Avatar

It’s 2154 and the RDA Corporation is attempting to colonize the planet Pandora in order to extract a valuable mineral. The humans encounter resistance from the blue-skinned Na’vi natives, which they hope to overcome using avatars – human-Na’vi hybrid bodies under the control of human “drivers.” One such driver is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a crippled ex-Marine recruited to take his brother’s place. Sent to infiltrate the Na’vi and learn their ways, it isn’t long before his loyalties are tested.




Believe it or not, the last feature film James Cameron directed before Avatar was 1997’s notorious Titanic. Despite the different settings, his latest and his previous effort aren’t too far apart. Both feature impressive production values, but suffer from overlength, sentimentality and poor screenwriting.



Avatar is, without a doubt, a marvel to look at. Cameron uses CGI to craft exciting battle sequences and bring the Amazon-like terra of Pandora to life. Careful attention paid to developing the culture and language of the Na’vi give them some anthropological heft, despite their cartoonlike appearance.



Unfortunately, the other aspects of the film aren’t operating at the same standard. The acting isn’t all-around bad. Worthington brings conviction and grit to the lead role, while Sigourney Weaver is both empathetic and tough as the lead avatar researcher. On the other hand, Joel David Moore is annoyingly ineffectual as her subordinate and Giovanni Ribisi is a bombastic corporate caricature as the RDA boss. Michelle Rodriguez and Stephen Lang bring the toughness as a fighter pilot and a colonel respectively, but the roles are relatively undemanding.



The worst offender is undoubtedly the script, which manages to be heavy-handed, predictable and painfully obvious. Repeated references to the plunder of Earth and “bug-eating savages” place this at the level of environmentalist/anti-imperialist agit-prop and for a film with deep thematic aspirations, there is a surprising lack of engagement or nuance. It’s also highly derivative – anyone who has seen District 9 will recognize the direction Avatar takes, right on down to the appearance of mechanized combat suits.



As an epic, Avatar fails tremendously. Cameron’s treatment of the subject matter is too superficial and cliché-ridden to deliver a lasting impact. But it still works as basic entertainment and those final combat scenes are pure eye candy. For all the film’s flaws, there is something undeniably satisfying about watching tough, determined characters blast the crap out of each other with high-tech weaponry, Aliens-style. It’s a shame Cameron doesn’t realize this is what he does best.



7/10

The Road

In a post-apocalyptic future, an unnamed man (Viggo Mortensen) must protect his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) from starvation, the elements and cannibalistic gangs as they make their way through a never-ending wasteland to the coast.

Director John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is high on fidelity to the source material and therein lies a significant problem. Both his film and McCarthy’s book are, save for a spark of hope at the end, relentlessly, almost monotonously bleak. As readers, we can process the despair over a period of time, but as viewers we are forced to absorb it all in one sitting



That major caveat aside, there’s a lot here that’s very well-done. Mortensen gives a powerful, desperate performance as a dedicated father. McPhee is annoyingly naïve at times as his son, but it’s a thoroughly believable turn as well. The family’s late mother, shown in flashbacks, was given a larger part in the film and Charlize Theron brings some heft to a largely thankless role. The remaining supporting parts are little more than cameos. Robert Duvall shows up as an old man while Michael K. Williams, better-known as The Wire’s Omar Little, plays another thief.



As game as the cast is, the film wouldn’t work if Hillcoat couldn’t translate the world of the novel to screen. Fortunately, he nails it to a T. McCarthy’s trademark landscapes are all here: miles upon miles of empty gray skies, of ruined vehicles clogging up the highways, of corpses left to rot in abandoned homes. It isn’t pretty, but it’s a sight to behold just the same.



When all is said and done, The Road emerges as a good film, but not an enjoyable one. It will drain you and leave you marveling at what you just saw, but you’ll also be left with little incentive to see it again.



7.5/10

Pho Hien Vuong

Located at 4109-A Spring Garden St., Pho Hien Vuong serves Vietnamese and Thai cuisine including pho (noodle soup), rice, noodle and vegetarian dishes. A $4.95 lunch special changes daily and the restaurant is open on Sundays.

The measure of a bad Asian restaurant is that everything tastes the same. At Pho Hien Vuong, everything is good, but nothing tastes the same. Several pages worth of menu options ensure there’s plenty of variety to be found. In the mood for something light? Try a spring roll. They come fresh (steamed) or fried, vegetarian or with shrimp, with peanut sauce. Want something heavier? Dig into a bowl of pho. The soups come with your choice of noodle (egg, clear or rice) and filling and enough accouterments (cilantro, sauces, bean sprouts, etc.) to allow you to season to your liking.



