Michelle Rodriguez – Machete

It’s been 10 years since actress Michelle Rodriguez broke into the film industry by beating out 350 other young women for the lead role in the independent, award-winning film “Girlfight,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000.

Since that performance, Rodriguez has gone on to earn a number of roles in both independent and mainstream movies including “The Fast and the Furious,” “Blue Crush,” and last year’s history-making blockbuster “Avatar.” She now stars in director Robert Rodriguez’s new exploitation film “Machete.”

In the film, Rodriguez, who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, plays Luz, aka Shé, a taco-truck employee who moonlights as a revolutionary. She helps title character Machete (Danny Trejo) seek revenge on the men who double-cross him and leave him for dead.

What attracted you to the role of Luz other than the fact that she is one of these strong female characters you’re known for playing?

I liked the fact that she’s about the people. There’s just something really beautiful about that – bout the idea that you can have somebody that is attracted to innocence and attracted to struggle and peace and justice and will literally dedicate their life to that cause. I admire that in people. I personally feel like there’s a more democratic and efficient way to go about things, but this isn’t reality. (Laughs) This is an exploitation film. I enjoy taking things to an exaggerated fantasy limit.

Speaking of fighting for a cause, you recently joined the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. How did you get involved in that organization and what do you hope to accomplish in a group that is considered by many as very controversial?

I have a love for…anything that can’t defend itself or doesn’t have a voice. I’ve feel an innate connection and empathy towards it ever since I was a little kid. Not to be mushy or anything, but it’s something that rings true with me. I go back to Puerto Rico and I would cry because I would see that they were just destroying all the mountains. I was just always really frustrated at this lack of appreciation for man’s creation over nature. It wasn’t until I shot “Battle in Seattle” where I really started to think that maybe this activism thing isn’t necessarily the way everyone wants to go about it, but they’re doing something about it and I have to respect that. I started getting involved in different organization and then I landed “Avatar” and Jim [Cameron] started introducing me other organizations and people that were seriously involved. There was a whole network. He opened up a gateway. I was like, “OK, this is where I belong. This is where I need to be.” So, I was out at the Cannes Film Festival deejaying some gigs an while I was out there I saw one of the Sea Shepherd. I was partying on a yacht and I saw this Sea Shepherd in Cannes! (Laughs) I was like, “What the hell is a Sea Shepherd doing in Cannes?” I had to go out there and meet him and see what he was all about.

Well, this does sound like a cause that you are definitely willing to fight for, but is it a cause that you’re willing to face danger for? I don’t know if you watch “Whale Wars,” but some members of the Conservation Society were kidnapped during the first season.

What’s that famous scene in “The Lion King?” It goes, “Danger? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. I laugh in the face of danger!” I feel like the baby lion. I think they called him Simba.

You’re celebrating your 10-year anniversary as an actress this year. Does it still surprise you when you think back to “Girlfight” a decade ago and realize how far you’ve come?

You know, it doesn’t surprise me because now it feels so right and everything that I’ve gone through and everything that has happened is perfect. Even the hardships and the struggles and all the fights that I’ve had at studios, its great to be in a place where you’re like, “Finally, I get it.” I’ve established who I am and it’s just beautiful that I’ve been able to do it and that I’ve had the opportunity to it and that the business has been so open-minded to letting me grown as a person. I was a kid, dude. I was 20 years old. I never had money in my life and I get thrust into this game and all of a sudden I’m doing “The Fast and the Furious” and taking mad dough. Next thing you know I’m in Hollywood movies just because Vin Disel liked my character in “Girlfight.” I’m like, “Dude? Do you even know what’s going on?” I’m a girl from Jersey City who knows nothing about cash and nothing about the lifestyle being thrust into it. I had so much education thrust at me so fast, I couldn’t even blink without learning something. It was amazing. I wouldn’t take back a second of it.

