The Office - "Moving On" (Feb. 14th, 2013)

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Is anyone else's mind blown?

In a special, one-hour Valentine's Day episode of The Office, Pam goes to Philadelphia to interview for a job so that she can be closer to Jim. Turns out, the vibe is all too familiar for her. Andy wages an all-out war on Pete and Erin by bringing back their exes. Toby learns firsthand why they call the local menace "The Scranton Strangler", and Dwight and Angela spend the afternoon helping Dwight's aunt.

There was lots going on, but I think this episode was the best of the season so far. I howled with laughter and found myself pounding my head in frustration at all the appropriate times, something I've been accustomed to as an Office fan. It's what keeps me coming back each week.
It was fun seeing Jim and Pam reconnect for awhile; that is, until the very end of the episode. It's still impossible to tell what's gonna happen there, but if I know Jim, he'll choose Pam over Philly and move back to Scranton. Maybe he'll concede his position at Athlead to Brian (our newly-unemployed boom guy) as a "thank you" for saving Pam...?
The plot thickens even more in the wake of Andy's return. I hope things between Pete and Erin work out after having awkward in-office confrontations with their respective exes. Andy's a scumbag now, and I don't like it. I still wish she'd choose me, but I'm happy seeing Erin with Pete. Andy doesn't deserve her.

This week's epilogue was also a riot seeing Oscar in those ridiculous workout boots trying to do inverted crunches in the break room doorway. But did anyone catch the "Easter egg" after that? On Oscar's computer screen? Something going on in May? Was it a hint at some sort of legacy / farewell / retrospective special? I'm not sure. Hit me up on Facebook (THE REEL MOVIE REVIEWS) or Twitter (@thereelbennyc) to share and compare thoughts. I'm stymied here.

Also, it's looking like there won't be another new episode until March. :-(

The Office - "Couples Discount" (Feb. 7, 2013)

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Last week on The Office...

Everyone heads out to the salon in order to take advantage of a Valentine's couples discount on manicures and pedicures. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam go to lunch with Brian, the boom guy. Andy returns from his 3-month boat trip and tries to re-assimilate, but he has a hiccup with Erin that I'm sure fans already saw coming.

FINALLY a solid episode! "Couples Discount" has a nice balance of laughs and drama, and it actually seems to advance the season's storylines significantly. I think I found myself laughing more with Andy back and the rest of the crew trying to return to the way things were. It's painful and funny at the same time, which is what I've come to love from The Office. 

The awkward tension between Jim and Pam is still there, but it wasn't so bad this time. At least  not until they make it to the restaurant to meet Brian. I'm not quite sure what to expect these next few weeks. I don't wanna see a divorce, but something's gotta give. And if in fact Brian does give in and "Jam's" marriage is saved, how will he go out? It still feels eerily like the end of season 2. . .

Oh and I'd also like to add that I'm psyched to see things looking up for Pete and Erin!! (That kiss! I'm jealous, Pete, but don't worry. One potential homewrecker is more than enough for the employees at Dunder Mifflin.)

The Walking Dead - "The Suicide King" (Feb. 10, 2013)

Behold the long-anticipated, mid-season return of The Walking Dead.

When we left our survivors back in December, Merle and Daryl had just been captured by The Governor and thrust into the arena for a brother-on-brother fight to the death. Things pick up almost 2 months later exactly where they left off. Rick and company conclude their daring infiltration of Woodbury by getting Daryl and Merle out of town. The fate of Tyrese's group is also deliberated but never reaches a definite conclusion thanks to a last-minute twist.

SPOILERS: Now I love The Walking Dead as much as the next guy, and I've been waiting for this night since before Christmas. My Sundays have been empty without a little gore in them. But I gotta say, I wasn't entirely impressed with this new episode. It wasn't quite the epic, slam-bang return that I had hoped for. In the first 10-20 minutes, a member of the group decides to head out on his own, but aside from that, not much happens. There's some drama at Woodbury in the wake of Merle and Daryl's escape that results in a breach of the town's safety measures, but I didn't find it especially memorable. I'm also not entirely sure why the title of the episode is "The Suicide King". I didn't catch a connection there. The only thing that blew me away was the end where Rick returns to the prison to meet Tyrese and his group. There's a head-scratching twist that makes me question Rick's sanity and his future ability to lead the group. We'll see what happens next week in "Home".

