Mini Review: In Time and Tower Heist

Two and a half weeks. Is that really how long it’s been since I’ve written at least anything remotely interesting? Sure, In between that time I’ve only watched a measly count of TWO movies, ranging from In Time to Tower Heist, but it doesn’t make sense NOT to write about them. I still haven’t figured out what went on. Maybe it was that temporary writing block that slapped me in the face a while back, or the fact that I’ve run out of DVDs’ to watch. I’m losing focus, the point that I’m trying to make, is that I’m back. I’m ready to start watching classic films again, every hour of the day, and not only watch them, write about them. So, to start off my return to the blog, here are two, albeit a little late, mini reviews on both In Time and Tower Heist.

In Time

A twisted future where humans seem to stop aging at the ripe old age of 25, but are only given a year’s worth of time left to live, Andrew Niccol’s In Time depicts a world in which time has become the new currency; the more time you own, the richer you become. But what happens if you run out of time? You die.

The film centers around Will Salas (Justin Timberlake; Friends with Benefits), a young industrial worker living off minimum wage, as he attempts to survive in the ghetto of a grey Los Angeles. Things suddenly seem to spin out of control for Will when he obtains 100 years, a rarity to the everyday citizen, from a man in distress. This new time, or money, sends Will into a tornado of unfortunate events as he becomes entangled with Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried; Chloe), the daughter of a billionaire, and a “time-cop” (Cillian Murphy; Inception) slowly catching up to him.

I am failing to mention a few key details in the story, but the film itself is ultimately lacking an explanation to why time has become the new way of life. The cinematography is stunning as it was beautifully shot in modern-day Los Angeles, but somehow comes out post-futuristic.

The one major flaw that I noticed in the film, which has been reoccurring with most movies nowadays, is the ending. Everything adds up to this single resolution with all of the events unfolding right before your eyes, but instead leaves you with questions unanswered and a meh sort-of attitude.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it. With an amazing concept, good writing, and fairly decent acting, In Time is a great sci-fi to be enjoyed by all.

2 out of 4

Tower Heist

From Ocean’s Eleven to Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing, a great heist movie comes in all shapes and sizes, but most contain a sense of the basic, ‘Give me all your money Punk’. Tower Heist on the other hand, is no cookie cutter.

The film centers on a large apartment building in central New York, which is home to investors, the wealthy, and businessmen alike, as well as the best damn hotel crew that the city has ever seen. The hotel manager, Josh (Ben Stiller; Little Fockers), has become devoted to fulfilling the needs of every resident living in the building, but may trust one resident a little too much. He decides to invest his and the hotel crew’s money in a wealthy investor (Alan Alda; M*A*S*H*), only to find out that it was all one big Ponzi scheme. Josh, now losing the trust of his crew and soon losing his job due to Alda’s character, devises a plan to steal back the dirty money from the greedy shark with the help of his fateful friends (Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, and Casey Affleck), and a law breaking acquaintance (Eddie Murphy) who is going to show everyone that stealing is a piece of cake.

Hilarity ensues as the gang readies for the big day of the heist, in their own wacky sort of way. Eddie Murphy is hilarious throughout, a character he hasn’t played in a while, as well as Ben Stiller who plays a great portrayal of a solid man with a plan.

Will the heist resolve in success though? Will Josh and his cohorts be able to reclaim the large amount of money from the tower, or will his plans just come crashing down upon him? One thing’s for sure, Tower Heist is unpredictably entertaining.

3 out of 4