SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Jamal and his brother are poor Muslim boys living in the slums of Mumbai India. And when I say poor, I mean they live in unbelievable squalor and do whatever it takes to get by (rooting through trash, begging and stealing). Despite the circumstances Jamal grows up to be a good guy, and works bringing tea to call center workers. Through an odd circumstance, he gets on India’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”. And he knows the answers. Because he comes from nothing, they suspect him of cheating. But through flashbacks, we can see how he has come to know the answers to the questions. There’s a lot more, but I won’t provide any more details, because this is a terrific movie I recommend people go see. Potentially one of the ten best of 2008.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE. I am not a big James Bond fan, but I did like CASINO ROYALE quite a bit, and really like Daniel Craig. But this sequel to his first Bond movie just didn't cut it for me. It was mostly chase scenes and fight scenes, and not much of a story to care about. (Something about his wanting vengeance for the death of his girlfriend, and an evil businessman trying to control a resource. Yawn.) No really good face-to-face confrontations. And the chase scenes and fight scenes were badly edited so that you really only get the sense that action is going on, but not exactly what the action consists of. I had the impression that a couple of the sequences had stunts that were really cool, but you never really got a good look at what was going on. So...no.
CHANGELING. A true story. This movie is directed by Clint Eastwood, who isn't known for his happy movies, but always does a great job. In this one, Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) is a single mother raising her 9-year-old son in 1928 Los Angeles. One weekend she has to go to work unexpectedly, and when she comes back her son is gone. She calls the police, but they aren't very helpful. But a few months later, they tell her that her son has been found in Illinois. When she goes to the train station to pick him up, she realizes the boy isn't her son, but the police intimidate her into accepting him (because they don't want to be embarrassed; they are already well known as being corrupt). But she won't stay quiet for long; she knows he's not her son (he's 3 inches shorter!). But the police insist she is mistaken, even going to far as to insinuate that she just doesn't want to be a mother anymore. And then they go even further to silence her. This is a compelling story that has terrific acting, and a great recreation of the 20s. Definitely worth seeing.
THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS. Eight-year-old Bruno is living a good life, playing with his friends. It’s wartime Berlin, but the war hasn’t affected him at all. But one day his dad comes home and tells him that the family has to leave their beautiful home and go live in the country. His father is in the army, and has gotten a promotion. Turns out, his father is now the commander of a “work camp”. But Bruno is too young to know what is going on, and thinks it is a farm. And although he is forbidden from going exploring out back, he does, and comes across the camp and a little Jewish boy sitting inside the fence. And they become friends. Meanwhile, at home, his 12-year-old sister is becoming more of a Nazi, and their mother is growing more and more distraught at the knowledge of what is going on outside her house. This movie is well done, but it has what I thought was a somewhat false premise in order to drive home the horror of the holocaust. Which it does. In fact, the end is so horrific I wouldn’t even recommend this movie.
A SECRET. This French movie moves back and forth in time, starting in 1955, then 1985, and 1942. At first, it is a little challenging to keep up, but it gets easier. The story (supposedly based on fact) centers on a Jewish (although not very devout) family, as seen through the eyes of the young son. He is kind of a weakly kid, and it doesn't appear as if his father cares for him much. (The father is a great athlete.) Slowly the details of his family's past and their experiences during the Holocaust come out. The movie basically shows how the very little things people do can - quite unintentionally – affect their own lives and the lives of subsequent generations.
STRANDED. Documentary. In October 1972, a Uruguayan rugby team decided to fly to Chile to play a match. The team and friends and family were on a small plane. Caught in a severe storm, the plane went down in the Andes. Of the 45 on the plane, 29 survived the initial crash. Of course, they thought they would be rescued shortly, but the white plane just couldn't be seen from the air in all the snow. With little food and little protection from the elements (it was late winter), they did what they had to in order to survive. It was 72 days before two survivors hiked out and brought help. The movie is based on interviews with the survivors. It's a remarkable story, and it doesn't focus too much on the lurid details.
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. Swedish movie. Oskar is a 12-year old boy who is bullied by his classmates. He doesn't seem to have many friends. One day a young girl moves in next door, and they meet in their building's courtyard after school. Right away, she tells him they can never be friends. And he notes that she smells funny. Still, they start meeting, and do become friends of a sort. At the same time, someone is killing people in town. And it turns out the young girl survives on blood. Yep, she's a vampire. But there's nothing romantic or glamorous about it. She's dirty, and has to always move about to avoid capture. This may be the weirdest movie I see all year. Interesting....
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED. Kim (Anne Hathaway) is getting out of rehab after a nine-month stay. This is just days before her sister Rachel is getting married. Kim is still a brittle mess, and in fact is incredibly self-centered and demanding. Rachel harbors hostility over all the attention Kim got growing up, and their dad is obviously worried that Kim is going to slip up. (Mom isn't in sight, yet.) Although the movie is well acted, and I could certainly believe people can act this way, I am not interested in spending time with these wealthy, privileged, spoiled people. And sitting through the family's wedding rehearsal (and all the toasts!) and then their pretentious wedding ceremony and reception (which is pretty much the movie) was beyond my patience. (Being multi-racial doesn’t automatically make you interesting.) I just felt empty afterwards, a real "who cares?".
ROLE MODELS. Two young guys get in trouble and instead of going to jail, get to instead do 150 hours of community service acting as "big brother" types. Paul Rudd mentors a total nerd adolescent (McLovin from Superbad), who is into medieval role-playing. Seann William Scott gets a foul-mouthed little kid. Neither have any parenting skills. It's a completely ridiculous premise, with not a single surprise element, but there are some laughs, so it wasn't a snooze.
ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO. Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma) is back to his low-brow ways. In this one, Zack (Seth Rogan) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since kindergarten, and are roommates. But they don't make much money, and the utilities are being turned off (during a Pittsburgh winter!). They search for ways to come up with some money, and their bright idea is to make a porn movie. They gather their cast and crew, etc etc. Of course, Zack and Miri are going to have feelings for each other, and making the porn will get complicated... On one hand, this isn't a very good movie, as romantic comedies go, and some of it I found pretty distasteful, but on the other hand there are at least five really good laughs, so you have to decide whether it's worth it.
I'VE LOVED YOU FOR SO LONG. French movie, with Kristin Scott Thomas playing a woman meeting up with her sister after 15 years apart. The movie slowly reveals where she has been and why she has been gone so long over the course of the movie. Kind of slow paced, and definitely has a "not-American" movie sensibility. It was kind of interesting. I am not sorry I saw it, but don't feel that it deserves an enthusiastic "go-see-it" either.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
October movie reviews
APPALOOSA. In 1882 New Mexico territory, Virgil and Everett (Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen) arrive in a small town to become lawmen. They apparently make their living going town to town and using their guns to intimidate bad guys (one way or another). In this particular town, the bad guy scaring all the townsfolk (with many lackeys also behaving badly) is Jeremy Irons. Into this mix comes widow Allie (Renee Zellwegger), who catches Virgil's eye. He is quite smitten. Meanwhile, Virgil and Everett need to arrest Jeremy for killing the town's sheriff. This sounds like a traditional western, but it's not quite. Allie is a character you don't often see in westerns, and the movie is more about male friendship than good guys vs. bad guys. So although it is a bit slow, I liked it quite a bit.
RELIGULOUS. Bill Maher interviews a wide variety of people in an attempt to understand why they are religious. Of course, getting people to rationalize faith is a losing proposition, because by definition, faith can't be proved or disproved. On one hand, the movie is laugh out loud in parts, but on the other hand, I think Bill goes too far in blaming religion for all the ills of the world (I think Bill has a real mean streak in him). Still, if you can leave whatever beliefs you have at the door and not be offended, it is very funny stuff.
NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST. Nick (Michael Cera) is broken-hearted after his hottie girlfriend dumps him. He makes endless mix tapes (OK, CDs) for her, but she just callously throws them away. Another girl at school picks them up; it turns out they have identical tastes in music and love indie bands. But Nick and Norah don't go to the same school, so they don't know each other. But one night they both independently go out in search of a favorite band appearing in Manhattan, and they end up traveling together. They don't hit it off immediately, but they do share that taste in music... cute little movie, with some good laughs, and great supporting characters. Worth seeing.
FLASH OF GENIUS. Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) had a PhD in engineering, and was a college professor. One day, he has an inspiration, and invents the intermittent windshield wiper. He patented it, and tried to get Ford to buy his product. Instead, they told him they weren't interested, and then stole his idea. He spent years fighting them in court so he could get credit for his invention (the money was not his primary goal). He was so obsessed, he lost his wife and had a nervous breakdown. Now you might think a movie about the guy who invents a windshield wiper would be a tad boring. And you'd be right. On the other hand, it is always fun to watch the little guy go up against a big corporation and win. And the acting so good. So the movie is OK.
THE DUCHESS. In 1774 England, 16-year-old Georgiana (Keira Knightly) becomes engaged to the Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes). She is educated, vivacious, and pretty. But the Duke is really only interested in her ability to give him a male heir - he doesn't even bother to talk to her. And things get worse when she only gives birth to daughters. She becomes quite a social icon and the center of the "jet set" of the time, but it is said that her husband is the only man in England that isn't madly in love with her. He has affairs; she falls in love with another. Now, I am sympathetic to women trapped in loveless marriages, but it doesn't make for an inherently interesting story. I think this only got made because there are some parallels to Princess Diana (a descendant of the Duchess' family). Pretty costumes and settings, but just not riveting stuff.
FRONTRUNNERS. Documentary on kids from New York's prestigious Stuyvesant High School (only 3% of applicants get in). It's about four students running for President of their student union. There is the cheerleader/actress, the politics geek, a current popular SU member, and a basketball player. A review said this was an exciting look at how competitive a race can get in a cutthroat school (little man standing on chair!), but other than the kids having an on-air debate, the campaign wasn't that much different than I remember from my middle-class high school. A disappointment.
RELIGULOUS. Bill Maher interviews a wide variety of people in an attempt to understand why they are religious. Of course, getting people to rationalize faith is a losing proposition, because by definition, faith can't be proved or disproved. On one hand, the movie is laugh out loud in parts, but on the other hand, I think Bill goes too far in blaming religion for all the ills of the world (I think Bill has a real mean streak in him). Still, if you can leave whatever beliefs you have at the door and not be offended, it is very funny stuff.
NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST. Nick (Michael Cera) is broken-hearted after his hottie girlfriend dumps him. He makes endless mix tapes (OK, CDs) for her, but she just callously throws them away. Another girl at school picks them up; it turns out they have identical tastes in music and love indie bands. But Nick and Norah don't go to the same school, so they don't know each other. But one night they both independently go out in search of a favorite band appearing in Manhattan, and they end up traveling together. They don't hit it off immediately, but they do share that taste in music... cute little movie, with some good laughs, and great supporting characters. Worth seeing.
FLASH OF GENIUS. Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) had a PhD in engineering, and was a college professor. One day, he has an inspiration, and invents the intermittent windshield wiper. He patented it, and tried to get Ford to buy his product. Instead, they told him they weren't interested, and then stole his idea. He spent years fighting them in court so he could get credit for his invention (the money was not his primary goal). He was so obsessed, he lost his wife and had a nervous breakdown. Now you might think a movie about the guy who invents a windshield wiper would be a tad boring. And you'd be right. On the other hand, it is always fun to watch the little guy go up against a big corporation and win. And the acting so good. So the movie is OK.
THE DUCHESS. In 1774 England, 16-year-old Georgiana (Keira Knightly) becomes engaged to the Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes). She is educated, vivacious, and pretty. But the Duke is really only interested in her ability to give him a male heir - he doesn't even bother to talk to her. And things get worse when she only gives birth to daughters. She becomes quite a social icon and the center of the "jet set" of the time, but it is said that her husband is the only man in England that isn't madly in love with her. He has affairs; she falls in love with another. Now, I am sympathetic to women trapped in loveless marriages, but it doesn't make for an inherently interesting story. I think this only got made because there are some parallels to Princess Diana (a descendant of the Duchess' family). Pretty costumes and settings, but just not riveting stuff.
FRONTRUNNERS. Documentary on kids from New York's prestigious Stuyvesant High School (only 3% of applicants get in). It's about four students running for President of their student union. There is the cheerleader/actress, the politics geek, a current popular SU member, and a basketball player. A review said this was an exciting look at how competitive a race can get in a cutthroat school (little man standing on chair!), but other than the kids having an on-air debate, the campaign wasn't that much different than I remember from my middle-class high school. A disappointment.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
September movie reviews
TRANSSIBERIAN. Terrific thriller. Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer play a young American couple returning from doing religious/charity work in China, and they decide to have a little adventure and take the train from Beijing to Moscow, an eight-day journey. On the train, they share their sleeping car with another young couple, who seem to be a little off, but you can't really put your finger on why they seem so threatening. They all get off the train at one stop, but then Woody fails to get on again. When the wife discovers her husband is missing, it sets off a chain of unforeseen events. Not only does the movie convey the claustrophobia of being on a train, it also really invokes the alienation you feel when you are in an unfamiliar environment where communication is difficult. The movie's twists and turns keep you guessing, until the ending where it all fits together. This is a great suspense movie.
