Random Moving Pictures

2010-08-01T16:17:00.004-04:00

I've had a busy week, so I thought I would reward myself with a few movies. I started with a morning showing of Restrepo, then followed that up with Please Give, then watched The Happening in the privacy of my own home. Lets start by saying that two were good and one was bad. I won't tell you which was good and which was bad until the end of the respective reviews.

Restrepo

Directed by: Tim Hetherington & Sebastian Junger

Genre: Documentary

The doc follows Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalian, 503rd Infantry Regiment (airborne) of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team which was posted in the Korangal Valley in mid 2007. The Korangal Valley is located in the Kunar Province in Northeastern Afghanistan is is generally considered to be one of the more dangerous postings in the US Military.

If you are anything like me, you have very little knowledge of what combat is really like, other than what little tidbits elderly relatives may pass along. That, for me, is very little as my relatives generally like to keep war stories to a minimum. That's why a documentary like this is so interesting.

I'll keep plot details to a minimum except to say that bad shit happens and people are left to deal with it in their own way. Watching a young adult like myself deal with such a complicated and dangerous situation in such a realistic way is an incredible thing. Zero prewrapped straws.

Please Give

Directed by: Nicole Holofcener

Genre: Comedy/Drama - Indie

Oliver Platt and Catherine Keener are a husband and wife who co-own a vintage furniture shop. Their stock comes from the estates of the recently deceased. They have a next door neighbor who is a bitter 91 year old who never has anything to say about her loving granddaughter Rebecca and bitchy granddaughter Mary. Their lives intersect as Kate (Keener) and Alex (Platt) have plans to purchase the old lady's apartment when she dies.

The movie does a great job and drawing characters and providing those characters with motivations. It also has a realistic look at infidelity and provides answers as to how a good man could cheat. It's a difficult task to make a man seem sympathetic while having a loving wife and the movie does a terrific job. It also provides answers as to how Mary acts the way she does. She's self centered and painfully honest to the point of being cruel.

It isn't fast moving, but it is a worthwhile. It might not be terribly profound but whatever simple ideas it does illustrate, it does very well.

The Happening

Directed by: Shyamalan

Genre: Horror/Unintentional comedy

It took me five minutes to get a reading on this movie. When Marky Mark's character, a science teacher, says that "Science will come up with some reason to put in the books, but in the end it'll be just a theory. I mean we will fail to acknowledge that there are forces at work beyond our understanding" it told me all I needed to know.

The acting is bad, the script is terrible, and the whole thing is on a level slightly below a made for tv movie. After watching The Last Airbender, the fault can safely lie with Shyamalan himself as everything bad comes from something he had his fingers in. Somebody in this industry needs to nut up and tell him his movies suck before he foists any more on an unsuspecting public. There may be a good horror in THAT concept. Don't waste your time, I'm not wasting any more on it.

Inception

2010-07-16T09:54:00.002-04:00

So last night I saw the midnight screening of Inception last night and I'm not really all that clear on what to say. First things first, however...the movie is not all that confusing. Sure, if you are going to try to put together a real life timeline outlining the plot then we end up going four levels deep. If you're just outlining the plot, that can be done.

Leo DiCaprio is Dom Cobb, an extractor who steals secrets from peoples dreams for money. This is essentially just high level corporate espionage. The whole movie is a heist film that centers around Cobb's quest to be able to go back home after being accused of a crime he did not commit. It sounds a little cliched but, really, what doesn't nowadays. Besides, if this is what you focus on after seeing the movie, I think you are beyond help.

The world Nolan creates is well put together and the rules, sensible, and require no leaps of faith. The cinematography is terrific, music helps amp up the tension, performances great, and the movie keeps you on the edge of your seat. Most importantly, it aims high, succeeds, and is wholly original. What more can you ask for?

No Straws.

The Last Airbender

2010-07-03T22:41:00.004-04:00

Congratulations M. Night, you set the bar pretty damn low after Lady in the Water and The Crappening but congratulations you managed to out do even yourself. It has been a long time since I've seen a movie that is this thoroughly terrible.

Earlier this afternoon, I was listening to an interview with Mr. Shyamalan on /film. It was enlightening if an only because he seems to think he has made a great movie. He seems to be moving into Uwe Boll territory in the sense that he seems oblivious to the rest of the world and assumes that it's not him it's them.

Something else he delves into is the race controversy that he finds himself in, stating that he's pissed off at anyone who feels the casting was racist. I really don't have much of an opinion on that other than the white actors he DID cast were terrible so why not try some of other races. Really, the quality of acting really does follow racial lines to the point of it being ridiculous. Lets not get to ahead of ourselves though as Dev Patel, Shaun Taub, and Aasaf Madnvi was merely tolerable and I'm giving HIM the benefit of the doubt assuming he meant it to be campy.

I don't like ripping on kids so I'll leave them alone. Perhaps if they worked with a different director (name one, it doesn't particularly matter whom) they'd do terrificly. Their acting is wooden and the dialogue they had to work with was terrible. It seems Shyamalan would rather tell than show which defeats the purpose of making a movie otherwise do us all a favour and make a damn radio play.

There is plenty else wrong, name an aspect of moviemaking and they probably fucked it up. I suppose the costumes weren't terrible and I don't really remember the music so I can't really comment on that but everything else...

A few points before I leave:

1. The self-sacrifice of a character has a lot more fucking gravitas if you meet her more than 5 minutes before and she has more than 30 seconds of screen time. I don't care how cute and blond she is.

2. Fight scenes are a lot more tense if there is some risk of losing. Peter Jackson kind of makes this mistake in Return of the King (a deus ex machina is involved and before that it seems like the good guys might lose beforehand so I really find myself on the fence).

3. the main character MUST have some weakness otherwise there is no struggle. Simply going from the most powerful in the world by a little to the most powerful in the world by a whole hell of a lot isn't the best character arc to go with from a struggle perspective - just sayin'

4. Pick a motherfucking protagonist, jesus h christ.

5. If one group is holding another group captive don't make them more powerful than the group that is being held captive! I imagine their convo went something like this:

Fire ppl: Don't use your bending abilities or else!

Earth ppl: Sure!

I'm sure I could come up with a hundred more flaws but this should be plenty to get you to stay away from this movie. In case anyone is wondering, I paid for Toy Story 3.