Some people are calling Danny Trejo the first big Latino action star…

Wait a minute. I don’t know about all that. People are forgetting Antonio Banderas in “Zorro.” He’s not the first Latin. And you can’t forget “El Chapulin Colorado.” Come on now. You have to give some props where it’s due. Maybe the first Mexican-American superhero. Because Cantinflas, even though he was funny, he was my hero.

Were you able to match Danny’s toughness?

Dude, that guy’s got a heart of gold. All you can do is accent it. It’s like he’s so hardcore but then you look in his eyes and he’s got this pureness about him. You feel like you’re in a good place with Danny…as long as you don’t get on his bad side. That’s one Mexican you don’t want to fuck with.

You’ve done you’re fair share of action movies and have carried a few guns in some of them, but nothing as massive as what you carry in “Machete.” How did making a Robert Rodriguez movie compare to the rest?

I feel like I’ve never really been truly allowed to be sexy before this. I feel like I’ve been able to explore a little bit more of my feminine side.

I guess it’s easier to feel sexy when you have a big gun in your hand.

(Laughs) That and a bra.

Danny Trejo – Machete

Danny Trejo’s never met a movie role he didn’t like. Since breaking into the film industry in 1985, after spending a majority of his adulthood in and out of prison, Trejo’s familiar chiseled-with-a-serrated-edge look has earned him screen time in over 140 movies, including “Bound by Honor,” “Con Air,” and just about every film directed by his cousin Robert Rodriguez. In “Machete,” Trejo, 66, plays the title character, a revenge-seeking, blade-wielding former Mexican Federale with an ax to grind (literally). He spoke to me via phone about starring in the first lead role of his career.

You’ve been in the industry for over 20 years. Did you always think a lead role like this was going to come sooner or later if you were just patient enough?

You know, acting to me is like any other job. It’s like a painter or a plumber. You just keep working. It’s just a job that I love. Everybody’s asking me if I’m just going to take lead roles now. Hell no! Give me a job. Like a housepainter, I’ll paint whatever house you want me to paint.

You must be the hardest working house-painter in the business. Your imdb.com page lists you in 20 movies this year.

(Laughs) Yeah, I’m starting to do everything. I just did a movie in Austin with a young, first-time director. They paid me $100. My son is producing a movie right now called “Skinny Dip.” He better give me a job.

Can you give me an example of a role you might turn down?

If the bad guy wins, I probably wouldn’t do it. They always say, “Oh, you’re always the killer or the robber,” but I always die! Even Al Pacino got killed off in “Scarface.” That’s life.

Yeah, I was a bit disappointed you made an early exit in “Predators.”

(Laughs) Well, they had to kill me off quick because I made everyone else look too soft.

This movie has been a rumor for a long time. How much pestering did it take from you to get Robert to finally do it?

I was calling him every day! There’s a line in the movie that says, “Machete don’t text.” It’s in the movie because Robert kept telling me, “Stop calling me! Just text me! I can’t always answer the phone!” I told him, “Machete don’t text.” So, he put it in the script!

Any dramatic roles in your future?

Well, I did a movie called “Sherrybaby” [in 2006]. But dramatic movies…they bore me, holmes. It’s like, “Wake me up when I gotta be on set!” I love action roles. I love shooting and running over buildings and jumping through windows.

And it’s probably easier to cuddle up with actresses like Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez when you’re playing a badass.

Oh, you watch. The things I do with Jessica in this movie, I’m like, “Thank you, Jesus!” God worked overtime for me on that one.

Machete

Starring: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City”) and Ethan Maniquis (debut)
Written by: Robert Rodriguez (“Planet Terror”) and Alvaro Rodriguez (“Shorts”)

Continuing where he left off after teasing audiences with a faux trailer in 2007’s “Grindhouse,” filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City”) serves up a dish of entertaining mayhem and timely political satire in the form of “Machete.” It’s a contemporary exploitation flick with all the aesthetics of the hardcore vigilante films of the 70s, but with one discernable difference: This time a Mexican’s in charge.

