ever close the big deal.

Consider this a turning point in Depp’s career, a moment when he proved his range – and charisma – could keep up with any screen icon.

Playing a role originally conceived for Tom Cruise, Depp anchors the film by letting us see both sides of the Mafia coin. He’s attracted to the system’s machismo, an aggressive mien he tries applying to his struggling marriage.

It’s here where “Donnie Brasco” falters.

It’s bad enough to keep hearing the term “fuggetaboutit” bandied about – at this point in screen history it feels as cliched as making someone an offer they can’t refuse. But watching Donnie and his frustrated wife (Anne Heche) battle over where the cereal boxes go in their cupboards isn’t enough to sketch a marriage on the brink.

A subsequent marriage counselor sequence should have been discarded entirely, yet Heche still resonates despite the shallowness of the role.

Director Mike Newell eventually reveals the ugly side of mob living when Donnie must help his pals dispose of some bodies with a few rudimentary tools. But the director’s ability to tease period details into the film without overwhelming is typical of his restrained approach.

“Donnie Brasco” is a fine addition to the mob movie genre, and further evidence Pacino can dazzle when he decides to lose himself in a role.

(Photo: Johnny Depp holds his own against Al Pacino in the affective mob movie “Donnie Brasco.”)

Memo to Johnny Depp: Stop phoning in your performances

cftoto — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:22:26 +0000

Is anyone else frustrated by Johnny Depp lately?

The actor toiled away for years in Hollywood, turning in one sharp performance after the next, but he couldn’t get mainstream audiences to embrace his high-wire act.

Enter Jack Sparrow.

Depp’s Oscar-nominated turn as the swishy, saucy swashbuckler in “Pirates of the Caribbean” endeared him to the masses while keeping his acting chops pure.

The actor’s subsequent work has left me deflated – and worried he’s started believing his own press clippings.

Consider “Public Enemies,” last year’s disappointing biopic which cast Depp as John Dillinger. Talk about great casting … so why didn’t the film leave an emotional mark?

Depp’s work in the two “Pirate” sequels felt like a greatest hits compilation of Sparrow tics, nothing more.

And Depp’s Mad Hatter in “Alice in Wonderland” proved similarly chaotic, as if he no longer feels the need to build a character from the ground up. He just has to be … Depp-like and audiences will cheer him on.

My sour feelings for the actor likely started with “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Tim Burton’s unnecessary remakeof the Gene Wilder classic.

Depp’s Willy Wonka was … weird. Not wonderfully weird, like Wilder’s version. Just awkward and charmless.

Perhaps his best recent turn came via “Sweeney Todd,” a film which showcased his singing talents and ability to bring a tortured soul to life.

Depp’s future still looks bright. He’s gearing up for a fourth “Pirates” film (sigh), a project all but guaranteed to print money. His other intriguing projects include “The Rum Diary” and “Happy Days” with director Terry Zwigoff.

Let’s hope he remembers the quirky, singular work that proved he was more than just a teen idol on a glossy Fox show.

(Photo: Johnny Depp played John Dillinger in “Public Enemies,” but he couldn’t get under the skin of the famous outlaw)

Audiences Mad over Burton’s ‘Alice?’

cftoto — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:11:57 +0000

Sometimes Hollywood math is simple.

Tim Burton+a beloved children’s story+3-D = box office gold.

“Alice in Wonderland,” director Tim Burton’s take on the cherished Lewis Carroll yarn, is making plenty of noise over at MovieTickets.com.

The site says the film accounts for 83 percent of total ticket sales as of 1 p.m. EST today (March 3).

This weekend’s competition isn’t stiff. “Brooklyn’s Finest” boasts a weak trailer and no A-listers.

Sorry, Richard Gere no longer belongs on Hollywood’s top tier, no matter how crinkly his eyes get.

What’s also weighing in “Alice’s” favor – the film is selling tickets in bunches. MovieTickets.com reports 44 percent of customers buying tickets for the new film gobbled up four or more tickets.

Once upon a time the Mad Hatter himself, Johnny Depp, couldn’t buy a mainstream hit. Now, ertwhile Jack Sparrow may have another franchise on his hands.

‘Public Enemies’ – Mann-made precision

cftoto — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:29:40 +0000

When is a smart, sophisticated summer movie brimming with history and gravitas a letdown?

When it stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and the man behind the camera is Michael Mann.

“Public Enemies” should satiate mature minded movie goers looking for salvation against the tide of mindless blockbusters. It’s a beautifully constructed film, one with seemingly every element locked in for a modern movie classic.

But while Mann (“Heat,” “Collateral”) remains a technical maestro, he still has trouble getting under the skin of his characters.

Who else could film the life story of boxing great Muhammad Ali and leave viewers unsure of what really made Ali tick by the film’s end?

“Public Enemies” tells the fascinating true story behind John Dillinger (Depp), the notorious bank robber from Depression-era Chicago.

The film opens with a bravura sequence featuring Dillinger breaking out of jail along with a few of his partners in crime. Right away, Dillinger’s savvy, his ability to cajole those around him with either his charisma or a Tommy Gun, get firmly established.

Dillinger’s crime spree catches the attention of J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup in the film’s best supporting turn). Hoover hires Melvin Purvis (Bale) to bring said spree to an end.

Meanwhile, Dillinger remains a few paces ahead of Purvis’ small army, finding time between heists to woo a cagey hatcheck girl (Oscar winner Marion Cotillard).

Mann’s film doesn’t tap into the Depression-era zeitgeist as one might expect, or even fear. It’s all surface thrills and gorgeous tracking shots, leaving the viewer detached from the endless gun fights. And there’s little narrative cohesion to the story, leaving an episodic tale with an ending that doesn’t do Dillinger’s anti-hero life justice.

Depp established his career by playing against his physical type – and broadcasting his eccentric inner self to audiences. Here, he plays it maddeningly straight, and it’s one of his least compelling performances.

That’s still better than Bale, who’s given almost nothing to work with and substitutes stoicism for any sense of character. He’s a carbon copy, and a fading one at that, of Kevin Costner’s superior performance as Eliot Ness in “The Untouchables.”

This should have been the Summer of Bale, but from his on-set tirade to two lackluster turns (“Enemies” and “Terminator Salvation”) it’s ending up a season to forget for the gifted actor.

“Public Enemies” remains an intelligent piece of craftsmanship. It’s just not the thoroughly engaging film we were led to expect.

(Photo: Johnny Depp plays famed bank robber John Dillinger in “Public Enemies.”)