Congrats motherfucker,

P.S. I'll try to publish more blogs, my sincerest apologies.

P.P.S. Also, is there any better father in all of literature than Mr. Bennett? I think not.

Top 10 - 2009 edition

2010-01-01T22:54:00.003-05:00

Alright, before we get going, some rules and general thoughts on 2009...

At the time that I'm typing the first few words of the post, a number one doesn't really jump out at me. I'm sure once I further break down my spreadsheet which has all 126 movies I've seen this year, one will rise above all others, but at this point - nothing. This speaks to the overall strength of movies this year, I think. There are probably 5 to 10 movies (some not on my top 10) that will stand the test of time for one reason or another. There are great movies from first time directors such as Neil Blomkamp and Duncan Jones as well as great movies from Old Pros such as Mr. Tarantino and the brothers Coen. Like I said, strong year.

While I may update this list in three months with movies I've missed, as of now, I figure I have a strong enough database of movies released in 2009 by January 1 201o to exclude all 2008 movies I may have seen this year. Rest assured that both Che and Hunger would've found their way near the top of my list were I to include them, but I'm not. It is also a shame that I haven't seen movies like The Last Station, Crazy Heart, and Broken Embraces but them's the brakes...I only have so much time. Like I said, I will try to update the list in 3 months when more oscar contenders have been released but this should more than suffice for now.

Without further ado:

10. 500 Days of Summer (Marc Webb) - I've been a fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt for a while now. When you can share a screen with John Lithgow and not be completely overshadowed you have a presence. From there, I liked 10 things I hate about you, Mysterious Skin, Brick, The Lookout, and now 500 Days of Summer. I probably missed one, but you get the idea. I've long been a fan of romantic comedies but I'd probably also be the first person to admit that they usually are almost completely without depth. I like happy endings, sue me (keep in mind that happy endings are all relative). 500 days of summer is the first movie in a long time to realistically show a breakup. It recognizes that breakups almost always exist in shades of grey and very rarely have a hero and a villain. Also it was funny.

9. A Single Man (Tom Ford) - Strangely enough, another movie about Breakup. Colin Firth has recently lost his partner of 16 years in a tragic car accident and is struggling to move on with his life. Colin Firth really nails this one. He plays the type of subtle performance that always gets nominated but rarely gets recognized with the actual trophy. He exudes loneliness and depression and understands that acting isn't all about delivering dialogue. Tom Ford does a spectacular job for a first time director delivering a beautiful looking movie. The pace he chose worked well for the story and subject matter. Also, a little bit funny.

8. Bright Star (Jane Campion) - This is the story of the relationship between Fanny Brawne and John Keats. Without thinking, the assumption is always that one of the key figures of the romantic movement would of course get the girl. What one forgets is that artists are not always appreciated in their time and Campion certainly illustrates this. The movie's aesthetic suits Keats' poems as it is beautifully shot. The believability of the relationship grows over time much like the relationship grows, which is interesting and in the end very satisfying. If you like romantic period pieces, look no further.

7. Avatar (James Cameron) - The story in Avatar is simple and not particularly deep, but not necessarily bad. The characters are likeable and all have definite character arcs and are far from one dimensional (one might say three dimensional even - heh). The story is simple enough that it allows you to take in what's on screen, which is totally unlike anything I've seen before. It is a stunningly beautiful movie and will undoubtedly change the way we make movies. Watching the end result in real time when filming CGI shots is huge. In the end, watching what is on screen was so enthralling for me that it had me forgetting any issues I may have had with dialogue and to a lesser extent story. It is also a rare movie that NEEDS to be seen on screen to get the full experience. Download it if you want, it's a waste of your time (and fuck you).

6. District 9 (Neil Blomkamp) - It's a movie about Apartheid and Aliens, what more can you ask for (except maybe no Apartheid to begin with). Wikus van de Merwe, an MNU field operative is doing his best to help with the relocation of the 'prawns' to their new district 10 as district 9 has become somewhat of a slum. Without spoilers, something happens that causes Wikus to see things with a much different perspective. It does a wonderful job of character development with both Wikus and the aliens.

5. An Education (Lone Scherfig) - An Education is about Jenny, a rather clever teenager who is finishing out high school and is on her way to Oxford in the fall. She currently feels her world is far too small for her and wants to really live life in Paris. On the street one day she meets a man named David whom she thinks can take her there. Carey Mulligan stars as Jenny with Peter Sarsgaard staring as David, her older lover. Watching Jenny move from a girl who thinks she has it all figured out to a girl who realizes that she still has a long way to go is a terrific journey. The movie also stars Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams and Alfred Molina who all turn in great performances.

4. Moon (Duncan Jones) - Sam Rockwell plays a man working on the moon for a company trying to extract Helium -3 from the soil. During a routine trip on the rover he finds himself waking up in the infirmary. Hilarity ensues. Well, not really. Without spoiling the film, the rest of the film finds Sam Rockwell trying to escape from the moon as Sam learns more and more about what is really happening up there. Rockwell does a lot of terrific work in this film. It is a testament to the filmmakers that you would never guess the movie was made for 5 million. If you can find it, watch it.

3. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino) - Basterds is about a group of jewish allied soldiers who go on the hunt for Nazis. It has been called a revenge fantasy but I'm not really sure that's true. Although what happens to the jews may seem cathartic, all of the actions the Basterds take have definite consequences. Tarantino does a great job of fleshing out scenes in Inglourious Basterds and he does a terrific job of building tension in them. The characters are terrific, the story is tight, the movie is technically well made, and the performances are all top notch with a huge shout out going to Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa.

2. A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen) - Michael Stuhlbarg stars as Larry Goptik, a jewish man going through a rough patch in his life. His wife has left him, his kid is in trouble, his health is failing him, and someone is trying to stop him from getting tenure at the university he teaches at. The movie is based on the question 'why do bad things happen to good people'. It is funny, touching, and devastating all at the same time. Why do bad things happen? What are these bad things? Who is Fyvush Finkel? Watch and find out.