In “Machete,” veteran actor Danny Trejo (“Con Air”) stars as the title character, a former Mexican Federale out for revenge against the men who set him up during an assassination attempt against racist politician Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro). The senator, who spends his free time playing border enforcer and shooting Mexicans who cross into the U.S., is betting that his idea to eradicate all illegal immigrants and erect an electrified border fence will garner enough support to win the upcoming election.

Tied to the senator is Torrez (Steven Segal, who was smart to take this role instead of embarrassing himself in “The Expendables”), a drug cartel kingpin who just happens to be the same man carrying the sword that beheaded Machete’s wife.

On the run, Machete is reeled into “Operation Network,” an underground group of activists fighting for the rights of Mexican immigrants everywhere. Led by a revolutionist known as Shé (an obvious homage to Ché Guevara), “The Network” is a complex system of justice-seekers watching out for their fellow hombres.

Michelle Rodriguez (“Avatar”) plays Luz, a taco-truck owner who may or may not be a major part of “The Network,” but takes care of her own nonetheless. Jessica Alba (“Sin City”) is Sartana, an official with the U.S. Immigration Department who is forced to choose between the law and her empathy for the cause. Precious time is wasted on a topless Lindsay Lohan (“Georgia Rule”) as April, Booth’s meth-head daughter who is on screen long enough for her to flash her breasts and dress like a nun for the final shootout.

Already labeled as a “Mexploitation” film, “Machete” doesn’t disappoint in delivering incredibly campy violence by way of swords, surgical tools, and even a customized weed whacker with a little extra cutting power. No matter what, if any, political stance the film takes, Machete himself is simply a fun character to cheer for despite his lack of real personality.

Nevermind how much disarray immigration reform is across the country, Machete has actually taught us something that can’t be learned from watching Fox News or CNN. He’s taught us about survival. He’s taught us that a man can only be pushed so far before he starts pushing (slicing in this case) back. Most importantly, he’s taught us that whoever coined the first rule of modern warfare – “never bring a knife to a gunfight” – didn’t consider what a vengeful Mexican could actually do with a bad attitude and a blade.

The American

Starring: George Clooney, Irina Björklund, Thekla Reuten
Directed by: Anton Corbijn (“Control”)
Written by: Rowan Joffe (“28 Weeks Later”)

If you think the term “minimalist thriller” sounds contradictory that’s because it is. It’s also the perfect way to describe George Clooney’s new film “The American,” a tame and tensionless art-house spy movie that will only be appreciated by small circles familiar with European cinema from the 60s and 70s and those with a resistance to films with glacial pacing. Don’t anticipate Jason Bourne or James Bond. Try Just Bored.

Directed by Anton Corbijn, who did a fine job with the music biopic “Control” in 2007, the story follows Jack (George Clooney), an American hitman who is forced to lay low in Italy after he is targeted by assassins while spending time with his girlfriend in Sweden.

Despite sounding a bit like the set up of the engaging 2008 film “In Bruges” where an assassin played by Colin Farrell hides out in Belgium after a hit goes bad, “The American” offers up its narrative with much more restraint. In turn, Clooney, while still exuding his debonair style as always, can’t translate his usual star power into anything of substance.

Screenwriter Rowan Joffe’s script, which is adapted from Martin Booth’s 1990 novel “A Very Private Gentleman,” internalizes much of Jack’s thoughts and emotions. While Clooney is talented enough to convey the melodrama without getting tacky, we’re left with a solemn performance maintained by a pretentious story without much backbone. Without the characters being on the verge of something, they never seem to be in any actual danger.

Spending most of the film’s runtime in Italy, Jack receives instructions from his boss Pavel (Johan Leysen) to construct a customized rifle for another assassin (Thekla Reuten). Despite Pavel’s orders not to make any friends, Jack begins a tryst with a local prostitute (Violante Placido) and a pointless friendship with a priest (Paolo Bonacelli) all while trying to figure out who is responsible for the attempted hit on him.