VICKI CHRISTINA BARCELONA. Critics have liked a lot of Woody Allen's latest movies - I haven't. But on the recommendation of a dear friend (thanks RJ!), I did go see this, his latest. Vicki (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson) are two young American women spending the summer in Barcelona. Vicki is working on her Masters in Catalan culture, and Christina is just along for the adventure. They are best friends, but very different in outlook. Vicki is conservative, and already engaged to a nice corporate type. Christina doesn't know what she wants in life, but is open to trying anything. Their summer gets a bit more complicated when artist Jose Antonio (Javier Bardem) invites them to visit his hometown, and maybe share his bed. Throw into the mix Jose's over-the-top ex-wife (Penelope Cruz), and you have an exciting summer. With people sometimes behaving in character and sometimes not. I actually loved this movie. It's more about how our beliefs about who we are and what we like (whether accurate or not) influence the decisions we make in life. Does acting in concert with what we believe to be our true natures make us happy?
TRAITOR. Samir grows up in Sudan, and is the son of a very devout Muslim. When his dad is killed in a car bomb, either by the Muslim Brotherhood or their opposition, Samir goes to America to live with his mother. When the movie shifts to Samir as an adult (Don Cheadle), it appears that Samir has become an extremist, selling weapons to terrorists. But he is in fact deep undercover, so much so that not even the FBI knows about him. He is so good at what he is doing, you might wonder if he has switched sides. As he gets closer and closer to unraveling a major plot, the FBI is hot on his trail, since they think he is a terrorist and a link to the bigger plot. In addition, as a devout Muslim, he is struggling with moral issues. This is another terrific suspense movie, one that kept me on the edge of my seat because I wasn't quite sure how it was all going to turn out. Definitely worth a look-see.
BURN AFTER READING. Latest movie from the Coen Brothers (FARGO, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN). Here, John Malkovich is a CIA analyst fired for a drinking problem, so he decides to write his memoir. Meanwhile, his icy wife Tilda Swinton is having an affair with US Marshall George Clooney (who is also married, but cheats a lot.) Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand work in a gym where they find a CD with what they believe to be secret CIA information. They decide to blackmail Malkovich for it. (Frances is desperate for money because she wants plastic surgery.) The first half of the movie is pretty funny, with all the various story lines coming together, but then the story very suddenly changes tone. The movie is somewhat like FARGO, but without any characters that you feel sympathy or affection for (well, maybe one minor character). Brad Pitt is very funny as a vacuous blond and JK Simmons has some great lines as a CIA director, but other than that, I didn't care for the movie much at all.
IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS. Wilson is a lonely guy living in L.A., hoping to get his screen play picked up. His last break-up was painful, and he isn't seeing anyone. When his roommate catches him masturbating, the roommate insists that Wilson put an ad on Craigslist, looking for a New Year's Eve date. His ad reads "misanthrope seeking misanthrope". And he does attract a somewhat bitter, assertive wanna-be actress. Vivian allows him 5 minutes to impress her before they go out on a date. He manages (or at least is better than the other candidates), and they spend the night hanging out. Some of her bitter diatribes are very funny, but this isn't a comedy, per se. It's more watching two people get to know each other, people that you start to like and begin to care about them having a good life. Very indy-feeling.
GHOST TOWN. Ricky Gervais is a dentist who is rude and inconsiderate to everyone he meets. After a medical procedure where he briefly "died", he begins seeing dead people. Who generally want him to do something for their loved ones left behind. Greg Kinnear, for example, wants Ricky to make sure his widow doesn't marry the wrong person. Ricky, being the misanthrope that he is, resists helping anybody. But he starts to like the widow (Tea Leoni). Nothing groundbreaking here, but there are some laughs. It's a pretty mild comedy. Fine for a rental.
HAMLET 2. Steve Coogan plays a failed actor (his high points were a herpes commercial and being an extra in an Al Jazeera made-for-TV movie). He ends up teaching high school drama in Tucson, where even there, his plays fail. (He insists on putting on plays that are remakes of popular movies, i.e., Erin Brockovich). One day his class size grows because some of the classrooms are condemned, and he ends up with a bunch of kids who are uninterested in what he has been doing. So he writes an original play, Hamlet 2, where Hamlet (and Jesus) can come back to life via a time machine. It's still a dreadful play, but when the town tries to shut him down, the ACLU joins the fight, and the media comes to town to see the play (and save his drama program). The movie has some giggles, for sure, but there are also a lot of flat spots. As a whole I would say rent it, or watch it on TV. If that.
VICKI CHRISTINA BARCELONA. Critics have liked a lot of Woody Allen's latest movies - I haven't. But on the recommendation of a dear friend (thanks RJ!), I did go see this, his latest. Vicki (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson) are two young American women spending the summer in Barcelona. Vicki is working on her Masters in Catalan culture, and Christina is just along for the adventure. They are best friends, but very different in outlook. Vicki is conservative, and already engaged to a nice corporate type. Christina doesn't know what she wants in life, but is open to trying anything. Their summer gets a bit more complicated when artist Jose Antonio (Javier Bardem) invites them to visit his hometown, and maybe share his bed. Throw into the mix Jose's over-the-top ex-wife (Penelope Cruz), and you have an exciting summer. With people sometimes behaving in character and sometimes not. I actually loved this movie. It's more about how our beliefs about who we are and what we like (whether accurate or not) influence the decisions we make in life. Does acting in concert with what we believe to be our true natures make us happy?
TRAITOR. Samir grows up in Sudan, and is the son of a very devout Muslim. When his dad is killed in a car bomb, either by the Muslim Brotherhood or their opposition, Samir goes to America to live with his mother. When the movie shifts to Samir as an adult (Don Cheadle), it appears that Samir has become an extremist, selling weapons to terrorists. But he is in fact deep undercover, so much so that not even the FBI knows about him. He is so good at what he is doing, you might wonder if he has switched sides. As he gets closer and closer to unraveling a major plot, the FBI is hot on his trail, since they think he is a terrorist and a link to the bigger plot. In addition, as a devout Muslim, he is struggling with moral issues. This is another terrific suspense movie, one that kept me on the edge of my seat because I wasn't quite sure how it was all going to turn out. Definitely worth a look-see.
BURN AFTER READING. Latest movie from the Coen Brothers (FARGO, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN). Here, John Malkovich is a CIA analyst fired for a drinking problem, so he decides to write his memoir. Meanwhile, his icy wife Tilda Swinton is having an affair with US Marshall George Clooney (who is also married, but cheats a lot.) Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand work in a gym where they find a CD with what they believe to be secret CIA information. They decide to blackmail Malkovich for it. (Frances is desperate for money because she wants plastic surgery.) The first half of the movie is pretty funny, with all the various story lines coming together, but then the story very suddenly changes tone. The movie is somewhat like FARGO, but without any characters that you feel sympathy or affection for (well, maybe one minor character). Brad Pitt is very funny as a vacuous blond and JK Simmons has some great lines as a CIA director, but other than that, I didn't care for the movie much at all.
IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS. Wilson is a lonely guy living in L.A., hoping to get his screen play picked up. His last break-up was painful, and he isn't seeing anyone. When his roommate catches him masturbating, the roommate insists that Wilson put an ad on Craigslist, looking for a New Year's Eve date. His ad reads "misanthrope seeking misanthrope". And he does attract a somewhat bitter, assertive wanna-be actress. Vivian allows him 5 minutes to impress her before they go out on a date. He manages (or at least is better than the other candidates), and they spend the night hanging out. Some of her bitter diatribes are very funny, but this isn't a comedy, per se. It's more watching two people get to know each other, people that you start to like and begin to care about them having a good life. Very indy-feeling.
GHOST TOWN. Ricky Gervais is a dentist who is rude and inconsiderate to everyone he meets. After a medical procedure where he briefly "died", he begins seeing dead people. Who generally want him to do something for their loved ones left behind. Greg Kinnear, for example, wants Ricky to make sure his widow doesn't marry the wrong person. Ricky, being the misanthrope that he is, resists helping anybody. But he starts to like the widow (Tea Leoni). Nothing groundbreaking here, but there are some laughs. It's a pretty mild comedy. Fine for a rental.
HAMLET 2. Steve Coogan plays a failed actor (his high points were a herpes commercial and being an extra in an Al Jazeera made-for-TV movie). He ends up teaching high school drama in Tucson, where even there, his plays fail. (He insists on putting on plays that are remakes of popular movies, i.e., Erin Brockovich). One day his class size grows because some of the classrooms are condemned, and he ends up with a bunch of kids who are uninterested in what he has been doing. So he writes an original play, Hamlet 2, where Hamlet (and Jesus) can come back to life via a time machine. It's still a dreadful play, but when the town tries to shut him down, the ACLU joins the fight, and the media comes to town to see the play (and save his drama program). The movie has some giggles, for sure, but there are also a lot of flat spots. As a whole I would say rent it, or watch it on TV. If that.
Monday, September 1, 2008
August movie reviews
TROPIC THUNDER. Ben Stiller does an outstanding job of satirizing Hollywood and Rambo-like movies (among a lot of other targets). In this one, he plays an action star coming off a critical and financial, so he needs a comeback. Also in the cast of the war movie is Robert Downey Jr., who is playing a character originally written for a black man, so in the interest of his art, undergoes a procedure that turns his skin black. There's Jack Black as an actor trying to do something other than his Eddie-Murphy like fart movies. Finally there are the rapper-actor (named Alpa Chino!) and the young novice playing grunts. Director Steve Coogan takes them out into the jungle to make the movie be more realistic, and the guys end up getting in the middle of a drug smugglers' war zone. But they don't know it; they think it's all part of the movie. This movie has so many elements, and they are all very funny, and smart, actually. A top-10 movie of the year contender.
MAN ON WIRE. Amazing documentary. It tells the story of Philippe Pettit, who is a French high wire artist (and street performer). He is obsessed with walking the wire. In 1974, he and a group of his friends conspired to string a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center (over 1000 feet high). There are some recreations of his exploits (they’re not distracting) as well a video of some of his earlier work, all the while detailing all the planning (months, if not years, of preparation to break in to the WTC and do the set up) that went into the stunt. Even though you know he survived, it's still absolutely engrossing, edge-of-your-seat to watch the events unfold. An astonishing (if insane!) feat. Loved it.
EDGE OF HEAVEN. Terrific movie following the lives of several people whose paths cross, although often they are not aware of how their stories are related. There is an older Turkish immigrant in Germany, and his son, the university professor. There is the middle-aged Turkish woman who is working as a prostitute in Germany so her daughter can continue her studies in Turkey. And there is the German young woman and mother. I just loved the way the three stories intermingled. I don't want to describe any more, because it was such a pleasure watching the movie unfold, so I will leave it at that.
FROZEN RIVER. Melissa Leo plays the mother of two living in upstate New York. Her gambler husband has abandoned them and she only has a part time job at the Yankee Dollar Store. She is so poor that her big dream is moving from a single-wide trailer to a double-wide. She lives near Mohawk land, and some on the reservation take advantage of the tribal authorities to smuggle goods and human beings across the border with Canada. Melissa gets involved when she meets a young Mohawk woman who is also living on the edge. Although the acting is superior, the movie is a Lifetime-movie look at a woman doing desperate things to support her family. But because the movie provides a look at the Mohawk area and people, and the smuggling is an original topic for a movie, which definitely kept my interest. So I would recommend it.
ELEGY. Ben Kingsley plays a college professor, who appears to select a young student every semester to seduce. He appears unable and/or unwilling to make emotional commitments to anyone. This year's student target is Penelope Cruz. Ordinarily I would hate another one of those older man/hot young woman romances, but this movie is about far more than that. It's about emotions and commitments. The couple does develop a relationship, and fall in love, but in this case the young woman is perhaps wiser than the older man and more than his latest conquest. It will be his loss if he can’t grow and accept her love. Supporting performances by Dennis Hopper as his friend, Patricia Clarkson as his long-time mistress, and Peter Sarsgaard as his bitter son give even more depth to the story. I wasn't overly fond of the last quarter of the movie, but up until that point, I did really like it, so overall it’s a thumbs up.