1. Up in the Air (Jason Reitman). The movie stars George Clooney as Ryan, a jet setting hatchet man who moonlights as an aspiring Self Help Guru. His main goal in life is to accumulate 10 million frequent flyer miles and is very close to doing so until a young university grad comes and gums the works up. Her plan is to fire people over the internet effectively grounding Ryan. First, however, Ryan is told by his boss to teach this sweet young thing a thing or two about the business so she can better implement her plan. The movie tries to explore the importance of the relationships in your life and sends Ryan on a voyage of self discovery in doing so. It doesn't provide any answers but does a wonderful job of giving you an assload of further questions to ask of yourself. Only great movies pull that off.

HM:

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

The Damned United

Fifty Dead Men Walking

The Road

Closing notes: The year was stronger than I had ever thought. It was very tough leaving out Precious and The Hurt Locker from any mention whatsoever. It had to be done though...see those movies too by the way.

James Cameron - What the hell?

2010-01-01T22:29:00.002-05:00

Alright, so a brief note about James Cameron, Avatar, and box office Success. On December 18 a small film about love and trust finds it's way into theaters without much in the way of fanfare; Avatar. In two brief weeks it has racked in 283 811 000 in the domestic box office. This is pretty impressive haul for it's first two weeks especially when you consider it is wholly original (no Dances With Wolves jokes please) and had virtually no shot at a 100 million opening weekend.

Now with that said, would it really have been too much to ask for a measly 86,000 more dollars That is just two more people seeing it per screen! The idea that Twilight will end 2009 with a higher gross than Avatar is almost too much to bear...grrrr. Ahhh well, I suppose knowing it will pass it for good around 1pm January 1st is a small consolation.

Also, what is up with James Cameron and the box office? He's got Titanic, T and T2, True Lies, The Abyss, and Avatar all as box office successes. I'm not great with math but that's a success rate of roughly 100 percent? At this point in his career he can pretty much bankroll anything he wants to make himself, but he can also walk into any Executive Producer in the business, pitch a movie that stars himself taking a shit for 4 hours, and walk out with a 250 million dollar budget. Pretty nice place to be in your career.

Kevin McCallister - where is he now!

2009-12-25T11:58:00.003-05:00

After a long needed break from the rigors of typing on a keyboard, I'm back at it. Alright, fine, I'm lazy, happy? Anyhow, it's Christmas morning and the stockings are no longer hung with care, I'm halfway through my Christmas candy and it's time to sit my ass down and watch some television.

Awaiting me was my good old friends the McCallisters. This time, poor old mother McCallister (played by the delicious Catherine O'Hara) has lost her child to New York City. I'm not afraid for Kevin, he's an incredibly industrious little boy. He finds his way into one of the most luxurious hotels in New York with an army of staff at his beck and call - at least for a little while. One question before I go on to why I'm really here this morning...why the hell does all of New York watch while two grown men chase around a seven year old.

Anyhow, this got me thinking, what would Kevin McCallister have become as an adult? First of all, there is no way he would lead an average life. By ten years old he has been abandoned and fought off two grown criminals - twice. This has to leave an indelible mark on a kid. The bright side is that he came out on top both times so if anything, his confidence has been bolstered.

Next, he has a certain moral flexibility that allows him to go the extra mile to defend himself. What's more, he seemed to enjoy the horror he put the burglars through. He could have made a few simple calls to the police, but he seems to want to do the work himself. This also speaks to his patriotism and his adrenaline junkiness. I submit that his love for his house will blossom throughout his teens into a love for his country.

He is quick thinking. There is a laundry list of examples here, but my favorite is in the second movie where the burglars have captured him and are taking him somewhere. While waiting for the crosswalk, he punches the butt of the girl in front of him and the woman blames the adults. She punches both Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci and he escapes.

Where does this lead me? Clearly Kevin McCallister has become a spy for the good old US of A. He is probably also an interrogator as he clearly has a way with people that allows them to open up to him (cite: bird lady in the park, old dude with the salt). Seeing as Kevin has a problem with authority, he has probably found himself in trouble with his superiors a time or two. He has also perhaps gone rogue once or twice to pursue someone after a disagreement with his bosses. It'd be an interesting movie, quite frankly.

Anyhow, that is what's on my mind this Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Coming up, my top 1o movies of the year, stay tuned.

Top 10 of the first 6 and three quarter odd months...

2009-07-31T21:55:00.003-04:00

I've always been a big fan of lists and we're halfway through the year, so why not make on? I have chosen not to include documentaries as I've always found it tough to compare the two types of movies. Perhaps later I will do a top ten documentaries but for now, fiction. On with the list!

1. Hunger - I realize this is a movie from 2008 but 2009 is when I saw it, so there you go! Michael Fassbender is worth the price of admission. It's a difficult movie to watch, but in the best possible way.

2. Moon - I'm not the biggest fan of Science Fiction but this movie is accessible to us regular folk. Sam Rockwell is great. It has a beautiful paced and very thought provoking. Also, they milked their budget for all it was worth. It'd be tough to guess the budget, good on 'em.

3. The Class - A doc style movie taking place in a french classroom. There are few movies out there that better show what it's like as both a teacher and a student.

4. Che - All four and a half hours need to be viewed in one sitting. Soderbergh does a great job of paralleling both the Cuban and French revolution showing why one succeeds and one fails. Also, del Toro is magnificent - he always is though, so that's nothing new.

5. Up - The best opening of the year with some really adult themes. It's a bit of a tearjerker, so be warned.

6. Departures - won the best foreign language film at the last Oscars. It's about a cellist who finds a new but rather unconventional vocation. It's a beautiful film.

7. Harry Potter 6 - The best entry in the Harry Potter [movie] series thus far. It would be higher on the list but it's clear this is really just a stop gap between the fifth and seventh movies. It has some dark themes and some surprisingly good performances from the three mains.

8. (500) Days of Summer - An interesting and refreshing twist in the rom com genre - a genre which I like very much but recognize it deserves better films. The best part of the movie is that this MAY be the movie that makes Joseph Gordon Levitt the household name he deserves.

9. The Hurt Locker - a movie about a military bomb squad leader. It's apolitical and that's to it's credit. Even as a left winger myself, I find myself getting tired of the same war movies with the same heavy handed messages. This movie is just about the soldiers. It's not glorifying or tearing them down, just showing us what it's like to be in this unique squad.

10. State of Play - I love a good journalist - detective story and this is a pretty good one with some pretty good performances from Crowe, McAdams, and Affleck. It's pretty forgettable but overall very well made with very little fat.

