The Black Dahlia(dir. Brian De Palma)
First Take:
Need to find it.
Second Take:
REVIEW PENDING...
**1/2 out of ****
Showing posts with label 2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2006. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Oh Sarah & Tom...
The Secret Life of Words(dir. Isabel Coixet)
For some reason, I just knew that Sarah Polley was bound to get naked in this even if it didn't make a whole lot of sense and was completely unnecessary. I think she is attractive so that's not the reason why I'm complaining. It just seems rather ridiculous that an actress of her talent has to get topless for really no reason. Yes, I understand why her character got topless, but there was easily another way to go about that. I mean the story takes place on a fucking oil rig and she's a nurse that tends to a patient played by Tim Robbins, who is both blind and has burn wounds, so if anyone was bound to get naked, it would have probably been him. The film seemed too self-satisfied for it's own good with it's plot that was fairly contrived and a little too dramatic, but the performances make this one go down as easily as it possibly could. While my little rant above probably makes me sound like I didn't like the movie much, I actually enjoyed it even if it does have some obvious flaws. The whole little girl voiceover stuff was a little odd and I don't entirely understand what they were trying to go with that and the film seems to pat itself on the back a little too much for exposing these atrocities in the Balkans with Julie Christie's monologues, but ultimately because of the performances, I have to recommend.
*** out of ****
Eyes Wide Shut(dir. Stanley Kubrick)
After watching There Will Be Blood with it's Kubrick-inspired shenanigans, I decided I wanted the real deal so I bumped this up in my queue. This film could have been titled Dr. Bill Harford's Misadventures in Trying to Get Laid. It basically plays out as a sexual fantasy that is never able to be fulfilled that eventually goes sour and then eventually concludes with the possibility of sex and essentially hope. Tom Cruise's character, Dr. Bill Harford, is much like Bogie's in The Big Sleep with women throwing themselves at him left and right, but unlike Bogart's character, he actually wants the sex yet there's always something that has to pop up to kill the mood. He's not attracted to all the women that throw themselves at him, however. There's one exception to the rule that happens to be the first broad he turns to when he needs some poontang to cope with his current situation and when her boyfriend picks up, he decides to go out and visit the local prostitute he ran into from the night before. She's not there, but her sexy roommate is there and she seems willing to go downtown with him and then she breaks the news to him that her roommate that she thinks he had sex with but didn't has received the results of her blood test that says she is HIV positive. Did I mention that this news followed the most erotically-charged scene in the movie that happened to expose zero skin whatsoever and that all of this is played for comedy? The difference between Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson is simply the fact that Kubrick knows how to handle the pitch-black comedy of his hero's exploits while still retaining a sense of sympathy for him despite essentially taunting him throughout the narrative while Anderson seems incapable of weaving elements of comedy and drama in a non-slipshod fashion. It's the difference between a master and a director still trying to master his craft. Kubrick is also smart enough to provide an ending that basically lets the audience in on the joke instead confound them by not allowing them to decipher whether he had his tongue firmly placed in cheek or not while filming it. I wouldn't call this film a masterpiece or anything, but it's still definitely one to watch. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
For some reason, I just knew that Sarah Polley was bound to get naked in this even if it didn't make a whole lot of sense and was completely unnecessary. I think she is attractive so that's not the reason why I'm complaining. It just seems rather ridiculous that an actress of her talent has to get topless for really no reason. Yes, I understand why her character got topless, but there was easily another way to go about that. I mean the story takes place on a fucking oil rig and she's a nurse that tends to a patient played by Tim Robbins, who is both blind and has burn wounds, so if anyone was bound to get naked, it would have probably been him. The film seemed too self-satisfied for it's own good with it's plot that was fairly contrived and a little too dramatic, but the performances make this one go down as easily as it possibly could. While my little rant above probably makes me sound like I didn't like the movie much, I actually enjoyed it even if it does have some obvious flaws. The whole little girl voiceover stuff was a little odd and I don't entirely understand what they were trying to go with that and the film seems to pat itself on the back a little too much for exposing these atrocities in the Balkans with Julie Christie's monologues, but ultimately because of the performances, I have to recommend.
*** out of ****
Eyes Wide Shut(dir. Stanley Kubrick)
After watching There Will Be Blood with it's Kubrick-inspired shenanigans, I decided I wanted the real deal so I bumped this up in my queue. This film could have been titled Dr. Bill Harford's Misadventures in Trying to Get Laid. It basically plays out as a sexual fantasy that is never able to be fulfilled that eventually goes sour and then eventually concludes with the possibility of sex and essentially hope. Tom Cruise's character, Dr. Bill Harford, is much like Bogie's in The Big Sleep with women throwing themselves at him left and right, but unlike Bogart's character, he actually wants the sex yet there's always something that has to pop up to kill the mood. He's not attracted to all the women that throw themselves at him, however. There's one exception to the rule that happens to be the first broad he turns to when he needs some poontang to cope with his current situation and when her boyfriend picks up, he decides to go out and visit the local prostitute he ran into from the night before. She's not there, but her sexy roommate is there and she seems willing to go downtown with him and then she breaks the news to him that her roommate that she thinks he had sex with but didn't has received the results of her blood test that says she is HIV positive. Did I mention that this news followed the most erotically-charged scene in the movie that happened to expose zero skin whatsoever and that all of this is played for comedy? The difference between Kubrick and Paul Thomas Anderson is simply the fact that Kubrick knows how to handle the pitch-black comedy of his hero's exploits while still retaining a sense of sympathy for him despite essentially taunting him throughout the narrative while Anderson seems incapable of weaving elements of comedy and drama in a non-slipshod fashion. It's the difference between a master and a director still trying to master his craft. Kubrick is also smart enough to provide an ending that basically lets the audience in on the joke instead confound them by not allowing them to decipher whether he had his tongue firmly placed in cheek or not while filming it. I wouldn't call this film a masterpiece or anything, but it's still definitely one to watch. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Oh John & Jack...
Rambo(dir. Sylvester Stallone)
The main problem this film has lies in it's viewpoint of it's violence. You aren't sure if it wants the audience to revile it or revel in it so it ends up really satisfying no one. For a film named Rambo, it surprisingly spends little time with him, which might be a blessing in disguise because all he really does is mope around(WAR HAS FUCKED ME UP) and kill some fools(BUT GOD I LOVE IT). All the goods bits are found in trailer and I recommend just watching that since it's pretty much a greatest hits for the film, but you will miss out the bloodbath of a finale where John basically takes out a whole fucking army, which sounds better than it really is. The film is just too humorless and serious to have fun with. It also never ends up being truly thrilling since the character development is minimal even for an action movie. Just rent a Johnnie To film or Live Free or Die Hard instead if you want some good modern action.
** out of ****
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest(dir. Gore Verbenski)
Too much Orlando Bloom and not enough Keira Knightley is the chief problem of this installment in the series. Orlando Bloom is perhaps the most boring "younger" actor working today so the fact of the film spends a good chunk of time following him is not exactly what one would call a good thing. The conclusion is about as cliffhanger-y as you can get and there's really no need to see this installment before delving into At World's End, a much better film that can stand on it's own mainly because of the hefty amount of time it spends with Knightley and the plot being pretty much a confusing mess anyways. This is still a mildly fun film to watch, however.