AMERICAN TEEN. Documentary that is getting rave reviews from critics. It follows four Midwestern high school kids during their senior year of high school. As can be expected, one is a jock that needs a scholarship to go to college, one a homecoming queen, one a band geek, and one an arty outsider. But that is as diverse as you are going to get in Warsaw, Indiana. As you follow them for the year, each develops a more depth personality than their label would indicate, and you care more for some than others. They have relationships (or not), heartbreaks, college hopes, etc. But the movie isn't all that surprising, and certainly doesn't tell us anything about high school that we don't know already. I usually have a fondness for portraits of high school (in a thank god I don't have to go through that again kind of way), but maybe I am finally growing out of it. :-)
HELLBOY 2: GOLDEN ARMY. I thought the original HELLBOY was over-praised. But it and this sequel were directed by the same director (Guillermo del Toro) that did PAN'S LABYRINTH, my favorite movie of 2006. So I decided to give the sequel a chance. And I did like it better than the first one, mostly for the fantastical creatures (tooth fairies you don't want anywhere near your pillow!) that populate it. Hellboy isn't quite in the superhero mode, given that he has quite a temper and doesn't like rules. But that gives the movie more of a sense of humor than many in the genre. Not a great story, not recommended based on plot (trolls vs humans), but I really appreciate the imagination behind all the terrific special effects, so I wasn't disappointed.
SWING VOTE. Kevin Costner plays a likable loser alcoholic single dad, living in a small New Mexico town. His daughter is the caretaker in the family, and she is also precociously bright. She needs her dad to vote in the presidential election so she can do a school paper, but it's clear he doesn't even know or care who is running. When his vote doesn't get counted because of a glitch, it turns out his one vote will determine who gets the state's electoral votes and elects the next president. So the two presidential candidates (Kelsey Grammer-R and Dennis Hopper-D) and their campaign managers (Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane) come into town to try to get his vote. And the media circus begins. Cute movie, but not great. I did laugh out loud at some of the commercials the candidates run to pander to the dad. And the girl playing the daughter is as good as anyone I've seen since the young girl from WHALE RIDER. Still, it's a pretty lightweight couple of hours.
BOTTLE SHOCK. In the 1970s, Napa Valley was beginning to make some terrific wines. But the public still thought that all good wines came from France. Based on a true story, this movie tells the tale of the British businessman (Alan Rickman) who puts together a blind taste testing between the French and California wines. (He has a wine shop in Paris, and is doing it for publicity). That should be enough for a fun movie, I would think. But they throw in a father-son conflict, and a love triangle, and the woes of two struggling businesses, and I don't think the movie was as good as it should have been. It seems like a made-for-television movie, and I don't mean that as a compliment. I love Alan Rickman, but he just wasn't able to carry the movie through all the extraneous stories.
SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2. The four girls are in college now, and are drifting apart. To Carmen's disappointment, they won't even be together fro the summer. One goes on an archeology dig, one takes art classes at college, and one works at a community playhouse. There are relationships, heartbreaks, pregnancy scares, fights, etc. The four separate stories work well. And, of course, their friendship will survive when they all band together to help out one in need. These women aren't as superficial as the SEX AND THE CITY gals (not once are shoes mentioned), and I think this is a fun movie for young women.
MAN ON WIRE. Amazing documentary. It tells the story of Philippe Pettit, who is a French high wire artist (and street performer). He is obsessed with walking the wire. In 1974, he and a group of his friends conspired to string a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center (over 1000 feet high). There are some recreations of his exploits (they’re not distracting) as well a video of some of his earlier work, all the while detailing all the planning (months, if not years, of preparation to break in to the WTC and do the set up) that went into the stunt. Even though you know he survived, it's still absolutely engrossing, edge-of-your-seat to watch the events unfold. An astonishing (if insane!) feat. Loved it.
EDGE OF HEAVEN. Terrific movie following the lives of several people whose paths cross, although often they are not aware of how their stories are related. There is an older Turkish immigrant in Germany, and his son, the university professor. There is the middle-aged Turkish woman who is working as a prostitute in Germany so her daughter can continue her studies in Turkey. And there is the German young woman and mother. I just loved the way the three stories intermingled. I don't want to describe any more, because it was such a pleasure watching the movie unfold, so I will leave it at that.
FROZEN RIVER. Melissa Leo plays the mother of two living in upstate New York. Her gambler husband has abandoned them and she only has a part time job at the Yankee Dollar Store. She is so poor that her big dream is moving from a single-wide trailer to a double-wide. She lives near Mohawk land, and some on the reservation take advantage of the tribal authorities to smuggle goods and human beings across the border with Canada. Melissa gets involved when she meets a young Mohawk woman who is also living on the edge. Although the acting is superior, the movie is a Lifetime-movie look at a woman doing desperate things to support her family. But because the movie provides a look at the Mohawk area and people, and the smuggling is an original topic for a movie, which definitely kept my interest. So I would recommend it.
ELEGY. Ben Kingsley plays a college professor, who appears to select a young student every semester to seduce. He appears unable and/or unwilling to make emotional commitments to anyone. This year's student target is Penelope Cruz. Ordinarily I would hate another one of those older man/hot young woman romances, but this movie is about far more than that. It's about emotions and commitments. The couple does develop a relationship, and fall in love, but in this case the young woman is perhaps wiser than the older man and more than his latest conquest. It will be his loss if he can’t grow and accept her love. Supporting performances by Dennis Hopper as his friend, Patricia Clarkson as his long-time mistress, and Peter Sarsgaard as his bitter son give even more depth to the story. I wasn't overly fond of the last quarter of the movie, but up until that point, I did really like it, so overall it’s a thumbs up.
AMERICAN TEEN. Documentary that is getting rave reviews from critics. It follows four Midwestern high school kids during their senior year of high school. As can be expected, one is a jock that needs a scholarship to go to college, one a homecoming queen, one a band geek, and one an arty outsider. But that is as diverse as you are going to get in Warsaw, Indiana. As you follow them for the year, each develops a more depth personality than their label would indicate, and you care more for some than others. They have relationships (or not), heartbreaks, college hopes, etc. But the movie isn't all that surprising, and certainly doesn't tell us anything about high school that we don't know already. I usually have a fondness for portraits of high school (in a thank god I don't have to go through that again kind of way), but maybe I am finally growing out of it. :-)
HELLBOY 2: GOLDEN ARMY. I thought the original HELLBOY was over-praised. But it and this sequel were directed by the same director (Guillermo del Toro) that did PAN'S LABYRINTH, my favorite movie of 2006. So I decided to give the sequel a chance. And I did like it better than the first one, mostly for the fantastical creatures (tooth fairies you don't want anywhere near your pillow!) that populate it. Hellboy isn't quite in the superhero mode, given that he has quite a temper and doesn't like rules. But that gives the movie more of a sense of humor than many in the genre. Not a great story, not recommended based on plot (trolls vs humans), but I really appreciate the imagination behind all the terrific special effects, so I wasn't disappointed.
SWING VOTE. Kevin Costner plays a likable loser alcoholic single dad, living in a small New Mexico town. His daughter is the caretaker in the family, and she is also precociously bright. She needs her dad to vote in the presidential election so she can do a school paper, but it's clear he doesn't even know or care who is running. When his vote doesn't get counted because of a glitch, it turns out his one vote will determine who gets the state's electoral votes and elects the next president. So the two presidential candidates (Kelsey Grammer-R and Dennis Hopper-D) and their campaign managers (Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane) come into town to try to get his vote. And the media circus begins. Cute movie, but not great. I did laugh out loud at some of the commercials the candidates run to pander to the dad. And the girl playing the daughter is as good as anyone I've seen since the young girl from WHALE RIDER. Still, it's a pretty lightweight couple of hours.
BOTTLE SHOCK. In the 1970s, Napa Valley was beginning to make some terrific wines. But the public still thought that all good wines came from France. Based on a true story, this movie tells the tale of the British businessman (Alan Rickman) who puts together a blind taste testing between the French and California wines. (He has a wine shop in Paris, and is doing it for publicity). That should be enough for a fun movie, I would think. But they throw in a father-son conflict, and a love triangle, and the woes of two struggling businesses, and I don't think the movie was as good as it should have been. It seems like a made-for-television movie, and I don't mean that as a compliment. I love Alan Rickman, but he just wasn't able to carry the movie through all the extraneous stories.
SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2. The four girls are in college now, and are drifting apart. To Carmen's disappointment, they won't even be together fro the summer. One goes on an archeology dig, one takes art classes at college, and one works at a community playhouse. There are relationships, heartbreaks, pregnancy scares, fights, etc. The four separate stories work well. And, of course, their friendship will survive when they all band together to help out one in need. These women aren't as superficial as the SEX AND THE CITY gals (not once are shoes mentioned), and I think this is a fun movie for young women.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
July movie reviews
TELL NO ONE. Thriller. This French film begins with a young couple vacationing on a lake. But she goes back to the house after a minor argument and disappears. Eight years later, the doctor husband is still grieving her loss. He was suspected of her murder, but the police could never prove it. One day he gets an e-mail, and it opens a video that appears to show his long-lost wife alive and well. He begins to pursue the clues in a series of videos, but at the same time the police start investigating him again for her murder and other crimes. He has to go on the run . The movie unfolds at a perfect pace, works well as both an action piece and a mystery, and all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place by the end. My only small quibble is that a lot of the pieces are put together in the end via one long monologue. But that's only a small complaint. This is one of the best movies I have seen this year. (This movie is based on an American novel, and I'd be surprised if it wasn't remade into an American film.)
THE DARK KNIGHT. As I have said, I am not a huge fan of comic-book/superhero movies, but I did really like BATMAN BEGINS. This sequel continues the development of Batman (Christian Bale), and this time he is pitted against The Joker. The Joker is a great villain, doing evil for the pure sake of proving humans are no good. Heath Ledger is amazingly creepy as the bad guy with no hint of comic book about him. Like the first film, this is also a good movie, full of amazingly good actors (Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, etc), and is more than just a series of action scenes. It actually asks philosophical questions about the nature of people. I thought the first half was a little padded, and it took to long for it all to gel and move forward. But once it picks up, it totally kept my interest. It's very dark, maybe even morally ambiguous. It's not a popcorn movie at all, unless you prefer to view it that way.
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD. Filmmaker Werner Herzog (GRIZZLY MAN) goes to Antarctica to explore the beauty of the place and what draws people to such an isolated place. This documentary is full of interviews with people who march to the beat of a different drummer, fascinating tidbits about the continent itself, and beautiful visuals (both the landscape and underwater). My only quibble was that I occasionally found the music (by Henry Kaiser) really annoying. Otherwise, a very fine film to watch for on PBS or Discovery, probably, if you don't catch it in the theater.
GONZO: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON. This documentary is a biography of Hunter Thompson, author of FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS and many Rolling Stone magazine articles. He was incredibly talented but at the same time probably a bit mental, self-medicating with massive quantities of pills and alcohol. There is a lot of video and interviews with tons of people who knew him, plus readings from his own writings. I found the information about his background and escapades interesting, if a bit superficial. But there is a little too much of the "times" of his life, which to me felt like revisiting the history of the 1960s and 70s that I already knew. But if you are not that familiar with the politics of the era, this will probably be more interesting to you. And Thompson certainly was a fascinating character, so it's worth seeing.
X-FILES. I WANT TO BELIEVE. Mulder and Scully back together again, although I would say that even people who never watched a single episode of the TV show would get this movie. Both characters have left the FBI. Scully is working as a pediatrician, and Mulder, who was apparently drummed out of the FBI, is holed up in a little room, clipping newspaper articles about mysterious occurrences. But when an FBI agent goes missing, the FBI asks Mulder for his help because a psychic is involved (and has found a clue - a severed arm buried in the middle of a snowy field). Because the psychic is also a pedophile priest, he is a reprehensible character that Scully can't bear to deal with. But Mulder, of course, wants to believe in him and in redemption. This movie is OK, but not great. Unlike the TV show, I didn’t find the relationship between Mulder and Scully interesting. And one psychic priest doesn't an X-file make, in my opinion. The movie reminded me more of a Robin Cook thriller than of an X-file story.
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Brendan Fraser is a scientist trying to prove that his missing brother was right about the possibility of the existence of volcanic columns that would lead to the center of the earth. Which would be like Jules Verne’s vision of another world. With his nephew, Brendan goes to Iceland to explore some volcanic activity. While out hiking the volcano (with a beautiful blond guide, of course), they are all three stuck in a cave in a rock slide. So begins their adventures, including runaway trains, fantastic creatures, and treacherous geography. Great fun for kids, I would think, especially if you see the 3-D version, I suppose, which I did not. I didn't think it was a great movie for adults.
WALL-E. Wall-E is a little robot left on earth decades after the humans leave the planet because there is too much garbage. Wall-E spends his days collecting and compressing trash, with only a cockroach for company. One day a space ship sends out a robot to investigate if there is any life on earth. Wall-E and the robot EVA are attracted to one another (hey, it's a kids' movie) and Wall-E ends up catching a ride on the space ship back to the mother ship. The mother ship is something like a cruise ship where humans have lived for years. There stuff happens involving malfunctioning robots, an evil waste management company CEO (Fred Willard) and humans that have become fat because they haven't moved in years. Because the robots don’t speak, this felt almost like watching a silent movie, which is kind of different for a children's movie. That said, an adult viewer could see this as a fairly dark tale with political undertones. I suppose kids would like it for different reasons, but I just don't know. I didn't love it like the critics are.