So there you have it, last years movies getting releases this year are dominating the list so lets hope 2009 makes a strong showing in the remaining 5 months and 9 days!

Moon - or finally something good

2009-07-03T16:16:00.002-04:00

Just a quick paragraph as I've got to head out...

So I just got back from seeing Moon. Wonderful movie made on a tight budget by Duncan Jones; perhaps better known as the son of David Bowie. Sam Bell is an astronaut completing a three year contract on the Moon working for a major corporation who harvests energy of some sort from the moon. One day on a trip to check in on a harvester there is an accident. When he wakes up, he finds himself looked inside the base. I'm not going to spoil any more as you need to discover this for yourself. All I will say is that if you think you know what happens from the trailer...you don't.

The music by Clint Mansell is terrific. You may recognize the name as the composer from Darren Aronofsky movies. It does a great job increasing tension but never overpowers the movie. It is my favorite score of the year thus far. Sam Rockwell is phenomenal as Sam Bell and should be at least in the conversation come awards season. Duncan Jones directs a great movie and does a wonderful job at building full characters you really care about. When you see this movie you will better understand how difficult it is in this movie.

See it, see it now, and see it instead of Transformers to. This doesn't deserve any pre-wrapped straws (remember...that's GOOD).

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-27T17:18:00.005-04:00

Alrighty, I'm going to make this short because I really don't want to waste any more time on this review as I already wasted one hundred forty odd minutes watching this god-forsaken piece of shit.

Transformers 2 starts a year or so after the last one. Planet earth has undergone 6 more attacks from the Decepticons. They are on the search for an energy source to create new bots and Even Stevens is the man at the center of it all. The Decepticons MUST find him. Even Stevens, however, is on his way to Prestigious U to begin life as an adult and his mother is having trouble letting him go (as his dad is excited for him to life). Comedy - apparently - ensues as the theatre was laughing although I can't understand why. From there a bunch of shit happens that takes them to Egypt and Jordan to search for this mysterious piece named the Matrix of Leadership or some such thing. The crew, consisting of Megan Fox, some annoying university conspiracy nut, John Turturro, and Even Stevens are on a race against the evil Decepticons in an effort to save the the one person who can help the four save the planet.

Here's the thing. I can take the Michael Bay-isms; the plug and play script, the cliched characters, cringe inducing dialogue written by a 50 year old who has never met a teenager, an entire universe consisting of swimsuit models - heck, I liked Armageddon and The Rock...I'm not against Michael Bay in theory - but the thing that Michael Bay is known for is special effects and action and neither of those delivered. The action is incomprehensible and the CGI wasn't all that impressive. It looks like a really slick cartoon overlayed on a real world setting. The action is the real culprit, though, as it was impossible to follow and seeing as the robots look pretty much identical in their robot state, it's impossible to figure out what happens. Has Michael Bay even heard of an establishing shot? The best part of using CGI IS THAT THE ROBOTS KNOW HOW TO FIGHT. YOU DON'T NEED CLOSEUPS TO CHEAT THE AUDIENCE INTO BELIVING THE LEADS CAN FIGHT. The plot is also pretty tough to follow and the fact that they didn't develop any of the robots makes the plot hard to follow (and doesn't really help in identifying characters). I'm still not sure I really understood what happens. In the end, you really do need character development and in this movie there was none. Period. Worse than that, it's boring because the action is incomprehensible and because of the lack of deep characters, I didn't really give a shit what happened to them.

Oooooh boy, the Michael Bayisms were out in full force. You've got the low angled shots of people walking past, big sweeping establishing shots used to identify location (but disappear when you are working on a fight sequence), unbelivable shlock, a cringe inducing climactic dream sequence, plenty of shots of military vehicles with triumphant music, and if you are a slow motion fan, you'll love this movie.

Going to see this movie will do nothing but inspire people to pay Michael Bay to make more fucking movies. And when he makes movies, Roland Emmerich makes movies and Uwe Boll makes movies and Brett Ratner makes movies and nobody wants that. PLEASE don't see this movie. I completely regret having seen it. Go see Departures, or rent Hunger when it's available, or shit, go see Star Trek, that movie was pretty good but for the love of god DON'T SEE THIS. Worst movie of the year and earns all 5 pre-wrapped straws.

Oh, by the way, John Turturro wasn't too bad.

Summer Movies Thus Far

2009-05-20T15:02:00.003-04:00

Alright, since I haven't posted in quite some time, I'll head back to mid April and do a brief list of all the blockbuster hopefuls of 2009.

Let us start with Observe and Report. It's an uncomfortable movie to watch but it is nevertheless funny. When watching this movie, it's important to keep in mind that Ronnie Barnhardt is NOT supposed to be cheered for. He is a sociopath who also happens to be bi-polar. It's as much of a tragedy as anything else. If one goes into the movie with this in mind, the laughs are definitely there. I really have to give Jody Hill credit, it's edgier than most comedies nowadays. Will you like this movie? I'll answer this with another question: Do you find Eric Cartman funny?

Alright, next we have Crank: High Voltage. Image the original Crank to a factor of ten. More breasts, more violence, more absurdity, more editing, louder, the whole nine. You really have to see this movie to believe it. It's fast paced, doesn't take itself seriously and is generally a good time if you enjoy the action/comedy genre. Also, it probably helps if you're male. This movie is worth your money if for no other reason than the last 15 minutes. This is what self-awareness can do for a movie. Awesome stuff, probably not a yearly top 10 movie but it sure will keep you entertained for 80 or 85 minutes.

I also saw The Soloist. This movie was pushed back from the fall, presumably because it knew it didn't have awards potential and was gunning for box office instead. This movie is truly mediocre and can remember almost nothing about it which I suppose is as good of a review as any. It will offer almost nothing to your life.

Everybody remembers the stories surrounding Wolverine. Reshoots galore, a leaked work print, you name it. It didn't seem to affect the opening week box office as it managed something in the neighborhood of 85 million. A decent movie can expect a drop of 40 to 50%. What did Wolverine drop? An astonishing 70%. This means, quite simply, that word to mouth was pretty bad. Rightfully so, too. This movie was terrible. I'm also beginning to wonder if Hugh Jackman should be in anything other than broadway musicals. He's fantastic at that, but his performance as wolverine seemed awfully stagey. There was brutal character development, the dialog was generally pretty bad, and a massive Deus Ex Machina at the end. If you like Wolverine, rent the thing but other wise don't make believe they actually did something right.