Thai dishes, such as curries and pad thai, have enough seasoning to please those familiar with the cuisine without overwhelming the palates of newcomers. Other authentic staples include Tom soups, lemon grass dishes and Vietnamese-style ribs.



Prices at Pho Hien Vuong are more than reasonable. The lunch specials, which include rice and a spring roll, are a bargain, and many of the regular entrees run $8 or less. Seafood dishes are less economical, but even the $13 shrimp pad thai isn’t an outrage. Service is satisfactory – the wait staff is prompt, but they don’t rush you — and the atmosphere (plenty of booths, gentle music, a large fish tank) is comfortably elegant. The only real downside to Pho Hien Vuong is its lack of parking. The lot is tiny and fills up quickly, rendering the restaurant virtually inaccessible during the lunch rush.



Like a Swiss army knife, Pho Hien Vuong’s versatility comes in handy in a variety of situations. Whether you have a craving for a particular dish or no clue what you want; whether you’re well-versed with Vietnamese or Thai cuisine or are just starting out, Pho Hien Vuong has you covered.



8.5/10

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

When his subordinate knocks up his daughter, a Mexican crime lord (Emilio Fernandez) offers $1 million to whoever can bring him Alfredo Garcia’s severed head. The task of finding the treacherous Garcia is farmed out to Bennie (Warren Oates), a former Army officer turned piano player. With his prostitute girlfriend Elita (Isela Vega) in tow, Bennie sets off to find Garcia, no matter what the cost.




The two most frequently repeated criticisms of Sam Peckinpah are that his movies are misogynistic and gratuitously violent. Both points certainly apply here. The body count soars into double digits and we’re subjected to a near-rape, a brutal interrogation scene and, of course, the titular severed head. All these things make for an unpleasant movie, but not one which should be ignored.



To start with, the diminutive Oates brings both depth and ass-kicking toughness to the lead role (one which was supposedly modeled on Peckinpah himself). Bennie begins the film as a sleazy opportunist, but by the end, it’s clear he’s the moral center, the only one who isn’t chasing Garcia’s head for the money or for simple revenge. Colorful supporting performances include Kris Kristofferson as a menacing biker and Robert Webber and Gig Young as a pair of besuited, station wagon-driving hitmen. Fernandez’s powerful jefe and a few of the minor roles, on the other hand, felt a bit stock.



The film is well-shot too. We get plenty of scenic Mexican countryside, but enough grit (brothels and bars and cemeteries) to create a fuller picture. An iconic sequence of Oates driving en route to collect his reward is an obvious influence on Quentin Tarantino – see the segment he directed for Sin City.



Overall, one’s appreciation of the film will depend on how much the viewer can relate to Peckinpah’s bleak, uncompromising worldview. It’s easy to see the ending as a negation of everything leading up to it, but those final bursts of gunfire are needed to make the film ring true. Supposedly, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is the film Peckinpah was most proud of; not surprising given it was the only one not subject to studio interference.



7.75/10

Taqueria El Azteca

NOTE: El Azteca also operates a popular taco truck.

Located at 5605 West Friendly Avenue in the Pyramid Village Shopping Center, Taqueria El Azteca offers margaritas, tacos, burritos, fajitas and other Mexican fare. Tacos are $1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Outdoor seating is available.

For tacophiles, El Azteca is Greensboro’s gold standard. They are served up authentic Mexican style, with radish, avocado, cilantro and lime. More than half a dozen fillings are available and you can’t go wrong with most of them. The pastor (marinated pork) is addictively flavorful, while the chorizo has a nice kick. Only the chicken is a bit dry. The tacos are small – don’t expect them to last you more than three bites – but at a $1 each, they are still a good bargain.



El Azteca’s other menu options aren’t quite of the same caliber. Burritos and fajitas can run over $10, depending on the fillings, and are prepared in more of a Tex-Mex style. That isn’t necessarily a demerit and nothing is prepared badly here, but you can find similar food elsewhere.



The restaurant’s waitstaff is friendly and attentive. Drinks are refilled and baskets of chips replenished promptly. Of course, that will only benefit you if you’ve already been seated. El Azteca is not a large establishment and on $1 taco nights, it fills up very quickly. Show up with a group after 6:30 on a Tuesday or a Thursday and you’re virtually guaranteed a wait.



If you like tacos and don’t mind a crowd, El Azteca has the potential to become a local favorite. If you’re in a hurry or are in the mood for something else, however, you may want to rethink your options.