Besides his tour through the small and beautifully-shot Italian town, neither Corbijn nor Joffe seem interested in creating something more than an observational drama. Sure, there is an underlying feeling that there could possibly be another assassin lurking in the shadows, but the film is so self-aware of its own subtlety it becomes aggravating to watch Clooney play it so straight.

By the end of “The American,” it’s not so much a climax that takes place in the waning moments as it is proof that all the characters are still conscious in some way. As a moviegoer, don’t expect you’ll be able to devote the same attentiveness.

Going the Distance

Starring: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day
Directed by: Nannette Burstein (“American Teen”)
Written by: Geoff LaTulippe (debut)

In a typical romantic comedy it’s usually an unwritten rule that a best friend character is given just enough material to steal a scene or two and then spends the rest of his or her time providing sound advice or a shoulder to cry on. But in “Going the Distance” you don’t have to get too far into the film before it becomes evident who is really carrying the rom-com where it needs to go. It is unfortunate Drew Barrymore and Justin Long had to come along and cramp their style.

In “Going the Distance,” Barrymore and Long take a backseat to comedians Charlie Day (TV’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and Jason Sudeikis (TV’s “Saturday Night Live”), who play Dan and Box, the best friends of Garrett (Long), a record label employee living in New York City who falls for Erin (Barrymore), a newspaper intern, six weeks before she’s scheduled to finish up her internship and move back home to San Francisco.

Despite the short amount of time they have to spend together, Garrett and Erin start their cutesy courtship and first-time screenwriter Geoff LaTulippe makes sure to squeeze as much out of their clever personalities before they retire to opposite sides of the country. Before Erin departs, however, the two decide they want to try a long-distance relationship.

Alone in their respective cities, the new couple, through formulaic montages and rom-com romance revolving around text messages and Skype, Garrett and Erin journey through the vast emotions one would feel if their significant other was thousands of miles away. There to balance out all of Garrett’s jealously and loneliness are Dan and Box, who inject some much needed humor into all his pouty moments. Meanwhile on the West Coast, Christina Applegate plays Erin’s concerned sister Corinne, a character shamelessly cut from the same cloth as Leslie Mann’s in “Knocked Up.”

But like most wannabe Judd Apatowesque comedies, “Going the Distance” has neither the charm nor enough laughs to drag it from the trenches. Aside from the few secondary characters that brighten up all the lame lovie-dovieness that Garrett and Erin share both from afar and when they have the cash to fly in for a visit, Oscar-nominated documentary director Nannette Burstein (“American Teen”) just can’t make the profanity-laced script mesh well enough with eyelash-fluttering romance. 

What’s left are gags about dry humping, pop culture references of “Top Gun,” and a mishap in a tanning salon that set the bar fairly low even for Long’s lack of slapstick-comedy prowess. Barrymore’s still as accessible as ever, but if she’s trying to find some edge in her roles she’ll have to travel farther than this.

Wild Grass

Starring: André Dussollier, Sabine Azéma, Mathieu Amalric
Directed by: Alain Resnais (“Smoking/No Smoking”)
Written by: Laurent Herbiet (“The Colonel”) and Alex Reval (debut)
 
To say the art-house romance “Wild Grass” (“Les Herbes Folles”) is a confounding piece of work is an understatement. Acclaimed French director Alain Resnais (“Smoking/No Smoking”), who turned 88 years old this past June, has created a fantastical and intimate narrative that might have been more effective if his carefree style wasn’t so meaningless at times.
 
Upon finding a red wallet in the parking lot, Good Samaritan Georges Palet (André Dussollier) turns it over to the police so they can contact its rightful owner. In most cases, this is where the story would end for any one else in the same situation, but not for Georges. A bizarre infatuation to the woman whom the wallet belongs begins and is too intense to ignore.
 
The obsession Georges has for Marguerite Muir (Sabine Azéma) isn’t necessarily the type anyone would get a restraining order for. Georges comes off as genuine and kind, but becomes an annoyance to Marguerite with his constant phone calls and letters. Even when he crosses the line and slashes her tires there’s never a sense Marguerite can’t handle her suitor’s strange advances.
 