Last weekend I saw Star Trek. I have to say this is the first good summer blockbuster of the season. It isn't particularly deep and you won't leave with the same awe that most had during The Dark Knight, but it was thoroughly entertaining, it wasn't insulting to the audience, there was great casting, and we move at a nice pace. Also, one doesn't have to be a Trekkie to enjoy it. In fact, I've heard it helps if you're not. The Acting was also pretty good and Chris Pine seems destined for stardom. Everyone was good, though. I was most worried about Zachary Quinto - mainly because his Heroes character isn't very deep, but he does a decent job here. Everything works for this movie, go see it.

Most recently, I saw Angels and Demons. This movie is miles and miles of stupid. It's entertaining on a - well it's better than cleaning house level, but really that's about it. The more and more I think of this movie, the more and more I really hate it. The main problem is that Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) solves crimes in such a way that the audience is just taken along for the ride. There is no way for us to play along at home. I felt stupid leaving this movie and also that I contributed nothing. Also, the timeline is absurd and hard to follow, the major plot is monumentally stupid and surely doomed to failure. If it wasn't on paper, the whole thing would fall in like a house of cards. I can almost hear the paper screaming at Dan Brown as it printed out. I don't know, I suppose this has a market. It isn't me, though.

So up to today, the one movie you should see if you have some spare cash is Star Trek. If I were to give it a grade, I'd say:

(remember now...the lower the better).

House Spoilers

2009-04-06T21:59:00.002-04:00

So I don't really post about television but in this case I will. There has been some great drama on this season with House, as always, but also with secondary characters such as Taub and Thirteen (as much as I hate her). We haven't learned very much about Kutner and that always disappointed me because he was my favorite of the new characters introduced last season. I've been pushing for some Kutner-centric episodes for some time now and we finally got one.

When we learn early on in the April 6 episode that Kutner killed himself I was pretty angry initially because they just killed off my second favorite character on the show. The reactions of the characters on the show are understandable, noone saw it coming. Taub was downright mad because he has a history with suicide. He had a terrific response. House treated it as a puzzle to be solved because he can't bear to be wrong on anything. He's a diagnostician after all and he wouldn't miss the fact that Kutner was suicidal. Really beautiful stuff and very true to the character.

It didn't make sense at the time but when the show reminded me that 25% of suicide cases present no symptoms, it all hit me. This wasn't a case of writers/producers searching for a boost in ratings, they've been planning this at the very least all season. Taub and Kutner butted heads weeks ago about a patients attempt at suicide and that episode will deserve multiple viewings when reruns show up in the summer. Also, as I said before, there aren't many Kutner-centric episodes and that in hindsight was a pretty big clue that something big was planned for poor Lawrence Kutner.

This is a side of suicide we never see and it was great, if sad, to see some light shed on the little corner of suicide that TV and movies rarely talk about. House M.D. did a terrific job of showing the trail of devestation a decision like this can main. Suicide has rarely been handled better on television. I feel confident that it was a suicide as the picture House was holding at the end had Kutner with a decidedly melancholy look on his face.

It's terribly sad to see Kutner go. I loved him as much as one should love a character on TV. It will be interesting to see how the characters handle this as time goes on.

Che

2009-02-28T00:43:00.003-05:00

So today I saw Che and it's safe for me to say that this is the best movie I've seen of 2009 thus far. I'm also willing to say that had I been lucky enough to watch it in 2008 it would have been up there if not at the top of that list as well. It's an even handed, engrossing, intimate look at one of the most enigmatic and polarizing figures of the 20th century.

Che is performed magnificently by Benicio Del Toro and is reigned in magnificently by Steven Soderbergh. It would be so easy to load this movie full of passionate and rousing speeches and that would undoubtedly have been the route of 99% of the directors in the world it also would be counter to the worldview that Che was purported to have. That being a man of the people who if nothing else believed himself an equal to those he was leading. Del Toro did a magnificent job of allowing this to shine through and Soderbergh countered this by elevating him through top notch filmmaking. It's clear through use of low angle shots, lighting, and costume design that Soderbergh at the very least respected Che and his commitment to the cause so therefore such an even handed look is to be commended.

Che is clearly not perfect and the failure of the Bolivian revolution illustrates this. The failure isn't his fault specifically but his failure to recognize the mood of the populace was. The people of bolivia were in a decidedly different frame of mind. Cuba was itching for a change and Bolivia was not but Che's tunnel vision and his failure to understand that others may not share his point of view didn't allow him to see this made all the more ironic considering Che outlines at the beginning that the success of a revolution depends on the people and their desire for it during an an interview in New York. It's this reason why spending two hours on each revolution is necessary. Watching the positive momentum build in Cuba and comparing that to slow but utterly complete descent into failure in Bolivia is fascinating.

The only criticism I have is that the use of people like Lou Diamind Phillips and Matt Damon, as good as they were, may be a mistake. When they make their way on screen they make themselves instantly the focus. It's entirely possible that this is Soderbergh's intent seeing as the two characters play integral parts in the failure of the revolution. I'll have to watch it again...or interview him to be sure.

Postively, we are given terrific performances by Franke Potente who completely emmerses herself in the role and is all but invisible. The music is strange for a war film but oddly fitting. The cinematography was terrific as well.

I also need to give credit to the production companies who allowed Soderbergh to make the film he clearly wanted. They spent a serious amount of money on a film with almost no commercial value considering it's nearly four and a half hours and is almost entirely in Spanish.

In closing, sure, I suppose one could make a shorter movie, but why? It's a terrific four and a half hour case study into Che himself and revolution. It's utterly engrossing and worth every minute. If it takes watching each part in two days, by all means do it. It is more than worth your time and definitely doesn't deserve any pre wrapped straws (if you'll recall, that's good!!). It disappoints me that this was entirely forgotten at Award time as it definitely deserved recognition.

When you get the chance, watch and enjoy.