HANCOCK. Superhero movie. As it opens, Hancock (Will Smith) is an alcoholic bum sleeping on the streets. He does have superpowers and can save people from evildoers, but he is a unhappy guy, not very nice. So instead of being grateful, the people he saves think he is an asshole and demand that he pay for all the mayhem he causes when rescuing people. When he saves the life of a public relations man (Jason Bateman), in gratitude he takes Hancock on as a project to make him more likable and more of a hero. Which is working, and Hancock becomes more popular and less bitter. Then, there is a plot twist that I didn't see coming. This is like two completely different movies. The first half is pretty funny, and quite entertaining. The second half is also entertaining, but more in the superhero mold, with battles and big action sequences. The combination was kind of odd, but fun to watch nevertheless. It's the first half that sold me.
WANTED. James McAvoy is living a dreary life as an accountant with a horrible boss and a girlfriend who is cheating on him. Things are pretty awful until one day he goes to the grocery store where Angelina Jolie saves him from being killed. So begins his introduction into a world of assassins. He founds out that his father was an assassin, and he is meant to be a member of the Fraternity as well. (Of course, they are good assassins, "killing one so that thousands may live".) So he begins training. The movie has great style, and you may consider it worth watching just for that alone (and a great rocking soundtrack). And I like James McAvoy quite a bit. But I thought there was too much with the jittery camera and graphic violence. And I found the movie's theme that it is better to be a killer than an ordinary person amoral and actually quite reprehensible, even if it is just a movie. Still, I think the director has great potential to do action movie if he can resist the urge to have someone's head explode every five minutes.
GET SMART. Based on the 1960s TV show. In this, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carrell) is an analyst who longs to be an agent. When the intelligence agency CONTROL's security is breached, and all the agents are compromised, Max is the lone staffer who can investigate what is going on. Along with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), they travel to Russia trying to catch the bad guy (Terence Stamp) and stop what he is doing. In this movie, Smart isn't quite the idiot he was in the TV show, but he still can be pretty clueless. Pretty straight-forward plot, nothing great, but I thought this is the perfect movie for someone who just wants to watch a cute little movie, be amused, see some action, and not worry about watching someone's head explode.
ROMAN DE GARE. French thriller. The movie begins with three stories: a bickering young couple driving to her parents' house for a visit, a middle-aged man speeding out of town while the radio tells of an escaped pedophile/serial killer, and a popular author being interviewed on TV. At first, you are not sure who the man driving out of town is, but it becomes clear pretty soon. And then he meets up with the young woman, and he tells her he is the ghost writer for the author. But then says he is kidding. And so the three stories come together. For the first 3/4 of the movie, I was definitely interested and wondering where it was all going to end up, but then I found the last quarter completely predictable and it fell flat. Compared to TELL NO ONE, a complete disappointment in the end.
THE DARK KNIGHT. As I have said, I am not a huge fan of comic-book/superhero movies, but I did really like BATMAN BEGINS. This sequel continues the development of Batman (Christian Bale), and this time he is pitted against The Joker. The Joker is a great villain, doing evil for the pure sake of proving humans are no good. Heath Ledger is amazingly creepy as the bad guy with no hint of comic book about him. Like the first film, this is also a good movie, full of amazingly good actors (Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, etc), and is more than just a series of action scenes. It actually asks philosophical questions about the nature of people. I thought the first half was a little padded, and it took to long for it all to gel and move forward. But once it picks up, it totally kept my interest. It's very dark, maybe even morally ambiguous. It's not a popcorn movie at all, unless you prefer to view it that way.
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD. Filmmaker Werner Herzog (GRIZZLY MAN) goes to Antarctica to explore the beauty of the place and what draws people to such an isolated place. This documentary is full of interviews with people who march to the beat of a different drummer, fascinating tidbits about the continent itself, and beautiful visuals (both the landscape and underwater). My only quibble was that I occasionally found the music (by Henry Kaiser) really annoying. Otherwise, a very fine film to watch for on PBS or Discovery, probably, if you don't catch it in the theater.
GONZO: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON. This documentary is a biography of Hunter Thompson, author of FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS and many Rolling Stone magazine articles. He was incredibly talented but at the same time probably a bit mental, self-medicating with massive quantities of pills and alcohol. There is a lot of video and interviews with tons of people who knew him, plus readings from his own writings. I found the information about his background and escapades interesting, if a bit superficial. But there is a little too much of the "times" of his life, which to me felt like revisiting the history of the 1960s and 70s that I already knew. But if you are not that familiar with the politics of the era, this will probably be more interesting to you. And Thompson certainly was a fascinating character, so it's worth seeing.
X-FILES. I WANT TO BELIEVE. Mulder and Scully back together again, although I would say that even people who never watched a single episode of the TV show would get this movie. Both characters have left the FBI. Scully is working as a pediatrician, and Mulder, who was apparently drummed out of the FBI, is holed up in a little room, clipping newspaper articles about mysterious occurrences. But when an FBI agent goes missing, the FBI asks Mulder for his help because a psychic is involved (and has found a clue - a severed arm buried in the middle of a snowy field). Because the psychic is also a pedophile priest, he is a reprehensible character that Scully can't bear to deal with. But Mulder, of course, wants to believe in him and in redemption. This movie is OK, but not great. Unlike the TV show, I didn’t find the relationship between Mulder and Scully interesting. And one psychic priest doesn't an X-file make, in my opinion. The movie reminded me more of a Robin Cook thriller than of an X-file story.
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Brendan Fraser is a scientist trying to prove that his missing brother was right about the possibility of the existence of volcanic columns that would lead to the center of the earth. Which would be like Jules Verne’s vision of another world. With his nephew, Brendan goes to Iceland to explore some volcanic activity. While out hiking the volcano (with a beautiful blond guide, of course), they are all three stuck in a cave in a rock slide. So begins their adventures, including runaway trains, fantastic creatures, and treacherous geography. Great fun for kids, I would think, especially if you see the 3-D version, I suppose, which I did not. I didn't think it was a great movie for adults.
WALL-E. Wall-E is a little robot left on earth decades after the humans leave the planet because there is too much garbage. Wall-E spends his days collecting and compressing trash, with only a cockroach for company. One day a space ship sends out a robot to investigate if there is any life on earth. Wall-E and the robot EVA are attracted to one another (hey, it's a kids' movie) and Wall-E ends up catching a ride on the space ship back to the mother ship. The mother ship is something like a cruise ship where humans have lived for years. There stuff happens involving malfunctioning robots, an evil waste management company CEO (Fred Willard) and humans that have become fat because they haven't moved in years. Because the robots don’t speak, this felt almost like watching a silent movie, which is kind of different for a children's movie. That said, an adult viewer could see this as a fairly dark tale with political undertones. I suppose kids would like it for different reasons, but I just don't know. I didn't love it like the critics are.
HANCOCK. Superhero movie. As it opens, Hancock (Will Smith) is an alcoholic bum sleeping on the streets. He does have superpowers and can save people from evildoers, but he is a unhappy guy, not very nice. So instead of being grateful, the people he saves think he is an asshole and demand that he pay for all the mayhem he causes when rescuing people. When he saves the life of a public relations man (Jason Bateman), in gratitude he takes Hancock on as a project to make him more likable and more of a hero. Which is working, and Hancock becomes more popular and less bitter. Then, there is a plot twist that I didn't see coming. This is like two completely different movies. The first half is pretty funny, and quite entertaining. The second half is also entertaining, but more in the superhero mold, with battles and big action sequences. The combination was kind of odd, but fun to watch nevertheless. It's the first half that sold me.
WANTED. James McAvoy is living a dreary life as an accountant with a horrible boss and a girlfriend who is cheating on him. Things are pretty awful until one day he goes to the grocery store where Angelina Jolie saves him from being killed. So begins his introduction into a world of assassins. He founds out that his father was an assassin, and he is meant to be a member of the Fraternity as well. (Of course, they are good assassins, "killing one so that thousands may live".) So he begins training. The movie has great style, and you may consider it worth watching just for that alone (and a great rocking soundtrack). And I like James McAvoy quite a bit. But I thought there was too much with the jittery camera and graphic violence. And I found the movie's theme that it is better to be a killer than an ordinary person amoral and actually quite reprehensible, even if it is just a movie. Still, I think the director has great potential to do action movie if he can resist the urge to have someone's head explode every five minutes.
GET SMART. Based on the 1960s TV show. In this, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carrell) is an analyst who longs to be an agent. When the intelligence agency CONTROL's security is breached, and all the agents are compromised, Max is the lone staffer who can investigate what is going on. Along with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), they travel to Russia trying to catch the bad guy (Terence Stamp) and stop what he is doing. In this movie, Smart isn't quite the idiot he was in the TV show, but he still can be pretty clueless. Pretty straight-forward plot, nothing great, but I thought this is the perfect movie for someone who just wants to watch a cute little movie, be amused, see some action, and not worry about watching someone's head explode.
ROMAN DE GARE. French thriller. The movie begins with three stories: a bickering young couple driving to her parents' house for a visit, a middle-aged man speeding out of town while the radio tells of an escaped pedophile/serial killer, and a popular author being interviewed on TV. At first, you are not sure who the man driving out of town is, but it becomes clear pretty soon. And then he meets up with the young woman, and he tells her he is the ghost writer for the author. But then says he is kidding. And so the three stories come together. For the first 3/4 of the movie, I was definitely interested and wondering where it was all going to end up, but then I found the last quarter completely predictable and it fell flat. Compared to TELL NO ONE, a complete disappointment in the end.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
June movie reviews
BIGGER STRONGER FASTER. If you told me to see a documentary on steroids, I would have gone "eeew". But this one is getting great reviews, so I went, and the critics are right - this is worth seeing. The filmmaker grew up with two brothers and growing up they were all involved in strength sports. His brothers take steroids, but he doesn't, and he decides to explore the steroids issue in depth. He interviews doctors, athletes, congressmen, and family members. He isn't mocking people (mostly), but there is still a lot of humor here. He also relates steroids to the American quest to be the best at everything, damn the consequences. Both amusing and thought provoking; I really enjoyed this movie.
UP THE YANGTZE. This documentary follows two Chinese teens impacted by the construction of the Three Gorges dam, which will displace millions of people. Until the dam is finally closed, the Chinese are running cruise ships down the river so tourists can see the area before it is flooded. One teen is a young girl living in poverty at the edge of the river. Her parents make her go to work because they can't afford to send her to high school, so she goes to work in the kitchen on one of the ships. She is an understandably sullen teenager, and is depressed about her place in society. The other teenager is an older boy; seemingly from a middle class family (we don't see his family like we see the girl's). He is rather conceited, and his goal in going to work on the ship (tending bar, schlepping luggage) is to make a lot of money. The journey these two take isn't predictable. Always in the background is the threat of people's homes being flooded. This isn't a great movie, but it definitely kept my interest and was worth seeing.
SURFWISE. Another documentary. This one centers on "Doc" Paskowitz, a Stanford educated doctor who was living a traditional life in Hawaii, including being President of the local American Medical Association. It’s the 1950's, and he's not happy with his life (including his two failed marriages). So he dropped out, travels around, and decides surfing was what made him happy. He re-married, and he and his third wife had 9 kids (8 boys!). They lived the life of surf bums, living in a camper, and the kids never went to school. At first, it seems like the family led an idyllic life. But as the movie goes on, you start to realize that although Doc made decisions that worked for him, the choices he made completely limited the choices his children had when they grew up. Not to mention his hippie outlook didn't always translate to how he treated the kids. All the kids agreed to be interviewed, along with Mom and Dad. That plus a lot of video footage of the family (they competed in surfing contests, and actually were on TV quite a bit), makes for a fairly thorough look at this family. Despite having a rather narrow focus on this one family, it's a family like no other, which makes for an interesting movie.
MONGOL. I don't know much about Mongolia in the 12th century, but this epic movie gives what seems like a realistic look at the Mongolian environment and culture. The story just follows the son of a leader from his boyhood (where losing his father changes his life) to his marriage to his final eventual rise as Genghis Khan. He has quite an adventurous life, including being prisoner of enemies several times. I liked that part of the movie, but there are also three big bloody battles that I just didn't care to watch (blood spurting alert!). It's kinda like BRAVEHEART. But despite that, I'd still recommend.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Another in the comic book movie genre. In this one, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is a guinea pig in an experiment gone wrong. Now, when his heart rate goes above 200, he goes ballistic and turns into the Hulk. Bruce goes on the run, because the military wants to use him so they can figure out how to use his powers in military applications. Bruce is pursuing a cure, and eventually returns home to connect with a professor (Tim Blake Nelson) working on his problem. Of course, the military (William Hurt and Tim Roth) catches up to them. Let the battles begin. I am not a big fan of the genre, but this one I was OK with. I appreciated its early focus on how Bruce dealt with what had happened to him. And if you are looking for lots of action and computer-generated mayhem, this is definitely a movie for you. {Note: see if you can catch the Iron Man tie-in very early in the movie.}
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? Family drama. Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth are father and son. The movie begins with Dad getting older and finally falling ill. The son has to come home for his last chance to talk to his Dad. But he realizes Dad is too far gone, and he never really will get the chance to have an honest conversation with him. The movie flashes back to when the son was a boy, and a teenager, and shows where the estrangement between the two began. Sure, the dad is a bit of a con man, and perhaps not a great husband, but children need to grow up and understand their parent's failings are usually because they are only human. The movie brings home the importance of letting go of childhood injuries and seeing parents through the eyes of an adult. This isn't a movie for everyone, but I thought the acting was terrific and the emotions were honest, and I liked it a lot.
INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Indy is 20 years older, but still at teaching part time and doing archeology. He gets caught up in the Red Scare and fired from his job. Just in time to keep him busy, he has to head to Peru to save an old friend (John Hurt) who has been kidnapped by the Russians in search of a crystal skull with mind bending powers (supposedly). Also in the story is Mutt (Shia LeBouef), a Marlon Brando wanna-be, Indy's old girlfriend Karen Allen, and Cate Blanchett as a Natasha-like Russian agent. If you can't rely on plot, which this movie can't (mind control and aliens? puh-leeze), then the action better put you on the edge of your seat. But this didn't. Not a horrible movie, but just so-so, I thought.
KUNG FU PANDA. Animated feature with a overweight panda (Jack Black) who dreams of being a kung fu master. Not only is he out of shape, but he also is a bit of a klutz. It may be his fate to end up like his father as a noodle vendor. But circumstances dictate differently, and the Master (Dustin Hoffman) must train him in kung fu, although the Master is pretty sure he can get Panda to quit. Throw into the mix a former pupil (Ian McShane) turned bad guy, and five other pupils who are experts in kung fu. This movie is fine for children, I think, but I was not all that entertained. There wasn't a lot of humor or content for adults. I guess I am keeping my string of not liking kung fu movies alive!
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN. Follow-up to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The four children are back in London, wondering if they will ever return as the kings and queens of Narnia. Along comes a subway, and lo and behold, they are swept away. But to a desolated Narnia a few hundred years later then their previous encounter, to a time where humans have tried to wipe out the creatures of Narnia. An evil ruler has taken control, even attempting to kill his nephew Prince Caspian, so he can become king instead. Caspian escapes to the forest, where he learns the truth about Narnia. This movie isn't quite the religious allegory the first one was, but is more about having faith in the absence of evidence. Overall, I liked the movie (there is only one scene that I didn't care for because of its medieval vision of God), and think children would enjoy it as much as the first.
UP THE YANGTZE. This documentary follows two Chinese teens impacted by the construction of the Three Gorges dam, which will displace millions of people. Until the dam is finally closed, the Chinese are running cruise ships down the river so tourists can see the area before it is flooded. One teen is a young girl living in poverty at the edge of the river. Her parents make her go to work because they can't afford to send her to high school, so she goes to work in the kitchen on one of the ships. She is an understandably sullen teenager, and is depressed about her place in society. The other teenager is an older boy; seemingly from a middle class family (we don't see his family like we see the girl's). He is rather conceited, and his goal in going to work on the ship (tending bar, schlepping luggage) is to make a lot of money. The journey these two take isn't predictable. Always in the background is the threat of people's homes being flooded. This isn't a great movie, but it definitely kept my interest and was worth seeing.
SURFWISE. Another documentary. This one centers on "Doc" Paskowitz, a Stanford educated doctor who was living a traditional life in Hawaii, including being President of the local American Medical Association. It’s the 1950's, and he's not happy with his life (including his two failed marriages). So he dropped out, travels around, and decides surfing was what made him happy. He re-married, and he and his third wife had 9 kids (8 boys!). They lived the life of surf bums, living in a camper, and the kids never went to school. At first, it seems like the family led an idyllic life. But as the movie goes on, you start to realize that although Doc made decisions that worked for him, the choices he made completely limited the choices his children had when they grew up. Not to mention his hippie outlook didn't always translate to how he treated the kids. All the kids agreed to be interviewed, along with Mom and Dad. That plus a lot of video footage of the family (they competed in surfing contests, and actually were on TV quite a bit), makes for a fairly thorough look at this family. Despite having a rather narrow focus on this one family, it's a family like no other, which makes for an interesting movie.
MONGOL. I don't know much about Mongolia in the 12th century, but this epic movie gives what seems like a realistic look at the Mongolian environment and culture. The story just follows the son of a leader from his boyhood (where losing his father changes his life) to his marriage to his final eventual rise as Genghis Khan. He has quite an adventurous life, including being prisoner of enemies several times. I liked that part of the movie, but there are also three big bloody battles that I just didn't care to watch (blood spurting alert!). It's kinda like BRAVEHEART. But despite that, I'd still recommend.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Another in the comic book movie genre. In this one, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is a guinea pig in an experiment gone wrong. Now, when his heart rate goes above 200, he goes ballistic and turns into the Hulk. Bruce goes on the run, because the military wants to use him so they can figure out how to use his powers in military applications. Bruce is pursuing a cure, and eventually returns home to connect with a professor (Tim Blake Nelson) working on his problem. Of course, the military (William Hurt and Tim Roth) catches up to them. Let the battles begin. I am not a big fan of the genre, but this one I was OK with. I appreciated its early focus on how Bruce dealt with what had happened to him. And if you are looking for lots of action and computer-generated mayhem, this is definitely a movie for you. {Note: see if you can catch the Iron Man tie-in very early in the movie.}
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? Family drama. Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth are father and son. The movie begins with Dad getting older and finally falling ill. The son has to come home for his last chance to talk to his Dad. But he realizes Dad is too far gone, and he never really will get the chance to have an honest conversation with him. The movie flashes back to when the son was a boy, and a teenager, and shows where the estrangement between the two began. Sure, the dad is a bit of a con man, and perhaps not a great husband, but children need to grow up and understand their parent's failings are usually because they are only human. The movie brings home the importance of letting go of childhood injuries and seeing parents through the eyes of an adult. This isn't a movie for everyone, but I thought the acting was terrific and the emotions were honest, and I liked it a lot.
INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Indy is 20 years older, but still at teaching part time and doing archeology. He gets caught up in the Red Scare and fired from his job. Just in time to keep him busy, he has to head to Peru to save an old friend (John Hurt) who has been kidnapped by the Russians in search of a crystal skull with mind bending powers (supposedly). Also in the story is Mutt (Shia LeBouef), a Marlon Brando wanna-be, Indy's old girlfriend Karen Allen, and Cate Blanchett as a Natasha-like Russian agent. If you can't rely on plot, which this movie can't (mind control and aliens? puh-leeze), then the action better put you on the edge of your seat. But this didn't. Not a horrible movie, but just so-so, I thought.
KUNG FU PANDA. Animated feature with a overweight panda (Jack Black) who dreams of being a kung fu master. Not only is he out of shape, but he also is a bit of a klutz. It may be his fate to end up like his father as a noodle vendor. But circumstances dictate differently, and the Master (Dustin Hoffman) must train him in kung fu, although the Master is pretty sure he can get Panda to quit. Throw into the mix a former pupil (Ian McShane) turned bad guy, and five other pupils who are experts in kung fu. This movie is fine for children, I think, but I was not all that entertained. There wasn't a lot of humor or content for adults. I guess I am keeping my string of not liking kung fu movies alive!
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN. Follow-up to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The four children are back in London, wondering if they will ever return as the kings and queens of Narnia. Along comes a subway, and lo and behold, they are swept away. But to a desolated Narnia a few hundred years later then their previous encounter, to a time where humans have tried to wipe out the creatures of Narnia. An evil ruler has taken control, even attempting to kill his nephew Prince Caspian, so he can become king instead. Caspian escapes to the forest, where he learns the truth about Narnia. This movie isn't quite the religious allegory the first one was, but is more about having faith in the absence of evidence. Overall, I liked the movie (there is only one scene that I didn't care for because of its medieval vision of God), and think children would enjoy it as much as the first.
Monday, June 2, 2008
May movie reviews
IRON MAN. Robert Downey Jr plays a brilliant scientist who has used his genius to become a wealthy weapons inventor and dealer. One day he gets kidnapped by the Taliban. His experience in captivity helps him see what his livelihood actually does to innocent people. So once he escapes and gets back home, he experiments making himself a superhero so he can fight evil. The story is typical of the comic-book-to-movie genre, and only Robert Downey Jr. saves it from being ordinary. His quips save the day. The movie is reasonably amusing and fun to watch, but no BATMAN BEGINS, in my opinion. It is a good example of the genre, I guess, but most movies based on comic books aren’t my thing.
SEX AND THE CITY. Follow up to the hit HBO show. Now the women are in their 40s, and the movie is more about their relationships than sex or the quest for love. Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte are still with the same guys (Big, Steve, Harry and whatever that hunky guy’s name is). It’s not nearly as funny as the show could be (Samantha just doesn’t have those zingers to say), and I thought the early part was slow going. Still, it won me over by the end. If you need to see the ups and downs of how Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha are doing 5 years later, this is the movie for you. I can’t imagine any one else being all that interested. It's rather melodramatic.
SMART PEOPLE. Dennis Quaid is a pretentious English lit professor, widowed and living with his equally pretentious (and driven) teenage daughter (Ellen Page, in a somewhat JUNO-like role). He is very prickly and emotionally unavailable. His loser stepbrother (Thomas Haden Church) shows up and ends up moving into the home in spite of the professor's wishes. One day the Professor ends up in the hospital and meets a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker), who is now a doctor. They very tentatively move toward a relationship, although he is really bad at it, apparently having lost all his charm and social skills since his wife died. This is a reasonably predictable movie, ordinary people just trying to make it through life, with some romance and some comedy, but I found it very enjoyable.
REDBELT. This film stars Chiwetel Ejiofer as the owner and instructor at a jiujutsu academy in Los Angeles. His brother-in-law is involved in promoting championship fights. He and his wife are struggling, but he doesn’t believe in competition, and so won't fight for money. Also moving the plot along are a cop who is down on his luck, an attorney that is struggling with past trauma, and an aging action movie star. Written and directed by David Mamet, who is not one of my favorite filmmakers. And I am certainly not interested in mixed martial arts. Still, the movie kept me interested, so if you like one or the other, this might be a movie for you.
PRICELESS. French movie starring Audrey Tautou (AMELIE). Generally, she is all about sleeping with rich old men for their money. Living an extravagant lifestyle seems to be her goal in life. Her current geezer falls asleep on her, and she goes down to the hotel bar to get a drink. Through a misunderstanding she thinks the bartender is another rich guest, and they have a little fling. A year later, they meet again, and when she realizes he is not wealthy, she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. But eventually, out of friendship, she gives him advice on how to scam rich old women like she is scamming rich old men. But of course they will eventually fall for each other. I think this movie is supposed to be all frothy and light-hearted and amusing, but really, what they are doing is rather distasteful and hurtful, and I didn't really get into it.
SEX AND THE CITY. Follow up to the hit HBO show. Now the women are in their 40s, and the movie is more about their relationships than sex or the quest for love. Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte are still with the same guys (Big, Steve, Harry and whatever that hunky guy’s name is). It’s not nearly as funny as the show could be (Samantha just doesn’t have those zingers to say), and I thought the early part was slow going. Still, it won me over by the end. If you need to see the ups and downs of how Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha are doing 5 years later, this is the movie for you. I can’t imagine any one else being all that interested. It's rather melodramatic.
SMART PEOPLE. Dennis Quaid is a pretentious English lit professor, widowed and living with his equally pretentious (and driven) teenage daughter (Ellen Page, in a somewhat JUNO-like role). He is very prickly and emotionally unavailable. His loser stepbrother (Thomas Haden Church) shows up and ends up moving into the home in spite of the professor's wishes. One day the Professor ends up in the hospital and meets a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker), who is now a doctor. They very tentatively move toward a relationship, although he is really bad at it, apparently having lost all his charm and social skills since his wife died. This is a reasonably predictable movie, ordinary people just trying to make it through life, with some romance and some comedy, but I found it very enjoyable.
REDBELT. This film stars Chiwetel Ejiofer as the owner and instructor at a jiujutsu academy in Los Angeles. His brother-in-law is involved in promoting championship fights. He and his wife are struggling, but he doesn’t believe in competition, and so won't fight for money. Also moving the plot along are a cop who is down on his luck, an attorney that is struggling with past trauma, and an aging action movie star. Written and directed by David Mamet, who is not one of my favorite filmmakers. And I am certainly not interested in mixed martial arts. Still, the movie kept me interested, so if you like one or the other, this might be a movie for you.
