Kris Mason - Reel 2 Real
Kris Mason has been a published film critic in the Valley for over seven years now. He became a member of the Phoenix Film Critics Society in 2003.
You can read Kris's monthly column at www.nearbynews.com. Follow the link to any of the 3 papers.
Here is the latest article...
No Objections, Your Honor
It’s hard to believe that it’s
been 15 years since Matthew McConaughey stepped up in his role choice and
played attorney Jake Tyler Brigance in the movie adaptation of John Grisham’s
novel A Time to Kill. With one roll, McConaughey shook his
stereotypical stoner-hippy-post-high-school-teen
character that he had played over and over again for the first four years of
his career. Following huge notoriety,
the new “movie star” McConaughey became the somewhat generic-touch-action-star-romantic-comedy leading man. Once he became a movie star, he always looked
pretty. Even in his action rolls he
always seemed to have been “photoshopped.”
In his real life (and his Hollywood
persona), McConaughey is a husband and a father, and at 42 he’s playing an
attorney again in The Lincoln Lawyer. This time, with a little life experience
under his belt, the roll is a little more believable than when he was 27. And like A
time to Kill, The Lincoln Lawyer
has what would be called a star studded cast that includes Marisa Tomei, Josh
Lucas, William H. Macy, Ryan Phillippe, John Legiuzamo, and Trace Atkins (to
name only a few). Usually, that many
known actors is distracting to me, but I really think the talent level is so
high that they all blended into a well told and gripping story.
What I liked most was director
Brad Furman’s decision to shoot McConaughey up close and unglamorous. He looks old.
He’s showing his years and his mileage (something “movie stars” tend to
not let happen but actors are willing to expose). I’m not making any bold statements about
whether McConaughey is or wants to be seen as a “serious” actor (after all, he
made a romantic comedy with Jennifer Lopez); I’m just saying it’s good to use
your own flaws as character traits if you’ve got them. Marisa Tomei was 23 when she won an Oscar for
My Cousin Vinny. She has spent the last few years making
everyone take notice of her 40-something (flaws and all) sex-symbol self.
As a whole, The Lincoln Lawyer won’t attract the Academy’s attention, but
that’s what first quarter movies are in Hollywood. They release all
the films that have star appeal, but no real chance of lasting at the box
office. Its post-Oscar season so movies
aren’t too heavy. Its pre-Summer
Blockbuster season so nothing is too spectacular. This movie will have a solid showing at the
box-office, and make a great date-night On-Demand
rental.