My Oscar Special

2009-02-22T13:49:00.004-05:00

So I'm in the middle of watching Changeling and Angelina Jolie somehow garnered an Academy Award nomination. This is the type of performance where the actress is wearing a sign around her neck begging for an academy award nomination all the while not providing a single solitary authentic emotion (also see Charlize Theron in pretty much every movie she's in). The movie itself is also so bad it's baffling.

The situation on which the movie is based is so bizarre, so I'll grant that Clint Eastwood must have had a difficult time coming up with a plausible conspiracy, but I have spent the whole time wondering if it takes place in a different universe in which everyone is completely devoid of logic. The cinematography is good, music is overraught and draws way too much attention to itself. Anyhow, I didn't intend to write a full review but this one deserves a solid:

Anyhow, that's my long way of saying that Angelina Jolie SHOULD NOT be nominated for her academy award. There is no way she deserved it more that Sally Hawkins, it's a tragedy, quite frankly. For that matter, neither did her husband/boyfriend/whatever Brad Pitt. He was the weakest part of Ben Button. There are a few dozen actors that deserved the nomination more and not the least of which is Leo.

The Reader, really? Kate Winslett WAS good, but she is by far the strongest aspect of a moderately weak film. Maybe it's hollywood law that a movie about the holocaust must be nominated no matter how terrible it is. The Boy in the Striped PJs is a much better option should that be the case!

Other problems:
-No Dark Knight nomination for Best Picture? Original Score? Director? Really?
-The Wrestler for Best Song...
-Wall*E for Best Picture...
-Gran Torino for worst acting (that's a category, right?)

Anyhow, enjoy the awards and all of their inevitable mistakes. And so I can finally warrant the warning you must go through to read this, Fuck, shit, damn.

2009-02-04T23:55:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog, but that's mainly due to the lack of quality movies to be seen. This weekend will be a busy weekend, so get ready! Until that time, here are my thoughts on all academy award nominations:

Performance by an actor in a leading role:

Although I'm happy Richard Jenkins, Langella, and Sean Penn are nominated,
this award belongs to Mickey Rourke. As far as who IS going to get it? I
suspect the award will go to Sean Penn.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:

This is a pretty interesting category and the addition of Robert Downey
Junior is pretty awesome, his performance was pretty difficult. Josh
Brolin was good, Michael Shannon was a personal favorite of mine in
Revolutionary Road, and Hoffman is ALWAYS good. Everybody knows Heath's a
lock though. Rightfully so, too.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

I don't like Angelina Jolie and I don't think she should be nominated.
Melissa Leo was really good as was Kate Winslet (who may win). I'm also the
only person in the world who didn't like Rachel Getting Married. Sure, it's
a decent movie, it just didn't resonate with me at all and I wasn't a big
fan of the lead character. I also don't think Anne Hathaway was the best
actress in the movie, let alone the year (that was Rosemary DeWitt). I
reviewed Doubt when I saw it and didn't think much of it but the more I
think about it, the more I like it. Meryl Streep should win - and she may
(although this should be Sally Hawkins award). My Pick: Kate Winslet
(head, not heart)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

I'm going to make this short and sweet. Amy Adams was overrated, Viola
Davis was good, Toraji P. Henson was decent, Marisa Tomei was Marisa Tomei,
and Penelope Cruz was GREAT. She's your winner.

Best animated feature film of the year

My Pick: WALL*E (although Kung Fu Panda was underrated)

Achievement in art direction

This really should go to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or maybe even
Revolutionary Road but will probably go to some POS like The Duchess. My
Pick: Benny

Achievement in cinematography

By all rights, this should go to Slumdog millionaire. It was beautifully
shot. I wouldn't be upset if The Dark Knight got it though My Pick:
Slumdog

Achievement in costume design

This always goes to some POS period piece that has no business winning.
The voters have no imagination. This one is The Duchess.

Achievement in directing

The Academy clearly doesn't know what a director does based on a few
nominations and they always give it to the Best Picture winner so I'm going
with Danny Boyle.

Best documentary feature

I've actually seen most of these and if there is any good left in this
world, Man on Wire gets it.

Best documentary short subject

The Conscience of Nhem En deals is about Cambodia 30 years after the end of
the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror. This sounds like a winner to me!

Achievement in film editing

I thought The Dark Knight was pretty well edited. My Pick: The Dark
Knight.

Best foreign language film of the year

I intend on seeing The Class at some point and that should clear off most of
them on this list. I expect Waltz With Bashir wins.

Achievement in makeup

I expect Ben Button wins but I think The Dark Knight should win based on Two
Face and The Joker. My pick: The Dark Knight

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):

Ring one up for my boy Thomas Newman! It should go to The Dark Knight
though.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

Should go to The Wrestler but I expect Slumdog to split votes and Down to
Earth to win.

Best motion picture of the year

The more and more I think about it, the more and more Doubt was really a
pretty good movie and I wish it was nominted over both The Reader and
Benjamin Button. I'd also like to see The Dark Knight tossed in there.
It's a tragedy really. My winner remains the same, though. It's Slumdog
Millionaire. Rightfully so, too. It's not the masterpiece No Country for
Old Men was, but few movies are and the more and more I think about it, the
better that movie gets. My Pick: Slumdog Millionaire.

Best animated short film:

I managed to catch most of these in various sources. Presto was cute and I
expect it'll win. The others are all worth the time though. If they show
up in iTunes, I'll probably pick them up.

Best live action short film

This one is a shot in the dark, I've seen none of these. I'll go with Auf
der Strecke just 'cause.

Achievement in sound editing

Race between The Dark Knight and Wall*E. My Pick: Wall*E

Achievement in sound mixing

It's the same race here too with a different result: The Dark Knight

Achievement in visual effects

I suspect Benjamin Button will win another award here. If the movie did
anything well, it's visual effects.

Adapted screenplay

By all rights this should be Slumdog Millionaire.

Original screenplay

And in a shocker, IN BRUGES (and the crowd goes wild!!!). Terrific
Dialogue. Really top notch stuff.

Anyhow, here's what I think this year. The Oscars are a bit of a mess this
year but Slumdog winning 4 or 5 would really do a lot to legitimize them.

Revolutionary Road

2009-01-15T19:07:00.005-05:00

So I've sat on this review for a good week. First let me start out by saying that Revolutionary Road is a reasonably well made movie. Aesthetically it looks terrific, Deakins did his thing (as one the greatest living cinematographer), performances were great by Kate Winslet, Leo, and Michael Shannon, the pacing was nice and slow, and the editing wasn't noticeable. I thought the music beat you over the head, but that's not a bad average. My problem with this movie is the way it tackled the theme.