**1/2 out of ****
The main problem this film has lies in it's viewpoint of it's violence. You aren't sure if it wants the audience to revile it or revel in it so it ends up really satisfying no one. For a film named Rambo, it surprisingly spends little time with him, which might be a blessing in disguise because all he really does is mope around(WAR HAS FUCKED ME UP) and kill some fools(BUT GOD I LOVE IT). All the goods bits are found in trailer and I recommend just watching that since it's pretty much a greatest hits for the film, but you will miss out the bloodbath of a finale where John basically takes out a whole fucking army, which sounds better than it really is. The film is just too humorless and serious to have fun with. It also never ends up being truly thrilling since the character development is minimal even for an action movie. Just rent a Johnnie To film or Live Free or Die Hard instead if you want some good modern action.
** out of ****
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest(dir. Gore Verbenski)
Too much Orlando Bloom and not enough Keira Knightley is the chief problem of this installment in the series. Orlando Bloom is perhaps the most boring "younger" actor working today so the fact of the film spends a good chunk of time following him is not exactly what one would call a good thing. The conclusion is about as cliffhanger-y as you can get and there's really no need to see this installment before delving into At World's End, a much better film that can stand on it's own mainly because of the hefty amount of time it spends with Knightley and the plot being pretty much a confusing mess anyways. This is still a mildly fun film to watch, however.
**1/2 out of ****
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Oh Who's Your Daddy?!...
Deck the Halls(dir. John Whitesell)
It was awful. Awfully good. I usually find unintentional comedy funnier than intentional comedy, but since it's goal isn't to make me laugh in at least the way I do, it's hard to really give a glowing recommendation for any movie with that sort of humor unless the movie is called Rush Hour 3, which almost appears to be intentional because it seemed like nobody really gave a shit. This movie almost approaches that level of ungraceful grace, but some people were actually not inept in terms of acting in this so it's hard to really look at it as a resounding failure-success. Matthew Broderick almost makes up for the lack of inept acting with his abomination of a performance. Thankfully, his performance isn't as overly cringe-inducing as John Travolta's in Wild Hogs, which was almost unbearably embarrassing, and the bizarre overabundance of repetitive line readings found in this film only helped to underline it's badness. It's almost the equivalent of taking a bad music cue and pressing rewind and playing it again. The awesome badness of the repetitive shitty line readings reaches it's apex with his character unknowingly ogles his daughter with Danny DeVito's character and constantly repeating, "Who's your daddy?!" Maeby is going to need some serious therapy down the road because of that. It's incestuous undertones are disturbing, but it was oddly funny because of Broderick's horrendous line readings. He might as well have repeated, "Yes, I'm a shitty actor!" It's strange to say a bad performance makes a movie, but his definitely makes this one worth watching along with the film's cheesy ending with the neighborhood trying to help DeVito's character with his quest to make his house visible from space by turning on their cell phones and waving them around to the sounds of some Christmas song. The ending wears out it's welcome, but it's hard not to say that it's probably one of the most lamest and hilarious things I've ever seen. I've changed my mind about slightly recommending it. I fully recommend this train wreck of a movie.
*** out of ****
Shrek the Halls(dir. Gary Trousdale)[TV]
Like I said above, I usually find unintentional comedy funnier than intentional comedy probably due to the fact that when a joke doesn't go off well, it's almost painful. A lot of the returning characters like the gingerbread man and Pinocchio are obnoxious and the humor has grown repetitive and stale. It's Christmasness, however, saves it from totally falling flat on it's face. It's pretty entertaining to see that this film has essentially the same message as the one above and presents it in almost the same exact manner. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
It was awful. Awfully good. I usually find unintentional comedy funnier than intentional comedy, but since it's goal isn't to make me laugh in at least the way I do, it's hard to really give a glowing recommendation for any movie with that sort of humor unless the movie is called Rush Hour 3, which almost appears to be intentional because it seemed like nobody really gave a shit. This movie almost approaches that level of ungraceful grace, but some people were actually not inept in terms of acting in this so it's hard to really look at it as a resounding failure-success. Matthew Broderick almost makes up for the lack of inept acting with his abomination of a performance. Thankfully, his performance isn't as overly cringe-inducing as John Travolta's in Wild Hogs, which was almost unbearably embarrassing, and the bizarre overabundance of repetitive line readings found in this film only helped to underline it's badness. It's almost the equivalent of taking a bad music cue and pressing rewind and playing it again. The awesome badness of the repetitive shitty line readings reaches it's apex with his character unknowingly ogles his daughter with Danny DeVito's character and constantly repeating, "Who's your daddy?!" Maeby is going to need some serious therapy down the road because of that. It's incestuous undertones are disturbing, but it was oddly funny because of Broderick's horrendous line readings. He might as well have repeated, "Yes, I'm a shitty actor!" It's strange to say a bad performance makes a movie, but his definitely makes this one worth watching along with the film's cheesy ending with the neighborhood trying to help DeVito's character with his quest to make his house visible from space by turning on their cell phones and waving them around to the sounds of some Christmas song. The ending wears out it's welcome, but it's hard not to say that it's probably one of the most lamest and hilarious things I've ever seen. I've changed my mind about slightly recommending it. I fully recommend this train wreck of a movie.
*** out of ****
Shrek the Halls(dir. Gary Trousdale)[TV]
Like I said above, I usually find unintentional comedy funnier than intentional comedy probably due to the fact that when a joke doesn't go off well, it's almost painful. A lot of the returning characters like the gingerbread man and Pinocchio are obnoxious and the humor has grown repetitive and stale. It's Christmasness, however, saves it from totally falling flat on it's face. It's pretty entertaining to see that this film has essentially the same message as the one above and presents it in almost the same exact manner. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Monday, November 26, 2007
Oh There's Something Really Sexy About Scrooge McDuck...
The Painted Veil(dir. John Curran)
The whole thing is pretty much disposable. It's sort of blandly affecting and it's already escaping my memory as I write this, but I still think it's recommendable. There's something inherently theatrical about actors doing fake British accents and period piece decor and this film has both. Toby Jones gives probably the most memorable performance because well, he's actually British and has the juiciest role as a good-hearted sleazeball. Naomi Watts looks ravishing as usual. She has a rather simplistic role, but she still gives a fine performance. The film doesn't contain much depth because everything is pretty much on the surface so it creates an instantly forgettable atmosphere, which makes the whole thing feel disposable. The story seems to scream for a sweeping epicness much like a David Lean film like Doctor Zhivago, but it simply doesn't have it. The director aimed for a more intimate and self-contained atmosphere, but since everything is rather simplistic, his attempt isn't entirely successful. Doctor Zhivago, a film that contained that epic scope, also felt intimate so it's possible to acclompish both. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Last Days of Disco(dir. Whit Stillman)
It's strange to find a film being ameliorated with this fun, light-hearted, and borderline ridiculous ending, but yeah. The ending clearly has the sense of fun that some of the film's preceding moments would have greatly benefited from. These characters are his most unlikeable creations since none of them realize how vain they are. In his other films, it seemed like some of his characters were conscious of their flaws, but here, they all seem oblivious, which makes them more irritating to spend time with. The film is also not all that romantic outside of it's ending compared to his previous efforts. There's never really a moment in the film where the characters show that they're aren't completely narcissistic so it's hard to really embrace the film, but man, it's hard not to have a smile on your face with that ending. This film actually has some of his most amusing bits of dialogue especially one memorable conversation about Lady & The Tramp. It also contains the funniest moment out of all of his films, which is simply the sight of Chris Eigeman's priceless expression after Kate Beckinsale's character says that disco might have died because of the herpes epidemic, but this film is still, in my mind, his weakest effort. It's disappointing to find Carolyn Farina's presence only amounts to a brief silent cameo since I thought she was the most appealing part of Metropolitan. She really needs to do more movies because she has a terrific screen presence. If it wasn't for the ending, I wouldn't being recommending this film, but here I am, slightly recommending it. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
P.S.
