Annie (C or 2/4 stars)
Good lord. Another 'Annie'? I grew up with and loved the 1982 cinematic version with Albert Finney & Carol Burnett. But why do we need another one? I saw the trailer for this many moons ago and thought it looked horrific. Now the film has arrived in theaters and, well, though it's not very good, at least it's "better" (for lack of a better word) than that initial trailer suggested -- but it's still not good, haha. Director Will Gluck (of Easy A, Friends with Benefits) has updated the Depression-era story of the 1977 musical to NY in 2013. Little 'Orphan' Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis, from 2012's Beasts of the Southern Wild) is, instead, a happy-go-lucky foster child living the hard-knock life in the home of vile, drunken has-been Ms. Colleen Hannigan (over-the-top Cameron Diaz), whose one kiss with fame was as a shoddy back-up singer in C+C Music Factory {um, okayyy?}.
The Daddy Warbucks character has now been updated to cynical cell phone mogul/Mayoral candidate, Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx, a man used to movie musicals). Advised by his smart-as-a-whip VP, Grace (the exceedingly likeable Rose Byrne) & his shady campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale), Will hopes to get a boost in the polls by taking-in Annie for a stretch at his uber-modern penthouse apartment. Annie sings her little heart out, attends some fancy Hollywood events, bonds with Stacks, but continues to search for her birth parents who abandoned her long ago and faintly promised that they would come back ... someday. Will Stacks believes himself to be Annie's guardian angel, but her self-assuredness & Sun'll-Come-Out-Tomorrow outlook on life just might mean that SHE is his. Bland, cornball, slightly endearing musical madness ensues.
Okay, while it's somewhat refreshing (in theory) to see a modern take on class & poverty in this story, 'Annie' is lacking in observations about the rich/poor divide in this country -- bummer. Instead, this movie opts for cheesy dialogue, listless choreography, garish set pieces/designs, & clumsy direction. Most of the characters - as written - lack passion/emotion. i.e., we never fully understand why Stacks is so embittered or why Grace is such a non-stop workaholic. Other issues with this 'Annie'? It's full of soul-sucking pop culture punch lines which made me roll my eyes. I was put-off by the emphasis put on tech-heavy materialism. And I'm dumbfounded that Sandy the dog is named after the hurricane. THAT decision lacks tact.
Now, a lot could be forgiven if the actual songs/singing/musical sequences were diverting & entertaining enough ... but they aren't. Jamie Foxx sings well, but the music drowns him out, a bit. Quvenzhane Wallis sounds lovely, but Record labels won't likely be knocking on her door. Rose Byrne, love you, but stick to acting. And Cameron Diaz? Awful singer. Furthermore, the tampered-with lyrics of the songs + the sloppy execution of said musical sequences is unacceptable. Worst of all, they lack energy. "It's a Hard-Knock Life" feels claustrophobic in Ms. Hannigan's overstuffed apartment. The song, as sung, is more irritating than not. And even the iconic "Tomorrow" sounds half-hearted. Boo.
Having said all of that, I can't condemn this movie with a flat-out pan because I did enjoy the chemistry btwn. Quvenzhane Wallis & Jamie Foxx, and Quvenzhane with Rose Byrne, as well. I was not a huge fan of Wallis' Oscar nomination 2 yrs. ago, because I think a 6 yr. old can't make natural acting decisions without the heavy lifting from her director. But I now see that Wallis does have a certain "something". She's got an easy smile and a way about her that doesn't come across as trying too hard -- REALLY appreciate that. She's sassy without being annoying. And again, the ease with which she shares the screen with Foxx & Byrne is lovely to see. Cameron Diaz is fairly irksome for most of the proceedings but settles down nicely by the end -- I even laughed at a few of her late-breaking antics. That's the thing ... I DID laugh, at times. This whole production is haphazardly directed/written/edited and, I even thought the ending was hokey ... but there are genuine moments of humor, moments of cheer, and little girls should like it very much. The various pleasantries prevent me from hating on it as much as I'd like to.
The Daddy Warbucks character has now been updated to cynical cell phone mogul/Mayoral candidate, Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx, a man used to movie musicals). Advised by his smart-as-a-whip VP, Grace (the exceedingly likeable Rose Byrne) & his shady campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale), Will hopes to get a boost in the polls by taking-in Annie for a stretch at his uber-modern penthouse apartment. Annie sings her little heart out, attends some fancy Hollywood events, bonds with Stacks, but continues to search for her birth parents who abandoned her long ago and faintly promised that they would come back ... someday. Will Stacks believes himself to be Annie's guardian angel, but her self-assuredness & Sun'll-Come-Out-Tomorrow outlook on life just might mean that SHE is his. Bland, cornball, slightly endearing musical madness ensues.
Okay, while it's somewhat refreshing (in theory) to see a modern take on class & poverty in this story, 'Annie' is lacking in observations about the rich/poor divide in this country -- bummer. Instead, this movie opts for cheesy dialogue, listless choreography, garish set pieces/designs, & clumsy direction. Most of the characters - as written - lack passion/emotion. i.e., we never fully understand why Stacks is so embittered or why Grace is such a non-stop workaholic. Other issues with this 'Annie'? It's full of soul-sucking pop culture punch lines which made me roll my eyes. I was put-off by the emphasis put on tech-heavy materialism. And I'm dumbfounded that Sandy the dog is named after the hurricane. THAT decision lacks tact.
Now, a lot could be forgiven if the actual songs/singing/musical sequences were diverting & entertaining enough ... but they aren't. Jamie Foxx sings well, but the music drowns him out, a bit. Quvenzhane Wallis sounds lovely, but Record labels won't likely be knocking on her door. Rose Byrne, love you, but stick to acting. And Cameron Diaz? Awful singer. Furthermore, the tampered-with lyrics of the songs + the sloppy execution of said musical sequences is unacceptable. Worst of all, they lack energy. "It's a Hard-Knock Life" feels claustrophobic in Ms. Hannigan's overstuffed apartment. The song, as sung, is more irritating than not. And even the iconic "Tomorrow" sounds half-hearted. Boo.
Having said all of that, I can't condemn this movie with a flat-out pan because I did enjoy the chemistry btwn. Quvenzhane Wallis & Jamie Foxx, and Quvenzhane with Rose Byrne, as well. I was not a huge fan of Wallis' Oscar nomination 2 yrs. ago, because I think a 6 yr. old can't make natural acting decisions without the heavy lifting from her director. But I now see that Wallis does have a certain "something". She's got an easy smile and a way about her that doesn't come across as trying too hard -- REALLY appreciate that. She's sassy without being annoying. And again, the ease with which she shares the screen with Foxx & Byrne is lovely to see. Cameron Diaz is fairly irksome for most of the proceedings but settles down nicely by the end -- I even laughed at a few of her late-breaking antics. That's the thing ... I DID laugh, at times. This whole production is haphazardly directed/written/edited and, I even thought the ending was hokey ... but there are genuine moments of humor, moments of cheer, and little girls should like it very much. The various pleasantries prevent me from hating on it as much as I'd like to.