Honestly, there’s no real reason why Georges becomes fascinated with Marguerite (it definitely can’t be for her frizzy red hair) unless you take a deep-seated approach and dissect the movie title itself. Georges is married to an attractive younger woman and seems happy enough, but his need to inject himself into Marguerite’s life has more to do with surrendering his heart to a force more powerful than himself than actual love. As the saying goes, “The heart wants what the heart wants.”

Despite the interesting metaphors the film experiments with, “Wild Grass” can’t stand on its own merit. It feels like an inferior version of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 masterpiece “Amélie” with its excess of descriptive narration and whimsical imagery. Director Resnais is excellent at capturing the observational portions of his story, but is graceless when making random choices. It’s like someone taking a scenic route and getting lost on the way.

By the end of the film there have been so many tonal changes we’re not sure exactly what message, if any, Resnais has made clear. “I wanted to talk to you about everything and nothing,” Georges tells Marguerite at one point in the film. What’s funny is that Resnais has shown us the same thing.

Takers

Starring: Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Tip “T.I.” Harris
Directed by: John Luessenhop (“Lockdown”)
Written by: John Luessenhop (debut), Gabriel Casseus (debut), Avery Duff (debut), Peter Allen (“Klash”),

There are only so many things you can do with a screenplay as unoriginal as “Takers.” You can either compare it to better heist movies that have come before it or you can save your breath and take it for what it is: a generic, one-dimensional collection of cocky, GQ-fashionable stars running around with nothing meaningful to say or do.

In “Takers,” a group of professional thieves (Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Michael Ealy, Hayden Christensen, and Chris Brown) team up with Ghost (Tip “T.I.” Harris), a former member of their crew who was recently released from prison after being the only one to get arrested during the boys’ last run together six years prior.

Now out of prison, Ghost wants to steal $30 million from an armored truck and feel his old friends owe it to him to join up for another heist. Although some of the men don’t trust Ghost, their leader Gordon Jennings (Elba) accepts the proposal since Ghost never took a plea bargain and ratted any of them out when he was in the joint.

On the other side of the law are LAPD’s finest, officers Jack Welles (Matt Dillon) and Eddie Hatcher (Jay Hernandez) who are hot on the trail of the “takers,” but have problems of their own to deal with as well. Like the criminals they’re after, neither of the boys in blue have much personality aside from a typical law-enforcement temperament.

Besides a few well-shot action sequences (this doesn’t include a pretentious shoot-out scene played over symphony music), “Takers” is not engaging unless you’re entertained by big-budget pissing contests. The testosterone and fashion might be at an all time high, but when you’ve seen one slow-motion strut in an Armani suit you’ve basically seen them all.

Jay Hernandez – Takers

In the new heist movie “Takers,” actor Jay Hernandez plays Eddie Hatcher, an LAPD officer who goes after a team of bank robbers alongside his edgy partner Jack Welles (Matt Dillon). During the heist, Eddie is faced with a situation concerning his son that compromises his position as a cop.

During an interview with me, Hernandez, 32, whose film credits include “Friday Night Lights,” “Nothing Like the Holidays,” and the “Hostel” franchise, talked about why playing a cop isn’t quite as fun as playing a criminal and why heist movies are as popular as ever.

Was there something particular you saw in your character that made you want to be a part of the film?

There are a lot of reasons why I wanted to be in the film, but one of the main ones was because the character was interesting and layered. Also, there was a very eclectic cast that would hopefully build tension.

Are these layered roles the type of work you’re pursing at this point of your career?

I think most actors try to do stuff that is not one-dimensional. It ultimately comes down to what options actors have. If you don’t have a lot of options, sometimes you’re forced to do things you don’t necessarily want to do. With me, I always try to pick things that are interesting.

You’ve played a cop before. How do you prepare for a role like this to make it completely different from the previous one?