PRICELESS. French movie starring Audrey Tautou (AMELIE). Generally, she is all about sleeping with rich old men for their money. Living an extravagant lifestyle seems to be her goal in life. Her current geezer falls asleep on her, and she goes down to the hotel bar to get a drink. Through a misunderstanding she thinks the bartender is another rich guest, and they have a little fling. A year later, they meet again, and when she realizes he is not wealthy, she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. But eventually, out of friendship, she gives him advice on how to scam rich old women like she is scamming rich old men. But of course they will eventually fall for each other. I think this movie is supposed to be all frothy and light-hearted and amusing, but really, what they are doing is rather distasteful and hurtful, and I didn't really get into it.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
April movie reviews
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL. Peter writes music for a CSI-type TV show, and his girlfriend Sarah stars in the show. He knows he's lucky to be with her, but isn't exactly working on igniting sparks in the relationship. When Sarah dumps him, though, he is broken-hearted and completely falls to pieces. A friend tells him he should get away, so he goes to Hawaii to a resort that his ex always talked about. Lo and behold, she is there with her new boyfriend. Hilarity ensues. Produced by the same people (and with many of the same actors) who made 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, and SUPERBAD, this is a very amusing move. And not just because of the lead characters - there are several minor characters that also add quite a bit to the movie. It may not be "the funniest damn movie ever" that it is advertised as, but it's definitely worth seeing. Quite a few laughs.
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE. This is a documentary on Chinese Americans in the movies, from the earliest days of silent film to the current era. The movie goes from the difficulty in getting jobs for actors (white people in "yellowface"), to the offensive stereotypes, to depicting accurate representations of Chinese life, to present day with many successful Chinese and Chinese-American directors and writers. While I didn't think the movie was exceptionally well put together, or really powerful, or even all that enlightening (if you think about it), it was still interesting, and it was a pleasure to watch.
FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. A young teenager loves Kung Fu movies, but is pretty much a nerd. One day he is forced by a gang of toughs to help rob the local video store, the old Chinese owner gets shot, and the kid ends up with a magic staff and transported 500 years in the past. There, in order to fulfill the ancient prophecy, he must return the staff to the original owner (the Monkey King) and end the cruel reign of the Jade Warrior. On his journey he is helped by Jackie Chan (as the drunken master) and Jet Li (the silent monk). This is getting good reviews, and while I can see teenage boys and kung fu lovers enjoying this movie, I was bored. Lovely scenery, though. I must accept that this genre isn't my cup of tea. I didn't like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon much either.
THE VISITOR. This indie flick involves a college professor (Richard Jenkins) who is clearly depressed. The only interest he has is trying to learn to play to piano, but he isn’t very good. He is going through the motions of living. But one day, the Dean of his college insists that he go to New York and give a speech at a conference. He very reluctantly packs his bag and goes to an apartment he has in the city. He hasn’t been there in years, and when he gets there, he finds a scam artist has rented his apartment to two immigrants: a drummer and a jewelry maker. Although at first he kicks them out, he does take pity on them (they are blameless after all) and lets them stay until they can find a place. And he starts becomes involved in their lives and finally starts living his own. This is a nice little character study, with no bells or whistles.
DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS. Based on a Balzac story, the plot of this French movie involves a 19th century Duchess, who spends her time going to balls and other social events. She is married, but her husband is nowhere in sight. She meets the General at an event, and is fascinated by his interesting past. She flirts, and he decides he will make her his mistress. But she will not give in to him, because she is married, and her religion won't let her. He persists, but then finally gives up. Then she desperately misses him, and pursues him. Given that she is shallow and not particularly good looking, and he is sullen and not particularly good looking, I was at a complete loss to understand their obsession with each other. It ends badly, and I didn't care. Maybe the book helped explain it better. Or maybe the subtitles weren't adequate.
PARANOID PARK. This is the latest Gus van Sant movie about disaffected teenagers. In this one, a skateboarder goes to a local skate park, something bad happens, and we aren't quite sure what his role in the event is. The movie moves back and forth in time, and occasionally has dream-like sequences. It does a great job of depicting inarticulate, aimless teenagers, but to be honest, inarticulate teenagers aren't remotely interesting to me, even when something major happens to them. And at only 78 minutes, it still felt padded.
FLAWLESS. Demi Moore is an executive at a diamond company in 1960 London. Michael Caine is the janitor. She is bitter because the sexism of the times prevents her from getting promoted, and so she lets the janitor talk her into helping him rob the bank of a few diamonds that won't even be missed. But things don't go as she planned, and like many heist movies, you follow the twists and turns. Although I knew exactly where the diamonds were all along. It's not a great movie, but it kept me mildly interested. I’d say it’s an OK choice to catch on TV some rainy day.
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE. This is a documentary on Chinese Americans in the movies, from the earliest days of silent film to the current era. The movie goes from the difficulty in getting jobs for actors (white people in "yellowface"), to the offensive stereotypes, to depicting accurate representations of Chinese life, to present day with many successful Chinese and Chinese-American directors and writers. While I didn't think the movie was exceptionally well put together, or really powerful, or even all that enlightening (if you think about it), it was still interesting, and it was a pleasure to watch.
FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. A young teenager loves Kung Fu movies, but is pretty much a nerd. One day he is forced by a gang of toughs to help rob the local video store, the old Chinese owner gets shot, and the kid ends up with a magic staff and transported 500 years in the past. There, in order to fulfill the ancient prophecy, he must return the staff to the original owner (the Monkey King) and end the cruel reign of the Jade Warrior. On his journey he is helped by Jackie Chan (as the drunken master) and Jet Li (the silent monk). This is getting good reviews, and while I can see teenage boys and kung fu lovers enjoying this movie, I was bored. Lovely scenery, though. I must accept that this genre isn't my cup of tea. I didn't like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon much either.
THE VISITOR. This indie flick involves a college professor (Richard Jenkins) who is clearly depressed. The only interest he has is trying to learn to play to piano, but he isn’t very good. He is going through the motions of living. But one day, the Dean of his college insists that he go to New York and give a speech at a conference. He very reluctantly packs his bag and goes to an apartment he has in the city. He hasn’t been there in years, and when he gets there, he finds a scam artist has rented his apartment to two immigrants: a drummer and a jewelry maker. Although at first he kicks them out, he does take pity on them (they are blameless after all) and lets them stay until they can find a place. And he starts becomes involved in their lives and finally starts living his own. This is a nice little character study, with no bells or whistles.
DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS. Based on a Balzac story, the plot of this French movie involves a 19th century Duchess, who spends her time going to balls and other social events. She is married, but her husband is nowhere in sight. She meets the General at an event, and is fascinated by his interesting past. She flirts, and he decides he will make her his mistress. But she will not give in to him, because she is married, and her religion won't let her. He persists, but then finally gives up. Then she desperately misses him, and pursues him. Given that she is shallow and not particularly good looking, and he is sullen and not particularly good looking, I was at a complete loss to understand their obsession with each other. It ends badly, and I didn't care. Maybe the book helped explain it better. Or maybe the subtitles weren't adequate.
PARANOID PARK. This is the latest Gus van Sant movie about disaffected teenagers. In this one, a skateboarder goes to a local skate park, something bad happens, and we aren't quite sure what his role in the event is. The movie moves back and forth in time, and occasionally has dream-like sequences. It does a great job of depicting inarticulate, aimless teenagers, but to be honest, inarticulate teenagers aren't remotely interesting to me, even when something major happens to them. And at only 78 minutes, it still felt padded.
FLAWLESS. Demi Moore is an executive at a diamond company in 1960 London. Michael Caine is the janitor. She is bitter because the sexism of the times prevents her from getting promoted, and so she lets the janitor talk her into helping him rob the bank of a few diamonds that won't even be missed. But things don't go as she planned, and like many heist movies, you follow the twists and turns. Although I knew exactly where the diamonds were all along. It's not a great movie, but it kept me mildly interested. I’d say it’s an OK choice to catch on TV some rainy day.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
March movie reviews
In reverse chronological order....
UNDER THE SAME MOON. Present-day Mexico and Los Angeles. A single mother has immigrated to East L.A., leaving her young son behind. Of course, she has done this so she can send money back home for him and he can have a better life. But it has been 4 years, and her son is starting to wonder if she loves him, because she hasn't sent for him. (She is trying, but she is having trouble getting legalized.) When his grandmother/caretaker dies, the boy decides to go to L.A. and reunite with his mother. Of course, a 9-year old on his own if bound to run into trouble, and he does when crossing the border into Texas. But he is resourceful and determined to make it to L.A., and people along the way help him avoid the bad characters. Meanwhile, his mother, who doesn’t realize he is missing, is considering marrying not for love, but so she can be legal. This is a charming movie that puts faces on the stories of illegal immigrants. The actors playing the mother and son are just wonderful. In the theater where I saw the movie, there was sobbing at the end. It’s a lovely movie.
BANK JOB. 1971 London. A group of less-than-upstanding working-class guys (including Jason Statham) get recruited by a former girlfriend to rob a bank. It's supposed to be an easy set up, and they get to keep the loot as long as they get the contents of a particular safety deposit box and turn them over to the guys making the robbery possible (by disabling alarms). Of course, in the course of the robbery, the guys also steal the contents of the many other safety deposit boxes, which can be a problem because people often put items in those boxes that they don't want anyone to see or know about. The robbers really get in over their heads, with corrupt cops, the criminal element, the radical chic, black power activists, and the highest levels of government getting involved. I like a good heist story with twists and turns, and this one is quite good. It's fun seeing if they can get themselves out of the mess they are in, and away from all various elements that are after them. Based on a true story.
HONEYDRIPPER. 1950 Alabama. Danny Glover runs a roadhouse in the rural South. His performers sing the blues, and he is losing customers to competitors who play early rock and roll. He is on the verge of being bought out, so he and his partner Charles Durning try to bring in "Guitar Sam", a big draw from New Orleans. He hopes that will bring in the crowds, and get him the money he needs to settle his debts. Of course there are complications, so story revolves around whether they can succeed in saving the bar. This was written and directed by John Sayles (Lone Star), who is a favorite of mine, but the first hour of this one moved like molasses, and the story isn't terribly original. I will say the acting was terrific.
MARRIED LIFE. 1949 New York. Harry (Chris Cooper) and Richard (Pierce Brosnan) are businessmen (the martini lunch kind). Harry is married and Richard is happily single. One day Harry confesses to Richard that he has fallen in love with a blond bombshell named Kay (Rachel McAdams). But Harry does love his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson), and can't bear to hurt her, so he hasn't told Pat that he is leaving her. He comes to think it will be kinder to kill his wife rather than tell her he doesn't love her anymore. Meanwhile, Harry has asked Richard to visit Kay and keep her company, since Harry can't be with her that often. And Richard starts becoming infatuated with Kay. The movie takes the concept that all marriages have their ups and downs and throws in some unexpected twists. This is a little like a 1950's melodrama, but with really dark humor, and I liked it.
THE COUNTERFEITERS. WWII Germany. A master counterfeiter is arrested and ends up in a concentration camp. At first he survives by painting portraits of the Nazis. But then a SS officer recognizes him, and he ends up being put to work counterfeiting foreign money (first the British pound, then the dollar). The goal for the Nazis is to destabilize the economies of their enemies. So the prisoners face a moral dilemma - do what the Nazis want, and survive while prolonging the war, or refuse to help, and die. This is the kind of movie where you put yourself in the place of the protagonists, and wonder what you would do in their place. Winner of Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscars.
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY. Late 1930's London. Frances McDormand is a nanny who keeps get fired (it's implied because she is a bit of a prude). Finally, her agency won't send her out to any more jobs. So she swipes a business card from the employer's desk, and shows up at Delysia's (Amy Adams) place. It turns out Delysia doesn't want a nanny, but a social secretary. And Delysia really does need one, because she is juggling three men. One man supports her in style, one can make her a star, and one is her best friend. Surprisingly, Miss Pettigrew excels at managing Delysia's life. And so they spend a madcap day, and become friends. Miss Pettigrew even meets an attractive man. Miss Pettigrew knows the war is coming, but the young people are oblivious to the meaning of it. Somewhat in the style of 1930's screwball comedies, this is mildly amusing but not spectacular. Fine for renting.
UNDER THE SAME MOON. Present-day Mexico and Los Angeles. A single mother has immigrated to East L.A., leaving her young son behind. Of course, she has done this so she can send money back home for him and he can have a better life. But it has been 4 years, and her son is starting to wonder if she loves him, because she hasn't sent for him. (She is trying, but she is having trouble getting legalized.) When his grandmother/caretaker dies, the boy decides to go to L.A. and reunite with his mother. Of course, a 9-year old on his own if bound to run into trouble, and he does when crossing the border into Texas. But he is resourceful and determined to make it to L.A., and people along the way help him avoid the bad characters. Meanwhile, his mother, who doesn’t realize he is missing, is considering marrying not for love, but so she can be legal. This is a charming movie that puts faces on the stories of illegal immigrants. The actors playing the mother and son are just wonderful. In the theater where I saw the movie, there was sobbing at the end. It’s a lovely movie.