Interestingly enough, I saw a tiny bit of this when I was younger and it happened to be the scene where the woman is nude on the couch. I'm pretty sure it was my first exposure to nudity in a movie. I always wondered what the movie was called and it's strange to stumble upon it by simply going through my normal cinephillic viewing pattern, but yeah.
The whole thing is pretty much disposable. It's sort of blandly affecting and it's already escaping my memory as I write this, but I still think it's recommendable. There's something inherently theatrical about actors doing fake British accents and period piece decor and this film has both. Toby Jones gives probably the most memorable performance because well, he's actually British and has the juiciest role as a good-hearted sleazeball. Naomi Watts looks ravishing as usual. She has a rather simplistic role, but she still gives a fine performance. The film doesn't contain much depth because everything is pretty much on the surface so it creates an instantly forgettable atmosphere, which makes the whole thing feel disposable. The story seems to scream for a sweeping epicness much like a David Lean film like Doctor Zhivago, but it simply doesn't have it. The director aimed for a more intimate and self-contained atmosphere, but since everything is rather simplistic, his attempt isn't entirely successful. Doctor Zhivago, a film that contained that epic scope, also felt intimate so it's possible to acclompish both. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Last Days of Disco(dir. Whit Stillman)
It's strange to find a film being ameliorated with this fun, light-hearted, and borderline ridiculous ending, but yeah. The ending clearly has the sense of fun that some of the film's preceding moments would have greatly benefited from. These characters are his most unlikeable creations since none of them realize how vain they are. In his other films, it seemed like some of his characters were conscious of their flaws, but here, they all seem oblivious, which makes them more irritating to spend time with. The film is also not all that romantic outside of it's ending compared to his previous efforts. There's never really a moment in the film where the characters show that they're aren't completely narcissistic so it's hard to really embrace the film, but man, it's hard not to have a smile on your face with that ending. This film actually has some of his most amusing bits of dialogue especially one memorable conversation about Lady & The Tramp. It also contains the funniest moment out of all of his films, which is simply the sight of Chris Eigeman's priceless expression after Kate Beckinsale's character says that disco might have died because of the herpes epidemic, but this film is still, in my mind, his weakest effort. It's disappointing to find Carolyn Farina's presence only amounts to a brief silent cameo since I thought she was the most appealing part of Metropolitan. She really needs to do more movies because she has a terrific screen presence. If it wasn't for the ending, I wouldn't being recommending this film, but here I am, slightly recommending it. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
P.S.
Interestingly enough, I saw a tiny bit of this when I was younger and it happened to be the scene where the woman is nude on the couch. I'm pretty sure it was my first exposure to nudity in a movie. I always wondered what the movie was called and it's strange to stumble upon it by simply going through my normal cinephillic viewing pattern, but yeah.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Oh Fire in the Hole...
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause(dir. Michael Lembeck)
So bad, it's good. Well, so bad, it's decent at least. It doesn't retain a constant state of ridiculous badness like Rush Hour 3 does so when you experience the stretches that aren't amusing at all, it's just bad. The annoying fat Jewish Elf kid from the second one is in this one and boy, you wish he got hit by a car more than ever, but thankfully, his time on screen is rather minimal. I fail to see how someone wouldn't think Tim Allen going "fire in the hole" while his ass is on fire or Judge Reinhold having a little too much Christmas spirit at least as mildly amusing. Everybody is so happy and joyful that it's borderline creepy, which makes it even more hilarious when it's cheesy "heart-warming" moments come around. Alan Arkin and Ann Margaret are the only ones that aren't very convincing in their drunkedness on the happiness that is Christmas time and stick out like sore thumbs. They're easily the worst thing in the movie. They just totally kill the Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Live Free or Die Hard[Unrated Cut](dir. Len Wiseman)
This is seriously the cut that should have gone to theaters. Without all the coarse language, John McClane didn't seem like John McClane. Without all the swearing, they might as well have made it Ethan Hunt or James Bond. While this is the definitive version of the film, it's still marred with the same problems as the original cut. The action set-pieces are some of the most ridiculously fun set-pieces found in all of cinema, but when they're not happening, the film noticeably drags. It could be because the drama of the film isn't really all that involving, but I feel it's because of a more serious problem: they don't focus on John McClane enough. The previous Die Hard films were fine when they focused on the "bad guys" a little bit now and then because well, they had fucking guns and the bad guys in this are armed with computers so it's just not the same. The villains also barely register due to a lack of screen presence. Timothy Olyphant tries his damnedest to be sinister, but he's not all that threatening. While some of John's one-liners are hilarious, there's just some that verge on being offensive with their misogyny. It's hard to laugh or be expected to laugh when he refers to a woman he killed as a "another dead Asian hooker bitch" way after his encounter with her. It's still definitely the best action movie of the year and the second best Die Hard film after Die Hard 2: Die Harder. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Rescue Dawn(dir. Werner Herzog)
Little Dieter Needs to Fly is a great documentary and a fictional recount of his experience in a Laotian prison camp isn't a totally awful idea, but I simply couldn't shake the notion that he'd probably fuck it up especially with the relative Hollywood-ish gloss this film had in it's trailers. It's not a total fuck up, but it's hard to really call it a resounding success as well. I'd imagine the film would have been more effective if it was much more grim and bleak especially in concern with this film's ending. There's also the fact that the film is undeniably overlong with the time spent in the prison camp(more reasonable) and time spent outside of the prison camp(more unreasonable). The decapitation scene was handled rather sloppily(can't show the head get cut off!). While I'm fine with not going crazy on the blood and guts in movies, this film felt like it specifically was trying to divert away from it in rather clumsy ways. The ending, while touching, seemed like it was lifted from a goddamn inspirational sports movie. Dieter threw the winning catch! It's hard not to be moved by this, but when you think about it, was this film really necessary? Hearing the real Dieter talk about his life experiences is much more emotionally involving than watching actors recreate it. I don't think the film was all that Hollywood-ized outside of it's ending, but there's still an undeniable sensation that Herzog was holding back or was held back. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
So bad, it's good. Well, so bad, it's decent at least. It doesn't retain a constant state of ridiculous badness like Rush Hour 3 does so when you experience the stretches that aren't amusing at all, it's just bad. The annoying fat Jewish Elf kid from the second one is in this one and boy, you wish he got hit by a car more than ever, but thankfully, his time on screen is rather minimal. I fail to see how someone wouldn't think Tim Allen going "fire in the hole" while his ass is on fire or Judge Reinhold having a little too much Christmas spirit at least as mildly amusing. Everybody is so happy and joyful that it's borderline creepy, which makes it even more hilarious when it's cheesy "heart-warming" moments come around. Alan Arkin and Ann Margaret are the only ones that aren't very convincing in their drunkedness on the happiness that is Christmas time and stick out like sore thumbs. They're easily the worst thing in the movie. They just totally kill the Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Live Free or Die Hard[Unrated Cut](dir. Len Wiseman)
This is seriously the cut that should have gone to theaters. Without all the coarse language, John McClane didn't seem like John McClane. Without all the swearing, they might as well have made it Ethan Hunt or James Bond. While this is the definitive version of the film, it's still marred with the same problems as the original cut. The action set-pieces are some of the most ridiculously fun set-pieces found in all of cinema, but when they're not happening, the film noticeably drags. It could be because the drama of the film isn't really all that involving, but I feel it's because of a more serious problem: they don't focus on John McClane enough. The previous Die Hard films were fine when they focused on the "bad guys" a little bit now and then because well, they had fucking guns and the bad guys in this are armed with computers so it's just not the same. The villains also barely register due to a lack of screen presence. Timothy Olyphant tries his damnedest to be sinister, but he's not all that threatening. While some of John's one-liners are hilarious, there's just some that verge on being offensive with their misogyny. It's hard to laugh or be expected to laugh when he refers to a woman he killed as a "another dead Asian hooker bitch" way after his encounter with her. It's still definitely the best action movie of the year and the second best Die Hard film after Die Hard 2: Die Harder. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Rescue Dawn(dir. Werner Herzog)
Little Dieter Needs to Fly is a great documentary and a fictional recount of his experience in a Laotian prison camp isn't a totally awful idea, but I simply couldn't shake the notion that he'd probably fuck it up especially with the relative Hollywood-ish gloss this film had in it's trailers. It's not a total fuck up, but it's hard to really call it a resounding success as well. I'd imagine the film would have been more effective if it was much more grim and bleak especially in concern with this film's ending. There's also the fact that the film is undeniably overlong with the time spent in the prison camp(more reasonable) and time spent outside of the prison camp(more unreasonable). The decapitation scene was handled rather sloppily(can't show the head get cut off!). While I'm fine with not going crazy on the blood and guts in movies, this film felt like it specifically was trying to divert away from it in rather clumsy ways. The ending, while touching, seemed like it was lifted from a goddamn inspirational sports movie. Dieter threw the winning catch! It's hard not to be moved by this, but when you think about it, was this film really necessary? Hearing the real Dieter talk about his life experiences is much more emotionally involving than watching actors recreate it. I don't think the film was all that Hollywood-ized outside of it's ending, but there's still an undeniable sensation that Herzog was holding back or was held back. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Monday, October 29, 2007
Oh 2006...