First of all, the plot. April Wheeler is a young actress and Frank Wheeler a war vet who's traveled the world. The two fortuitously meet at a party and (seemingly instantly) fall in love. The movie jumps to them buying a nice house in the suburbs, with the house of Kathy Bates, and starting their life together. They are clearly not happy here. Frank feels lost in corporate America and April isn't content being a housewife. To combat their hopeless, emptiness existence in the suburbs, they cobble out a plan to live in Paris as they feel that'd be the end of their problems. Did they go to Paris? Was it the end of their problems? Did they live happily ever after? Well you'll just have to pay 12 bucks to find out.

It seems to me that Sam Mendes hates the suburbs. He talks about the hopeless emptiness of the suburbs but this really just applies to April Wheeler and to no other character in the movie. Sure, she plays an architype and that she is meant to represent housewives who yearn for more - that is not to say that housewives necessarily NEED to yearn for more, just that in the '50's there were certainly some that did and for them, there wasn't much of an alternative.

The problem is, April Wheeler is wholy unlikable. It is not Frank Wheeler's fault that she only married him because she thought he could take her places. Sure Frank isn't a prize himself, he cheats on his wife, says things that are cruel, but most of his actions are really just a product of April's unhappiness in her situation and he's at his wits end with what to do - that and he hates his job.

In the end, I didn't feel sorry for April and her plight, we aren't offered enough of her history. We aren't shown any signs of her free spirit nature or any other reason she may not fit into this life, we are just left to assume that this is the case. You can just say someone is a free spirit, it's insulting.

I suppose I'll say that I liked it even though it won't be in my top ten. The problem is that I'm not sure that society was the problem in this movie, it's the couple. It wasn't the suburbs' fault that April and Frank were unhappy. It wasn't Franks fault that April was unhappy. It's her fault for not taking ownership of her life when she has the chance. Maybe that was Sam Mendes' point and myself and a whole bunch of reviewers have it wrong, who knows. It is a well made movie with terrific performances and I respect what Sam Mendes was trying to do, I just would have told the story a little differently by starting it a little earlier in their lives and by trying to make the lead character a little more sympathetic. I give it:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-01T14:51:00.003-05:00

So here's the thing about Benjamin Button, he's living life in reverse - oh and it's a very long life. Well...that's pretty much the gist of it. I did like it though. The way I felt about this movie was much the same way I felt about Forrest Gump. You COULD make it into a two hour movie that makes sense and gets the point across, but when the ride is so much fun, why bother?

The movie starts out in a hospital room with Daisy, love of Ben's life, and her daughter. Daisy is clearly near death and wants to hear her daughter read from a diary by her bedside. Daisy starts by telling the story of a clockmaker who, while building a clock for a train station, loses a son in the war. He ends up building a clock that moves in reverse because his only desire is for time to reverse and his son will be back from the dead. Sure, the story isn't explicitly necessary, but it's a nice story that sums up the theme of the entire movie quite nicely.

Daisy's daughter then begins reading the diary to daisy. It starts by telling the story of Benjamin's parents and the story of his birth. As you might have guessed, Benjamin is the size of an infant with the face and body of a elderly man complete with arthritis. How his mom dies in childbirth and his father, unable to look at his odd son, puts him on the steps of a retirement/boarding house. Queenie, the lady who runs the boarding house takes him in thinking he'll probably die soon anyway and the rest, as they say, is history.

We are taken through Benjamin's entire life, a large part of which is devoted to Daisy. We watch him learn about unnatural death during WWII while working on a tugboat (a great job by Jared Harris as Captain Mike), we watch as his father comes back into his life, and we watch some heartbreaking decisions he must make regarding his family.

There are some criticims, however. Daisy telling the story from her deathbed isn't the most original plot device every used - with that said, however, it fits the themes of mortality and doing what can while you can so it is forgiveable. The old woman in the hospital is a mystery for about 30 minutes and I'm not sure what that accomplishes. I also understand the length criticism that probably exists in many a review. I loved the ride and wanted it to last even longer than it did. Other positives are: Makeup, Score, Fincher, Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, and Jared Harris.

In the end, I miss grand storytelling and that is exactly what this gives me. I'll grant you that I probably overlooked some criticisms because it's been a few years since I've seen decent "Grand" storytelling. I give the film a solid 1:

Now get the hell off the internet and watch a movie.

The Reader, Doubt, Gran Torino

2008-12-22T23:15:00.006-05:00

So this was a pretty busy week in terms of movie watching. I've felt myself falling behind so this post will cover three movies: The Reader, Doubt, and Gran Torino.

Lets start with The Reader. Overall, I found it to be a reasonably enjoyable movie if and only because we get to watch this generation's greatest actress at work. Kate Winslett is her usual terrific self in this one. This covers about 25 - 30 (or so - it's been a couple days) years in her life and she is believable at every age. Every last detail is top notch. When she is a senior, she moves slowly like a senior. She's really great. Unfortunately we run into some problems outside of Kate Winslett. The movie is plodding and perhaps suffers from WWII fatigue - at least on my part. I've probably seen a half dozen WWII movies this year alone. The biggest issue is that they lay some pretty terrific groundwork that doesn't go as far as I'd like. A good portion of the second act deals with Kate's trial. She is accused of being party to the burning down of a church containing 300 Jews during the war. The interesting aspect of this movie is that they try to explain how most of Germany could get caught up in this horror and not have the wherewithall to change anything. The problem is, the trial ends in an unsatisfactory manner (in terms of story). Kate is such an important character we are left wondering what else is under there. Add on to this a rather tacked on ending and we have a movie that warrents no less than 2 pre wrapped straws.

Next, Doubt. It is the story of a progressive priest accused of an improper relationship with a gay youth by a principal who is struggling with a changing world. This was nothing more than a showcase for two rather terrific actors. I get what the play was trying to achieve; they want the audience to feel the doubt the characters feel. That is thoroughly achieved, but that is also the problem. Nothing is really accomplished other than we get to witness three characters handle a situation in ways their character determine. The result is believable but it's tough to believe they accomplished anything. I'm not sure what I got from that other than further proof that Phillip Seymore Hoffman and Meryl Streep can, indeed, act. This film deserves no more than 2.5 pre wrapped straws.