BANK JOB. 1971 London. A group of less-than-upstanding working-class guys (including Jason Statham) get recruited by a former girlfriend to rob a bank. It's supposed to be an easy set up, and they get to keep the loot as long as they get the contents of a particular safety deposit box and turn them over to the guys making the robbery possible (by disabling alarms). Of course, in the course of the robbery, the guys also steal the contents of the many other safety deposit boxes, which can be a problem because people often put items in those boxes that they don't want anyone to see or know about. The robbers really get in over their heads, with corrupt cops, the criminal element, the radical chic, black power activists, and the highest levels of government getting involved. I like a good heist story with twists and turns, and this one is quite good. It's fun seeing if they can get themselves out of the mess they are in, and away from all various elements that are after them. Based on a true story.
HONEYDRIPPER. 1950 Alabama. Danny Glover runs a roadhouse in the rural South. His performers sing the blues, and he is losing customers to competitors who play early rock and roll. He is on the verge of being bought out, so he and his partner Charles Durning try to bring in "Guitar Sam", a big draw from New Orleans. He hopes that will bring in the crowds, and get him the money he needs to settle his debts. Of course there are complications, so story revolves around whether they can succeed in saving the bar. This was written and directed by John Sayles (Lone Star), who is a favorite of mine, but the first hour of this one moved like molasses, and the story isn't terribly original. I will say the acting was terrific.
MARRIED LIFE. 1949 New York. Harry (Chris Cooper) and Richard (Pierce Brosnan) are businessmen (the martini lunch kind). Harry is married and Richard is happily single. One day Harry confesses to Richard that he has fallen in love with a blond bombshell named Kay (Rachel McAdams). But Harry does love his wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson), and can't bear to hurt her, so he hasn't told Pat that he is leaving her. He comes to think it will be kinder to kill his wife rather than tell her he doesn't love her anymore. Meanwhile, Harry has asked Richard to visit Kay and keep her company, since Harry can't be with her that often. And Richard starts becoming infatuated with Kay. The movie takes the concept that all marriages have their ups and downs and throws in some unexpected twists. This is a little like a 1950's melodrama, but with really dark humor, and I liked it.
THE COUNTERFEITERS. WWII Germany. A master counterfeiter is arrested and ends up in a concentration camp. At first he survives by painting portraits of the Nazis. But then a SS officer recognizes him, and he ends up being put to work counterfeiting foreign money (first the British pound, then the dollar). The goal for the Nazis is to destabilize the economies of their enemies. So the prisoners face a moral dilemma - do what the Nazis want, and survive while prolonging the war, or refuse to help, and die. This is the kind of movie where you put yourself in the place of the protagonists, and wonder what you would do in their place. Winner of Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscars.
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY. Late 1930's London. Frances McDormand is a nanny who keeps get fired (it's implied because she is a bit of a prude). Finally, her agency won't send her out to any more jobs. So she swipes a business card from the employer's desk, and shows up at Delysia's (Amy Adams) place. It turns out Delysia doesn't want a nanny, but a social secretary. And Delysia really does need one, because she is juggling three men. One man supports her in style, one can make her a star, and one is her best friend. Surprisingly, Miss Pettigrew excels at managing Delysia's life. And so they spend a madcap day, and become friends. Miss Pettigrew even meets an attractive man. Miss Pettigrew knows the war is coming, but the young people are oblivious to the meaning of it. Somewhat in the style of 1930's screwball comedies, this is mildly amusing but not spectacular. Fine for renting.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
February movie reviews
IN BRUGES. I loved this movie. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are hit men working for Ralph Fiennes. When a job goes terribly wrong, Ralph sends the two men to Bruges (in Belgium) to lay low for a while. Brendan loves the medieval city, while Colin thinks it's the pits because there isn't any nightlife. They have a sort of father-son relationship. I don't want to say any more about the plot, because that would ruin it, but this movie is full of very black humor amidst some nasty violence. The three characters are well-drawn with some real depth, not just caricatures. It's not a comedy, really, but I was laughing like crazy. It's a little like PULP FICTION, with the mix of comedy and drama.
DEFINITELY, MAYBE. Ryan Reynolds is getting a divorce as the movie opens. His young daughter wants to know the story of how he and her mother met. So he spends the movie telling his young daughter about the three great loves of his life (changing the names), and tells the daughter she will have to figure out who her mother is. Each of the women (played by Amy Adams, Elizabeth Banks, and Rachel Weisz) has real appeal, but also flaws. So the movie has a realistic take on relationships (other than every body being beautiful , of course). The movie is really well put together, so that the viewer also is guessing how the story will end up. I enjoyed it quite a bit. A excellent date movie, I would say.
THE BAND'S VISIT. Israeli movie. It involves a police ceremonial band from Egypt, who comes to Israeli to play at the opening of an Arab Cultural Center. But there is confusion about what town they are going to, and the band ends up in a small town in the middle of nowhere, with, as one local woman puts it, no Arab culture, no Israeli culture, no culture at all. They can't catch a bus until the next day, so the band ends up staying with local townsfolk. And getting to know each other a little. This is a very small film, not much going on, but OK enough.
FOUR MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, TWO DAYS. This Romanian movie involves two college roommates living in Communist Romania. One gets pregnant, and the other supports her in pursuing an illegal abortion. The friend has to borrow the money, get a hotel, contact the abortionist, etc. The pregnant girl seems to be paralyzed. And discovery could mean 10 years in jail. Although the movie does a fine job of showing what life must have been like during that era (getting goods from illegal black markets, living in cramped quarters, being required to carry ID documents at all times), I don't really need a movie to show me that getting an illegal abortion is a bleak experience that tests friendship. You think? Grim stuff.
CLOVERFIELD. This movie has been referred to as Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project. And that is really a perfect description. It involves a group of friends who having a going-away party for a friend, and videotaping the party. When New York starts exploding with a gigantic monster destroying the city, the friends run around trying to get out of harm's way, all the while taping themselves (and occasionally the monster). Where the monster came from or what it's motivations are aren't explained; it is just pissed off for no apparent reason. Some reports have said people have complained that the shaky camera work made them sick. I am very susceptible to motion sickness, but although the shaky camera work here annoyed the hell out of me, it didn't make me ill. The movie... it's not bad, but I was never much into Godzilla or monster movies, so [shrug].
DEFINITELY, MAYBE. Ryan Reynolds is getting a divorce as the movie opens. His young daughter wants to know the story of how he and her mother met. So he spends the movie telling his young daughter about the three great loves of his life (changing the names), and tells the daughter she will have to figure out who her mother is. Each of the women (played by Amy Adams, Elizabeth Banks, and Rachel Weisz) has real appeal, but also flaws. So the movie has a realistic take on relationships (other than every body being beautiful , of course). The movie is really well put together, so that the viewer also is guessing how the story will end up. I enjoyed it quite a bit. A excellent date movie, I would say.
THE BAND'S VISIT. Israeli movie. It involves a police ceremonial band from Egypt, who comes to Israeli to play at the opening of an Arab Cultural Center. But there is confusion about what town they are going to, and the band ends up in a small town in the middle of nowhere, with, as one local woman puts it, no Arab culture, no Israeli culture, no culture at all. They can't catch a bus until the next day, so the band ends up staying with local townsfolk. And getting to know each other a little. This is a very small film, not much going on, but OK enough.
FOUR MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, TWO DAYS. This Romanian movie involves two college roommates living in Communist Romania. One gets pregnant, and the other supports her in pursuing an illegal abortion. The friend has to borrow the money, get a hotel, contact the abortionist, etc. The pregnant girl seems to be paralyzed. And discovery could mean 10 years in jail. Although the movie does a fine job of showing what life must have been like during that era (getting goods from illegal black markets, living in cramped quarters, being required to carry ID documents at all times), I don't really need a movie to show me that getting an illegal abortion is a bleak experience that tests friendship. You think? Grim stuff.
CLOVERFIELD. This movie has been referred to as Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project. And that is really a perfect description. It involves a group of friends who having a going-away party for a friend, and videotaping the party. When New York starts exploding with a gigantic monster destroying the city, the friends run around trying to get out of harm's way, all the while taping themselves (and occasionally the monster). Where the monster came from or what it's motivations are aren't explained; it is just pissed off for no apparent reason. Some reports have said people have complained that the shaky camera work made them sick. I am very susceptible to motion sickness, but although the shaky camera work here annoyed the hell out of me, it didn't make me ill. The movie... it's not bad, but I was never much into Godzilla or monster movies, so [shrug].
Monday, January 28, 2008
January movie reviews
THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Daniel Plainview, an early 20th century oil prospector in California's Central Valley. He is an incredibly driven man, very competitive. He can be very smooth, but you get the feeling there's not much humanity there. The first half of the movie is more a visual look at how drilling for oil was done back then. Somewhat interesting, but not a lot of story going on. Then a plot kicks in, which involves Plainview along with his young son trying to get leases on a potentially lucrative area to drill. His nemesis will turn out to be a young man who is a religious holy roller. He wants to build a church in the area and lead a cult-like group of followers. So there's a conflict between a really nasty capitalist against a really hateful preacher. But as far as I could tell, neither character was given much depth or nuance, or even much motivation other than being after power. Although very visual, great music, terrific acting...I didn’t really like it. And I hated the ending. Talk about ham-fisted!
THE SAVAGES. John (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) are siblings living in New York. One day Wendy gets a call that their father is in the hospital. The kids are estranged from their father, and aren't even sure where in Arizona he lives. Apparently, he was a terror of a father, and they are still living with the results of his abuse in their personal lives. Still, they behave like good children, and go to see how their father is. Turns out, dementia is taking a toll, and he needs to go into a home. So they find him a nursing home, and in he goes. Wendy is still trying to win her father's love, while John is more pragmatic about just giving him his basic needs. Now, there is quite a bit of humor in the movie, including some laugh out loud moments, and there is an unexpected ending, but I have visited a father in a nursing home, and really didn’t care for the feeling that I was re-living the experience. So for personal reasons I didn’t like the movie.
PERSEPOLIS. Based on a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi (she wrote and directed the movie as well), who was a young girl in Iran in the time of the Shah. She lives with her modern family, who are quite appalled when she quotes her teachers and says the Shah is a good man. Until she learns that the Shah imprisoned her grandfather. Then she becomes pro-revolution, and along with her family, hope that Iran will now become a modern, progressive county. But of course that doesn't go so well, and she had an uncle that is imprisoned by the clerics. She remains an outspoken girl, though, and eventually her family sends her to Vienna because they are afraid she might end up getting her or her family in trouble. There she struggles to fit in. And more. I really liked this one, because her life is fascinating, it's a look at Iranians who don't make the news, and also because I liked the graphic look of the movie.
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY. Based on a true story. Jean-Dominque Bauby was living large as the editor of French Elle magazine. He had money, prestige and beautiful women. Then, when he was 42 years old, he had a brain-stem stroke that left him in a locked-in state. That is, he couldn't move, talk, swallow, etc. He could blink one eyelid, and with the help of a therapist, developed a method to communicate. After being initially depressed, of course, he realized he still had his memories and his imagination. So he wrote a book about his experiences. You wouldn't think a movie about a guy who can't move or speak would be very interesting, but this one is. It's amazingly well done.
THE SAVAGES. John (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) are siblings living in New York. One day Wendy gets a call that their father is in the hospital. The kids are estranged from their father, and aren't even sure where in Arizona he lives. Apparently, he was a terror of a father, and they are still living with the results of his abuse in their personal lives. Still, they behave like good children, and go to see how their father is. Turns out, dementia is taking a toll, and he needs to go into a home. So they find him a nursing home, and in he goes. Wendy is still trying to win her father's love, while John is more pragmatic about just giving him his basic needs. Now, there is quite a bit of humor in the movie, including some laugh out loud moments, and there is an unexpected ending, but I have visited a father in a nursing home, and really didn’t care for the feeling that I was re-living the experience. So for personal reasons I didn’t like the movie.
PERSEPOLIS. Based on a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi (she wrote and directed the movie as well), who was a young girl in Iran in the time of the Shah. She lives with her modern family, who are quite appalled when she quotes her teachers and says the Shah is a good man. Until she learns that the Shah imprisoned her grandfather. Then she becomes pro-revolution, and along with her family, hope that Iran will now become a modern, progressive county. But of course that doesn't go so well, and she had an uncle that is imprisoned by the clerics. She remains an outspoken girl, though, and eventually her family sends her to Vienna because they are afraid she might end up getting her or her family in trouble. There she struggles to fit in. And more. I really liked this one, because her life is fascinating, it's a look at Iranians who don't make the news, and also because I liked the graphic look of the movie.