Going to do the same thing as the Oh 2007... post, but have it be 2006 instead.
2006
1. Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)[Original cut]
2. Little Children(dir. Todd Field)
3. Marie Antoinette(dir. Sofia Coppola)
4. INLAND EMPIRE(dir. David Lynch)
5. The Science of Sleep(dir. Michel Gondry)
6. Clean(dir. Olivier Assayas)
7. Scoop(dir. Woody Allen)
8. The Proposition(dir. John Hillcoat)
9. L'Enfant(dir. Dardenne Brothers)
10. The Fountain(dir. Darren Aronofsky)
Honorable mentions: Somersault, Deck the Halls, Casino Royale, The Descent[needs a rewatch], Half Nelson, The Good Shephard, Borat, The Departed, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima, A Prairie Home Companion, Children of Men, Babel, The Black Dahlia, Little Miss Sunshine[need to rewatch]
Need/want to see: Manderlay, Tideland(kind of), Volver, Battle in Heaven, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Neil Young: Heart of Gold, Army of Shadows(re-release, whatevz), Bubble, The Good German, The Queen, The Lives of Others, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, 49 Up(maybe?), Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing(kind of), Hard Candy, The Last King of Scotland[don't really have a desire to see it, but feel obligated to], Blood Diamond(saw some of it, seems like a worthy candidate for dishonorable mentions once I see the whole thing), Notes on a Scandal, Thank You for Smoking(kind of), Dave Chapelle's Block Party(kind of), Cache, The Road to Guantanamo(kind of), Old Joy, Curse of the Golden Flower(kind of), Venus(kind of), The Illusionist, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, V for Vendetta(kind of), Find Me Guilty, Mutual Appreciation, and more...
Dishonorable mentions: Bobby, The Wild, The Pursuit of Happyness, and more...
Best Performances:
Danny Huston, The Proposition
Laura Dern, INLAND EMPIRE
Kirsten Dunst, Marie Antoinette
Gael Garica Bernal, The Science of Sleep
Jeremie Reiner, L'Enfant
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
2006
1. Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)[Original cut]
2. Little Children(dir. Todd Field)
3. Marie Antoinette(dir. Sofia Coppola)
4. INLAND EMPIRE(dir. David Lynch)
5. The Science of Sleep(dir. Michel Gondry)
6. Clean(dir. Olivier Assayas)
7. Scoop(dir. Woody Allen)
8. The Proposition(dir. John Hillcoat)
9. L'Enfant(dir. Dardenne Brothers)
10. The Fountain(dir. Darren Aronofsky)
Honorable mentions: Somersault, Deck the Halls, Casino Royale, The Descent[needs a rewatch], Half Nelson, The Good Shephard, Borat, The Departed, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima, A Prairie Home Companion, Children of Men, Babel, The Black Dahlia, Little Miss Sunshine[need to rewatch]
Need/want to see: Manderlay, Tideland(kind of), Volver, Battle in Heaven, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Neil Young: Heart of Gold, Army of Shadows(re-release, whatevz), Bubble, The Good German, The Queen, The Lives of Others, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, 49 Up(maybe?), Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing(kind of), Hard Candy, The Last King of Scotland[don't really have a desire to see it, but feel obligated to], Blood Diamond(saw some of it, seems like a worthy candidate for dishonorable mentions once I see the whole thing), Notes on a Scandal, Thank You for Smoking(kind of), Dave Chapelle's Block Party(kind of), Cache, The Road to Guantanamo(kind of), Old Joy, Curse of the Golden Flower(kind of), Venus(kind of), The Illusionist, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, V for Vendetta(kind of), Find Me Guilty, Mutual Appreciation, and more...
Dishonorable mentions: Bobby, The Wild, The Pursuit of Happyness, and more...
Best Performances:
Danny Huston, The Proposition
Laura Dern, INLAND EMPIRE
Kirsten Dunst, Marie Antoinette
Gael Garica Bernal, The Science of Sleep
Jeremie Reiner, L'Enfant
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Oh Tommy & Elina & Bruno...
Mission: Impossible III(dir. J.J. Abrams)
It's an effective yet impersonal action thriller. The high tech gadgetry in the film has more personality than the characters. Some of the action set pieces were entertaining like the ones set in Vatican City and Shanghai at night, but they're simply no match to the set pieces in an action movie like Live Free or Die Hard. As a spy movie, it's quite cumbersome and dull especially when compared to a film like Casino Royale, which is infinitely more engaging due to it's non-paper-thin characters. That film also allows it's audience to view the action without the overly shaky camera work and cut cut cut nonsense that plagues this film. You could easily make the mistake of thinking that Michael Bay directed this. It's still decent in it's soulless machine-like nature.
**1/2 out of ****
Amateur(dir. Hal Hartley)
When Hal puts emphasis on story instead of characters, his films suffer. This is definitely one of those cases. It expects the audience to have interest in this film about an amnesiac by having them ponder who is he? At least, that's what it seems to suggest with how the narrative plays out. Since this mystery isn't very mysterious, it's hard to really get involved with it. It definitely has it's moments, but much like The Unbelievable Truth, it doesn't really register emotionally or intellectually. I still recommend checking it out, though.