"Side Effects" Review

I want you to think for a second about some of the classic works of Alfred Hitchcock. I know you've seen some of 'em. Rear Window, The Birds, Vertigo, Psycho, North by Northwest. They're among some of the most beloved American films of all time for their shocking twists and beguiling characters. Hitchcock was notorious for his methods of tapping into the human psyche by showing us our deepest fears. To this day, filmmakers are still chasing his legacy and very few, if any, have been able to match the original "Master of Suspense" at his own game.
But that's not to say any of today's filmmakers have ever come within dagger-point. One who's arguably the closest on Hitchcock's heels is Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Magic Mike, Contagion), and it's easy to see why in his latest thriller, and possibly his last as director, Side Effects.

In this new film, director Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) tell the story of young New York City couple Emily and Martin Taylor (Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum, respectively) who have their world tugged out from under them when Emily's psychiatrist (Jude Law) prescribes a new pill to treat her anxiety with shocking and unforeseen side effects.
With a plot so tightly constructed, yet filled with enough twists and turns to warrant its own theme park ride, Side Effects is the best film to yet be released in 2013.

What I love most about all of Soderbergh's work is that he keeps everything tight, often quite literally. He uses lots of close-ups, and the performances from his actors, even the ones fraught with emotion, somehow remain in check. The actions and reactions of the characters never appear bombastic. I had the feeling that the drama unfolding in Side Effects could happen to anyone in the real world.
Stars Mara, Tatum, and Law are all tremendous, capturing the raw tension of Burns's script with aplomb. Mara especially stands out in the role of Emily as she's reminiscent of Tippi Hedren, star of Hitchcock classics The Birds and Marnie. Emily is the troubled female anti-hero, a role that Hedren surely became familiar with in her work with Hitchcock (for proof, see Marnie). Catherine Zeta-Jones is also delectably dark as Dr. Victoria Seibert, Emily's previous psychiatrist before her move to the city.

Just thinking about these wonderfully complex characters brings the film's mind-blowing twists to the tip of my tongue. For fear of giving too much away, I'll stop now and just tell you to see Side Effects as soon as you can. But be warned: this is a thinking viewer's movie. Don't go into this if you're all hot and bothered to see Channing Tatum because you'll be disappointed. To me, I take this film as proof that he can actually act.
Side Effects is a taut psychological drama with a twist ending that'll knock your socks off. It shouldn't give you an Inception-sized headache, but it's important to watch closely. It's one of Soderbergh's best efforts in recent memory, and I sincerely hope this isn't the last we see of him in the director's chair. He's done Hitchcock proud.

4 OF 4 STARS

"Warm Bodies" Review

If George A. Romero found it in his zombie-infected heart to do a romantic comedy, I think this would be his way of doing it.

In Warm Bodies, writer/director Jonathan Levine (50/50) does his best to emulate the horror king by making his own entry into the zombie canon. While Romero loads up on gore and chooses to highlight the experiences of normal human survivors, Levine's take is a bit more original. Based on Issac Marion's book of the same name, Warm Bodies is a comedy that follows R (Nicholas Hoult, X-Men: First Class), a zombie who's looking for something more out of life. He's tired of shuffling aimlessly around the airport, grunting at his friend Marcus (Rob Corddry, Hot Tub Time Machine) for weeks on end. But R's cold world gets turned upside down when he saves Julie (Teresa Palmer, Take Me Home Tonight) from a pack of his flesh-eating friends. What follows is a chain of events that might just bring hope to the entire undead world.

