"The Strain" Pilot: What the hell, Guillermo?

I was pretty excited for Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain novel when it first came out. Blade 2 is one of my all-time favorite vampire/superhero films, and the premise of an ancient vampiric virus being unleashed onto Manhattan following a mysterious plane arrival at JFK sounded promising. Ultimately though, what could have been a Del Toro homerun, combining his imaginative storytelling with icky organic science, turned out to be an uneven careening mess. I made it through the second book, but never felt the need to finish the trilogy. Still, when the show was announced, I was reminded of all the cool visual moments the books contain and told myself that a good show could actually be extracted from the source material, especially since GDT is a visual storyteller first and foremost. Unfortunately, this doesn't appear to be the case and, if anything, the show's pilot is even weaker the novel itself.

Though it boasts a quality cast on paper ( Corey Stoll and David Bradley should make for compelling leads going forward), the secondary actors are cringe-worthy across the board. There are several points during the pilot, and it starts right from the get-go with the laughably bad worried flight attendants, that only manage to distract rather than immerse us into the story. It's also concerning that some of the bad acting -- from the unconvincing gang bangers or Corey Stoll's partner for example -- will ostensibly be recurring problems going forward. Yes, this is television and they don't have an exhaustive budget, but they quite simply should have done a better job casting some of these roles.

But not all the blame can be laid at the actors' or casting's feet. The dialogue is stilted and clichéd, and the direction itself is generally lackluster and unimaginative. Sure, the effects are quite good and there's always GDT's signature gold/blue contrasted look with reds that really pop, but the jump scares and story beats feel completely phoned in. The pilot isn't particularly spry or suspenseful, and what sounded visceral and cool on page now only looks good. Tighter direction and editing are desperately needed here.

Considering how much time the creators have had to handle the source material, it's sad to see they could only expose its flaws rather than enhance it. Yes, this is a potentially cool vampire story on an epic scale, but just like with Pacific Rim we should expect and demand much better from Guillermo Del Toro.



 


  

"The Raid 2" (14) - Gareth Evans

"Inception" (10) - Christopher Nolan

"Extant" Pilot: A good enough start that doesn't leave you wanting much more.

The pilot begins with Halle Berry's astronaut character, Molly, returning to earth and her family after spending 13 months in space on a solo mission -- a time during which she's somehow managed to get herself pregnant. Because the space agency's physician is a friend, Molly manages to keep that little bit of news under wraps while she figures out what exactly she should do about that thing growing in her tummy. It's a bit of a stretch considering the implications -- pop culture alone should convince the doctor that it's a giant no no to let Molly walk around freely -- but fine, we'll run with it for the purposes of the story.

Fortunately for the viewer, this is isn't Lost. The show doesn't appear to be all that interested in indefinitely prolonging the suspense of Halle Berry's immaculate conception, and the writers clearly know where they're going with the central mystery. Already within this pilot episode, we're shown just by whom and when Molly probably came to be impregnated, and several big clues are dropped as to establish the various supporting characters motivations and intentions going forward.  

Yes, there appears to be a conspiracy surrounding Molly's mission, and, if there is a conspiracy, then there naturally has to be a nefarious corporation involved -- at least as far as Molly's health and family are concerned. The privatized space agency and its CEO, played by Helix's Hiroyuki Sanada, clearly already know about alien life-forms out there, and they very much intend to exploit the happenings of Molly's mission to their advantage.

But Molly's battles won't only be on the work front. At home, she has to contend with her estranged family that she up and left for more than a year. There's her husband, Goran Visjnic, that she keeps in the dark about the pregnancy, and his creation: their son, an android child played by that great creepy kid from Looper. The child, the first fully-realized version of its kind, is very much Spielberg going back to Kubrick's well that keeps on giving, and his side of the story plays like an A.I. prequel of sorts.  

While the evil corporation and android child aspects don't feel particularly fresh, there's a lot to like in Extant. The production values are top notch and miles above that other Spielberg produced show Falling Skies. The casting is solid across the board and worthy of a bigger screen, and there are plenty of sci-fi ideas and concepts being thrown around within a grounded, believable future. Unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be all that much excitement to look forward to. 

The central mystery is intriguing enough, but, with the way it's being handled, it's difficult to see how it will have enough steam to push the show through an entire season. The end of the pilot doesn't really leave you with a strong urge for answers, and unless there are major twists and turns up ahead, so much already seems to have been revealed and laid out that the shows success will hinge more on flawless execution than anything else. Still, it's a commendable start for a hugely ambitious CBS show, and the talent involved alone will warrant sticking with the story for a little while at least.

"Eyes Wide Shut" (99) - Kubrick

I love masks...

Anders Thomas Jensen: The best writer/director you may have never heard of.

If Anders Thomas Jensen, a Danish writer/director, keeps things up the way he's been going, he may just have to be one day recognized as one of the most prolific auteurs ever. Seriously, his output, and its sheer brilliance, puts Woody Allen to shame. Don't believe me? This guy had no less than four movies out in 2005, and the number usually oscillates between two and three a year.

Adam's Apples

Now, I must admit I haven't seen them all, and it's true that he's slowed down a bit since making the jump from Denmark. But those movies of his that I have gotten my hands on never fail to make an impression. Perhaps you've watched "In A Better World" ( Haevnen), "Brothers" (remade later with Jake Gylenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Natalie Portman), or even "The Duchess"... but seriously, is this a guy on anyone's watchlist? How is it that I only hear about Lars Von trier, Nicolas Winding Refn, or even Thomas Vinterberg as far as Danish cinema is concerned?

If you're like me and struggle to come up with new things to watch now that you've "seen everything good there is to see", and if you aren't one of those hopeless subtitle-phobic people, then go ahead and dig up some of his older stuff. Though he's not afraid to switch around between genres, his twisted dark comedies are the best. Try "Adam's Apples" and "The Green Butchers" as your next double feature. Like a lot of his other movies, they both star Mads Mikkelsen and are pitch-perfect in execution.

Sorry ladies, Mikkelsen is not in sexy mode in "The Green Butchers"

Personally, I can't wait for the upcoming "The Salvation" -- which oddly includes soccer legend Eric Cantona among its stellar cast:

    

"Pusher" (96) - Nicolas Winding Refn

The Danish trilogy that started it all for Mads Mikkelsen
 and Nicolas Winding Refn