*** out of ****
Twentynine Palms(dir. Bruno Dumont)
It's one of those movies that you're glad you watched but probably won't ever want to watch again. That's not to say it's bad despite what most people will say. It just becomes excruciating before it's climatic and terrifying conclusion. While it starts off fine, there's just so much one can take of basically watching a couple burn time in the middle of the Southern California desert doing nothing much. Most scenes start off relatively sweet and turn hideously sour much like the film itself. It's hard to really describe the film preceding the last 20 minutes as sweet, but compared to those last 20 minutes, sweet doesn't seem that horrible of a description. Those last 20 minutes, which could be dubbed the "pay off" even though that makes me sound like some sadistic freak, are some of the most horrifying last 20 minutes I've ever seen. It makes the "build-up" seem worth it in some sick and deranged way. This is definitely a film that's hard to embrace due to it's unlikeable characters and extremely slow pacing, but it's still a film worth watching if you have the patience and stomach for it. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
It's an effective yet impersonal action thriller. The high tech gadgetry in the film has more personality than the characters. Some of the action set pieces were entertaining like the ones set in Vatican City and Shanghai at night, but they're simply no match to the set pieces in an action movie like Live Free or Die Hard. As a spy movie, it's quite cumbersome and dull especially when compared to a film like Casino Royale, which is infinitely more engaging due to it's non-paper-thin characters. That film also allows it's audience to view the action without the overly shaky camera work and cut cut cut nonsense that plagues this film. You could easily make the mistake of thinking that Michael Bay directed this. It's still decent in it's soulless machine-like nature.
**1/2 out of ****
Amateur(dir. Hal Hartley)
When Hal puts emphasis on story instead of characters, his films suffer. This is definitely one of those cases. It expects the audience to have interest in this film about an amnesiac by having them ponder who is he? At least, that's what it seems to suggest with how the narrative plays out. Since this mystery isn't very mysterious, it's hard to really get involved with it. It definitely has it's moments, but much like The Unbelievable Truth, it doesn't really register emotionally or intellectually. I still recommend checking it out, though.
*** out of ****
Twentynine Palms(dir. Bruno Dumont)
It's one of those movies that you're glad you watched but probably won't ever want to watch again. That's not to say it's bad despite what most people will say. It just becomes excruciating before it's climatic and terrifying conclusion. While it starts off fine, there's just so much one can take of basically watching a couple burn time in the middle of the Southern California desert doing nothing much. Most scenes start off relatively sweet and turn hideously sour much like the film itself. It's hard to really describe the film preceding the last 20 minutes as sweet, but compared to those last 20 minutes, sweet doesn't seem that horrible of a description. Those last 20 minutes, which could be dubbed the "pay off" even though that makes me sound like some sadistic freak, are some of the most horrifying last 20 minutes I've ever seen. It makes the "build-up" seem worth it in some sick and deranged way. This is definitely a film that's hard to embrace due to it's unlikeable characters and extremely slow pacing, but it's still a film worth watching if you have the patience and stomach for it. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
Friday, October 26, 2007
Oh Smokey the Bear...
Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)[Original Cut]
The only differences that are readily apparent between the two cuts are the beginning and the music that is used in the final shoot out. The beginning in the original is much more abrupt given that it doesn't gradually let you fall into this world but ends up throwing you in the middle of it, expecting you to grasp what's going on. The viewer is forced to play catch up instead of simply sitting there passive. While playing catch up, the viewer might not ever grasp what's going on because a lot of the affairs and the story can be viewed as either painfully simple or painfully complex. The movie plays more of a deconstruction of itself with it's murky yet beautiful DV and giving the viewer action set-pieces that feel like another day of routine for it's protagonists. It's an anti-action action movie. One criticism that seems to be lobbed at this film often is the underdeveloped nature of it's characters. It's a criticism definitely worth noting especially since it was a problem that plagued my first viewing of the film in it's unrated form, but looking at the film now, it doesn't seem like a hindrance at all. These men are so involved in their careers that personality or character elude them since they're so preoccupied with going undercover and taking down drug lords to really care. Comparing these characters to other action characters like John McClane or James Bond shows the film's unsympathetic and honest portrayal of it's protagonists. It doesn't try to dress these characters up as smart or charming but as merely men doing their jobs. The level of professionalism in this film is downright intoxicating not just to this viewer but to the characters themselves. The romantic entanglements in the film don't seem to be really based on any traditional idea of attraction or love. The characters might find their lovers sexually attractive but that's clearly not what they find the most attractive. It's obviously an appreciation and lust for the other's professional mastery. Gong Li's businesswoman(forgot her name) barely knows Sonny before subsequently having sex with him. These type of quick sexual encounters happen all the time, but given the character's rather conservative demeanor, it feels like it must be a rare occurrence for her. The romantic encounters in this film practically play out as professional circle jerks. Mann not only uses these romances to create a sexual tension in this world of professional professionalism but to show the interchangeability and parallel nature between his two protagonists. He definitely gets this point across by having both protagonists have sex in the shower with their respective lover. Outside of the romance, the story could be viewed as fairly routine, but that's exactly what the film needed to be. It needed to feel routine since this type of work is supposed to be routine for it's protagonists so if it was super exciting in an action movie sort of way, it would feel false. A perfect example is the final shoot out in the film. If the intensity was notched up to match a film like say Live Free or Die Hard's intensity in that final shoot out sequence, this world of professional professionalism would basically fall apart. It's almost mundane in it's construction. Let's compare this scene to a scene in a film by a director that obviously has influenced Michael Mann, Jean-Pierre Melville. The heist scene in Le Cercle Rouge is comparable given it's low-key nature compared to other movie heists just like how the shoot out in this film compares to other shoot outs. The characters in that film don't scream or make a big fuss while performing the heist, they simply do it much like the characters in the shoot out of this film. Mann doesn't try to create false tension since it's a fairly routine occurrence for these characters. The film is a perfect match for it's characters' cold and precise demeanor up until the end, which is absolutely emotionally penetrating. This is where the underdeveloped nature of the characters turns into a blessing since the ending hints at development. They start appearing more human and graceful in their world of cold and precise professionalism. As you can tell, I fucking love this movie now. A rewatch was definitely beneficial, and I recommend everyone that didn't dig it the first time to give it another try. It's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Gone Baby Gone(dir. Ben Affleck)
Has easily one of the most haunting sequences of the year. If you haven't seen the movie yet, once you see it, you'll know exactly what I'm taking about. His approach to the material is impeccable, but the material itself isn't so impeccable. It's hard for me to stomach how this story leaves it's central mystery unresolved, moves on and then comes back to resolve it all nice and neatly. There is still moral baggage for the viewer to think about after viewing, but it's not nearly as engaging and honest as it could have been if it had ended relatively soon after the sequence mentioned above. Stories like these usually don't end on as happy of a note like this and it's narrative construction becomes readily apparent when it starts to initiate it's resolution when it was practically seamless before. I am looking forward to see what he directs next. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Planet Terror(dir. Robert Rodriguez)
The build-up is really fun, but once the action starts, it becomes increasingly tiresome. I have no idea whether Rodriguez wants the viewer to gawk at his creation or laugh at it. It doesn't matter since he's not successful when you approach his film from both ways. It's not nearly ridiculous enough in it's action to actually be fun. Give me Bruce Willis going off a jump with a snowmobile screaming any day of the week over this mediocre shit.