The last movie I saw this week was Gran Torino. Prejudice Clint Eastwood recently lost his wife. His children, who generally don't like him, wonder how he'll handle himself in his neighborhood that has changed over the years to have a large population of Hmong people. The interesting thing about Clint Eastwood he is only racist insofar as he uses a great deal of racist language. He's from a time where that thing is accepted. We learn early on that he isn't someone who can't accept another race or creed, he just uses long outdated terminology to describe them. What is also true is that he's broken. He is a Korean War veteren who has never and will never get over the things he's seen and done during his time serving there. This has naturally had a great effect on his life and we get the pleasure to watch how something like this effects a person. Despite the fact that Clint reminds me a lot of his character in Million Dollar Baby, it really works. He really is, and would fit in, grumpy old man. The thrust of the story involves a young Hmong boy who tries to steal is car to allow him into a gang. Clint finds with these people the family he wishes he had and does what he can to protect them from this gang. This movie deals with the difficulties involved with immigrants not fitting in to western society and does a very good job. The only noteable problem is that a lot of the actors are first timers - and it shows. If the casting people did their job it'd almost be a great film. Otherwise I can't give it less than 1.5 prewrapped straws.

Until next time get the hell of the internet and go watch a movie.

The Tudors Season II

2008-12-05T00:55:00.004-05:00

Contrary to Four Christmases, somebody involved with this has some serious talent. Season two revolves around Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn and the nullification of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. It's a fantastically complicated season that exists entirely in a shade of grey. It''s beautifully written and does a fantastic job of trying to provide a why to a rather complicated era in history.

Just for a refresher, Henry was on a desperate search for a male heir and Catherine had been unable to provide one. Henry decided to create his own church in order to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. The main goal is a son. Read up on your history to find out the specifics. It should suffice to say, however, that his marriage with Anne Boleyn is finished by the end of the season.

My favorite character in the show is Catherine of Aragon. One of the truly great characters. Despite how horrible Henry is to her, she remains resolute in her devotion to him. That perhaps is her only flaw. The final few episodes that contain her are heartbreaking. If you only have time a few minutes of television, these are the episodes to be watched.

Henry's development is remarkable. It's so easy to hate him. He has more people killed than cancer, he treats his eldest daughter horribly, ignores the person most devoted to him, but when all is said and done you also see the incredible stress he's under. You almost get the sense that he would rather not be king some of the time. Anne is also a rather well developed character. She has tremendous depth, her acts, while horrible, are out of desperation for a son and almost seem understandable in that context. She's just out of her league in this world and is only in it because she was dragged into it by her father. She spent her whole time on this show looking for acceptance and acting childish in searching for it. Her final moments on the show are full of class and are about as triumphant as they possibly could be...given the circumstances of course.

I tried watching it on broadcast TV but have found that The Tudors works well if you immerse yourself in the entire season over a day or two - should you have the time. I feel you develope a deeper connection with the characters this way. Anyhow, give it a shot. It's well worth your time.

I give it:

Four Christmases review

2008-11-30T20:07:00.007-05:00

So I finally got around to seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey. I've been avoiding seeing this movie for years because I know enough about it to know it's long and a great deal of work. I haven't really had the time to devote to it since I bought it on Blu Ray.

Well I just had a chance to watch it and it's fantastic. Hypnotic, beautiful, and thought provoking. It also made me hate Four Christmases that much more. It's astonishing to go from a movie with such depth to a movie with almost none. Seth Gordon says that people don't need to go to film school to make movies - and maybe so - but he sure as hell does.

Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) have been deliriously happy for three years enjoying their entirely selfish lifestyle. They have no intention to ever get married or have kids as one might imagine this becomes a point of contention between the two. Every Christmas they visit an exotic locale in an attempt to avoid their crazy divorced families when this year they are hoodwinked by dense fog and are forced to visit all four of their families Christmas day.

Brad's mother and father's families are both certifiable. His brothers are UFC fighters and his father is a world class jerk. His mother is somewhat normal but also happens to be dating Brad's best friend. After 3o pointless minutes getting to know them we move on to Kate' s families. They tend to be wealthier and at least somewhat normal. Kates mother and father are all pretty normal people but not particularly funny. There's not one child in this entire movie that doesn't belong in Juvi.

Somehow, however, after a non-preganancy scare and most of the day spent with the Children of the Corn this prompts Kate to want to have children eventually and maybe even get married (despite the fact that noone we've met all day has a healthy relationship). Naturally Brad doesn't want this and they break up (temporarily you ask? Of course!). Naturally everything ends well after some soul searching - apparently.

As you might surmise, I didn't like this movie. It wasn't remotely funny. It isn't a movie like Epic Movie and the like where you can spot where the humour is supposed to be it just isn't done very well. This movie has no descernable humour in it. Brad gets beat up a lot, there are a lot of awkward moments and Brad and Kate are condescending and somewhere in there laughs are supposed to happen but I'll be damned if I can find out where.

There is also no conflict in this movie save for the superficial conflict between them and their families but we know that can't be the major conflict because it's never resolved. The two have brief little arguments but they don't stick. Even the climax was way too short to really show the audience that these characters have gone through any lasting changes. They argued a brief moment about their future then Brad left to see his father (who is a particularly horrible human being) and realized that he could end up lonely like him if he's not careful but that isn't the least bit evident. This, for some reason makes him realize that he loves Kate. Here's the problem, love was never the problem. All this means is that he realized that he'd rather be with Kate than be like his father and if he has to put up with marriage and kids, so be it. Brad doesn't progress as a person at all and for that matter neither does Kate.

So we have no character arc, no likeable characters, no climax, no humour. So I'd say avoid it. If however, it's a choice between this and Twilight, go with this...and use the time to prepare your taxes or something. It certainly won't keep your attention.

So there you have it, my first post. Now get the hell off the internet and go watch a movie. I give it:

Now before anybody gets too confused, I HATE pre-wrapped straws so my scale goes from 1 to 5 but five is the lowest grade which will be given to the worst of the worst and zero pre-wrapped straws given to only movies (or TV episodes) that are instant classics.