I know that sounds cheesy, and it is, but Warm Bodies is not like any zombie flick you've ever seen. There's not an abundance of blood and guts, and it's told from the point of view of a zombie. Levine's smart, albeit safe, writing breathes adequate life into the living dead, lending star Nicholas Hoult plenty of witty narrations. Even if it doesn't quite measure up in terms of edge, Warm Bodies is still the freshest zombie-comedy since Zombieland.
And as much as I enjoyed the film's refreshing approach, I kinda wish Warm Bodies was a little more graphic. I think this would put a wider smile on the faces of hardcore genre fans while also giving Zombieland a run for its money. For a zombie movie, Warm Bodies is far too tame.
But that's not really the point, is it? Warm Bodies is supposed to be a love story. It's a romantic comedy with horror elements that's told through the eyes of a horror-genre antagonist. The actors all have marvelous chemistry, and they're perfect fits for their roles. That's what sets Warm Bodies apart and makes it so fun to watch.
I think this is the first of multiple 2013 star vehicles for Nicholas Hoult, the next one being Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer in March. If his charming turn as R is any indication, this kid is surely destined for great things. Aussie hottie Teresa Palmer is also a fine counterbalance as Julie and is as entertaining as she's been in all her other work. (Also, notice the Shakespeare reference: R & Julie = Romeo & Juliet??)

Aside from the occasional schmaltz and a general lack of satisfying zombie violence, Warm Bodies is still a charmingly unique romantic-horror-comedy that avoids being written off as the next Twilight thanks to its smart script and well-rounded characters. It's not quite Romero or even the next Zombieland, but Warm Bodies is still a fun date movie with enough to please guys and girls alike.

3 OF 4 STARS

The Office - "Vandalism" (Jan. 31, 2013)

This review may contain SPOILERS: In the second of two new episodes of The Office this week, Pam's warehouse mural is defaced by a disgruntled employee. Jim and Darryl move into an apartment together in Philly and start butting heads, as all friends and roommates do. And there's yet another twist involving Brian, the boom guy.

Pam's all-out crusade to discover who ruined her artwork is a real treat. She rarely gets into a seriously pissed-off mood, and what's different about this time around is that she actually uses that frustration to get results. She's smart about her approach and catches the eyes of Dwight and Nellie, earning their services to aid her in catching the perpetrator. Even Dwight is impressed with Pam's newly-embraced dark side. "And then it occurred to me..." he says, "Pam's got a nice butt."
She's fun to watch here, as are Darryl and Jim in Philadelphia. We get a first-time look at Jim's unkempt personal habits, and seeing the tension play out between he and neat-freak Darryl in the workplace at Athlead (the name of their new company) is neat because it shows a microcosm of the true brotherly love that Philly is famous for.

As for the aforementioned twist involving everyone's favorite homewrecker-to-be, I really can't say. As a fan of Jim, it looks like a good thing, but it could also turn out to be bad if it comes back to have an influence on Pam's feelings. It looks like it could be a repeat of the season 2 finale with a different man. I hope that doesn't end up being the case.

The Office - "Junior Salesman" (Jan. 31, 2013)

The Office just seems to be chuggin' right along.

In the first of TWO brand-new episodes this past Thursday, Dwight brings in a handful of his closest friends to interview for the position vacated by Jim while he's in Philadelphia.
Other than that, not much happens. This is the only premise that drives the episode's hilarity. Dwight's friends are fun to watch, many of whom are more dysfunctional than Dwight himself. I liked seeing the teacher from Donnie Darko (Beth Grant) as an interviewee and Dwight's former babysitter.

SPOILERS: Things are also taking a turn for the dramatic with the interactions between Pam and Brian, the show's boom mic guy. Even though things appear to be smoother between Pam and Jim, Jim still doesn't know about Brian's new presence in Pam's life. I'm not sure exactly what's gonna happen there. I've loved Pam and Jim as a couple since I started watching the show years ago. I've always hoped to someday find my Pam and have a relationship like they have. I'll continue to root for them until the series finally concludes in a few weeks.

Overall, Junior Salesman is a mildly funny episode that foreshadows some of the emotional drama to come. I'm still uncertain as to my feelings on this seemingly darker tone.