** out of ****
The only differences that are readily apparent between the two cuts are the beginning and the music that is used in the final shoot out. The beginning in the original is much more abrupt given that it doesn't gradually let you fall into this world but ends up throwing you in the middle of it, expecting you to grasp what's going on. The viewer is forced to play catch up instead of simply sitting there passive. While playing catch up, the viewer might not ever grasp what's going on because a lot of the affairs and the story can be viewed as either painfully simple or painfully complex. The movie plays more of a deconstruction of itself with it's murky yet beautiful DV and giving the viewer action set-pieces that feel like another day of routine for it's protagonists. It's an anti-action action movie. One criticism that seems to be lobbed at this film often is the underdeveloped nature of it's characters. It's a criticism definitely worth noting especially since it was a problem that plagued my first viewing of the film in it's unrated form, but looking at the film now, it doesn't seem like a hindrance at all. These men are so involved in their careers that personality or character elude them since they're so preoccupied with going undercover and taking down drug lords to really care. Comparing these characters to other action characters like John McClane or James Bond shows the film's unsympathetic and honest portrayal of it's protagonists. It doesn't try to dress these characters up as smart or charming but as merely men doing their jobs. The level of professionalism in this film is downright intoxicating not just to this viewer but to the characters themselves. The romantic entanglements in the film don't seem to be really based on any traditional idea of attraction or love. The characters might find their lovers sexually attractive but that's clearly not what they find the most attractive. It's obviously an appreciation and lust for the other's professional mastery. Gong Li's businesswoman(forgot her name) barely knows Sonny before subsequently having sex with him. These type of quick sexual encounters happen all the time, but given the character's rather conservative demeanor, it feels like it must be a rare occurrence for her. The romantic encounters in this film practically play out as professional circle jerks. Mann not only uses these romances to create a sexual tension in this world of professional professionalism but to show the interchangeability and parallel nature between his two protagonists. He definitely gets this point across by having both protagonists have sex in the shower with their respective lover. Outside of the romance, the story could be viewed as fairly routine, but that's exactly what the film needed to be. It needed to feel routine since this type of work is supposed to be routine for it's protagonists so if it was super exciting in an action movie sort of way, it would feel false. A perfect example is the final shoot out in the film. If the intensity was notched up to match a film like say Live Free or Die Hard's intensity in that final shoot out sequence, this world of professional professionalism would basically fall apart. It's almost mundane in it's construction. Let's compare this scene to a scene in a film by a director that obviously has influenced Michael Mann, Jean-Pierre Melville. The heist scene in Le Cercle Rouge is comparable given it's low-key nature compared to other movie heists just like how the shoot out in this film compares to other shoot outs. The characters in that film don't scream or make a big fuss while performing the heist, they simply do it much like the characters in the shoot out of this film. Mann doesn't try to create false tension since it's a fairly routine occurrence for these characters. The film is a perfect match for it's characters' cold and precise demeanor up until the end, which is absolutely emotionally penetrating. This is where the underdeveloped nature of the characters turns into a blessing since the ending hints at development. They start appearing more human and graceful in their world of cold and precise professionalism. As you can tell, I fucking love this movie now. A rewatch was definitely beneficial, and I recommend everyone that didn't dig it the first time to give it another try. It's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Gone Baby Gone(dir. Ben Affleck)
Has easily one of the most haunting sequences of the year. If you haven't seen the movie yet, once you see it, you'll know exactly what I'm taking about. His approach to the material is impeccable, but the material itself isn't so impeccable. It's hard for me to stomach how this story leaves it's central mystery unresolved, moves on and then comes back to resolve it all nice and neatly. There is still moral baggage for the viewer to think about after viewing, but it's not nearly as engaging and honest as it could have been if it had ended relatively soon after the sequence mentioned above. Stories like these usually don't end on as happy of a note like this and it's narrative construction becomes readily apparent when it starts to initiate it's resolution when it was practically seamless before. I am looking forward to see what he directs next. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Planet Terror(dir. Robert Rodriguez)
The build-up is really fun, but once the action starts, it becomes increasingly tiresome. I have no idea whether Rodriguez wants the viewer to gawk at his creation or laugh at it. It doesn't matter since he's not successful when you approach his film from both ways. It's not nearly ridiculous enough in it's action to actually be fun. Give me Bruce Willis going off a jump with a snowmobile screaming any day of the week over this mediocre shit.
** out of ****
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Oh Matthew "Smells Like a Man" McConaughey...
We Are Marshall(dir. McG)
The underdog I was rooting for while watching this was not the team but the movie itself. I was hoping it would overcome it's overly sappy and formulaic nature and become a genuinely good movie, but it simply didn't happen despite what looked like a touchdown of an ending that quickly became a trite and sentimental one that you see in practically every "inspirational sports" movie known to mankind. I have respect for the movie for actually giving the audience information about what happened to the "real" people that were involved with this "story" even though it's not exactly uplifting. Despite having a solid beginning, some amusing bits with Matthew McConaughey, and a relatively decent side-story concerning a fiancé of one of the players, I simply can't recommend seeing this. It was merely average.
** out of ****
The underdog I was rooting for while watching this was not the team but the movie itself. I was hoping it would overcome it's overly sappy and formulaic nature and become a genuinely good movie, but it simply didn't happen despite what looked like a touchdown of an ending that quickly became a trite and sentimental one that you see in practically every "inspirational sports" movie known to mankind. I have respect for the movie for actually giving the audience information about what happened to the "real" people that were involved with this "story" even though it's not exactly uplifting. Despite having a solid beginning, some amusing bits with Matthew McConaughey, and a relatively decent side-story concerning a fiancé of one of the players, I simply can't recommend seeing this. It was merely average.
** out of ****
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Oh Emilio...
Bobby(dir. Emilio Estevez)
Dull and boring. It picks up at the end when RFK comes into the picture through the use of documentary footage, but Emilio milks his assassination to build sympathy for his characters. His characters are his own creation while RFK was a real human being. Some moments were just flat-out bad to the point that it was almost painful to watch like the scene where Laurence Fishburne(sp?) tells Freddy Rodriguez that he is a king and the whole acid trip with Asthon Kutcher. I have to say the whole acid storyline was actually entertaining, but in the context of the film, it is trying to be historically accurate with a very stereotypical idea that a lot of people were dropping acid in the '60s. I was also annoyed by the constant referencing to movies at the time in the beginning like The Graduate and Bonnie & Clyde. It was bad.
*1/2 out of ****
Dull and boring. It picks up at the end when RFK comes into the picture through the use of documentary footage, but Emilio milks his assassination to build sympathy for his characters. His characters are his own creation while RFK was a real human being. Some moments were just flat-out bad to the point that it was almost painful to watch like the scene where Laurence Fishburne(sp?) tells Freddy Rodriguez that he is a king and the whole acid trip with Asthon Kutcher. I have to say the whole acid storyline was actually entertaining, but in the context of the film, it is trying to be historically accurate with a very stereotypical idea that a lot of people were dropping acid in the '60s. I was also annoyed by the constant referencing to movies at the time in the beginning like The Graduate and Bonnie & Clyde. It was bad.
*1/2 out of ****
Monday, April 09, 2007
Oh Lee...
The Good Shepherd(dir. Robert De Niro)
It was kind of dull mainly because Matt Damon's character isn't all that interesting, but the confusing narrative added a sense of mystery to it, which made it interesting.
*** out of ****
Vive L'Amour(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
I was really really enjoying this and the end happened. It just doesn't work. I'm sure some people found it moving, but it felt extremely forced and doesn't really go well with his style or rest of the picture. Still worth seeing.
***1/2 out of ****
It was kind of dull mainly because Matt Damon's character isn't all that interesting, but the confusing narrative added a sense of mystery to it, which made it interesting.