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY. Based on a true story. Jean-Dominque Bauby was living large as the editor of French Elle magazine. He had money, prestige and beautiful women. Then, when he was 42 years old, he had a brain-stem stroke that left him in a locked-in state. That is, he couldn't move, talk, swallow, etc. He could blink one eyelid, and with the help of a therapist, developed a method to communicate. After being initially depressed, of course, he realized he still had his memories and his imagination. So he wrote a book about his experiences. You wouldn't think a movie about a guy who can't move or speak would be very interesting, but this one is. It's amazingly well done.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
December movie reviews
ENCHANTED. This movie takes off on Disney princesses, their true loves, and wicked stepmothers. Giselle (Amy Adams) lives in an animated wonderland, about to marry her Prince Charming. But his wicked stepmother doesn't want the match, and sends Giselle down a well, whereupon she ends up in New York City. And of course, her wide eyed take on the world doesn't quite fit in Manhattan. She does meet someone who takes pity on her (Patrick Dempsey), although he is a dedicated non-romantic. His daughter, however, is delighted to meet a princess. As you might expect from a movie of this kind, Patrick gets changed. But Giselle does too. There is a very funny satirical take on the romantic worldview found in those old Disney movies. It actually builds a bridge between the romantic and practical, and sees the positive sides of both. I can't describe the movie well enough, except to say I thought it was absolutely adorable.
JUNO. Juno (Ellen Page) is a 16 year old girl, very precocious, who thinks she is wiser than she actually is. She likes a boy (Michael Cera from Superbad), and I think out of curiosity, has sex with him. When she finds herself pregnant, she first seeks an abortion, but decides against it. With the support of her father and stepmom, she goes about finding adoptive parents for her baby. With the help of the local PennySaver, she finds the perfectionist Jennifer Garner, and her not-ready-to-grow-up husband, Jason Bateman. This is a very witty movie, and sweet too. All of the characters are really well written and acted. Roger Ebert named it best move of the year. I wouldn't go that far, but it is hugely entertaining. One complaint I have is that the previews are showing far too much of the movie.
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. Tom Hanks stars as a Texas congressman in 1980. He is a womanizing, hard drinking, don't-do-much kind of politician. But, somehow, he becomes interested in the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Spurred on by a wealthy right-wing socialite (Julia Roberts) who wants the US government to do way more against the commies, he visits the area and sees with his own eyes how brutal the Russians are. Along with a CIA agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman), he really rises to the challenge to get funding for a covert action against the Russians. Written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), this is a very smart, witty, and entertaining history lesson. Hoffman especially is terrific. Well worth seeing.
ATONEMENT. Based on an Ian McEwan novel, this movie takes place in 1930s England, among the upper classes. Keira Knightly is the rich girl, and James McEvoy is the housekeeper's son (although he has done well for himself and is headed to medical school). Keira's little sister, Briony, is an imaginative 11 year old, with a slight crush on James. James and Keira are in love, though, and Briony keeps coming across signs of their secret affair, but she is young and misinterprets what she sees. Finally, something bad happens and again, Briony is seriously mistaken, and her mistake separates the lovers and sends James to jail. James goes into the military in exchange for prison, ending up at Dunkirk, and Keira becomes a nurse when WWII breaks out. Briony, meanwhile, grows to realize her mistake, and wants to bring the lovers back together. It becomes her mission to atone for her sin. I thought this was a beautiful, tragic, love story, but because the movie is made by the ending, I don't know that anyone who has read the book will like it as much as I did.
THE KITE RUNNER. Again, I haven't read the novel this is based on, so the movie was all new to me. It begins before the USSR invasion of Afghanistan, and revolves around two boys who are close friends. One is upper class, the other is the son of the servant of the house. They are inseparable, but one day something awful happens to the lower-class boy, and the upper class boy is so wracked with guilt that he did nothing to stop the horrible event that he poisons their friendship. They eventually lose touch when the upper class family escapes to Fremont after the Russian invasion. But there is a reconnection years later. Although I thought the movie slowed down a bit in the end, it was a wonderful look at a country and culture that most of us don't know much about. And it's a heartbreaking story, with issues of class, guilt, oppression, emigration, etc. Not a great movie, but good.
THIS CHRISTMAS. A typical holiday movie, with a family getting together for Christmas. There are all the usual complications, including a bad marriage, a prodigal son, crime, infidelity, arguments over the family business, etc. And of course everyone in the family is remarkably attractive. But as the genre goes, I liked this one; it's heartwarming and funny and I felt happy coming out of the theater. Plus some good music. Nothing wrong with a feel-good movie around the holidays!
SWEENEY TODD. Johnnie Depp takes on the role of Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street in 19th century London. This is based on a musical by Stephen Sondheim. Todd has been unjustly imprisoned and lost his family, and when he returns after 20 years, he takes vengeance on the middle class by slitting their throats (lots of gushers in this movie) in the barber's chair. Helena Bonham Carter is Mrs. Leavitt, in love with Sweeney, who takes the bodies and make meat pies of them. To say this is a dark topic for a musical is an understatement. I have mixed feelings about this: Depp is good, Carter not so much, there are beautiful songs, too much blood letting, I go back and forth on whether to recommend. I guess it would just depend on your taste for the macabre mixed with music.
THE GREAT DEBATERS. Denzel Washington directed this based-on-a-true-story movie about a debating team from a historically black college in 1930's Texas. Denzel is the college debate coach (and labor organizer on the side), and he has a team composed of a smart but undisciplined young man, a young woman (when women didn't debate), and a brilliant 14-year- old (whose preacher father is played by Forrest Whitaker). They face racism, a corrupt sheriff, etc. In the tradition of sports movies, the underdog debating team takes on all comers at other black colleges, defeating them until the final big debate against Harvard. Will they win against the prestigious white university or not? This is an OK example of the genre. For me, not even as entertaining as REMEMBER THE TITANS, though. Debating is hard to make as watchable as a sports contest. I did like the end credits showing what the debaters went on to do with their lives.
I AM LEGEND. Classic story, where a virus meant to cure cancer instead kills most of humankind, leaving a few mutant vampire-like creatures, and even fewer who are totally immune to the virus. The mutants only come out at night, and they are very fast and very scary. Will Smith is immune and tools around a deserted Manhattan during the day looking for food and DVD rentals. He is also a doctor, and spends some time trying to find a cure for the virus. I thought the movie was a tad slow, and wasn't really impressed by the CGI effects. I liked 28 WEEKS LATER, with a plot along similar lines, a lot more.
THE MIST. Based on a Stephen King short story. In this one, a bunch of people in small-town Maine (of course) are stuck in a grocery store when a dense mist falls over the town. And there is something in the mist that is snatching people up. So the people in the store try to figure out what to do, before everyone goes crazy from listening to the bible-thumper (Marcia Gay Harden) who is convinced that the mist is God's vengeance for their misdeeds. So there is danger outside the store, but also inside, because she might be able to convince people that someone has to be sacrificed to appease God. I was OK with this one for a while, but I really hated the end. I got the feeling the movie was trying to be deep, but I didn't go along with it.
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? Documentary on Reverend Billy and his Stop Shopping Gospel Choir. He's got a good gimmick (preaching against shopping just like a evangelical preacher), and some of the choir's songs are quite funny. Still, as a movie, I thought this was weak. Quite disjointed. I don't think the movie would convince anybody.
JUNO. Juno (Ellen Page) is a 16 year old girl, very precocious, who thinks she is wiser than she actually is. She likes a boy (Michael Cera from Superbad), and I think out of curiosity, has sex with him. When she finds herself pregnant, she first seeks an abortion, but decides against it. With the support of her father and stepmom, she goes about finding adoptive parents for her baby. With the help of the local PennySaver, she finds the perfectionist Jennifer Garner, and her not-ready-to-grow-up husband, Jason Bateman. This is a very witty movie, and sweet too. All of the characters are really well written and acted. Roger Ebert named it best move of the year. I wouldn't go that far, but it is hugely entertaining. One complaint I have is that the previews are showing far too much of the movie.
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. Tom Hanks stars as a Texas congressman in 1980. He is a womanizing, hard drinking, don't-do-much kind of politician. But, somehow, he becomes interested in the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Spurred on by a wealthy right-wing socialite (Julia Roberts) who wants the US government to do way more against the commies, he visits the area and sees with his own eyes how brutal the Russians are. Along with a CIA agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman), he really rises to the challenge to get funding for a covert action against the Russians. Written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), this is a very smart, witty, and entertaining history lesson. Hoffman especially is terrific. Well worth seeing.
ATONEMENT. Based on an Ian McEwan novel, this movie takes place in 1930s England, among the upper classes. Keira Knightly is the rich girl, and James McEvoy is the housekeeper's son (although he has done well for himself and is headed to medical school). Keira's little sister, Briony, is an imaginative 11 year old, with a slight crush on James. James and Keira are in love, though, and Briony keeps coming across signs of their secret affair, but she is young and misinterprets what she sees. Finally, something bad happens and again, Briony is seriously mistaken, and her mistake separates the lovers and sends James to jail. James goes into the military in exchange for prison, ending up at Dunkirk, and Keira becomes a nurse when WWII breaks out. Briony, meanwhile, grows to realize her mistake, and wants to bring the lovers back together. It becomes her mission to atone for her sin. I thought this was a beautiful, tragic, love story, but because the movie is made by the ending, I don't know that anyone who has read the book will like it as much as I did.
THE KITE RUNNER. Again, I haven't read the novel this is based on, so the movie was all new to me. It begins before the USSR invasion of Afghanistan, and revolves around two boys who are close friends. One is upper class, the other is the son of the servant of the house. They are inseparable, but one day something awful happens to the lower-class boy, and the upper class boy is so wracked with guilt that he did nothing to stop the horrible event that he poisons their friendship. They eventually lose touch when the upper class family escapes to Fremont after the Russian invasion. But there is a reconnection years later. Although I thought the movie slowed down a bit in the end, it was a wonderful look at a country and culture that most of us don't know much about. And it's a heartbreaking story, with issues of class, guilt, oppression, emigration, etc. Not a great movie, but good.
THIS CHRISTMAS. A typical holiday movie, with a family getting together for Christmas. There are all the usual complications, including a bad marriage, a prodigal son, crime, infidelity, arguments over the family business, etc. And of course everyone in the family is remarkably attractive. But as the genre goes, I liked this one; it's heartwarming and funny and I felt happy coming out of the theater. Plus some good music. Nothing wrong with a feel-good movie around the holidays!
SWEENEY TODD. Johnnie Depp takes on the role of Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street in 19th century London. This is based on a musical by Stephen Sondheim. Todd has been unjustly imprisoned and lost his family, and when he returns after 20 years, he takes vengeance on the middle class by slitting their throats (lots of gushers in this movie) in the barber's chair. Helena Bonham Carter is Mrs. Leavitt, in love with Sweeney, who takes the bodies and make meat pies of them. To say this is a dark topic for a musical is an understatement. I have mixed feelings about this: Depp is good, Carter not so much, there are beautiful songs, too much blood letting, I go back and forth on whether to recommend. I guess it would just depend on your taste for the macabre mixed with music.
THE GREAT DEBATERS. Denzel Washington directed this based-on-a-true-story movie about a debating team from a historically black college in 1930's Texas. Denzel is the college debate coach (and labor organizer on the side), and he has a team composed of a smart but undisciplined young man, a young woman (when women didn't debate), and a brilliant 14-year- old (whose preacher father is played by Forrest Whitaker). They face racism, a corrupt sheriff, etc. In the tradition of sports movies, the underdog debating team takes on all comers at other black colleges, defeating them until the final big debate against Harvard. Will they win against the prestigious white university or not? This is an OK example of the genre. For me, not even as entertaining as REMEMBER THE TITANS, though. Debating is hard to make as watchable as a sports contest. I did like the end credits showing what the debaters went on to do with their lives.
I AM LEGEND. Classic story, where a virus meant to cure cancer instead kills most of humankind, leaving a few mutant vampire-like creatures, and even fewer who are totally immune to the virus. The mutants only come out at night, and they are very fast and very scary. Will Smith is immune and tools around a deserted Manhattan during the day looking for food and DVD rentals. He is also a doctor, and spends some time trying to find a cure for the virus. I thought the movie was a tad slow, and wasn't really impressed by the CGI effects. I liked 28 WEEKS LATER, with a plot along similar lines, a lot more.
THE MIST. Based on a Stephen King short story. In this one, a bunch of people in small-town Maine (of course) are stuck in a grocery store when a dense mist falls over the town. And there is something in the mist that is snatching people up. So the people in the store try to figure out what to do, before everyone goes crazy from listening to the bible-thumper (Marcia Gay Harden) who is convinced that the mist is God's vengeance for their misdeeds. So there is danger outside the store, but also inside, because she might be able to convince people that someone has to be sacrificed to appease God. I was OK with this one for a while, but I really hated the end. I got the feeling the movie was trying to be deep, but I didn't go along with it.
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? Documentary on Reverend Billy and his Stop Shopping Gospel Choir. He's got a good gimmick (preaching against shopping just like a evangelical preacher), and some of the choir's songs are quite funny. Still, as a movie, I thought this was weak. Quite disjointed. I don't think the movie would convince anybody.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