7.25/10

Sticks & Stones Clay Oven Pizza

Located at the intersection of Walker and Elam Aves., Sticks & Stones offers small plates, salads and, of course, pizza. Many varieties of beer are also available, and food/drink specials rotate regularly.

For Sticks & Stones, “local pizzeria” is more than just a geographic identifier – it’s part of a much deeper philosophy. The restaurant prides itself on procuring fresh, often organic ingredients from North Carolina-based farms, markets and creameries. The communitarian approach extends to baking pizzas in wood-burning ovens and using pizza boxes made from recycled paper.



The eclecticism doesn’t end there though. Everything on the menu is named for a Ryan Adams song. This odd touch may delight fans, but will likely confuse, if not annoy, the non-listener. Throw in a sparse-but-intimate ambiance (wood tables/booths and low lighting) and a consistently friendly wait staff and you’re left with an establishment which is anything but forgettable.



The food nearly comes close to matching the distinction of Sticks & Stones’ other intangibles. Pizza topping combinations include everything from fried eggplant, wild mushrooms and caramelized garlic (A Kiss Before I Go, sure to become a favorite) to sopressata, arugula, mozzarella and pine nuts (New York, New York) and, of course, you can always make your own. The local ingredients are high-quality and the flavor combinations work well, though the crust (thick and bland) is lackluster. Salads are bolstered by touches like pumpkin seeds (Peaceful Valley) and honeyed walnuts (Dance All Night).


In keeping with the considerate ethos, Sticks & Stones does not price its way out of the community. Large pies feed three and run $20 or less. That may seem like sticker shock for those used to chain prices, but you get what you pay for. Salads will set you back $4.25 to $7.25 depending on the size and small plates vary considerably.


The biggest drawback here, by far, is the susceptibility toward crowding. Go here on a busy night and expect to wait: for a table, for your food, for your headache to go away (the acoustics here leave something to be desired), et cetera. Of course, that assumes that you can even find parking: the small lot fills up quickly.



As I mentioned in my Mellow Mushroom review, what makes a “good” pizza is largely a subjective affair. So to is what makes a good pizza place. Cozy yet quirk-laden, Sticks & Stones may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or can of sauce, as the case may be), but the fried eggplant alone makes it worth investigating.



8/10

Revolutionary Road

Young professional Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife April (Kate Winslet) lead a seemingly charmed life in 1950s suburban Connecticut. He hates his job, however, and she feels suffocated by domesticity. Meanwhile, some trenchant and probing observations by a friend’s mentally ill son (Michael Shannon) threaten to shatter their illusion of a happy family once and for all.




It isn’t easy to create a good movie without a single likeable character, but Sam Mendes appears to have done exactly that. Like Mendes’ best-known film, American Beauty, Revolutionary Road is a scathing indictment of middle-class conformity. But while that movie offered at least a glimpse of hope for some of its characters, Mendes’ adaptation of Richard Yates’ novel strikes a thoroughly despondent note. And that is precisely why it works.



There is something recognizable and perhaps even understandable in every one of Revolutionary Road’s characters, yet every character simultaneously courts contempt – necessary if we are to read this as a critique of their lifestyle. DiCaprio and Winslet (the director’s wife) give very solid lead performances which invert their relationship from Titanic. Instead of kindred spirits divided by class, they are a pair of suburbanites who couldn’t be more different. Frank owns up to his responsibilities as a provider, but is afraid to push himself to do something more with his life. April, on the other hand, never lets go of that spark, but is also irresponsible, deluded and selfish.



The supporting parts are similarly unsympathetic. Cast against type, Kathy Bates does the genteel and quietly judgmental family friend/realtor to perfection. Shannon, however, gives a slightly disappointing performance as her institutionalized son, a burned out mathematician. Though nominated for an Oscar, he does little more than deliver tactless and obvious commentary, something which may seem “shocking” to buttoned-up suburbanites like his parents, but not to the audience. Everything he says is spot-on, though hardly riveting.



One of the film’s greatest triumphs is being able to squeeze maximum tension out of minimum action. The visual look of the film – neatly coiffed hairstyles, white shirts and dresses – stands in such contrast to the characters’ inner disarray that it seems like only a matter of time before something ruptures. Even something as innocuous as April making eggs feels like a potential prelude to a blow-up. If there is one qualm about how this tension is handled, it is that the conclusion felt unsatisfyingly truncated. Credit Mendes/Yates for dodging sentimentality, but they could have shown us more and hit us harder. We can take it.



7.5/10