*** out of ****
Vive L'Amour(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
I was really really enjoying this and the end happened. It just doesn't work. I'm sure some people found it moving, but it felt extremely forced and doesn't really go well with his style or rest of the picture. Still worth seeing.
***1/2 out of ****
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Oh Will...
Pursuit of Happyness(dir. Gabriele Muccino)
It was designed in such a way to make the audience feel sorry for Will Smith's character. Some scenes were just utterly ridiculous like the scene dealing with the Rubic's cube and the rich white people in the convertible driving past a homeless shelter laughing. All the characters other than him and his son were shallow. I'll admit I was touched by the scene where he receives the news that he got the job because Will Smith plays the scene perfectly. If it wasn't for that scene, I would be giving this *1/2, but because of it, this movie gets
** out of ****
It was designed in such a way to make the audience feel sorry for Will Smith's character. Some scenes were just utterly ridiculous like the scene dealing with the Rubic's cube and the rich white people in the convertible driving past a homeless shelter laughing. All the characters other than him and his son were shallow. I'll admit I was touched by the scene where he receives the news that he got the job because Will Smith plays the scene perfectly. If it wasn't for that scene, I would be giving this *1/2, but because of it, this movie gets
** out of ****
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Oh "Charlie"...
The Naked Kiss(dir. Samuel Fuller)
Utterly cinematic. Great moments throughout. The scene where we find out the secret to her fiance is extremely haunting and actually handled amazingly well by Fuller, who steers to almost camp with other situations similar to this one. "Charlie" gives an especially nuanced performance. It kind of gets clunky near the end, but it still remained highly compelling.
**** out of ****
Happy Feet(dir. George Miller)
Too long. Animation shouldn't run this long because the stories are usually very simple and can't really last an almost two hour running time. It had moments that were nice and the political message was quite refreshing in an animated film. If it was shorter, it would have been way more enjoyable.
**1/2 out of ****
Utterly cinematic. Great moments throughout. The scene where we find out the secret to her fiance is extremely haunting and actually handled amazingly well by Fuller, who steers to almost camp with other situations similar to this one. "Charlie" gives an especially nuanced performance. It kind of gets clunky near the end, but it still remained highly compelling.
**** out of ****
Happy Feet(dir. George Miller)
Too long. Animation shouldn't run this long because the stories are usually very simple and can't really last an almost two hour running time. It had moments that were nice and the political message was quite refreshing in an animated film. If it was shorter, it would have been way more enjoyable.
**1/2 out of ****
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Oh Clive...
Children of Men(dir. Alfonso Cuaron)
It was slow in the first hour, but had some moments of brilliance like the beginning with the building blowing up and the scene in the car. It definately picks up during its final 45-50 minutes. I think it is insane that this movie didn't win Best Cinematography just for the Steadicam work during the battle in the town alone. The illegal immigration aspect of it was interesting because I could see that possibly happening down the line. I could picture liking this even more on a second viewing, but for now it gets a
***1/2 out of ****
It was slow in the first hour, but had some moments of brilliance like the beginning with the building blowing up and the scene in the car. It definately picks up during its final 45-50 minutes. I think it is insane that this movie didn't win Best Cinematography just for the Steadicam work during the battle in the town alone. The illegal immigration aspect of it was interesting because I could see that possibly happening down the line. I could picture liking this even more on a second viewing, but for now it gets a
***1/2 out of ****
Monday, March 26, 2007
Oh Daniel...
Casino Royale(dir. Martin Campbell)
Is he the best Bond ever? Not sure. Definately better than Pierce Bronson. Agree with most of the critics about how its too long, which seems to be its biggest problem especially the whole section that was like a mini chick flick or something. I liked it.
*** out of ****
When a Women Ascends the Stairs(dir. Mikio Naruse)
I've been curious to Naruse since there has been no releases of his films pretty much anywhere and he is often compared to Ozu and Mizoguchi. This film was somewhat underwhelming. Sure, I probably liked it more than any of the previously named director's works that I have seen(feel like I need to rewatch Tokyo Story and Late Spring), but I guess I was expecting alot more. This, however, doesn't mean this film was bad or even just good. It was really good, but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be.
**** out of ****
Is he the best Bond ever? Not sure. Definately better than Pierce Bronson. Agree with most of the critics about how its too long, which seems to be its biggest problem especially the whole section that was like a mini chick flick or something. I liked it.
*** out of ****
When a Women Ascends the Stairs(dir. Mikio Naruse)
I've been curious to Naruse since there has been no releases of his films pretty much anywhere and he is often compared to Ozu and Mizoguchi. This film was somewhat underwhelming. Sure, I probably liked it more than any of the previously named director's works that I have seen(feel like I need to rewatch Tokyo Story and Late Spring), but I guess I was expecting alot more. This, however, doesn't mean this film was bad or even just good. It was really good, but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be.
**** out of ****
Monday, March 19, 2007
Oh Woody...
A Scanner Darkly(dir. Richard Linklater)
More stylistic than Fast Food Nation, but not as good. The moments between Keanu, Robert, and Woody were the best parts. Just them haning out and talking about nonsense. Kind of some paranoid Dazed & Confused or something. When it hit the 80 minute mark, it tried to pretty much sum up the whole reason why Keanu was undercover and infilitrating these guys. I don't know. I liked it alot up until that point. Maybe I should see Waking Life.
*** out of ****
More stylistic than Fast Food Nation, but not as good. The moments between Keanu, Robert, and Woody were the best parts. Just them haning out and talking about nonsense. Kind of some paranoid Dazed & Confused or something. When it hit the 80 minute mark, it tried to pretty much sum up the whole reason why Keanu was undercover and infilitrating these guys. I don't know. I liked it alot up until that point. Maybe I should see Waking Life.
*** out of ****
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Oh Poop...
Half Nelson(dir. Ryan Fleck and Anna Bodom)
The scene that really made it for me was when Dan goes to buy some crack and ends up buying it off of Drey. Its such a little scene, but seems to show the dilemma they both face in the film. The ending was very optimistic and makes the audience believe we can truly change and redeem ourselves. The most problematic scenes were the teaching scenes. Sure, you have to show his job somewhat, but overall, they really had nothing to do with the grand scheme of things. They are also portrayed in a fairly stereotypicaly cinematic way where the teachers seem to hold a discussion instead of just lecturing the kids. Sure, this style of teaching can happen, but its not very likely in a junior high setting. I liked this alot.
**** out of ****
Fast Food Nation(dir. Richard Linklater)
This movie just reminds me of Babel even though Linklater has been dealing with this type of narrative genre years before Babel, Crash, or even Magnolia came out. This movie is definately more messy than Babel, but the biggest difference is that Fast Food Nation actually has message behind. Actually, numerous messages. The border crossing aspect in both film's offers easy comparision. The border crossing in this film is much more thought-provoking than Babel's. Maybe because Babel's border crossing wasn't really about people illegally immigrating even though the nanny was in the US illegally. Babel basically throws this aspect of its narrative out there expecting audiences to think about it, but Fast Food Nation really dwells on this aspect. You watch this and you kind of say who gives a shit that these individuals are in our country illegally since they basically suffer immensely while living here. You feel sympathy for the individuals and it makes it much more thought-provoking than anything in Babel and this is just one of the stories. You got Greg Kinnear's character dealing with corporate marketing and covering up the fact that there is shit in hamburger meat. You got young people trying to make change, but basically realizing the problem is out of their hands. This story is probably the least effective because of the simple view that these young people have on the situation, but the film, thankfully, debunks their naive view. The best (and most unpleasant) in the film is when you finally see the killing floor in the meat packing factory. The scene is so effective because it not only shows what they do to the cows to make our meat, but also how it affects the individuals that have to do this work. You see a woman is just as horrified and disturbed by what she sees as the audience is. You see her cry and realize that what those people do is horrific, but almost heroic. While this movie does have its flaws, it is still one of the best movies of 2006.