You just try to switch it up in anyway possible and not repeat what you’ve done before. I have actually played a cop a couple of times. Maybe you can throw in a little accent. Physically there are things you can do. But this character had a lot of different things going on than the cop in “Lakeview Terrace.”

You played characters on both sides of the law, so which roles are more fun?

Playing the criminal is more fun. You get shoot more people and steal. The criminal always gets the girl.

Do you think in real life you might be able to pull off a heist without getting caught?

(Laughs) You know, I watch enough “Forensic Files” and Discovery Channel that I should be able to get away with it, but probably not. Everyone makes dumb mistakes somewhere down the line. You might be able to get away with it in a film, but not so much in real life.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an actor?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been doing it for a while now and I’ve accepted it as my world. If I was going to do anything else, I would imagine it would have to include a lot of traveling and experiencing different cultures. I don’t know what kind of job would take me all over the world like that.

What do you think it is about the heist movie that keeps it so popular as a genre?

It’s this idea that everybody has: If I could just get my hands on $1 million, what would I do with it? You can take that idea and put it in any setting around the world or in any situation. As a writer or director, the potential roads you could walk down are limitless. Everybody has that fantasy sometime in their lives – if I could just get my hands on some cash, legal or illegal. I think that’s why [the genre] keeps coming back and is always relevant especially now in terms of the economy.

Your co-star T.I. was recently quoted as saying that he wants to win an Oscar before he turns 40. You’ve been in the industry for 10 years. Is it realistic for actors to set those kinds of goals for themselves?

Well, the only way you’re ever going to reach a goal is if you set one. That doesn’t mean he’s going to do it, but I wouldn’t say it was impossible. I would love to do it someday, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Does he have the ability to do it? Maybe. But will the opportunity present itself? There are so many factors that go into somebody winning an Oscar that you never know. I hope to win one someday and if [T.I.] commits to it, I hope he does, too.

The Switch

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jeff Goldblum
Directed by: Josh Gordon (“Blades of Glory”) and Will Speck (“Blades of Glory”)
Written by: Allan Loeb (“Things We Lost in the Fire”)
 
While any pitch that starts off with the words, “By the two guys who directed ‘Blades of Glory’” isn’t necessarily an effective selling point, “The Switch” finds a way to avoid becoming the sitcom-type movie it sets itself up to be by delivering some surprising sentimentality and an honest script by screenwriter Allan Loeb (“Things We Lost in the Fire”). Despite a lack of hearty laughs, this is the kind of dramedy where it feels just as good to smile.

In “The Switch,” originally titled “The Baster,” Hollywood sweetheart Jennifer Aniston (“The Break Up”) stars as Kassie Larson, a TV producer who can’t ignore the thumping of her biological clock any longer. She wants a baby, but without any potential relationships lined up Kassie decides that all she really needs is a suitable sperm donor to make her a mommy.

Jason Bateman (“Juno”) plays Wally Mars, Kassie’s cynical analyst best friend who isn’t keen on her plans to conceive artificially. During her sperm donor party (what, you’ve never been to one?), Wally replaces the sperm sample of Kassie’s preferred donor Roland (Patrick Wilson) with his own, although he was under the influence when he made the, er, deposit.

After Kassie moves away from New York City and back again in the span of seven years, Wally finally meets his son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson in a scene-stealing role) who he doesn’t really know is his offspring until he starts noticing peculiar little similarities they share while he spends time with him. Not only does Sebastian have some of his quirks, he’s also quite neurotic for a kid his age.

But how does Wally bring up a secret he’s never been aware of until recently? Things get even messier when Kassie begins to date the original sperm donor, who has always thought he contributed to her happiness.

Despite a fairly predictable screenplay, directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck and screenwriter Loeb aren’t tied down to any lowbrow humor a film like “The Switch” could have easily relied on. Instead, there are some genuine, heartfelt moments especially during the scenes Bateman and young Robinson share together. It’s through these tender moments when “The Switch” wears its heart on its sleeve and becomes a sweet film that explores the complications of parenthood and friendship.