**** out of ****
The scene that really made it for me was when Dan goes to buy some crack and ends up buying it off of Drey. Its such a little scene, but seems to show the dilemma they both face in the film. The ending was very optimistic and makes the audience believe we can truly change and redeem ourselves. The most problematic scenes were the teaching scenes. Sure, you have to show his job somewhat, but overall, they really had nothing to do with the grand scheme of things. They are also portrayed in a fairly stereotypicaly cinematic way where the teachers seem to hold a discussion instead of just lecturing the kids. Sure, this style of teaching can happen, but its not very likely in a junior high setting. I liked this alot.
**** out of ****
Fast Food Nation(dir. Richard Linklater)
This movie just reminds me of Babel even though Linklater has been dealing with this type of narrative genre years before Babel, Crash, or even Magnolia came out. This movie is definately more messy than Babel, but the biggest difference is that Fast Food Nation actually has message behind. Actually, numerous messages. The border crossing aspect in both film's offers easy comparision. The border crossing in this film is much more thought-provoking than Babel's. Maybe because Babel's border crossing wasn't really about people illegally immigrating even though the nanny was in the US illegally. Babel basically throws this aspect of its narrative out there expecting audiences to think about it, but Fast Food Nation really dwells on this aspect. You watch this and you kind of say who gives a shit that these individuals are in our country illegally since they basically suffer immensely while living here. You feel sympathy for the individuals and it makes it much more thought-provoking than anything in Babel and this is just one of the stories. You got Greg Kinnear's character dealing with corporate marketing and covering up the fact that there is shit in hamburger meat. You got young people trying to make change, but basically realizing the problem is out of their hands. This story is probably the least effective because of the simple view that these young people have on the situation, but the film, thankfully, debunks their naive view. The best (and most unpleasant) in the film is when you finally see the killing floor in the meat packing factory. The scene is so effective because it not only shows what they do to the cows to make our meat, but also how it affects the individuals that have to do this work. You see a woman is just as horrified and disturbed by what she sees as the audience is. You see her cry and realize that what those people do is horrific, but almost heroic. While this movie does have its flaws, it is still one of the best movies of 2006.
**** out of ****
Monday, March 12, 2007
Oh Paris...
Branded to Kill(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
This movie is pretty much insane. Any movie that has a hero that gets turned on by the smell of hot rice is awesome in my book. Any movie that has the hero's love interest living in a house full of dead butterflies is also awesome in my book. I wouldn't say it is quite as good as Tokyo Drifter, but it's pretty close. Way way way better than Youth of the Beast.
**** out of ****
Double Indemnity(dir. Billy Wilder)
Is this the greatest film noir ever made? Not quite. Edward G. Robinson's character is quite awesome. The murder seemed sort of rushed because the guy did not seem like he knew the woman at all and was willing to kill her husband for her. This is a minor complaint, but yeah. Not quite as good as some of Fritz Lang's noirs or Kiss Me Deadly, but still really good.
**** out of ****
Brick(dir. Rian Johnson)
Stylish. Probably the best way to describe the whole experience. Transporting film noir into a high school is pretty unique even if it feels kind of strange. I can see how someone can despise this movie. I, however, liked it alot.
**** out of ****
This movie is pretty much insane. Any movie that has a hero that gets turned on by the smell of hot rice is awesome in my book. Any movie that has the hero's love interest living in a house full of dead butterflies is also awesome in my book. I wouldn't say it is quite as good as Tokyo Drifter, but it's pretty close. Way way way better than Youth of the Beast.
**** out of ****
Double Indemnity(dir. Billy Wilder)
Is this the greatest film noir ever made? Not quite. Edward G. Robinson's character is quite awesome. The murder seemed sort of rushed because the guy did not seem like he knew the woman at all and was willing to kill her husband for her. This is a minor complaint, but yeah. Not quite as good as some of Fritz Lang's noirs or Kiss Me Deadly, but still really good.
**** out of ****
Brick(dir. Rian Johnson)
Stylish. Probably the best way to describe the whole experience. Transporting film noir into a high school is pretty unique even if it feels kind of strange. I can see how someone can despise this movie. I, however, liked it alot.
**** out of ****
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Oh Anna...
Two Rode Together(dir. John Ford)
Probably the worst film I've seen by him, that's not as bad as it seems. It seems extremely uneven between comedy and serious social commentary. It brings up an interesting point about how the individuals in the town view on Indians is just as uncivilized as they claim the Indians to be. First movie I've seen by Ford that didn't have John Wayne or Henry Fonda in it. I don't find James Stewart a particularly convincing cowboy. It seemed to get alittle heavy handed at the end of it when it started to make the social commentary because everything leading up to it was pretty light and unserious. Decent.
*** out of ****
The Wild(dir. Steve "Spaz" Williams)
Better than Over the Hedge, but that is not saying much. Would have been better if it was only an hour, but as it is, it has pretty shallow story that quickly becomes dull.
** out of ****
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio(dir. Jane Anderson)
Biggest issue with this movie is its portrayal of Woody Harrelson's character. He does some really stupid actions and I can easily understand how some of the characters in the picture do not view him in a very positive light, but he means well. He seems to throw tandrums, but you never see him really meaning to cause harm to his family or his wife. The only instance he does harm his wife, he seems to have an emotional breakdown and you almost feel more for him than his wife. The film's insistance to paint him as the "bad guy" in the narrative just makes it seem strange. The bits where it seems to making fun of 50's/60's consumerism just seemed out of place. Overall, a decent movie.
*** out of ****
Mermaids(dir. IDK)
Bob Hoskins is in it. A light comedic movie. Don't have anything really intelligent to say about it.
*** out of ****
Probably the worst film I've seen by him, that's not as bad as it seems. It seems extremely uneven between comedy and serious social commentary. It brings up an interesting point about how the individuals in the town view on Indians is just as uncivilized as they claim the Indians to be. First movie I've seen by Ford that didn't have John Wayne or Henry Fonda in it. I don't find James Stewart a particularly convincing cowboy. It seemed to get alittle heavy handed at the end of it when it started to make the social commentary because everything leading up to it was pretty light and unserious. Decent.
*** out of ****
The Wild(dir. Steve "Spaz" Williams)
Better than Over the Hedge, but that is not saying much. Would have been better if it was only an hour, but as it is, it has pretty shallow story that quickly becomes dull.
** out of ****
Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio(dir. Jane Anderson)
Biggest issue with this movie is its portrayal of Woody Harrelson's character. He does some really stupid actions and I can easily understand how some of the characters in the picture do not view him in a very positive light, but he means well. He seems to throw tandrums, but you never see him really meaning to cause harm to his family or his wife. The only instance he does harm his wife, he seems to have an emotional breakdown and you almost feel more for him than his wife. The film's insistance to paint him as the "bad guy" in the narrative just makes it seem strange. The bits where it seems to making fun of 50's/60's consumerism just seemed out of place. Overall, a decent movie.
*** out of ****
Mermaids(dir. IDK)
Bob Hoskins is in it. A light comedic movie. Don't have anything really intelligent to say about it.
*** out of ****
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