Get Low

Starring: Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek
Directed by: Aaron Schneider (debut)
Written by: Chris Provenzano (“Thank You, Goodnight”) and C. Gaby Mitchell (debut)

In the opening shot of “Get Low,” we see a house engulfed in so many flames it would be virtually impossible for anyone to escape a fiery death. However, when the silhouette of a male figure manages to get out of the house and run away, you know that person has a story to tell no matter how long it’ll take him to do it.

In “Get Low,” Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall (“Tender Mercies”) is in top form as Felix Bush, an elderly man living alone in Tennessee during the 30s who has kept a secret for years and has finally decided to tell anyone who’s interested in listening what he’s buried inside him before it’s time to be buried himself.

The revelation, however, will come on his terms. When Felix visits a funeral home run by Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) and his young associate Buddy (Lucas Black) it’s for a specific purpose. He wants to throw a funeral party for himself and wants to invite everyone that has a story to tell about him.

To ensure a big turnout (mostly because everyone is scared of him and his reputation as “Old Man Bush”), Felix announces he will leave all his land after he dies to the winner of a raffle at the event. With business not going so well for the funeral home (“People are dying in bunches everywhere but here,” Frank says), Frank sees an opportunity to make some money and agrees to help Felix plan for his unusual get-together.

Directed by first-timer Aaron Schneider, “Get Low” is a modest Southern folktale about atonement, grief, and coming to terms with one’s own mortality. Leave it to Duvall to take a character that could have come off as a small-minded grump knocking at death’s door and bring him to life. Murray, too, is a joy to watch as he stays just above the wave of melancholy that sweeps through the tone of the entire picture.

The rustic feel and slow pace of “Get Low” might not be for everyone, but if you want to see a master like Duvall craft a fine performance it might be a good idea to hitch a ride to the countryside. It’ll definitely be an inspiring journey.

Lottery Ticket

Starring: Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Ice Cube
Directed by: Erik White (debut)
Written by: Abdul Williams (debut)

As an urban-centric summer offering, “Lottery Ticket” begins with a handful of surprisingly solid laughs before quickly backpedaling into a second-rate mainstream comedy reminiscent of others produced by Ice Cube like “Barbershop” and “Beauty Shop.” Sure, things could’ve come out a lot worse (“First Friday” comes to mind), but the humorous setup can’t compete with a first-time director and screenwriter who can’t quite execute the more insightful issues they hoped to highlight.

Rap artist Bow Wow – in his fifth major film release – stars as Kevin Carson, a young Footlocker employee who dreams to one day move out of his neighborhood and own his own shoe company.

When Kevin reluctantly buys a lottery ticket and finds out the following day that he has hit the $370-million jackpot, he, his grandmother (Loretta Devine), and his best friend Benny (Brandon T. Jackson) aren’t the only ones jumping for joy. When news hits the streets about Kevin’s good fortune, the entire neighborhood comes looking for him and wants to share in his newfound wealth.

With the lottery ticket office closed for the Fourth of July, Kevin has to get through the weekend without doing anything to jeopardize the tiny paper ticket in his pocket. Instead of doing what most sane people would do (leaving town and holding up in a hotel for a few days or even going to the bank and putting the ticket in a safety deposit box), screenwriter Abdul Williams leaves Kevin out to fend for himself against his riotous neighbors, a kingpin (Keith David) who befriends him after his win, and the local ex-con bad boy (Gbenga Akinnagbe) who also wants to cash in big.

Ice Cube takes a smaller role as Mr. Washington, a mysterious old man and former boxer who hangs out in his basement and never leaves his home. He takes kindly to Kevin who doesn’t mind running small errands for the elderly recluse. Although he acts as the voice of reason, Cube dressed in old man makeup is about as funny as Tyler Perry in a muumuu.

Aside from the authentic friendship between Kevin and Benny, which leads to the more dramatic moments of the film, “Lottery Ticket” begins to drown as it attempts to sidestep some of its earlier faults. When Benny preaches to Kevin that he needs to make a difference in his community with the money he’s won, the message feels hypocritical when you think back to the point in the film where Benny goes on a selfish little shopping spree.

“Lottery Ticket” could be a vehicle for a some escapism (who hasn’t thought about what they would do if they got so lucky?), but the shoddy blend of social commentary and stereotypical humor doesn’t make for much of a trip anywhere.

Felipe Esparza – Last Comic Standing

After two months taking the stage in front of all of America, 40-year-old comedian Felipe Esparza was named the winner of the seventh season of the hit TV talent show “Last Comic Standing” on Aug. 9. The win included $250,000 and a deal for a sitcom on NBC. Originally from East Los Angeles, Esparza, who is the first Latino to win the title since the series started back in 2003, jumped on the phone with me last week to talk about his victory and how he went from a troubled teenager to a champion comedian.

You looked pretty dumbfounded when you heard your name announced as the winner of “Last Comic Standing.”

Man, white people haven’t seen that look since O.J. [Simpson] was released.

Have they cut you your check for $250,000 yet?

Not yet, man. They said in 90 days.

Then it’s straight to the bank, right?

Nah, I’m taking it to the check cashing place, dawg. They’re going to charge me $20,000 to cash it.

You’ve been doing stand-up comedy for 16 years now, but how else were you making a living?

I worked at Dodger Stadium cooking hotdogs. When the game was over I would run over to the Comedy Store to go up on stage at midnight.

How do you like your hotdog?

Oh, man, I like them boiled and then grilled. Then I like mine with mayonnaise, tomatoes and onions, and avocado.

Growing up in East L.A. you’ve stated that you used to run with the wrong crowd when you were a kid. Can you expand on that experience and how you were able to escape that lifestyle?

Yeah, I grew up in Boyle Heights, the capital of East L.A. I lived in the housing projects. It was eight blocks of housing projects. When I was a kid there were a lot of gangs. We couldn’t even go outside and play. There were always fights outside and we always heard gunshots. I ran with gangs when I was 13 years old all the way to 20. When I was 20 I was a drug addict. I went to live at a men’s home for a year and a half. When I got out I was sober. I got a job with UPS, but I quit. Then I got the job at Dodgers Stadium and was there for a long time.

Your adolescence doesn’t sound like the optimal place for an aspiring comedian to find the humor in everyday life.

All I knew was my neighborhood and I always made everyone laugh. I turned everything into a joke. I said this joke on “Last Comic Standing”: I grew up in a gated community. The windows were gated. The back door was gated. The front door was gated.” It was a fortress.

How does it feel to be the first Latino to win “Last Comic Standing?”

Oh, man, it was the best to win but after I won I thought, “Oh, man, I’m also Latino, too!” So, after I realized I was Latino, it made the winning even better. I beat them not just as a comedian, but a Latino comedian. I should get two awards.

Too bad you don’t get another $250,000 for being Latino.

If that were to happen they’d probably give it to me in payments or they would have given me an IOU.

How do you feel when people throw all Latino comedians in the same category?

People do throw us in the same category, but after I won, not anymore. Before, they would just say, “Oh, he’s a Latino comedian. He tells Latino jokes. His comedy is just ethnic humor.” Not this time baby. This time a real motherfucker won.

So, how do you feel about Latino comedians that base their jokes only on race?

I say good for them. It opened doors for us. Paul Rodriguez opened doors for George Lopez. George Lopez opened those doors for Carlos Mencia. Carlos Mencia closed the doors. Then I got here and reopened them!

Not too many comedians think too highly of Carlos, huh?

Nah, because they consider him a joke stealer, that’s why. And good for him. Carlos kicked everybody’s ass and he did it his way. That guy is a millionaire. Leave him alone.

What if he steals one of your jokes?

Oh, man, believe me, there would be a hit on him. A lot of inmates in Chino prison have cell phones and voted for me. If Carlos Mencia or any of his family members get locked up, they’re going after them.

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